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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a scientist, and I don't think everyone needs to major in STEM, business, or other "practical" majors to be employable.  I have non-STEM major friends who make way more money than me, or who make about the same but are happy in their jobs.  I went to a liberal arts school, so I have a lot of friends who majored in things like English, classics, history, etc.  I also graduated not all that long ago (in my 20s), so I'm well aware of the current bleakness of the job market.

Are some of them baristas or unemployed?  Sure.  But some of my science major friends are also unemployed.  I also have friends who are doing well who were humanities majors.  They are in publishing, marketing, management consulting, doing editorial work, journalism, PR, teaching, and some went into law.  A tiny few went to graduate school in political science, English, and other fields, but only if they got competitive fellowships that pay stipend and living expenses (none have entered the academic job market yet, though...we'll see how that goes).  Many of them are doing things utterly unrelated to their majors.  The people who did well tended to have high grades, network with alumni, and were strong writers.  Writing is an important skill, and a skill that many people lack.

If he isn't passionate about science and doesn't have an aptitude for it, then don't push him into STEM or pre-med--those people don't do well enough in it to be competitive in the workplace or get into med school (or if they do, they are not necessarily happy).  I agree with your DH that with a few exceptions, undergraduate business majors are a joke (better to major in something else, work for a while, and get an MBA).  Get a great education, learn how to write, be proactive about networking with alumni and looking a job no later than the very beginning of his senior year, do as well as he can at the best college for him, and he has as good of a chance as anyone of finding a job.[/quote]

Could not disagree more with this post.  There's not question that the Liberal Arts are under fire today.  Do they in and of themselves gurantee you a job such as a business degree would/could?  Most likely no.  But, you need to go into the process with the understanding of what a Liberal Arts degree can do for you.   Teach you to think, write and communicate effecitvely.  If your DS needs these skills to assist him a potential career down the road...he really ought to puruse this instead of STEM.  The STEM appraoch is just not for everyone and thsoe who are forced into it are not happy.  As one pp stated, the ultiamte goal here is for the DC to be happy in whatever pursuit they he/she chooses.  We as parents need to provide direction but ultimately the choice is theirs not ours.  Now, the above said, a humaniteis maajor can certainly fan out and take economics or courses that do touch on business.  The foreign language is certainly helpful as well.  International studies would be a real plus as well.

b/t/w....this post is NOT coming from a Liberal Arts professor worried about job security!!!![/quote]

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