UPDATE: DD is starting to get stressed/depressed about her future :(

[Ann.without.an.e]

UPDATE in post #66

 

She is a very bright, logical, practical child who happens to be outstanding at many things.  You would think this would make her happy - having many directions she "could" choose.  Instead, she finds herself worried about what is best.  Her logical side says that she needs to go the Science and Math path, but her true passion is art and she is very talented.  She is happiest when she is either creative or with young children.  She sees art fields as a dead end and everyone she talks to tells her to avoid an art career path.  I know that she is only a sophomore, but this is hindering her day to day life.  She wants to make the best decisions today to build toward her future.  I know these struggles must be common.  I was more free spirited and didn't have such worries (she is like DH, not me). How do I help her?  I have begged her not to stress and it isn't working.  :confused1:

[mommymonster]

I'm her! But let's hope she makes better choices than me.  :willy_nilly: I went to engineering school because everyone said it was the only way to get out of the abject poverty I was raised in. So I went to engineering school and I hated it. Hated every minute of it. I lived for my language arts classes. Finally, I changed majors and became a lawyer, which I love. 

 

If she loves art, there's no reason she can't make a good, solid living at it. Seriously. It will take work, and she will have to be smart about it, but she knows already what she wants, and that's more than most people start with.  I'd urge her to consider double majoring in art AND business (or education and art... or occupational therapy and art...). She'll need to think long and hard about what she's going to do to differentiate herself from the many other artists out there. One idea that I'm seeing fly in area is essentially out-sourced art classes for school students. There are a number of studios in our area where parents take kids for art classes, as there isn't art in the schools anymore. Stuff like that. Be bold. Look at trends. 

 

Also, realizing that life is long and takes many twists and turns is one of those things that is hard to accept, but useful for kids on the eve of college. Build good foundations and be willing to change courses when needed. 

 

And chocolate helps. It really does.

[G5052]

She should do what she loves.  Really.

 

I went the STEM route, but found that I needed a people-oriented job in order to be happy.  So I did technical training and then became a professor.  Now I do non-STEM work in the education field as well.  And it makes me happy too.  DH says that I probably should have become an English professor, but I missed that path and it took me awhile to figure it out anyway.  I'm not headed back to school anytime soon either.  But I found a way to make my degrees work for me.

 

Neither of mine are strongly STEM-oriented, but they've had rigorous math and science just in case.  I can't imagine putting every high-achieving kid into STEM just "because."  I've met a lot of pre-nursing students at the college where I teach who are frankly motivated by the employment opportunities far more than the internal reasons why someone might want to be a nurse.  And from what the nursing professors tell me, the process of getting through the pre-reqs and the interviews usually weeds those people out, thankfully.

[justkeepswimming]

I was that kid too - and never completed college because of it. I knew what I wanted to do - but also knew what I felt I should do. Kept trucking on with what I should do and hated it. Dropped out and it's my biggest regret.

 

Maybe encourage a business/marketing path in college alongside art? Then she'd come out on the other side with a good idea of how to market her product and how to manage her own business - taking away some of the unpredictability? I know several working moms who run their own various art-based businesses right now and they are doing very well and absolutely love what they are doing.

 

edited to add this quote by Maya Angelou---> It's brilliant & I wish I'd read it when I was in high school. ;)

 

[elegantlion]

A really good elementary art teacher can make a world of difference to a creative child. My university also has an art therapy major, have no clue how that works, but I'd have her research some options for art degrees outside of the typical studio art major. Bottom line is she doesn't have to decide now. Heck, I'm a 47 year old college freshman and I'm considering changing my major after one year of college - not that I'd suggest she wait that long to make a decision. :coolgleamA: 

 

Despite all my ups and downs, I still believe one should pursue what they love, knowing that it may mean less money, more getting outside the box to create income, and finding ways to stand out as a student.  

