smilesonly Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 If they want to go to college, do they already know what they want to major in? Many hsed dc we know DO have an idea of what they want to do post high school, and the parents then plan the dc's high school accordingly. Mine doesn't. She has some ideas, but nothing that would make it easy for me to plan out her high school years.;) And, I know I sure didn't when I was in 8th grade! Now, 9th grade I KNEW I wanted to be a brain surgeon.:) Then I discovered that math was hard after Algebra.:tongue_smilie::glare: My dd just knows what she wants to do now-if I asked her to throw me a bone for career ideas, she always replies with "wedding planner.";):lol: Just wondering... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 My DD had decided that she wanted to be a biologist when she was 6 or 7 and had adhered to this wish until recently. Now she thinks she would like to major in biophysics instead. We do not, however, plan highschool accordingly! Whatever idea she has now, we would make sure that she gets a well rounded highschool education with a solid background in language, math and science so that she could major in anything at any school (except for very talent related things like music or arts, of course- these are ruled out) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 If they want to go to college, do they already know what they want to major in? Many hsed dc we know DO have an idea of what they want to do post high school, and the parents then plan the dc's high school accordingly. Mine doesn't. She has some ideas, but nothing that would make it easy for me to plan out her high school years.;) And, I know I sure didn't when I was in 8th grade! Now, 9th grade I KNEW I wanted to be a brain surgeon.:) Then I discovered that math was hard after Algebra.:tongue_smilie::glare: My dd just knows what she wants to do now-if I asked her to throw me a bone for career ideas, she always replies with "wedding planner.";):lol: Just wondering... I wouldn't worry if a middle school student didn't have a clue. I would simply plan a generic college bound high school curriculum. Check out your state's high school advanced (or college prep....whatever your state calls it) diploma course requirements b/c that is what typical graduates in your state will have completed. Goodness, a lot of college student don't declare a major until after their freshman or sophomore yr. FWIW, I do understand how you feel, though. My 11th grader insisted for yrs that she was going to major in culinary arts and now she is debating between forensic chemistry or anthropology. She is going to an anthropology camp this summer (she went to a forensic chemistry camp last summer) Who knows???? I sure am not hedging any bets. I think she should major in library science! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Dd13 wants to be a vet and dd11 has talked about going to culinary school or majoring in some type of art degree. (She loves decorating cakes) They are both doing a college bound high school course. They each will have to get the same number of credits in each subject, however, I will let them customize certain aspects of their education based on their interests and strengths. Dd13 will use a more rigorous math and science curriculum than her sister will and Dd11 will continue art classes, take art history courses and will probably be more interested in literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keniki Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My oldest (now 21) knew as soon as he could talk. He has always wanted to farm, and he's very happy doing it. Our dd is 13 and changes her mind every 6 monts or so. Most likely it will be food related but it's hard to tell for sure. Ds#2 is 11 and most likely will pick something sciencey. I really wonder, though, with the way things are changing, if some of the careers that our children will end up with are even in existence yet. When I was in 8th grade, there was no such thing as the internet. Can you imagine how many careers there are now that weren't available then? Anyway, I want to make sure the younger ones are well prepared for college, but no, they really don't have a clear cut idea yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle l Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My 11th grader doesn't even know. I think it's really hard to know what you want to do when you haven't had a chance to try much and don't really know what's out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My 8th grader doesn't know what he wants to do. He'd really like to be a professional video game player:001_huh:. Since that isn't likely, he's doing some programming in hopes of writing video games. I am planning science, math, history, LA and foreign language as if he is going to college. Beyond that I try to get him to try different things and develop his interests. My 6th grade dd has a very good idea of what she wants to do. Her ideas vary a little, but are all in health care related field. I have a much more focused plan for her, although all the basics of a college prep high school education will apply to both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My 8th grader doesn't know what he wants to do. He'd really like to be a professional video game player:001_huh:.. Maybe your ds and my ds could start a business. :tongue_smilie::lol: My ds 13 has no clue. He's into computers and film. I once said thought he could combine all of his interests into becoming a director who plays poker all over the world and flies himself in his private plane. :tongue_smilie: Whatever he does may involve talking and negotiating, he's good at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I really wonder, though, with the way things are changing, if some of the careers that our children will end up with are even in existence yet. I feel like this is very true. Things change a rapid rate. Yes, some professions will be with us, but I suspect that many professions will change considerably, possibly be unrecognizable, or be totally new. My kindergartener has a better idea of what he wants to do when he grows up than his fifth grade sister. This still isn't saying much. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Don't have an 8th grader yet but my 4th grader knows what he wants to be. A clone trooper!