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I think I know. Parents dread the prospect that their kid will earn that diploma and walk into job prospects such as waitress, bartender… Many recently minted BA/BS folks hate that prospect themselves. If job prospects are not important to the student, for whatever reason, then not to worry. If job prospects are a concern, the “practical” major push can still be off-base. The mistake they make, imho, is creating a narrow list of “practical” majors. Their narrow list can be wrong for the reasons newmassdad states, or because the “practical” major is a misfit for the student.</p>
<p>I think most kids do want to have career opportunities post-college which excite them, be it in the corporate world, as a starving artist or whatever. The way to do this is to major in what you want, but be ever cognizant of where that major can lead and how you can best use it, your extra-curriculars, your summer/intern/co-op job opportunities to get where you want to be.</p>