parent/child dissent

umdclassof80
Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:32:47 +0000

I thought I would share a story about one of our neighbor’s kids. During his freshman year, he informed his parents that he wanted to change his major from computer science to broadcast journalism. He wanted to be a sports caster. Needless to say, his very practical parents hit the roof. They actually told him that if he changed his major, they would no longer pay for college. He ended up getting a degree in broadcast journalism and paid for it himself. After graduating, it took him quite a long time to find a job but he finally got a job with a small local cable tv station. He worked there for about a year and then he was laid off. He was unemployed for about two years after that. During this time he was living at home with his parents. He ended up getting a masters degree in computer science which enabled him to land a stable and high-paying job. He finally moved away from home about five years after graduating from college and got married. He is still on very good terms with his parents and visits them every week.

Honestly, I’m not sure what I would do if I were in this situation. Fortunately, our daughter has decided to major in comp sci so we’re not very worried about her job prospects when she graduates. She also has a merit scholarship that pays for all but about $5000 of her college costs each year. If she were to change her major, she would lose this scholarship.