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As the title states, my College Jr. son has no clue what to major in. He thought he wanted to major in computer science until his fourth semester of calculus. He doesn't want to do any more math or the amount of math a CS degree requires.
We've met with his academic counselor, taken a couple of aptitude tests that she recommended, run through degrees and careers, and nothing.
The tests he's taken all come back with engineering, science, or medical degrees and vocations, but not a single one stands out to him. He has no idea what he wants to do or study.
Here are the options I see for him:
Get a general degree, e.g., political science, history, criminal justice, etc. Then try to figure out what he wants to do and go to graduate school in that discipline.
He transfers from the University he attends to a Jr. College, and let's save some money on tuition while figuring out what he wants to do, then returns to the University.
Take a year off and figure out what you want to do (least favorite option).
Does anyone have any advice or recommendations that I'm missing? Thanks in advance!
1. As he's a JR. now community colleges will have very few classes that will help him unless he's planning to more or less start over.
2. Are his grades poor, decent, solid?
3. I'd be a hard driver insisting that he apply the bulk of his current hours towards something, anything rather than more or less starting over.
4. jobaba makes the point that it's not a big deal for kids to take a year or a few to figure it out.......it's a huge deal when ones factors in more debt when that's applicable and the years of lost wages at graduate pay. I'm not claiming taking a year is always a bad move.....I believe doing so flippantly is a bad more with legit financial costs.
5. Circling back to the psychology of it all. IMO as he does not care about one field over another and assuming he has the drive and brainpower he should push though with the CS degree or something close. If he cannot pass the math that's a different matter.
6. I would not as others have suggested pull the rug from under him or demand he get a job and quit school. However, he's not a little kid some level of tough love is needed IMO.
7. OP unless you receive specific invitation from a professor or advisor do not attend such a conference with your son.
Son does have a job. Works on average 16-18 hours a week while carrying 15ish credit hours per semester. During the summer, he works close to full-time hours.
Yes, getting through four semesters of calculus with a B average is no small feat. Lots of time spent in the calculus lab.
Has less than one semester of general education classes remaining.
I’m not sure which aptitude/personality tests he took. One was through his university, and his academic counselor recommended the other.
He’s a bit of an introvert, not much of a people person.
A general degree was not a good way to describe my thinking. For instance, with BA/BS in almost anything, he could apply to DPT school, law school, MBA, etc.That's really what I was referring to.
I wouldn’t say he’s wasting our money. He’s done well in all classes he’s taken, 3.5 GPA. He takes his studies seriously and enjoys college—however, he has no clue what he wants to do or major in. He’s frustrated too.
He has spoken with a few people whose vocations interested him, e.g., Medical Imaging, Physical Therapist, Developer, Cyber Security, and nothing has jumped out at him. As I said, he’s frustrated too.
Thanks for the input. I’ve jotted down a couple of the ideas shared.
Your daughter was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease after suffering from stabbing pains since 2017, you recently underwent extensive tests for prostate cancer, and your son is a lump waiting to be told what to do next.
First help your daughter. Reduce the stress in the house and in the family. Stress leads to flare-ups and relapse.
Regarding your son, stop paying tuition for something for you care about and apparently your son has little interest. Time for him to suspend UNI studies and get a job. Let him do whatever he wants if he is paying his way. Tons of jobs out there. I suspect his original intent to major is CS came from you and your training. Clearly that's not him.
And why are you going to the counselor with him? Does he have limited intellectual capabilities or is he disabled so that he cannot understand the counselor? Is that why you are micromanaging his life?
I guess he's still "finding himself". When did that become a thing? We went to school and went to work. Work is what pays the bills and it's what adults do, whether they like it or not.
I guess he's still "finding himself". When did that become a thing? We went to school and went to work. Work is what pays the bills and it's what adults do, whether they like it or not.
College is a bigger investment than it was back then. There are a lot more career fields to consider as well. The days of majoring in English Lit or a handful of other degrees and working your way up to EVP at a F500 are limited or completely nonexistent. Things are more complicated now, mostly because the abundance of cost and options that go into the decision making process. I was on a board where I've interviewed people for college scholarships and the things these kids are taking into consideration with their college experience these days is on another level even from when I was in school 13 years ago.
OP - your son should browse the Reddit website as it seems to have a sub-section for just about any profession known to mankind. He would learn a lot from reading the discussions as they always involve folks who are "in the trenches" of that field. I read the PT subsection (I am a DPT) and find it very useful.
