Follow your heart or pocket book to pick college major?
My favorite babysitter is headed to the University of Georgia next year all set to major in journalism, and I’m having to a hard time not throwing myself on her and telling her to go to business school instead!
As a parent do you let your child (ie-pay for your child) to major in something they are interested in or do you try to convince them to major in something they can make a living at? It would be great if these interests went hand in hand but that is often not the case.
Yahoo Hot Jobs recently had an article about the worst-paying college degrees in the country.
“There’s no denying the value of a college education: According to recent U.S. Census surveys, the median salary for college grads is more than $20,000 higher than that of people with only a high school diploma. And the unemployment rate for people with bachelor’s degrees is almost half the rate for people without.”
“But some degrees are worth more than others, as PayScale.com shows in its 2010 report on the earning power of bachelor’s degrees.”
“No surprise, engineering degrees continue to be top earners–and (also no big shocker) you have to go pretty far down the list before you see the liberal arts well represented.”
What were the worst? (See article for all the detail on each, but here is a quick look.)
10. Drama (starting annual salary: $35,600; mid-career annual salary: $56,600)
9. Fine arts (starting annual salary: $35,800; mid-career annual salary: $56,300)
8. Hospitality and tourism (starting annual salary: $37,000; mid-career annual salary: $54,300)
7. Education (starting annual salary: $36,200; mid-career annual salary: $54,100)
and
2. Elementary education (starting annual salary: $33,000; mid-career annual salary: $42,400)
6. Horticulture (starting annual salary: $37,200; mid-career annual salary: $53,400)
5. Spanish (starting annual salary: $35,600; mid-career annual salary: $52,600)
4. Music (starting annual salary: $34,000; mid-career annual salary: $52,000)
3. Theology (starting annual salary: $34,800; mid-career annual salary: $51,500)
1. Social work (starting annual salary: $33,400; mid-career annual salary: $41,600)
Based on these numbers would you advise your child not to major in these things or would you encourage them to follow their dreams no matter what the financial reward?
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95 comments Add your comment
Tiger Ochocinco Mellencamp
May 21st, 2010
11:09 am
I may change my tune seeing as my kid is only 6 and I still want him to believe that he can be anything he wants to be and happy doing it….but I’m still preaching to my kid what Lee Iococca said once…
“do what you love to do, work hard to do it better than anyone else, and the money will come.”
motherjanegoose
May 21st, 2010
11:20 am
Thanks for the insights about Food Science….I read them to my daughter.
Based on my lunches with DB, I would say that her children are driven towards a goal and will find a way to make things work at any cost. Not all kids are like this.
My son is also devoted and when I mentioned this topic to him, he told me; ” I am in my field every week and I love my job.” He will also have 10 years with his company when ( and if) he gets finished with Pharmacy School, so he will be on his way to a retirement plan :0
My daughter loves food and cooking, she cooks all the time and grows herbs etc. She peruses cookbooks and recipes often. It appears her focus is not fleeting…we will see.
Many kids get a whim about a career and then …when the rubber meets the road….as far as the course rigor and the job itself…things diminish. Again, I do not know the pat answer to whether kids should follow their passion or the $$$.
lovelyliz
May 21st, 2010
11:23 am
TechMom
I agree that core curriculum and even some of those electives in your major area of study become more important during your sophomore year. Adding in all of those upper level major courses that are only offered during one semester possibly conflicting with other required classes might explain why most don’t graduate in 4 years without attending summer school. Just about all of my close friends and family who are of my generation and younger have change majors at and taken longer to graduate.
Again worrying what your going-off-to-college freshman wants to declare as a major is angst you are creating for yourself because for most students it’s going to change. It’s when they are in what should be their senior year and they decide they have another calling in life requiring another couple of years of paying for school that you are going to be pulling your hair out.
motherjanegoose
May 21st, 2010
11:24 am
lovelyliz…WE ARE NOT financing our kid’s education and diminishing our retirement. I do know many who are thought.