[Renai]

There are many ways to use art and education. My mom is an artist, and dad a musician, and have done different things with that education- finally retiring as teachers (after over 20 years in that field). Go with what she loves- she'll be all the happier, and that makes as much a differnce in quality of life.

[Renai]

I'd recommend she keep art as a hobby or part time work and pursue STEM courses if she has aptitude. She could also consider a dual major in fine art and the science of her choice, but that is quite rigorous.

Why? There *are* art careers, not just being a "starving artist." A pp mentioned art therapy- that would combine art and working with young children, and pays. STEM doesn't have the only paying jobs out there. The world needs all kinds.

[Mom22ns]

I agree with those that are telling her to look for ways to use art that can still make a living. In addition, assure her that you will make sure her high school education is solid enough that she can change her mind and pursue any degree she wishes in college should she decide she needs to go a STEM route. 

 

There are several types of therapies that can combine well with art. Teaching is an obvious choice. Running various types of art studios is an option. Here, studios that teach art classes, pottery classes and more are hugely popular. I know of several that are thriving businesses. There are many options. If you talk to people who go the route of doing what makes the best living instead of following their passion, you will get the same advice every time - "don't make the mistake I did". Encourage her to follow her passion and figure out how to do it in an economically wise way.

 

Being an elementary school art teacher may not be the best paying job in the world, but it is a secure, stable job. She sounds like she would be great at it.

[madteaparty]

I think the current STEM obsession is a bit out of control. I find myself falling in the same trap, when DS asks for more foreign language classes and yet I sign him up for programming. I think mommymonster gave excellent advice. "There's always law school" worked out very well for me too :)

[Renai]

I think the current STEM obsession is a bit out of control. I find myself falling in the same trap, when DS asks for more foreign language classes and yet I sign him up for programming. I think mommymonster gave excellent advice. "There's always law school" worked out very well for me too :)

I agree. It reminds me when everyone said get an MBA, or go into a particular computer field. A few years down the road, the market was oversaturated with people just following trends, instead of looking at trends and making them work for their passions.

[Michelle_NC]

My advice would be to do what you love and the career will fall into place. I have a friend who completed a law degree, decided she didn't want to practice and eventually went into conference planning.  Her law background is invaluable in evaluating the contracts.  I have degrees in English and Psychology and ended up in marketing.  My brother got halfway through medical school before deciding that wasn't what he wanted to do and he's now a very successful pharmaceutical rep.

 

She may not know exactly how it will play out, but an art education is invaluable when it comes to design, marketing, nonprofit arts organization, anything dealing with art museums or galleries, art directors, photographers.  She could create images for stock photography companies or do web design.  The possibilities are endless.

 

 

[Michelle_NC]

Savannah College of Art & Design:  https://www.scad.edu/

 

Click on the Programs link on the left - each program gives examples of career paths.

[Mnemosyne]

That has got to be tough.

 

If she likes art, but wants to do something 'practical' she should look into marketing and advertising, design thinking (such as IDEO, they do great stuff), there are even jobs specifically for 'innovators' now. Entrepreneurship is of course also an option. All of that would allow her to be very creative.

 

Just throwing some ideas out there. Innovation and design are really the newest buzz words in the business world, as relationships with customers become more and more important. Lots of opportunities opening up there.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I'd recommend she keep art as a hobby or part time work and pursue STEM courses if she has aptitude. She could also consider a dual major in fine art and the science of her choice, but that is quite rigorous.

 

 

She is an overall great student and she is very good at Math.  At the same time, she does some incredible things with art and no one has taught her to do it.  She hasn't even invested that much time into it really.  She loves it, but she focuses more on academic studies because she doesn't see art as practical.  She is taking AP Art History this year as her "fun"

class because she loves it so much.  

[JanetC]

Has she been exposed to people like Vi Hart who combine math and the arts?

[Ann.without.an.e]

Why? There *are* art careers, not just being a "starving artist." A pp mentioned art therapy- that would combine art and working with young children, and pays. STEM doesn't have the only paying jobs out there. The world needs all kinds.