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 None of my children know, not even dd18 who is a senior this year. She's working almost full-time and is enjoying it but says she has no idea if she's interested in college. :) Ds14 (9th grade) and dd12 (8th grade) think they want to go to college but have no idea of a major. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I feel like this is very true. Things change a rapid rate. Yes, some professions will be with us, but I suspect that many professions will change considerably, possibly be unrecognizable, or be totally new. My kindergartener has a better idea of what he wants to do when he grows up than his fifth grade sister. This still isn't saying much. ;) :iagree: Ds and I had a great discussion about the technology that has changed since I was in high school. That ws 25 years ago and in high school they offered the first computer class ever in our school. I didn't take it, I never thought I'd have a use for computers. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My 8th grader doesn't know what he wants to do. He'd really like to be a professional video game player:001_huh:. Since that isn't likely, he's doing some programming in hopes of writing video games. I am planning science, math, history, LA and foreign language as if he is going to college. Beyond that I try to get him to try different things and develop his interests. My 6th grade dd has a very good idea of what she wants to do. Her ideas vary a little, but are all in health care related field. I have a much more focused plan for her, although all the basics of a college prep high school education will apply to both. Do you know about Digipen? https://www.digipen.edu/dp-home/ FWIW, they offer summer camps for middle and high school aged students that your ds might be interested in. https://projectfun.digipen.edu/about/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Even if my child had a strong idea, I would be unwilling to completely alter my school plans on the whim of a young teenager. My goal is to leave as many doors open as possible for my children when they leave my care, so while I would definitely take their passions into account when planning for high school, I would be leery of putting all of his/her eggs in one basket. For instance, I want my kids to do as much math as they're capable of doing during the years that we have. For one child that might mean a couple of years of calculus, statistics, math analysis, etc, and for another it might mean stopping at trig, depending on aptitude, but I wouldn't say, "Oh, you want to go into the arts/literature, so we'll stop at the bare minimum of algebra2/goemetry". At the same time, if my child were set on becoming an engineer, I would still require a good grounding in history and literature, and an ability to write well. If my child were intent on going to cosmetology school, I'd still want that child to leave my guidance with the deepest, most well-rounded education that I was capable of giving based on that particular child's academic aptitude... I just think that having a deep, well-rounded education leads to a deeper and more fulfilling life, whatever one chooses, and that it's a shame to be too lopsided too early. It often surprises us as adults what skills and training from our youth we find a need for later on... Right now ds says he's going to be a writer, actor, dancer, and chef. ;) And he's got a start on each of those things, I suppose -- they're all certainly possibilities -- but he's also got great ability in mathematics and other areas... I'd be doing him a disservice to focus exclusively on literature and the arts right now... I don't want him to get to college, discover he's got an interest in architecture, and be derailed by too little math preparation. I wouldn't want him to plan a career in the sciences only to discover he'd rather study theology, but doesn't have the ability to write a thoughtful paper.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 :iagree: My ds doesn't. Even if my child had a strong idea, I would be unwilling to completely alter my school plans on the whim of a young teenager. My goal is to leave as many doors open as possible for my children when they leave my care, so while I would definitely take their passions into account when planning for high school, I would be leery of putting all of his/her eggs in one basket. For instance, I want my kids to do as much math as they're capable of doing during the years that we have. For one child that might mean a couple of years of calculus, statistics, math analysis, etc, and for another it might mean stopping at trig, depending on aptitude, but I wouldn't say, "Oh, you want to go into the arts/literature, so we'll stop at the bare minimum of algebra2/goemetry". At the same time, if my child were set on becoming an engineer, I would still require a good grounding in history and literature, and an ability to write well. If my child were intent on going to cosmetology school, I'd still want that child to leave my guidance with the deepest, most well-rounded education that I was capable of giving based on that particular child's academic aptitude... I just think that having a deep, well-rounded education leads to a deeper and more fulfilling life, whatever one chooses, and that it's a shame to be too lopsided too early. It often surprises us as adults what skills and training from our youth we find a need for later on... QUOTE] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in GA Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 DD 8th really has no clear idea what she wants to do. Ds, now 20, figured out in 8th or 9th that he really liked computer programming and is now majoring in CS. We did tailor his high school education a bit to include credit for programming projects he did on his own as well as credit for actual programming classes. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My 9th grader wants to sit in front of our computer and make orchestrations of music. He's going to get very hungry. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mereminerals Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My 8th grader has been very consistently saying that he wants to attend West Point and design weapons since he was 10. Now, my 11th grader is still flipping and flopping. He is very talented with computers, but he has a strong pull to do search and rescue with the Air Force. Not sure which he will gravitate towards. I am planning on gearing my 8th graders high school years to have a strong emphasis on math and science, but am not removing any of the other subjects. He will still have a strong foundation for anything if he changes his mind. My 11th grader attends the local ps, but also takes a computer networking class at the local tech and will take Cyber Forensics next year. So, all that to say, I guess I do incorporate their current desires into their studies, but I don't leave that as the end all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My 7th grader has an idea, but nothing concrete. My 5th grader doesn't even have any specific interests! I wouldn't even give it a concern....I figured out what I wanted to do my SENIOR year of college! And even then it evolved after college and involved grad schools. Many people change careers in their 40s..... Really, I wouldn't worry. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I don't even know what "I" want to do after high school and my 25th reunion is coming up. I was just thinking today that I need to figure what I want to do when the kids graduate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Well, he likes video game design and is learning to program in Visual Basic. He also likes cartooning and is working on animation skills. He's a history nut and an excellent writer, so he is also interested in historical documentaries. At this point, since he's so artistic but bent towards technology, he will be taking both art and practical drafting next year. He'll have art history for 10th grade but also some courses from the MIT opencourseware program. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I don't even know what "I" want to do after high school and my 25th reunion is coming up. I was just thinking today that I need to figure what I want to do when the kids graduate. Same here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Do you know about Digipen? https://www.digipen.edu/dp-home/ FWIW, they offer summer camps for middle and high school aged students that your ds might be interested in. https://projectfun.digipen.edu/about/ That is cool! Too bad it is so far away. Maybe when he is older though. We might look at letting ds do one of their "clubs". I'm lucky to have a DH that will teach the computer classes, so he can get a good start at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 My 8th grader does not know what she wants to do, and it really bothers her. I guess she hears friends talking a lot about what they want to do. She really enjoys writing, is interested in film making, and loves reading. My dh thinks she'll end up being an English/Lit teacher. I wonder if she'll end up a book editor or script writer. I am looking at MFW for her because I read that there is a lot of great writing experience in it. I've been getting outside writing/lit classes for her from a retired English teacher, but those won't be available next year. Hopefully our co-op will have enough families/teachers to meet this spring because we have one mom who wants to do an SAT essay class. We will do math/science in high school just to get it done, but I know the emphasis needs to be Language Arts for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 If they want to go to college, do they already know what they want to major in? He wants to be an mechanical engineer who works in automotive design, and he has since he heard such people exist! I keep expecting it to change, but so far it hasn't. I think it's been since he was 6 or 7... It still could change of course -- DH and I both have changed fields in adulthood, and I'm going to be doing it again when I'm done homeschooling -- so as previous posters have said, DS is still going to have a broad education that prepares him for a variety of options. Basically my job is to make sure he doesn't close any doors, but my other job is to make sure that his plans aren't derailed by carelessness or lack of planning.... So we consider, each year, how best to do both. He ends up with a heavy math and science load along with slightly lighter literature and history/ social science work, and actually a ton of foreign language. (The foreign language isn't really for engineering or a broad education in the normal sense... it's because we travel.) I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was in middle school or high school... and I changed my major twice in college, worked in a completely unrelated field, started homeschooling (again unrelated) and I'm working on changing to something which is only somewhat related to what I did before homeschooling. My only regret is that I didn't do anything I didn't have to do in college... I had placed out of the basic math and science requirements, and I never took any more. After I quit grad school I started taking computer programming and math classes that I wish I had tried earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaissezFaire Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 My girls are 7th graders and they do talk about what they might like to do but they are not extremely driven at this point and that is ok with me. I know one of my girls wants to be an interior designer but she also enjoys doing hair so who knows what she will end up doing? Interestingly, she would probably make more money doing hair than being an interior designer...kind of sad. My other daughter talks about the mission field but her passion is writing which she says she can do alongside any other job or career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilesonly Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 I'm not worried.:) I never worry.:glare: I have been thinking that it would make it so much easier to plan for which Algebra curriculum to choose.;) I think hearing that some of you choose a plan based on your dc's ability was good to hear. Having her be prepared for getting into the college of her choice, and easing into a major of her choice seems ideal and doable. I think I need to stick with the balance of rigorous and well-rounded. I agree that most dc will change their minds a few to several times, even changing in their middle age.:) I changed my major twice, then decided to add another one when I was a junior. Five yrs post college I wasn't doing anything related to my college education. I have a niece who changed her major fives times before she hit her jr. year.:001_huh: Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 I'm not sure if that where he'll eventually end up, though. Kids frequently have romaticized ideas about careers/professions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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