@ JJ friends, to me, are relative and can change with the wind. I have new friends, even from this blog ;), and rarely have anything to do with those I knew in HS or college. Maybe it is just me, as I have moved around so much! When you grow and change, your friends will too.
Denise
May 21st, 2010
11:32 am
I don’t think it is the parents’ choice. The child/young adult will have to take the classes, graduate, find a job, succeed in the career, etc. That said, please at least engage the kids in a conversation in “what are you going to do ___ years from now when you graduate with ___ degree?” But be prepared that the plans of an 18 year old are not the reality of the 22 year old.
I have 2 BS degrees – Chemistry from Spelman College and Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech – and have not used them in about 10 years. Actually I’ve never, EVER used my chemical engineering degree and I NEVER will. I finished the degree because I started it but I have no desire to design a distillation column or a pump (not that I remember how to!) My hope and dream was to become a medicinal chemist and do drug design. HAHA! Organic chemistry broke me out of THAT dream. I did work in 2 labs when I graduated from college and loved it and I worked in a materials engineer capacity for 7 years before moving into more project management roles after getting my MBA. At 22 I never would have said that I wanted to be an executive (still not there yet but that’s the goal!) because I didn’t like people! I was a lab rat. I wanted to do R&D and I would have loved to do it all by myself with no one talking to me all day. Now I am still an introvert but enjoy engaging with others and I think I will do well in management now. I say all that to say… earning degrees prepare you for the challenges of life – especially STRESS – even if you don’t end up using your degrees in your careers. Dreams and goals change but you have to start somewhere. It helps when you start at a place of “If I never go to grad school I will still be able to get a job” but in some careers that is not possible. Then the mindset has to be “I know I will have to endure ___ more years of education to achieve ___” and I can and will do it. Parents can give children the tools, support, and encouragement to succeed but the rest is up to them.
Becky
May 21st, 2010
11:34 am
@MJG..Thanks..Not only does she love her job, she also met her now husband there..He had been working there appx. 2-3 years when they met..He worked there, left and went ot work at Sealy, then was “lured” back by Mattress Firm..He is now on track (at the ripe old age of 32) to be made Pres. within the next year..
Her brother on the other hand has a degree in International Languages..Not much work there, so 8 yrs out of college, he’s still not working in his chosen field..
Not sure who mentioned it erlier, but I have a nephew (by marriage) that is a plumber and he makes killer money..He makes well over $100 grand per year..So if this is what they want to do, let them..
Michelle
May 21st, 2010
11:34 am
I told my step-sons, and will tell mine as well, you better do REALLY good in school because we are not paying for your college! You will need to get scholarships, take out loans, etc. This is what I had to do, and so he! I really think it helps you to appreciate and work harder for it when YOU do the work!
My oldest step-son joined the National Guard to help supplement his education, and the younger is working on being a career high school student. IF he ever goes to college, I don’t know how he plans on paying for it!
I just hope that by the time my little guy is ready to head on to college (he’s finishing the 1st grade next week), he will have a pretty good idea about what career choices he does/does not like. I hope I can help steer him in a positive direction as some of you have done with yours!
lovelyliz
May 21st, 2010
11:39 am
Another thing to take into consideration is whether or not that major, even those in hot job fields, are going to require additional education in order to be marketable. When I was working a part time job at a bookstore several years ago, one of my coworkers had a BS in physics. He got out in the world and found that without a Masters & Doctorate he might as well have majored in English Lit.
TechMom
May 21st, 2010
11:57 am
@lovelyliz Isn’t that the truth? I know 3 people with psychology degrees. 2 ended up working for their family’s businesses keeping the books because they couldn’t find decent jobs and one of those has now decided to go to school to become an occupational therapist. The third one is a social worker making cruddy money. It seems like you either have to be set on getting a masters or PhD in psychology because a bachelor’s isn’t real useful.