 

 

Yes, but she has never met anything but starving artists.  We are friends with an art teacher and she hires graduated art students to help her part time because they can't find jobs.  She feels sorry for them.  They work at Old Navy and then help her a few hours a week.  DD sees that and says "no way".

[Ann.without.an.e]

Has she been exposed to people like Vi Hart who combine math and the arts?

 

 

No.  I'll have her look into that.

[kiana]

You know, there are plusses and minuses either way.

 

Art makes a great hobby when you don't have to be concerned about paying the bills with it. It can also be a rewarding career.

 

Ideally I'd try to keep her options open as long as possible.

 

I do remember reading about someone who majored in art/minored in biology or the other way around, who ended up with a job illustrating anatomy textbooks.

[texasmama]

Is she an introvert?  Does she tend towards anxiety in general?  (Thoughts from the therapist side of my brain....)

[AK_Mom4]

This is DD20, too.  She is very good at math and science - she's my kid who taught herself a year's worth of high school Calculus in three months when she decided she wanted to study it her senior year.  She loves music and working with kids.

 

But the STEM stuff paid off in high school.  She won the highest level ACADEMIC scholarship available at the university she chose.  She is studying Music education with the intent of getting both the elementary and secondary certificates.  If she can't support herself with a music job, she can teach pretty much anything else.  Having those strong math skills has meant that she has been able to test out of most of the required math courses and concentrate on her music.

 

Tell her to leverage those math and science skills to help her do whatever it is that she really wants to do!

 

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Yes, but she has never met anything but starving artists.  We are friends with an art teacher and she hires graduated art students to help her part time because they can't find jobs.  She feels sorry for them.  They work at Old Navy and then help her a few hours a week.  DD sees that and says "no way".

 

I'm married to a very successful artist and consequently know many other successful artists.  Some make more money than others, but they are an interesting and creative bunch.  The artists I know do everything from creating concept designs for movies to designing book lay outs to developing museum displays to working on video games (there is a demand for people who can draw trees and scenery and who can make the shadows fall logically) to drawing comic books.  These people I know are not only talented, but they are well educated with broad ranges of interests. they are constantly researching and exploring the world in order to improve on their art.

 

Off the top of my head I can think of all sorts of "real jobs" for artists.  Artists have to layout and design maps and brochures for zoos and museums, for government agencies and corporations.   Web designers need to have a good visual sense, and we are more and more conveying information via images so depend upon the vision of good artists.

 

Help her find some working artists through talks at museums, including Natural History museums. Help her by asking lots of questions yourself -- what's your background, how did you get this job, etc..  Encourage her to take some art classes, to pursue it now while she is young.  I'm sure you are doing this, but keep reminding her that she is young, that she has the luxury of time to explore her talents, that she does not have to plan her life at this point in time!!  

[Hunter's Moon]

Your daughter sounds just like me. 

 

STEM seemed the logical choice -- there are definitely jobs. BUT, jobs, no matter the field (STEM or not) go to those who excel in that field and have a passion for it. Of course, someone who hates engineering but majored in it could certainly get a job as an engineer, but how long will they be there before they face burnout? Or are fired for inadequate work because they just do not care anymore? 

 

I was going for my Medical Assisting Associate's. Then, I decided to go for Accounting. Then, Biology. Then, Accounting again. Now, I am Biology/Psychology. While Biology is STEM, I have a non-STEM career path planned (unless I absolutely fall in love with a specific area of research). 

 

I think do what you love is great advice. But, it is important to have skills in areas that are more "practical". Perhaps suggest she take some Accounting courses, or Marketing. If she is good at Math or Science, encourage upper-level courses. 

 

A degree does NOT dictate your career path. It is a stepping stone towards one. I know so many people who do not work in their degree field, but their degree allowed them to get a solid paying job with benefits that they enjoy. 

