Parents who don't allow their kids to major in liberal arts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will only let them get a liberal arts degree if they have a clear reason and path for a career and if they understand and are ok with likely $. For example, English major only if they would love to be an English teacher and if they understand they won't make much.

I pressed submit to early. I will definitely be encouraging my kids to study a practical degree, not a liberal arts degree. College costs way too much now to get an impractical undergrad degree. And I got a liberal arts undergrad degree and a science master's degree. Guess which degree led to me making literally double the salary I made before?

There is also a double standard with liberal arts undergrad degrees. A man BA grad gets to be a writer right out of school, while a woman BA grad gets to be an admin asst.

[Anonymous]

Ivy, Northwestern, GU, Williams: Liberal arts degree will get you a job on Wall St., consulting, K Street, etc.

Tailgate State, low tier private: Liberals arts = underemployed, if you're lucky

[Anonymous]

My kid is doing a double major. One in a STEM subject and another in liberal arts. The idea is to open up as many doors as possible not just one.

I do expect one of these degrees to get DC a foot in the door in a field of choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is doing a double major. One in a STEM subject and another in liberal arts. The idea is to open up as many doors as possible not just one.

I do expect one of these degrees to get DC a foot in the door in a field of choice.

Your DC has an extremely demanding course load. I can't imagine double majoring in English and Engineering for instance. That combo would be crazy.

[Anonymous]

Ivy, Northwestern, GU, Williams: Liberal arts degree will get you a job on Wall St., consulting, K Street, etc.

Tailgate State, low tier private: Liberals arts = underemployed, if you're lucky

I have a liberal arts degree from "Tailgate State" as you so charmingly put it. Not everyone one wants to work on K Street or Wall Street. I make about $130K but I don't consider myself to be "underemployed." I have a low stress job that allows plenty of time and energy for other things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Ivy, Northwestern, GU, Williams: Liberal arts degree will get you a job on Wall St., consulting, K Street, etc.

Tailgate State, low tier private: Liberals arts = underemployed, if you're lucky

I have a liberal arts degree from "Tailgate State" as you so charmingly put it. Not everyone one wants to work on K Street or Wall Street. I make about $130K but I don't consider myself to be "underemployed." I have a low stress job that allows plenty of time and energy for other things.

What industry?

Either way, you're an established adult - this debate is about millennials who haven't begun college. The economy is hyper-efficient and global, and everyone has a bachelors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a philosophy major, and the number of times I get a smug look and a comment of, "What are you gonna do with that? Work at McDonalds?" mostly from older men... ugh.

I usually respond with an obviously fake laugh and "Yeah, everyone says that." (It's funny to watch their face fall because, inexplicably, they all seem to think they came up with the McDonalds joke on their own and it's not widespread)


Jokes on them though. My dad is also a philosophy major and makes in the upper six figures. I'm not there yet but already work from home and earn a few thousand per month (and it increases each month- I own my own business).

I cannot with the judgmental attitudes so many have towards the liberal arts. And I am so happy that I decided to go with something I love instead of following the prescribed path. Do what fulfills you, the money will follow.

Please let us know what kind of work you do from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have met too many people who have a lucrative career but hate what they do and can't wait to retire. I want my kids to follow the path that they love.
They just need to have their eyes wide open and understand that there are easier paths and more difficult ones, ways to make more money and other careers that are rewarding but less lucrative. At the end of the day, it is their life to live. You can always become a teacher with a liberal arts degree and that can be very rewarding, if not well paying.

But even then. You still need to go back to school and take a ton of classes. You can't teach with just a liberal arts degree, except at a private school which doesn't pay a livable wage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have met too many people who have a lucrative career but hate what they do and can't wait to retire. I want my kids to follow the path that they love.
They just need to have their eyes wide open and understand that there are easier paths and more difficult ones, ways to make more money and other careers that are rewarding but less lucrative. At the end of the day, it is their life to live. You can always become a teacher with a liberal arts degree and that can be very rewarding, if not well paying.

But even then. You still need to go back to school and take a ton of classes. You can't teach with just a liberal arts degree, except at a private school which doesn't pay a livable wage.

??

