Career advice sought for young student about to start college.

[Safire]

Is there any particular major (aside from medicine / pre-med) you'd suggest for a student who seems to have no preferences at all (aside from *not* wanting to study medicine)?

If student indicated she wanted to major in accounting and pursue a minor in computer science, does it sound doable / reasonable to you? What would her options be if she did pursue this track? Hoping to get some advice from the people here as her (lower income) parents are clueless but want to support her 100% as much they can.

TIA.

 

[SevenUp]

As the names imply, the major will usually have a much greater impact on her career than the minor.

Is she about to graduate HS and has already chosen a college, or is she finishing her junior year in HS and looking at colleges, or...?

 

[Safire]

She graduated high school early and is now in community college to get GE out of the way. She is actually clueless about the major when I talked to her except for being certain she is not interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

Guess my question should be what a "lucrative" major would be for a student from a low income family who has the intelligence to succeed but just lacks proper guidance as none of us (extended family and friends) have much knowledge or college experience? Thank you!

 

[SevenUp]

The ones listed in Highest-paying college majors, 5 years after graduation are indeed the "usual suspects".

 

[Jenna]

Is there any particular major (aside from medicine / pre-med) you'd suggest for a student who seems to have no preferences at all (aside from *not* wanting to study medicine)?

If student indicated she wanted to major in accounting and pursue a minor in computer science, does it sound doable / reasonable to you? What would her options be if she did pursue this track? Hoping to get some advice from the people here as her (lower income) parents are clueless but want to support her 100% as much they can.

TIA.

Go to work for UPS-earn a high salary, get a pension. Retire in 20 years at 38. Skip college.

 

[Harris4crna]

Guess my question should be what a "lucrative" major would be for a student from a low income family who has the intelligence to succeed but just lacks proper guidance as none of us (extended family and friends) have much knowledge or college experience? Thank you!

For an individual that is unsure and need structure than spend 2-4 years to get a nursing degree (I know, you said not medicine) and pursue an alternative degree when more sure while working as a nurse to pay for the degree.

I came from family with no post high school education and no structure. I worked through college as a nursing assistant to get my nursing degree. I joined the military after I graduated and spent the next 22 years advancing my career. Retired at 49yo and now work part-time for FU money. The structure allowed a clueless guy like me to advance through the system.

 

[lilly]

Does she like math/science, or reading/writing? Is she stronger in one or the other? Engineer here...it seems to have worked out. Was it fulfilling for me? Not particularly, but I was good at it. Those are two different things to think about. In another life, I might have considered teaching...summers off sure seem nice but I know the teaching part can be a challenge.

 

[Jerry1]

If student indicated she wanted to major in accounting and pursue a minor in computer science, does it sound doable / reasonable to you?

I'm a CPA and I have a MBA with a minor in information systems. A number of people who worked for me and with me had accounting degrees and computer backgrounds. I understand that's not computer science, but frankly, anything can be obtained. My son-in-law has a Econ undergrad, an MBA from Purdue and is currently getting a computer science degree from John Hopkins.

The classic answer is to find something you love but at 18, I had no idea. I defaulted to something that I found myself having a knack for. I had taken some accounting classes in high school and the concept came naturally to me. If I pursued what I was closer to "loving", I probably would have been a mechanic of some sort.

My grandson is graduating high school this month and has no idea what he wants. My answer to that is get a job doing anything and take a few classes at the community college. My logic is that will put him around people that are learning and working. At a minimum, he'll figure out some things he doesn't like and he'll earn some credits that he can transfer to a university if he ends up going that route. I don't really see a four year college in his future but he'll figure it out. My goal is just to try to help him get exposed to things that will help him find a path.

 

[FlaGator]

I have told my kids (23 and 20) that if they can find the thing(s) they like to do, are better at than others, and pay well enough to have a good life, you hit the jackpot. Also have told them to understand how you learn/internalize new information (verbal, written, with manual assist), master basic math, and be able to clearly communicate both verbal and written.

I found all of those through trial and error. Switched careers from my degree major after <4 years, bounced around a bit in that alternative field and an adjacent one, and finally hit my professional sweet spot *16 years* after college graduation.

If I'd had better guidance (and taken to heart some of the advice available), I would have gotten there sooner. Like the situation posed by the OP, I came from a background without examples of people who "made it" and could explain how they found their professional "sweet spot".