[MomatHWTK]

Mark Kistler's live classes often feature guest artists who are making a living at their craft.  Mark does as well, of course.  I would probably go for the hedging of bets with a computer or business major along with grahic arts/fine arts.  Though actually, the design of nanobots, etc. involves a lot of artistry.  Engineering, graphic design and science are often melded in the new technologies coming of age.  The job she'll have in the future might not exist yet! 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Is she an introvert?  Does she tend towards anxiety in general?  (Thoughts from the therapist side of my brain....)

 

She is an introvert.  She does well with people and doesn't have people related anxiety but she is definitely an introvert.  She doesn't normally tend toward anxiety.  She is a deep, logical thinker for sure, but not anxious.

[Michelle_NC]

Another option ... she could major in one and minor in the other.

 

Is she stressed/depressed because the path she feels led to go down is being blocked?  

[Renai]

:)

Good points, nicely said.

[happygrrl]

I had to help my DD with a crying jag today. She is smart, accomplished, and funny, but this morning was stressed to the max. My mom, in a phone call later this afternoon, remimded me that some of the stress is natural for a smart girl facing changes that accompany growing. The world appears to be going crazy (especially to a teen paying attention), my expectations are high (even though I don't realize it), her body is still learning what it feels like to have monthly swings, the PSATs that count are coming up, And here I am waving college pamphlets and talking about AP. My mom reminded me that stress is scary if you have led a great homeschool life where stress is not a part of daily activities. Her stress handling abilities are just not developed yet. Hmm.

 

I came home, wrapped my daughter in a bear hug, told her I loved her, and if she wanted to run barefoot and jobless in the woods forever that was fine with me. I told her I could see her potential, and that I handle that Incorrectly sometimes (thanks to my own mishandled youth). I told her it is all OK, and that the life skills of managing stress are just as important as the skills of leaning the life cycle of unicellular algae. I told her that I was not going to let up with pushing her, because that Is what friends do. I also told her the goal was that I prepare her to be able to love and accept love, and everything else was accessory. Most importantly I told her again I loved her, and that love has nothing at all to do with her smarts, and that her value is not dependent on her career path or GPA.

 

My boys don't seem to handle life the same way, and DD is so practical and cheerful that I don't often see her struggles. Forgive me if this is not applicable, I just thought I would share, just in case it is.

[Ann.without.an.e]

 

 

nm

[Ann.without.an.e]

Another option ... she could major in one and minor in the other.

 

Is she stressed/depressed because the path she feels led to go down is being blocked?  

No, not really.  If it is blocked then she is blocking it not us.  She knows that we support her either way.  We have confirmed to her a million times that her happiness is important to us.  

 

I think her greatest stress comes from this....she doesn't really want a career at all.  Her ultimate goal in life is to be a wife and mom.  We didn't plant this is in her.  She has had that as her number one desire since she was very small.  She will be 10 times the mom I am.  The way she interacts with my youngest is impeccable.  She is loving, patient, naturally teaches him as they live, etc.  He has so much knowledge because she is brilliant and she talks to him all the time about things.  She is so genuinely caring toward kids and kids adore her.  You see, what she truly wants more than anything (and she would completely skip college altogether for) is 100% out of her control.  DD looks around and doesn't even see the greatest pool of young men around her (I keep reminding her that they will grow up  ;)  If she could plan her life however she wanted, she'd be married at 18 or 19 and having kids by 21.  Thankfully she is level headed and won't seek out just any ol' relationship she can get in order to have this...she knows she needs the right person and she is willing to wait.  So she is torn about how much education to put into a career.  If she knew that she wouldn't meet Mr Right or get married until she was 30, she'd go into pharmacy (she has high interest in it), but she doesn't want to be forced to hold off to start a family until 30+ (f she does get married younger).  The time for school plus working as a pharmacist before licensing would require her to be about 30 before she would have a baby and quit or possibly go part time.  I know several pharmacists-moms who work a weekend or two at the hospital per month to stay licensed and provide some fun money.