Our friend’s son is 24 and just finished his masters in music. They helped him with his Bachelor’s and when he wanted to continue they told him he was on his own. He ended up with a scholarship and a stipend and has worked at band summer camps to earn some living money. But now that he’s done with his masters, he still isn’t sure what he’s going to do. He wants to play in an orchestra. I guess I just assumed most people who do that, do it part time and either teach or give lessons. But now he’s saying he might go ahead and get his phd. He did take the music education courses with his bachelor’s so he could teach but not only does he say that’s not what he wants to do, he probably couldn’t find a job right now due to all the budget cuts.
Tiger Ochocinco Mellencamp
May 21st, 2010
12:15 pm
I think another thing worth mentioning is that I really don’t expect my child to have the whole “this is what I want to do for a career” figured out when he’s 18. I’m 39 and I still don’t have that figured out. My recommendation is to do general studies for two years then pick a major.
abc
May 21st, 2010
12:17 pm
A Masters in Music is useful career-wise only if one plans on teaching as a career, or if there is an outstanding teacher to take private lessons from at the school — at which point, just taking the lessons is probably most worthwhile, from a player’s perspective. Music, like most fields, is a life-long study that one pursues forever. It’s not as if you learn to play, and then you’re done. A Ph.D. is a bit worthless for a performing music professional.
Getting a gig with an orchestra requires a musician to be as good as anyone else — pretty much literally ANYONE else — and then getting extremely lucky. There are hundreds of qualified players for every available chair. If you’re talking about the top 10 in the world (of which Atlanta is one, IMHO), then the competition is MORE fierce. Chances of winning are slim, it’s like winning the lottery, and isn’t based so much on playing ability. If you couldn’t excel at playing the chair, you wouldn’t even be at the audition.
lovelyliz
May 21st, 2010
12:21 pm
One thing I would definitely change about the college experience is to require internships much earlier. I think if freshman had exposure to what the real world of their major was like, they would know whether or not this was the field of study for them. Instead most internships don’t happen until the student is so far in that they can’t turn back.
Well unless they can afford grad school.
TechMom
May 21st, 2010
12:44 pm
@abc That’s exactly why I keep wondering what in the world this kid is going to do when he’s done with school. What if he doens’t make it in an orchestra? I think he just keeps going because he loves music and doesn’t want a ‘real’ job but at some point he’ll have to ‘face the music’ (haha, pun intended). His parents are wondering the same thing. He says he doesn’t want to be a high school teacher, maybe a college teacher but I can’t see that happening without some real world experience first. Maybe not though… I had lots of teachers in college who never seemed to have left college.
Jill
May 21st, 2010
12:46 pm
@DB – thanks for the advice about Music Therapy… I think if my daughter decides to pursue Drama Therapy it would be a way to make a living while still being immersed in the performing arts. She too, like your daughter, is drawn toward helping others. In high school she’s the “go to” person for relationship advice. Making a living as an actor is almost impossible, but if you take that skill set and funnel it in a different direction, you may end up in the best of both worlds… following your passion, making a living and helping others along the way. She’s also had some interest in Theater for Young Audiences, but so far has only found that as a Master’s level degree.
HB
May 21st, 2010
2:13 pm
I think the key success with any major is finding a way to be versatile and learning how to adapt if you aren’t able to work directly in the field you choose or if the field itself changes. Music and acting are great examples. I know people doing very well at both because they have pieced together their careers. One is an amazing pianist who loves opera. He has a master’s in both performance and accompaniment. He works as an opera coach for companies all around the country for weeks at a time, but is also a private coach, a freelance accompanist for auditions, and a freelance performer. An actor I know stars in commercials and local plays, but also is hired regularly to emcee events (conferences, telethons, etc). She also teaches acting classes and gets occasional work in casting. A kid focused entirely on becoming and orchestra player and continually pursuing degrees without looking at different applications for the skills learned is less likely to build a successful career.