I think it's a challenge to sort out. There are examples here of people who liked their work and were really good at it (like me, ultimately), as well as people who got on a track early, performed well enough to have financial and professional success, although they didn't find it that fulfilling.

Real helpful, eh?

 

[latexman]

She graduated high school early and is now in community college to get GE out of the way. She is actually clueless about the major when I talked to her except for being certain she is not interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

Guess my question should be what a "lucrative" major would be for a student from a low income family who has the intelligence to succeed but just lacks proper guidance as none of us (extended family and friends) have much knowledge or college experience? Thank you!

This could have been me 50 years ago. I was fascinated by math, science (especially chemistry), and bookkeeping in HS. I chose chemical engineering. I made excellent $ and saw many different places on this earth.

They must chose wisely. A well paying career that uses the subjects/skills they enjoy.

 

[Gumby]

I would advise engineering if she has an affinity for math and science. In my opinion, it offers the best prospect of a decent job straight out of college, and the discipline and habits of thought developed in studying undergraduate engineering can be useful stepping stones no matter what she ultimately ends up doing. I know many people who found satisfying lifelong careers as engineers. I know many other people who have gone on to get MBAs, JDs and MDs after working as engineers and found happiness and success in other fields. I'm one of them, having gone to law school at 30 after working as a nuclear engineer through my 20s.

An important thing to realize is that life is long and a person can try different things; she does not need to commit the rest of her life to one path when she is 18. The key, however, is not doing things that will foreclose too many options too early. Among other things, that means living below her means so that she can afford to quit and go back to school or change careers if she wants, as well as not starting a family too early so that she has more flexibility to move for work or further education and more time to devote to it.

Kudos to you for trying to help her. My mother and father had an 8th grade and 11th grade education, respectively, and none of us ever knew anyone who had gone to college. I'm still the only one in my family to do so. It would have been so much easier for me if I had a family friend like you to guide me.

 

[Koolau]

At one time, guidance councilors at high school gave us "preference tests" which told us what kinds of c@reers we would probably like. Did she take any of those tests? If not, I'm assuming SOMEONE someplace still offers those - perhaps on the web. Knowing what she's interested in is probably the first step.

But as far as making a living, the "hard" sciences (math, physics, chemistry, engineering, computer scienece) are a good place to start. Avoid anything with the word "studies" in it or anything "soft" like art or music, or even psychology.

But I like that she's getting core courses out of the way while she's figuring out what she wants to major in. Our youngest did that and saved a real bundle of money. As in-state and attending state university for her last two years, she got a degree from a great (recognized) state school for not too much money. She was in demand and is now moving up in a field she loves (and is good at.) Good luck.

 

[Flieger]

I second engineering if she likes math and sciences. Mechanical or Industrial engineering (more and more automation driven) and a female can really pan out.

If math and science aren't her thing, is she outgoing and personable? Moving her way through HR can be a good path as well.

You mentioned accounting. Is that what she thinks she has an interest in doing? Finance or Accounting with an MBA might do the trick.

Flieger

 

[joesxm3]

I read recently "AI will not take your job. Someone using AI will."

Things are changing rapidly. College or not she should try to keep up with how to use these emerging AI things like ChatGPT.

The real benefit of college is 'learning how to learn". I wasted my major but had a successful computer programming career despite failing the one computer course I took on in college. After three years of menial jobs I gave myself the equivalent of an MS in CS by reading books in the local college library and book store.

Btw programming may not be a good choice now, but using AI in some way probably will.

 

[sengsational]

I told my kids to get any 4 year degree at a university, and let the chips fall where they may.

One went engineering and the other art.

Both had aptitude for anything, and I was absolutely certain they'd be successful at whatever they decided to do. And I was right. Both make more money (inflation adjusted) than I did as an engineer at their age.

My advice is to get out of your parents' house, live at school, grow up a bit. Let your experience be your guide.

 

[mystang52]

For many post college jobs, the specific major may not matter. I suspect that "gender studies" and similar majors could be a hindrance, but otherwise any liberal arts major may not matter. More significantly, your friend's child will likely switch from the first-planned major to something else, once something piques her interest.
P.S. Both of my kids are lawyers One majored in Math (minor in Theater), the other was a Biology major.