[madteaparty]

Has she considered pursuing a family friendly career? I've stressed with one of my children (and will with the other when she is of age) that 1. Keynes' views notwithstanding, modern men and women spend a very large amount of time at work, and so it is important to position oneself to at least have the skills to do something one does not entirely detest and 2. it's important to be able to support oneself financially.

[abdesigns]

I haven't read all of the replies, so I don't know if this has been mentioned.  Why doesn't she look into Graphic Design.  There are jobs out there, and she can be successful being creative?

[Ann.without.an.e]

Good points, nicely said.

 

 

Man, I missed it :)  Oh well.

[Renai]

Man, I missed it :) Oh well.

I'm on my phone and think I quoted the wrong post. I meant to quote Artic'om's prior about not giving up. On one or the other. It's still there.

 

As far as dd wanting to be a wife and mother, there are plenty sahm that use the education they've gained to work from home. Like a pp said, maybe not a 4 year, but 2 year program may serve her. But again, like another pp stated, it is also important for her to know herself and what she can see herself doing. She's still so young...

[Scarlett]

Tell her to be happy she has a passion. Ds14 has no idea what he wants to do.

[Twigs]

Maybe she could do something like this:

Best wishes

 

 Biomedical Communications Graduate Program

quote removed

[regentrude]

At this point, I would recommend planning to keep all doors open.

She can still be a wife and mom - but she also should get an education that could support her family if needed.

 

My DD whose interests and aptitude go in many directions solves the issue of deciding by planning a double major in two subjects she loves, one of which has much better employment prospects than the other, and the two combined give a unique qualification that woudl be perfect for her dream job.

So if your DD wants to study Art, I would encourage her to go for it, but to combine it with a second major that will offer viable job prospects on its own, and that will offer dream job opportunities when combined with the Art. There is nothing wrong in shooting for the stars... just have a safety net in place.

And the education won't be "wasted" in case she becomes a SAHM!

[MBM]

I worked in graphic design and advertising and have a BFA and later got a business degree as well.

 

To make it in larger graphic design and ad agencies:

 

1) You must be good at what you do. I'm sure they exist, but personally I don't know anyone who did not put a lot of effort into their skills and portfolios.

2) You must be willing to learn new technology, usually quickly and on your own, particularly in jobs that involve graphic design.

3) You might not be executing your ideas but your client's. That was off-putting to me because … some people have very bad taste. :p

4) Can you sell your ideas/services to a group of clients or your boss? Convincing others and selling can be a big part of the job.

5) Undercutting, sabotaging and jealousy are not unheard of within ad agencies. One large agency in Chicago had a serious problem among their creatives.

6) Jobs can be fun, exciting and intense. Creatives are usually a fun bunch.  I was lucky to have jobs like that. I might be too old for them now!

7) It's not uncommon to work long hours. I once worked nonstop for three days on a project but it paid off nicely. I am definitely too old for that now.

8) Introverts can do just as well as extroverts but they might not not work with clients if that makes them uncomfortable.

9) Graphic designers can make decent 5-figure salaries in cities. Art and creative directors can make 6-figure salaries. A friend of mine makes a 7-figure salary.

 

If your daughter wants to go into art therapy or become an art teacher, keep in mind that many schools do not employ them full-time. These jobs can be competitive, too, so if she wants to go that route, she would want to learn as much about them as possible.

 

I found that getting a business degree from a good university was way easier--practically a snooze--and it was super easy to get good business jobs.

 

My daughter has an EE degree and recently finished a masters degree that entails using art, engineering and business skills. She just moved to San Francisco for her new job. It's similar to industrial design but typically involves more engineering.

 

A dual major might not be bad, or your daughter could get a degree in business/math/science and just create a beefy portfolio. The portfolio is what most places care about the most. My youngest brother is a chemical engineer who has done that. He's a photography hobbyist and has sold his photos to major newspapers and magazines.