I majored in history and French with the hopes of having a career in museums doing both research and curatorial work. That hasn’t worked out (really rough market for museums since 9/11), but I have always focused on developing a strong skill set related to my passions. I still do research, have strong writing skills (admittedly, I get sloppy here on the blog), work in the museum field although in more of an admin role, and have used my language skills to learn html and am now teaching myself C and Cocoa in the hopes of developing mobile apps. My abilty to do all of that has roots in my majors even though I’m not working specifically in those fields. A more recent passion for photography (digital) has also enhanced my computer skills and my eye for composition and design while giving me a fun sideline. School can only take any of us so far. We often have to use our own creativity and drive to continue learning and funnel our passions into careers we enjoy.
Wayne
May 21st, 2010
2:26 pm
I keep telling my son that whatever he wants to do is okay with me. Long as he takes care of Mom and Dad in the manner to which they should be accustomed, I’m good.
Someone mentioned the $100K plumber. I went to a coaching class (back in my supervisor role days) and the question was asked: do you know the janitors name? It’s a good question because there are folks that don’t aspire to be chemists, executive chefs, or executives at all. I’m glad for that! I’m not the type of person who rides on the back of a garbage truck all day, but I’m very happy there are those that do.
The broader thought of knowing the janitors name is to treat people with respect – just had to point that out.
DB
May 21st, 2010
3:25 pm
@HB: iWe often have to use our own creativity and drive to continue learning and funnel our passions into careers we enjoy.
Well said!! *clap, clap!*
Michelle
May 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
Jill, the AJC PULSE (healthcare) had an article sometime in the last year about using music therapy during rehab. I tried to find it, but their archive link is gone now :o(.
It is becoming more of a recognized specialty!
Becky
May 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
@Wayne..That was me..I agree with your last sentence wholeheartly (sp)..I treat people the way that I would like to be treated..Ok most of the time..
DB
May 21st, 2010
4:22 pm
@Michelle: Music therapy: “the use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship” (I had to memorize that in order to explain it to people when they asked what she was majoring in!) Examples include using music to engage autistic kids, using music to nudge memory functions in the elderly, and my personal favorite — using wind instruments, such as a harmonica, to help improve breathing in paraplegic and breathing-impaired patients – much more fun than just breathing in that stupid air tube!
Tiger Ochocinco Mellencamp
May 21st, 2010
4:45 pm
@Becky……I’m the same way but I find lots of people don’t reciprocate! Why, just last night I rubbed my wife’s feet while we watched the marriage ref, and I didn’t get anything rubbed in return!!!!
misawa
May 21st, 2010
5:03 pm
In college the first time, I was a music therapy/performance major. I’ve always enjoyed music and just thought it made natural sense. I got to the end of that five years and realized that it was really more of a hobby than what I wanted as a career. I piddled around in telecommunications for quite a while before finally getting serious and getting my engineering degree – from a “lesser school” (lol) – and have been in that field for the last two years. I don’t know that I would call this my “passion” – I think I’d ultimately like to teach – but I love my current job and the company I work for.
SavannahMom
May 21st, 2010
6:30 pm
@momsrule…SCAD graduates were in on the ground floor of Pixar, which has continued to interface with the school. I’ve seen some of the student animation and worked with several students in volunteer capacities. The school not only insists they learn the basics, but offers the most current technology to ensure that their graduates are competitive.
motherjanegoose
May 21st, 2010
6:46 pm
@ DB..I agree with you and HB but some folks are about as creative as a stick and ( to me) this is why they get stuck in a rut and may not like their job. Folks tell me, all the time, that they would love to do what I do. Guess what? THEY CAN and if they have a passion and drive…it will work quite well!
Lots of folks have good ideas but turning those ideas into a paycheck is another story. I marvel at folks who are clever and can invent things or come up with a novel ideas….my hat is off to them!
