I try hard to not not use the term “soft skills.” Nothing soft about them. They are “professional skills.”
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Good point. I’ve never really liked the term because it seems to minimize these skills, but it’s the term that people tend to use, so…
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‘People’ (mostly my family) were shocked I was ‘letting’ my daughter major in theater. They said she’d never work. I asked why, she’d be learning public speaking, communications, getting along with a team, taking direction, art (set design, costumes) (I was extremely jealous of the costumes and sewing room). Well, she didn’t really like theater because there was too much togetherness, she didn’t like being with the same group all the time. So she switched to art history when the school added that. But she didn’t really like the art requirements (she had to start at the beginning as she didn’t really have a lot of experience in basic art). So I suggested history, as she seemed to like the courses she’d taken, she could get a minor in art history without doing the actual art. Loved it. Her professors loved her. Why? Because she’s a pretty energetic person, sparkly, involved. Those skills she learned in theater.
She got a masters and she was always the one they hired to work the information booth at open houses, to man the history dept office on tour days. She got a fully funded position for grad school, she was picked to work on a research project (and didn’t have to TA after the first year), was taken to Wales for the research project. They begged her to get a PhD. She’s thinking of it. She still does research for those professors even though she lives 8 states away. She’s not the best researcher who ever existed, but she can carry a conversation, can write fairly well, can see the big picture.
Her sister? An engineer. Started as an engineer, took the courses outlined in the course catalog, interviewed for ONE job and is still working that job. That’s HER personality.
Does my theater/art history/history BA and MA make a living? Not really. She’s teaching at a state college and also works at a museum. She still does research for the professors. She just got married and will probably get another job too. She’ll never make big bucks but she doesn’t care. Her sister makes a lot more but she’s not happy with her job. Not unhappy, just not seeing a future where she is.
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I disagree. Success in life is likely to be determined primarily by your personality and work ethic, not what you studied in college. If you excel by going above and beyond in college, you’ll excel by doing the same in a job. And it’s much easier to go above and beyond if you love what you are studying.
There was no more “life application” in my pure math undergrad degree (and PhD!) than in my kids’ college majors. I didn’t get any training in “soft skills” either, but I didn’t end up “unhappy and broke”.
All three of my kids have studied what they loved, one in public affairs, one in ballet and one in astrophysics. And I have no reason to think that the one doing a STEM degree will be more successful than the other two. In fact it’s more likely to be the opposite since his personality is far less driven than my other two kids.
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My job didn’t exist when I was in college at 18, and ironically I failed out of that college because I was spending all of my time in the brand new Microcomputer Lab learning a bunch of stuff that would eventually end up being my career (that didn’t exist.)
My goal for my kids is that they use college as a place to grow and learn who they are and also learn who OTHER people are, become independent, most just in managing their lives but in their thinking and how they use their time, etc. D24 is pursuing art education right now, and that might change.
And as far as self sufficiency, I actually see college as a way to practice that - with the current lack of affordable housing and wages that meet cost of living, I fully expect my kids to end up back here at some point. I was able to have my own 1bed apartment (in the city I live in now) with a retail job (RIP, Borders) and get that independence before I went back to school as a non-trad and ended up where I’m at now. That same apartment now costs more than the mortgage on my 3 bedroom house, and I genuinely don’t know how I would afford it as a single person now with a professional career. (I’ve also been active in local govt for many years, and have all kinds of data and info and experience having these discussions about the housing issues to know that the issues are not specific to my community. In fact, housing costs are one of the reasons MORE students are opting to live on campus, because campus housing is more affordable now than it ever was, compared to off-campus market rates)
So, yeah, go to college, meet new people, make new friends, try new classes and make connections with instructors, and pile in a car to go see what Plymouth Rock really is (impressive in it’s unimpressiveness), learn how to use the train and the bus and that some people call them BUBBLERS, and hopefully do a study abroad or something… and you can figure out the job market when you’re done (and consider grad school if you want to specialize.)
As long as it’s accredited and affordable, major in what you want.
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I’m in the camp of doing what you love. I think people are more successful and happy in careers where they feel fulfilled, challenged, and excited. There is no one major fits all model.
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I think this is probably the most important thing.
I would say students shouldn’t incur major debt for a degree that won’t have a ROI that will pay for that debt.
Adults choose every day to make decisions that will have long lasting results. We all have to juggle what is best for each of us in the long run.
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Also want to add, students who are given a list of majors with “I won’t pay for anything else” are usually the most unhappy, in my experience. If your kid absolutely does not want to be a nurse/ accountant/ etc, don’t force them. It doesn’t end well.
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As long as students understand the implications of the path they take. Especially when it comes to loans - students must make informed decisions and be prepared for the outcomes.
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Agree. And the adults in a kids life need to help kids understand:
Criminal Justice major is not a fast track to a career as a lawyer
Sports Management major is not a fast track to a career as an agent negotiating contracts for elite athletes
Accounting major usually needs MORE than just a Bachelor’s to become a CPA
A college does not need a specific major named Neuroscience, Robotics, International Relations, etc. in order to major in these areas-- they are inter-disciplinary and the nomenclature doesn’t matter.
Forensic Science will not qualify a kid to become a medical examiner, no matter what they’ve seen on TV. In most states, an ME is a physician (i.e. Bachelor’s, then med school, then residency/fellowship, etc.).
There are kids who believe that the more professional-sounding the major, the more employable it is.
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Unfortunately, at that age, many don’t understand the impact - and are making decisions based on the emotions of today or the peer pressure of today but not the realities of life.
There is no guarantee of success and security in any profession. IT people get laid off, companies dissolve, etc.
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This!
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Teaching and nursing are considered “useful” majors, but those careers are very difficult and imo should be chosen by those who truly love it. If not…it will make a difficult career path even harder.
Of course there is nothing stopping students from changing careers after they graduate. Happens all the time.
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Students and parents should be aware of the job and career implications associated with various college majors, but those should not be the only criteria for choosing a major. But also, many students and parents have inaccurate notions of what the job and career implications associated with some college majors are.
Some students and parents may also underestimate the level of competitiveness for some career paths where one has to be elite among aspirants to get into or stay in those career paths.
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This is 100% true.
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Yes-- I love the kids who post here “I’ll my life I’ve known I’ve wanted to become a dermatologist”.
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Those comments are absurd LOL.
And…I see Plan B suggestions that are very competitive, with lots of very smart and talented students applying for few spots.
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Yes- absurd when Plan B “just in case” someone doesn’t make it into dermatology is orthopedic surgery!!!
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Yes! Absurd!
But there are Plan Bs outside of medical school that are ridiculously competitive as well. Very smart, very talented kids applying for few spots.
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