 

Anyway, at this point, I think your daughter needs to gather more information from all kinds of sources.

[AMJ]

I'm her! But let's hope she makes better choices than me.  :willy_nilly: I went to engineering school because everyone said it was the only way to get out of the abject poverty I was raised in. So I went to engineering school and I hated it. Hated every minute of it. I lived for my language arts classes. Finally, I changed majors and became a lawyer, which I love. 

 

If she loves art, there's no reason she can't make a good, solid living at it. Seriously. It will take work, and she will have to be smart about it, but she knows already what she wants, and that's more than most people start with.  I'd urge her to consider double majoring in art AND business (or education and art... or occupational therapy and art...). She'll need to think long and hard about what she's going to do to differentiate herself from the many other artists out there. One idea that I'm seeing fly in area is essentially out-sourced art classes for school students. There are a number of studios in our area where parents take kids for art classes, as there isn't art in the schools anymore. Stuff like that. Be bold. Look at trends. 

 

Also, realizing that life is long and takes many twists and turns is one of those things that is hard to accept, but useful for kids on the eve of college. Build good foundations and be willing to change courses when needed. 

 

And chocolate helps. It really does.

 

As a person who studied what she loved and ended up with an unmarketable degree I heartily agree with the bolded advice above if she chooses to pursue art.

 

She really must include what she loves in her studies in some fashion.  It will illuminate all of her other studies, help her become a more rounded adult, and open her mind to more flexible thinking, and help her keep her sanity intact.  However, if she's going to make the investment in time, work, and money that acquiring a college degree requires I strongly recommend she make sure it is marketable.

 

By pairing up her art with more marketable studies as well she will give herself the marketability to more easily land jobs after college, and to keep the bills paid while she pursues whatever artistic direction she might choose.  Additionally, business studies can help her manage her own affairs if her art takes off.  One of my favorite musicians, Vienna Teng, is doing just this -- pursuing quite a successful music career while getting her MBA.

 

We are facing a similar issue with DD13, in junior high now.  She really likes fashion and wants to own a mall (and have all of her family and friends working in it).  We are working with her to explore different possibilities for careers and college studies, ways of making a design career work with the other things she wants to do.  Her Daddy is an engineer and she has the mind for it, too, so we planted a suggestion of considering how engineering might work with design.  She actually didn't poopoo that concept right off the bat.  She did show decided lack of interest in a business degree.  She seems more interested in crafting the mall that actually managing it.

 

Have your daughter talk to lots of people, in colleges and in the workplace, to see what studies they pursued and what work they do.  There's a lot more people out there than you might think that have blended studies and found a way to keep doing what they love while making a steady living.  Have her talk to students (upperclassmen and graduates) who are pursuing studies she is interested in to find out how they plan to make a living after college.

 

It is not too early for her to begin these sorts of explorations.  If she starts now she will not only have an outlet for some of her anxiety, but she will gain some insight into directions she can take in her studies and life and have time to actually ponder them.  When I was a sophomore in high school everyone kept telling me not to worry about which direction to take, and we were even told not to worry about which major to pursue until the middle of our college sophomore year.  Since my focus and energies were only put on my more immediate, pressing concerns in those years I did not have the perspective and background knowledge to really consider several options once I needed to declare my major.  My options have been limited by this ever since.

 

Let her explore, and help her find people to talk to.  Not being able to explore her options will only feed her anxiety and shorten the time she has to think well about how she wants to make her living.  This limits options later on down the line.  Exploring helps her gain control over this aspect of her life, and sophomore year in high school is not too early to be thinking about it.  In fact, I have been advised by several reliable sources that sophomore year in high school is when kids need to start investigating colleges.

[AMJ]

BTW, art and music are not separate from math.  They are integral to each other.  When I waited tables, trying to save more money for college, one of the busboys was a double-major in math and music.  He was a joy to talk to.