Your daughter was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease after suffering from stabbing pains since 2017, you recently underwent extensive tests for prostate cancer, and your son is a lump waiting to be told what to do next.
First help your daughter. Reduce the stress in the house and in the family. Stress leads to flare-ups and relapse.
Regarding your son, stop paying tuition for something for you care about and apparently your son has little interest. Time for him to suspend UNI studies and get a job. Let him do whatever he wants if he is paying his way. Tons of jobs out there. I suspect his original intent to major is CS came from you and your training. Clearly that's not him.
And why are you going to the counselor with him? Does he have limited intellectual capabilities or is he disabled so that he cannot understand the counselor? Is that why you are micromanaging his life?
I guess he's still "finding himself". When did that become a thing? We went to school and went to work. Work is what pays the bills and it's what adults do, whether they like it or not.
Daughter is doing much better, thank you. New GI got her on a medication/infusion that works for her, AND of all things, green drinks/smoothies have made a world of difference. She lives in another state, not with us.
CS was his idea based on the time spent with developers and programmers in his job.
I sat in on the first 15-minutes of three 1-hour virtual sessions with his academic advisor. My questions were not regarding what he should study. Instead, my questions were on recommendations should he not be able to choose a major. Once I got my answer, I logged off the Zoom meeting. I can see how “we’ve” could be interpreted as I’m sitting next to him during these meetings. That is not the case.
No issues with limited intellectual capabilities or disabilities.
OP - your son should browse the Reddit website as it seems to have a sub-section for just about any profession known to mankind. He would learn a lot from reading the discussions as they always involve folks who are "in the trenches" of that field. I read the PT subsection (I am a DPT) and find it very useful.
Son does have a job. Works on average 16-18 hours a week while carrying 15ish credit hours per semester. During the summer, he works close to full-time hours.
Yes, getting through four semesters of calculus with a B average is no small feat. Lots of time spent in the calculus lab.
Has less than one semester of general education classes remaining.
I’m not sure which aptitude/personality tests he took. One was through his university, and his academic counselor recommended the other.
He’s a bit of an introvert, not much of a people person.
A general degree was not a good way to describe my thinking. For instance, with BA/BS in almost anything, he could apply to DPT school, law school, MBA, etc.That's really what I was referring to.
I wouldn’t say he’s wasting our money. He’s done well in all classes he’s taken, 3.5 GPA. He takes his studies seriously and enjoys college—however, he has no clue what he wants to do or major in. He’s frustrated too.
He has spoken with a few people whose vocations interested him, e.g., Medical Imaging, Physical Therapist, Developer, Cyber Security, and nothing has jumped out at him. As I said, he’s frustrated too.
Thanks for the input. I’ve jotted down a couple of the ideas shared.
He has to have something to aim at. How can you hit the mark when you have nothing to aim at?
It sounds to me like you are exerting too much of your own 'will' into this situation and perhaps you should just back off....let him get a job and sort it out more or less on his own (once he finishes his gen ed classes).
Also, carrying a full semester of classes and working at the same time is a heavy load. It was for me back in the day.
Geez, there is some bad advice given here. He has successfully completed a lot of difficult math, so it really isn’t an issue with math he is just bothered by something that you don’t know about. Possible issues might be:
1. Was he passionate about his major? Why is he not now?
2. Is he fearful about having to go out and be an adult? We just went through that with our daughter making the transition from student to Chemist and moving away from us
3. Is there a distraction (bros, women, alcohol, drugs)?
4. Did he have an issue with a professor? I have seen a talented Engineering student drop out because of a semester long series of issues
5. Does he need a refresh with a very light schedule for a semester....this just in, college is a tough grind.
6. Can he quit is job? He has less time me for himself than many of his classmates.
"A general degree was not a good way to describe my thinking. For instance, with BA/BS in almost anything, he could apply to DPT school, law school, MBA, etc.That's really what I was referring to."
Well, sorta. Being able to apply and being a good candidate are two different things. In addition, once he is done with a general Liberal Arts Degree, he will spend the next year or so taking prerequisite classes to meet the minimum requirements for admission. Look at DPT, he needs A&P, biology, physics, chemistry, etc. Same for an MBA, a Liberal Arts degree is not going to give him the business prerequisites that he needs for any decent MBA program, so he will spend more time and money on those. A Liberal Arts degree does provide a good foundation for a law degree. Is he even interested in these career fields?
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