Many (most?) states now require teachers to have subject majors--English, math, French, history, political science, biology, etc--and the number of education classes required for a teaching certificate is not "tons."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

Yes. But the point is you eventually had to get specific career training in order to make a good living. You can't do that with just a liberal arts degree, unless you are exceptionally intelligent or exceptionally lucky.

[Anonymous]

This thread just repeats the same old canards that the WaPo piece attempts to debunk, namely:

--that recent liberal arts majors have much higher un- and under-employment rates (not true)

--that liberal arts majors don't make enough to support themselves (not true)

--that one's major dictates one's job choices (biology and math majors don't usually become biologists and mathematicians; history majors don't usually become historians; English majors don't usually become English teachers.)

--that the world has changed so much that the experience of the former liberal arts majors posting here is irrelevant (not true, unless they are attorneys)

etc.

There are even posts here arguing that the author of the WaPo piece is just another ivory tower professor lamenting the decline in popularity of his liberal arts field. Except the author of this piece is long-time business/economics writer for the WaPo who teaches a few classes on the side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have met too many people who have a lucrative career but hate what they do and can't wait to retire. I want my kids to follow the path that they love.
They just need to have their eyes wide open and understand that there are easier paths and more difficult ones, ways to make more money and other careers that are rewarding but less lucrative. At the end of the day, it is their life to live. You can always become a teacher with a liberal arts degree and that can be very rewarding, if not well paying.

I completely agree but make sure they know where they are headed before taking out $90,000 in student loans.

Well, I don't think anyone should take out $90k in student loans, regardless of major. But YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread just repeats the same old canards that the WaPo piece attempts to debunk, namely:

--that recent liberal arts majors have much higher un- and under-employment rates (not true)

--that liberal arts majors don't make enough to support themselves (not true)

--that one's major dictates one's job choices (biology and math majors don't usually become biologists and mathematicians; history majors don't usually become historians; English majors don't usually become English teachers.)

--that the world has changed so much that the experience of the former liberal arts majors posting here is irrelevant (not true, unless they are attorneys)

etc.

There are even posts here arguing that the author of the WaPo piece is just another ivory tower professor lamenting the decline in popularity of his liberal arts field. Except the author of this piece is long-time business/economics writer for the WaPo who teaches a few classes on the side.

Find me data that shows grads within last 10 years - in other words, isn't distorted with 40 50 and 60-yo who grew up in a different era.

Most anecdotes are Ivy grads saying how they love their History degree, or attractive women from Big State U who flirted their way to a nice job. Or the data is distorted by packing in some of the stem and business concentrations to inflate "liberal arts."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread just repeats the same old canards that the WaPo piece attempts to debunk, namely:

--that recent liberal arts majors have much higher un- and under-employment rates (not true)

--that liberal arts majors don't make enough to support themselves (not true)

--that one's major dictates one's job choices (biology and math majors don't usually become biologists and mathematicians; history majors don't usually become historians; English majors don't usually become English teachers.)

--that the world has changed so much that the experience of the former liberal arts majors posting here is irrelevant (not true, unless they are attorneys)

etc.

There are even posts here arguing that the author of the WaPo piece is just another ivory tower professor lamenting the decline in popularity of his liberal arts field. Except the author of this piece is long-time business/economics writer for the WaPo who teaches a few classes on the side.

I'm starting to think the liberal arts bashers (who are presumably ones who didn't go the liberal arts route and wouldn't want their kids to) are proving the point of the piece. They are demonstrating a complete inability to actually READ THE ARTICLE and synthesize that knowledge. The liberal arts majors, on the other hand, seem to be doing that quite well. Huh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have met too many people who have a lucrative career but hate what they do and can't wait to retire. I want my kids to follow the path that they love.
They just need to have their eyes wide open and understand that there are easier paths and more difficult ones, ways to make more money and other careers that are rewarding but less lucrative. At the end of the day, it is their life to live. You can always become a teacher with a liberal arts degree and that can be very rewarding, if not well paying.

But even then. You still need to go back to school and take a ton of classes. You can't teach with just a liberal arts degree, except at a private school which doesn't pay a livable wage.

??

Many (most?) states now require teachers to have subject majors--English, math, French, history, political science, biology, etc--and the number of education classes required for a teaching certificate is not "tons."

You need to have at least 30 hours of education classes on top of the classes in your major.