[texasmama]

She is an introvert.  She does well with people and doesn't have people related anxiety but she is definitely an introvert.  She doesn't normally tend toward anxiety.  She is a deep, logical thinker for sure, but not anxious.

That is good that she does not have anxiety.  Introverts process things more slowly and can experience "analysis paralysis" more than extroverts.  However, they are usually very thoughtful about making decisions, which is the positive flip side of that.  Extroverts can be impulsive.  :)  (Not trying to generalize, as all people are different, but trying to give some possible insight into the thinking process.) 

 

Obviously, she does not have to make this decision now.  If she were my dd, I would advise her to put off making a concrete decision for awhile because many factors could change, making the "right" decision more obvious.

 

I did not know what my career path would be until the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college.  That is when I NEEDED to know.  :)

[Ann.without.an.e]

That is good that she does not have anxiety.  Introverts process things more slowly and can experience "analysis paralysis" more than extroverts.  However, they are usually very thoughtful about making decisions, which is the positive flip side of that.  Extroverts can be impulsive.  :)  (Not trying to generalize, as all people are different, but trying to give some possible insight into the thinking process.) 

 

Obviously, she does not have to make this decision now.  If she were my dd, I would advise her to put off making a concrete decision for awhile because many factors could change, making the "right" decision more obvious.

 

I did not know what my career path would be until the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college.  That is when I NEEDED to know.  

 

 

We are vigorous enough that she can pursue a STEM if she wants.  So what I have encouraged her to do is not to worry about it right now, but rather to pour more of her spare time into art to investigate the depth of her interest there.  She is ahead in math and we aren't changing that so I think she will be okay.  The only decision it changes for now is if she knew she wasn't going into biology or pharmacy she would drop Latin and exchange it for Spanish.  She doesn't like Latin and languages in general are not her strength.

[MomatHWTK]

Having a solid education and career means:

-Before kids I could work and add to the household budget.  We were then able to buy the house size we needed when the time came for kids. 

- I have skills that apply in home management.  I can do math, communicate effectively with businesses, prepare our taxes...

-I can share my life experience and education with my children.  They know about multiple career opportunities and how to prepare for college because I know about them. 

-If something happens to DH, I have something to put on a resume. 

 

 

Everything we do enhances our life and there is no way to know just how it will do so.  My advice is to get all the experiences and benefits out of life you can and don't just wait for what you hope comes next.  :auto:

 

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

there are many paths in STEM that will please an artistic minded person. 

I just got hired by a start-up company that is very design minded. 

https://fabule.com/

They/We only have one product out so far, but it's been designed and looked at from both the artistic side and the STEM side. Look at the video to get an idea of the lamp. I especially like it when Amanda said "I didn't like software and hardware until I found out it could be used to design beautiful things" or something like that.

 

I am only familiar with my local universities, but here they are getting rid of "Faculty of Arts" vs "Faculty of Science". It's now "Faculty of Arts and Science" 

http://www.concordia.ca/artsci.html

 

 

Also, let her check out universities that have a "computation arts" program. 

http://design.concordia.ca/programs/undergraduate/computation-arts/

Have her watch the video at the very least

 

 

[Mom22ns]

We are vigorous enough that she can pursue a STEM if she wants.  So what I have encouraged her to do is not to worry about it right now, but rather to pour more of her spare time into art to investigate the depth of her interest there.  She is ahead in math and we aren't changing that so I think she will be okay.  The only decision it changes for now is if she knew she wasn't going into biology or pharmacy she would drop Latin and exchange it for Spanish.  She doesn't like Latin and languages in general are not her strength.

 

I would encourage her to drop the Latin. Most of the kids with Biology and pharmacy majors will never have had any Latin. Yes, it is useful, but she will already be ahead. Having a degree from the Biology department, I can easily say, I never wished I'd studied Latin. I picked up roots easily and it was enough. Switch to Spanish, eliminate that stress, then know she still has the options open.

