If you and your sons want to get some idea of the job and career prospects associated with various majors (which is definitely a good thing to be aware of, but should not be the only aspect of choosing a major – interest and ability matter a lot in terms of how well the student will do in the major and any associated job or career), consider looking at some of the more detailed career surveys that colleges have:
https://career.berkeley.edu/Survey/2015Majors
https://careers.calpoly.edu/search.php
http://www.career.vt.edu/scripts/PostGrad2006/Report/PostGraduationReportWelcome.asp?Cohort=2014-2015
However, be aware that job and career prospects can be affected by economic and industry cycles (as you know from the oil industry).
Yes and I think I’m ok with ChemE for him but will check his performance and grades if he alow me from time to time. I told him if he needs some advice he can always call me and I will try my best to help. Ofcourse, I need to learn from you guys and your experiences.
Should a parent do as the title of this post asks? Absolutely not. Should a parent make certain requests or offer advice regarding that major? Sure. It is grossly unfair for parents to dicate what a child must study. They are their own person, and have their own opinions and interests. However, I do want to my kids to ensure that whatever they choose to study actually comes with some job prospects in the end. If my kid wants to major in art, fine, but I want her to know what she plans to do with that degree. If that means taking some extra classes in order to double major, etc… so be it. I speak from experience becasue I earned a fairly useless degree that had very little practical applications.
Our daughter made the decision to focus on art, and to attend an art college. We didn’t try to dissuade her. We did suggest some alternatives (yes, major in art, but how about the flagship university in our state?). But the choice of colleges, and ultimately also the major, was hers to make. We knew she had the talent. She had special opportunities in pre-college art programs in summer, and her portfolio got excellent evaluations.
When our son was setting off for college, I asked him if he knew what he wanted to major in, and what kind of career he was looking for? He said maybe he’d go into law, or maybe become a college professor (‘chip off the old block’). He might major in political science. I advised him that if he wanted a career in political science he should have a very strong background in economics (he’d get plenty of general liberal arts where he was heading: UChicago). But I also urged him to “give science a chance.” I was hoping that he’d find the spark from some outstanding professor at the university, and off he’d go in that direction. Didn’t happen. He majored in economics. And he’s made a fine career, though not as an economist (though that background is important to him).
One more thing. My brother is majoring in chemistry and my parents said the SAME thing as you–its too hard! haha. He loves it though and has a 3.9 so far!