G.R.I.T.S.
May 21st, 2010
7:56 pm
JJ we are going thru the same kind of thing here. my daughter graduated last year at the age of 17 nand just finished her first year of college. she was on an honors and tech track all thru high school and is sooo burnt out on it…she has forever wanted to work in the forensic science field and is awesome at chemistry (ugh) but when it came time for college, after being accepted into WCU and accepted into the forensic science program…at the very (i mean VERY) last minute she decided she would be a nurse–get her 2 year degree and get a good job and then continue her schooling while she worked (she is tired of being broke-some of you may remember i was laid off for 10 months at the end of her high school year) so then after changing schools and majors…she decided she does want to do forensic studies with a chemistry focus—sighs….its been exhausting! she is up for a grant to pay her way all the way through a masters program!!! in chemistry…!!! and she doesnt want to do it!! she said she will finish her 2nd year and take a break. of course-being older and wiser-i know how life can get in the way of furthering your education. im just at my wits end…i understand that she is so tired of school…she always had the very hardest classes in high school and also took about 5 college classes while she was in high school. i toild her to please at least finish her 2nd year for a associates in science….and thats what she is going to do. then at least she will be that far when she finally decides to go back.
someone posted that its too late for them to go back and get the degree they want…well im here to tell you its never too late. i am 57 yo and just finished my 1st semester going for a BA in criminal justice…i took some basic classes in CJ and also sociology and now i have just recieved a letter from WCU that i am accepted in the Criminal justice program there for fall of 2010….only 25 people are accepted each fall so i am absolutely stoked!! and scared to death!! i plan to major in CJ and minor in Sociology….and im telling you its scary but damn if it doesnt feel great to finally be doing what i want to do!!! i have 2 degrees in computer tech stuff so hardly any of that transfers….all my advisors keep at me to go into cyber crime or something…but i am doing what i want!! finally!!…so it is possible to do that…anytime!! my advise to my daughter and any other kids who ask..is pick something as close to what you love to major in and minor in your true love…a lot of things you can find a common ground…like my CJ degree will be great for finding a job…but the sociology will open even more doors….where if i majored in sociology that may not find many jobs….
sorry for the long post..but with my daughter going through this and now myself going back..its a very prominent factor in my life right now
G.R.I.T.S.
May 21st, 2010
8:12 pm
one more thing….my daughter is like a genius in chemistry but it really isnt what she loves!! i think thats sad lol..i mean its like she was born knowing all that chemistry stuff…she doesnt have to study to make 100’s much at all..i am awful at it..i have no idea where she gets that from..but math and chemistry are like her blood….i dont know what shes going to end up doing…im sure it will be in the science field somehow….but my gosh..its so hard for a kid (she just turned 18) to know what they really want to do. i sure didnt when i was her age! and if she does decide to finsh all 4 years she will graduate before she is old enough to drink lol…
catlady
May 22nd, 2010
6:18 pm
This sounds like MAJOR helicoptering to me! It is NOT the parent’s decision, even if they are paying the way! Will the parents be around the entire rest of their student’s life? Will they help them find a job, go to work with them, smooth over the bumps? (We did have a teacher last year WHOSE FATHER WENT TO THE INTERVIEW WITH HIM!! He was 23. He was given the job (family connections) and failed miserably).
Some folks need to separate the world better into two boxes: NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY (a very large box), and MY RESPONSIBILITY (a very small box).
catlady
May 22nd, 2010
6:33 pm
BTW, those of you with young children: I taught a boy years ago who had a brother a year younger (4). The mother, a very religious lady, came to me in tears one afternoon because the younger boy had announced what he wanted to be when he grew up! His mother was hoping for “preacher”, but the boy announced he wanted to be a burglar! I tried to console her that a) he might not know or have what it takes to be a burglar and b) people frequently change their minds about a career, even as adults, and c) it was not likely to be a long career.
