AnnaWilson Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) Hey! My Jason is 17 already and as all the teens he doesn't know "what he wants to be". He's good at drawing, so I suggested to look for a design college but he wants to "make money". Now, he thinks that software development is a right fit because of their salaries. I'm not sure because he was never that good in math, he always preferred creative subjects. Of course, I don't want him to be under pressure and think that I make all the decisions. How should I talk to him so that he has no hard feelings? Edited October 30, 2020 by a LoveShack.org Moderator Link to post Share on other sites
Wiseman2 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Let him speak with his high school guidance counselor. Link to post Share on other sites
d0nnivain Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 2 hours ago, AnnaWilson said: How should I talk to him so that he has no hard feelings? Remind him that he doesn't have to have all the answers at 17. He should follow his passions. If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. Talk to him about balance. No matter what he does he will need certain basic skills so he should make sure he has those: the ability to communicate, basic arithmetic, how to balance a check book etc Talking to a guidance counselor at school is a great idea. Find out if there are job sampling opportunities. Work with your child to explore various post high school education opportunities. Finally remind your son that money isn't everything. Yes you need to have enough to pay your bills so help him with budgeting but the pursuit of the almighty dollar to the exclusion of all else is a path to ruination & unhappiness. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
basil67 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) If he can get the high school marks to get into university for software development, then good luck to him. If he enjoys the course, then also good luck to him. But if he doesn't get the marks or doesn't enjoy the course, then the problem is solved. Allow him to learn with experience. Edited October 30, 2020 by basil67 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 It's a tough balance @AnnaWilson I always prioritised creative fulfillment over money. But things are looking bleak right now without an income! Creative avenues have dried up. Teaching him how to manage money is very important, and how to work at any job necessary to survive in tough times. We can't make the world perfect, he has to feel confident to make his own mistakes and fix them. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 Did he take the SAT test?? If so, what were his scores in the various sections?? Those test results may point him in the right direction. As an example, I scored great in math, but didn't do so well in the other subjects. So I went into accounting as it complimented my strength with numbers. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 I say let him follow his inclination toward software development. It's a great field offering tremendous opportunity and salaries. He's very smart to think pragmatically about this. One of the biggest mistakes of my life was "following my passion" and getting a very impractical and expensive degree that didn't correlate to high salaries in the job market. If I had it to do over again, if I were advising a young person, I'd 100% advise being very pragmatic about such a huge financial investment. With his six-figure job in his 20s and beyond, he'll have plenty of freedom to explore and fund his creative passions, or with his giant bankroll of savings, eventually switch to a more creative field with plenty of financial padding. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 6 minutes ago, Ruby Slippers said: One of the biggest mistakes of my life was "following my passion" and getting a very impractical and expensive degree that didn't correlate to high salaries in the job market. If I had it to do over again, if I were advising a young person, I'd 100% advise being very pragmatic about such a huge financial investment. Yes... I had a friend that did something similar. His parents saved and saved and saved for him to go to college and he picked "his passion" over a field that would earn him a living wage. Last I heard, he was still struggling financially (well into his 40's) making just over minimum wage. (I lost track of him after that.) His decision to get an expensive and useless degree ruined his life. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 I paid for my own college. I got tons of scholarships, but tuition rose exponentially during my 4 years, so I also worked full time and spent 20 YEARS paying back my loans. I'm doing great now, finally, but if I'd been smarter a long time ago, I'd probably be a retired millionaire by now. Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 3 hours ago, Ruby Slippers said: I'd probably be a retired millionaire by now. Not necessarily, life keeps coming. Just when I amassed enough money to semi-retire Harvey happened and a bunch of other 'disasters' since. Resilience is a good skill in life... Link to post Share on other sites
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