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How can people even engage in these one-hit-wonder threads, outside of calling them what they are?
As I said earlier, the OP raised a good question. It's not that unusual a problem, to have parents who try to control their kids' choice of major in school, in the (sometimes false) belief that certain fields will be a shoo-in for jobs. I think our members have made some valuable comments. Who knows to whom this thread may be helpful in the future?
Uh, no, my nephew (now 52) had his sights set on Law School (he graduated and passed the bar and was a practicing attorney at 25). He had a double major of English and German in Undergrad. He later told me that many attorneys take English; but, that he might have been better off with a Biz undergrad. But, it has never hurt him (he's had phenomenal earnings and only a hiccup or two in his career that he successfully negotiated and onward and upward).
His dad was a Math major who did computer science and engineering (I mean does as he is 76 and still fully employed). So, the two of them compete with each other... ...to out earn each other (it was a wake up call when the son was out earning dad by age 29). Nothing like a little friendly competition to spur you on.
Except for his dad is still employed at 76, because the number of people capable of math and science/engineering is dwindling down.
The number of people being capable of being an attorney or English major?
Not so much.
With that being said, what made the OP ( the parents that is) to believe that their daughter has what it takes to be in math/science/accounting in the first place?
Did they buy the notion that all it takes is "doing the home work" for real?
If yes then lol.
If it were that simple, there would be the whole bunch of people pursuing those degrees in the same numbers as those in the "liberal arts".
After all - plenty of people would love to have the guaranteed high income, instead of struggling financially and with uncertain future.
But it's not as simple as "do your homework."
One has to be BORN with these abilities, before "doing the home work."
Except for his dad is still employed at 76, because the number of people capable of math and science/engineering is dwindling down.
The number of people being capable of being an attorney or English major?
Not so much.
With that being said, what made the OP ( the parents that is) to believe that their daughter has what it takes to be in math/science/accounting in the first place?
Did they buy the notion that all it takes is "doing the home work" for real?
If yes then lol.
If it were that simple, there would be the whole bunch of people pursuing those degrees in the same numbers as those in the "liberal arts".
After all - plenty of people would love to have the guaranteed high income, instead of struggling financially and with uncertain future.
But it's not as simple as "do your homework."
One has to be BORN with these abilities, before "doing the home work."
Your last statements are ones that most people do not consider. Maybe electrical engineering is a much better career than teaching English is. However, very few people have the mathematical talent that would let them succeed as electrical engineers. Its not just a question of studying and doing homework. Its a question of having the aptitude to succeed in such a field. Most people do not have that aptitude and all the studying in the world would not allow them to succeed in such a field.
I've always found those who say something like "go be an engineer" to be rather naive. Its not an occupation so much that one chooses as it is one that "chooses you".
Your last statements are ones that most people do not consider. Maybe electrical engineering is a much better career than teaching English is. However, very few people have the mathematical talent that would let them succeed as electrical engineers. Its not just a question of studying and doing homework. Its a question of having the aptitude to succeed in such a field. Most people do not have that aptitude and all the studying in the world would not allow them to succeed in such a field.
I've always found those who say something like "go be an engineer" to be rather naive. Its not an occupation so much that one chooses as it is one that "chooses you".
Every major should "choose the student". Parents should stop attempting to put square pegs in round holes. And the other way around.
Parents need to understand that their child is a separate and distinct human being from them, with unique talents, goals, ambitions and aspirations. This is not an "investment" it is an education. "ROI" should not be a factor when choosing a major. Aptitude and interest should be the most important factors. The final choice should be made by the child.
As a college admissions advisor, I have dealt with the mess made by overzealous parents' intent upon forcing their student into a major that wasn't interesting to them.
The daughter of Korean immigrants came to me as a sophomore in college, with a set of overzealous parents and a virtually ruined transcript. Her parents wanted her to be a doctor. She was not interested in science, mathematics or in anything connected to training for the medical field. She had a passion for Social Work and wanted to major in that field. She was a good student and began her undergraduate studies at a NYS flagship university that has a well-regarded BSW and Master's in Social Work program.