 

[ivinsfan]

I love that these threads are always full of many pro engineering replies...we must have a lot of engineers here. Your DD is on the right track. Look for a highly rated business program and start with required courses. If she decides accounting isn't right she'll have plenty other choices and can implement that pretty effortlessly. You absolutely can get a degree in 4 years.

 

[Masquernom]

Want your daughter to have the golden ticket? Study accounting and focus on audit. Minor in computers and become an IT internal auditor. Have your first company pay for your night courses to get your MBA. Get your CPA as soon as you get enough credit hours. The MBA will let you move from the technical to the management career path later in your career. Working for a large company is better life than working at one of the big accounting firms I'm told.
Audit means you don't face tax reporting or monthly/quarterly reporting deadlines. You're just checking the work of others mostly. You'll end up making more money than the engineers eventually. I'm an engineer myself and enjoy what I do, but my wife ended up in audit, and given your daughters situation, I'd recommend it over engineering.

 

[Al18]

According to Dave Ramsey, the top 5 careers of millionaires Fool.com

 

[Car-Guy]

IMO, it's a balance between picking a discipline you like and one that's in demand (and high paying). If you are lucky you'll find one that you like, is in demand and high paying. I did but I still couldn't wait to retire. I guess that's why they call it work!

If you don't like it, you'll be miserable and probably not do well in the job. If it's not in demand, who is going to hire you? And if it doesn't pay well you'll be struggling all your life to keep up.

 

[pacergal]

What are her interests?
Nursing can be well paying, and tend beyond RN into practitioner, anesthetist, etc
Legal/Lawyer field
Computer Science
Engineering has many fields
Art/Archetecture
Math/Accounting, etc
Teaching, may or may not be higher paying, depending on where and what level K-12 vs college

If she is completing her general classes in a Community college and still has no idea what she wants, perhaps after getting her AA, she takes a break and works a gap-type year?
Or can she arrange some visitation days with various job placements around? Many community colleges have job placement help or something similar, that might be able to help with that. Give her a feel of some career choices.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

I told my kids to get any 4 year degree at a university, and let the chips fall where they may.

One went engineering and the other art.

Both had aptitude for anything, and I was absolutely certain they'd be successful at whatever they decided to do. And I was right. Both make more money (inflation adjusted) than I did as an engineer at their age.

My advice is to get out of your parents' house, live at school, grow up a bit. Let your experience be your guide.

I'd argue aptitude probably trumped the degree. Many graduates under-utilize their degrees. That to me is a big risk of just pushing kids into 4 year degrees without their own sense of direction.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

Is there any particular major (aside from medicine / pre-med) you'd suggest for a student who seems to have no preferences at all (aside from *not* wanting to study medicine)?

If student indicated she wanted to major in accounting and pursue a minor in computer science, does it sound doable / reasonable to you? What would her options be if she did pursue this track? Hoping to get some advice from the people here as her (lower income) parents are clueless but want to support her 100% as much they can.

TIA.

Accounting is one of the fields that the world will need for a long time and computer science is a great compliment to almost any major these days. Lots of systems in the accounting and finance professions. Knowing how they work is a differentiator.

 

[Kings over Queens]

I think the OP is asking for a safe major that might translate into multiple career opportunities. 2 of my kids went for business administration. one now works in a sales/support role for s&p global and the other is in manufacturing, working with his hands and tools building stuff.

I noticed that the student referenced in the OP's comments is taking courses at community college, which is terrific. my kids did 2 years at the local community college and then the following 2 years in a program sponsored/held at the community college, but affiliated with the Rutgers.

2 years at brookdale followed by 2 years at Rutgers (at brookdale). we called it brutgers.

4 year degree and their diploma says rutgers for short money.

 

[OldShooter]

1) There is really no reason to focus on a major before junior year in college.
2) A beginning freshman rarely has a clear vision of what they want to do; there is no reason to force this.
3) Send her to college with an open mind and see what she becomes interested in. I have a niece who ended up with double majors, cello performance and mathematics. This would never have occurred to her at the beginning of her college plan.
4) If you want to push, push towards what I call "trade school" degrees like my MSEE and Computer Science PhD course work. A trade school degree is one with good job prospects and reasonably good starting salaries.
5) Encourage her to stay away from feelgood degrees that lead to low wage or scarce jobs: women's studies, art history, Latin, etc. They are pretty easy to identify, particularly with all the published salary information these days. If not sure, ask a barista.