Fast forward 27 years. He is a teacher in a private Christian school.
G.R.I.T.S.
May 22nd, 2010
9:42 pm
lmao @catlady…thats hilarious!!
motherjanegoose
May 23rd, 2010
7:27 am
@ catlady: my son who is in Pharmacy school, at 4 told me he wanted to be a school janitor.
His words, “then I can work right in the same building and be with you every day…”
LOL…let’s just say the proximity thing is not as appealing now….
I loved your story!
G.R.I.T.S.
May 23rd, 2010
8:07 am
lol..that is funny! a little off topic-when my daughter was about 4 or 5 (i was a weather channel addict-no longer am..dont even have tv now lol) she told me she wanted me to quit my job and get one being the weather channel person so she could see me all day!! lol
G.R.I.T.S.
May 23rd, 2010
8:08 am
idea for a topic….each send in the funny things our kids have said and one…that would be a great FUN FRIDAY topic!!
G.R.I.T.S.
May 23rd, 2010
8:09 am
done not one …not quite awake here lol
lala land
May 23rd, 2010
4:59 pm
@ JJ: Law school sucks!! It’s very expensive & many law school grads dont really do as well as people think they do. However, if your daughter really wants to go, it’s actually better for her to wait & get some good work experience before she starts.
Layla
May 24th, 2010
11:17 am
I have a BA in Theatre and I’m earning a living in the corporate world. I’m involved in Theatre and Independent Film, but almost 10 years out of college, I’m nowhere near making a living from my art. I don’t regret my major, but I wish I had known more about the business side of Showbiz along with the “show.” Most actors will not make over $10,000/yr (yes, that’s TEN THOUSAND) in their craft. They are working full-time and part-time jobs or else they’re being supported by someone. And when they do make money, it goes back into more classes, workshops, headshots and other necessities for the business.
If your child goes into the arts, it had better be a passion that they are willing to give up almost everything for if they want to “make it.” Otherwise, they can teach (increasingly unlikely w/o at least an MFA) or do the community arts scene (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but again, not high-paying or even moderate pay.)
Also, they should NOT become saddled with student loan debt or credit card debt!! Learn the difference between what they need and what they want. Yes, everyone should do this, but people in the arts need to do it more because their chances of succeeding financially are much smaller than most. They may succeed artistically and yes, that is a big plus but only a very select few see the financial rewards and then only after years of paying their dues.
Magenta
May 24th, 2010
11:28 am
Oh, Theresa! Is your babysitter any good at math? Any good at all? If not, she should not go anywhere near a business major. She will be miserable. Business majors are very math-heavy. Statistics, in particular. And you can’t always pick a professor that can teach well. This is not very PC, but I recall my own college years, struggling with math, where the classes were taught by people from other countries with heavy accents. If anyone had told me how much math was required, I’d have stuck with English. Most people in business today did not major in Accounting, Finance or Management. Those skills are better learned hands-on in the work environment. Tell your babysitter to major in whatever she already knows she’s good at. The point is to get the diploma, get it quickly, and get on with life, where the real education takes place.
Meme
May 24th, 2010
11:41 am
For 36 years, I followed my heart. When I was in the 6th grade, I knew I wanted to be a teacher and that is what I became. I knew from the start that it was not a money-making field but that spark in the eye of a student who has just learned something was also great.
I am down to my last two days and although I haven’t loved every minute, I have loved what I did. I am one of those old fashioned teachers. I have always taught in the same school system and have taught the children and a few grandchildren of some of my students.
Follow your heart. You will be much happier.
Tiger Ochocinco Mellencamp
May 24th, 2010
12:33 pm
@Magenta….as an accountant, I would disagree with your theory that accounting is math heavy. We’re not all good at math, just good at numbers. My math skill level stops at maybe 10th grade addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. I work with physicists and electrical engineers though….those guys know math….you know, Einstein type math.