Now, because her parents had forced her into pre-med, and a biology major, she had only a 2.8 average. The parents finally realized the error of their ways.
As it turned out, they dropped their plans to have an MD daughter, and permitted her to major in Sociology. She could not transfer into the undergrad program, because it required a 3.0 into the social work program. As a major in Sociology, she graduated with honors, and was acceted into a Seven Sisters elite social work program. It has a happy ending, but the parents spent more money, and her BA took 5 years instead of four.
Every major should "choose the student". Parents should stop attempting to put square pegs in round holes. And the other way around.
Parents need to understand that their child is a separate and distinct human being from them, with unique talents, goals, ambitions and aspirations. This is not an "investment" it is an education. "ROI" should not be a factor when choosing a major. Aptitude and interest should be the most important factors. The final choice should be made by the child.
And do you know why the parents were insistent she go into medicine? Was it because one or both of them were in that filed, or was it more for bragging rights: the prestige of having a child getting an MD?
Never regretted my BA in Economics, served me well. First choice was English, but was told it was "useless". Hardly. With some of the poorly written resumes sent to me seems like everyone should major in English.
1. Per the young lady attempting pre-med.
A. Usually it's much better to wash out early than to apply and fail to earn a med. school acceptance or wash out of medical school.
B. A 2.8 during early and middle undergrad pre med indicates the young lady had no chance to become a doctor. Further, her parents should have known or at least suspected her chances were very slim before she set foot on campus per SAT, ACT, grades etc.
2. Per engineering.
A. Engineering requires a firm grasp of complex math and very strong abstract analytical skills for sure but not the most complex math. IOW engineering does not require exceptional innate math abilities. Instead it requires acquired math knowledge via hard work.
B. My daughter is an example of someone not particularly gifted in math who worked her way to two engineering degrees...........excellent grades as well.
3. More broadly our failings in STEM areas start in elementary school and deepen from there. We simply do not graduate enough math and science ready kids from high school. Claiming math is racist, minimizing math offerings, limiting and eliminating various tests/testing makes all this worse not better.
China has a little over 4x greater population than The US but graduates 10X+ the number of engineers and computer science types. India, in many ways still a third world country, graduates proportionally more engineers than the US.
Somehow as a matter of survival we need to account for the simple fact that many of the college bound are not interested in STEM, many more are simply unprepared for STEM and yet we need more STEM grads across many areas.
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So far as ROI per college degrees. I have a niece who didn't consider ROI during her college career.........she ended up with a sociology degree and an unmanageable pile of debt then a job that pays about $35,000yr. She was saved from looming default only by the passing of an aunt who paid the debt to $0 per her will.
2. Per engineering.
A. Engineering requires a firm grasp of complex math and very strong abstract analytical skills for sure but not the most complex math. IOW engineering does not require exceptional innate math abilities. Instead it requires acquired math knowledge via hard work.
B. My daughter is an example of someone not particularly gifted in math who worked her way to two engineering degrees...........excellent grades as well.
3. More broadly our failings in STEM areas start in elementary school and deepen from there. We simply do not graduate enough math and science ready kids from high school. Claiming math is racist, minimizing math offerings, limiting and eliminating various tests/testing makes all this worse not better.
I come back to aptitude. Hard work is certainly part of it. I remember though that I scored better than the 90th percentile on the ACT math section.
Despite that, I struggled to earn a C average in College Algebra and Introductory Calculus. It took much hard work to earn those C's. The average grade in both classes was below a C. I'd estimate somewhere between a D+ and a C-. I observed the same thing with my son. He scored above the 90th percentile in math too on the ACT. He absolutely couldn't make it through even Calculus 1 despite hard work and tutoring. We finally got him to pursue a degree in Accounting instead.
Maybe the high school preparation for higher level math is poor here. Or, maybe the college program is too demanding of freshmen students. Or maybe the ACT doesn't test math achievement skills rigorously enough. I just know that higher level math never seemed in the cards for us and I know whole of others who felt the same way.
I just really don't buy the notion that its simply a question of "studying harder". Its aptitude or innate ability in most cases.
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