Oh..and every CFO, Controller, and CPA I know…they all got accounting degrees or took course work the equivalent of the degree.
motherjanegoose
May 24th, 2010
1:03 pm
@ meme….congrats to you! What will you do with yourself? You sound like the teacher every child needs but are harder and harder to come by. I’ll bet you have seen a lot of change in the way things have worked in the schools from the start and now.
@ magenta…the accent thing CAN really be a problem and you are not the first one whom I have heard it from. I cannot imagine sitting in a lecture and not being able to understand what is being said. Of course, these instructors are probably at the top of their field and an asset to the college.
motherjanegoose
May 24th, 2010
1:05 pm
@ Tiger…I could probably hang in with the 10th grade math….the stuff my own kids can do is WAY out of my league…CALCULUS!
JATL
May 24th, 2010
1:57 pm
@Magenta -I had to meet with 3 different people back in the 80s at UGA to reverse the score of a Math test I had taken. During the test (it was the first one in a freshman math class of freshman year), I asked the TA if we could jump ahead and go back to previous problems. This test was on the computer (back when that was relatively novel) and timed. I wanted to make sure I answered every one I knew first, and then take my time working out the problems I wasn’t so sure about. I was told, “Yes,” that I could come back to earlier questions. The TA was Chinese and evidently understood very little English, because you could NOT go back! I left three questions blank and failed the test. It was finally dealt with, but what a pain! I had several other experiences with TAs and professors who, I’m sure, were extremely competent in their fields, but they were teaching in huge lecture halls with extremely heavy accents and no great command of the English language. It was extremely frustrating (and I was an English major -this was core stuff).
DB
May 24th, 2010
2:35 pm
@Magenta and JATL: Amen on the bizarre accents! My calculus T.A. in college was absolutely unintelligible. He was replaced after the entire class flunked the first test — it was a department-wide test, and it was very obvious that he had no ability to teach in English, I think the highest score was a 29 out of 100 (and no, it wasn’t mine!) Even going by his office was a disaster, because he’d get mad when he was “interrupted” — during his office hours! The head of the department took it over from that point out, but the damage was done — ugh.
@Magenta, while someone may be able to get by with a rudimentary knowledge of basic bookkeeping, there’s no way they are going to be in an accounting profession without a degree and, preferably, a CPA. Calculus only helps the majority of us learn how to think analytically — we may never use it, but the mental gymnastics involved is useful. However, an accountant better know the difference between a debit and a credit!
Brittany Pavelchak
May 24th, 2010
4:09 pm
I was always interested in the arts…never met a type of art I didn’t like or couldn’t do well. My father, being the overly practical man he is, encouraged me to be a nurse and expand upon the nurse aide job I held all through high school. I got a BS in nursing and I’ve never used it a day in my life. You couldn’t pay me enough to do that for a living, I was just following my father’s dream. It made me resentful because of all the time I wasted and it hurt our relationship (especially because I paid for my education). Three years later, I went to school for interior design and even though it was a better fit than nursing it still didn’t feel quite right. I gravitated towards the photography aspect of all my class projects and without realizing it, I discovered my passion for photography. I’ve since opened up my own photography business and I’m happier than ever. I make a good living and I look forward to work everyday. It isn’t the kind of living I’d have as a nurse, but I have so much more happiness in this field. If you have a job that you love, you’ll never work a day in your life…my grandfather told me that growing up. And you know what? He was right. I only pray that your children find that happiness too. Don’t impose your hopes for their future onto them, they deserve the right to follow their own dreams. If that means you don’t pay for the education, let them find a way to make it happen. Don’t give them a reason to resent you.
Michelle
May 25th, 2010
11:42 am
@ GRITS…there is such a thing as forensic nursing! Perhaps your daughter can combine the two!!
Wondering
May 25th, 2010
12:03 pm
Has something happened to Theresa? There is usually a new blog by now.