 

I can also relate to having a dd who really wants to be a mom more than have a career. Dd runs all possible careers through the filter of "Will I have invested too much to be able to quit to stay home with kids if that becomes a possibility?" She too is fantastic with kids. She is an excellent cook. She would be better than me at all I do. She is also smart enough to pursue any degree/career she wants and would like a career that will pay well in case marriage and kids never happens or happens with a husband that can't support her. It really does complicate things.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I would encourage her to drop the Latin. Most of the kids with Biology and pharmacy majors will never have had any Latin. Yes, it is useful, but she will already be ahead. Having a degree from the Biology department, I can easily say, I never wished I'd studied Latin. I picked up roots easily and it was enough. Switch to Spanish, eliminate that stress, then know she still has the options open.

 

I can also relate to having a dd who really wants to be a mom more than have a career. Dd runs all possible careers through the filter of "Will I have invested too much to be able to quit to stay home with kids if that becomes a possibility?" She too is fantastic with kids. She is an excellent cook. She would be better than me at all I do. She is also smart enough to pursue any degree/career she wants and would like a career that will pay well in case marriage and kids never happens or happens with a husband that can't support her. It really does complicate things.

 

 

 

Thanks for your thoughts on the Latin.

 

Your DD sounds exactly like my DD.  She has the same filter :)  She will be better than me.  She also wants a degree that will pay just in case she gets married late in life or never gets married.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Having a solid education and career means:

-Before kids I could work and add to the household budget.  We were then able to buy the house size we needed when the time came for kids. 

- I have skills that apply in home management.  I can do math, communicate effectively with businesses, prepare our taxes...

-I can share my life experience and education with my children.  They know about multiple career opportunities and how to prepare for college because I know about them. 

-If something happens to DH, I have something to put on a resume. 

 

 

Everything we do enhances our life and there is no way to know just how it will do so.  My advice is to get all the experiences and benefits out of life you can and don't just wait for what you hope comes next.  :auto:

 

 

These are the exact reasons why we are encouraging her toward college even though a career isn't her ultimate goal :D

I have talked to her multiple times about how nice it would be to work before having kids and stack money against a house.  She is very tight with money and a great saver so that excites her. 

[kiana]

You know, has she considered an associate's degree in something like dental hygiene? It's usually done at a CC so cheap, the salary and outlook are great, and she can probably find someone who'll let her work part-time if she does get married and have kids. She could take classes towards this and also CC art classes, then continue towards a 4-year art degree at her own pace if she likes.

 

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm

 

Being good with kids should also be an advantage.

Of course, if her first reaction is 'OHHH YUCK', then never mind :D

[Ann.without.an.e]

You know, has she considered an associate's degree in something like dental hygiene? It's usually done at a CC so cheap, the salary and outlook are great, and she can probably find someone who'll let her work part-time if she does get married and have kids. She could take classes towards this and also CC art classes, then continue towards a 4-year art degree at her own pace if she likes.

 

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm

 

Being good with kids should also be an advantage.

Of course, if her first reaction is 'OHHH YUCK', then never mind :D

 

 

I mentioned it once and "Oh Yuck" was her exact reaction  :thumbdown:   She has no interest in medical.  The only thing she has considered close to medical is Pharmacy or Lab.  Which is technically in the medical field but it isn't working with patients.

[speedmom4]

I have not read through all the previous posts so maybe this has been suggested already. Has your dd looked into an Art Therapy degree program? She could combine her love of art and children, plus it's a real job!

 

My dd sounds similar to your dd. she is now a sophomore in college. She was an excellent student and could have gone into many different fields but her passion is music. She is triple majoring in piano performance, music theory, and music history. Many of the courses overlap so her professors are trying to help her achieve her goal. My dd would have been miserable if we had "forced" her into a non-musical field. She needs to be creative and be around creative people. It's what makes her happy. She also is thriving!

 

Hope your dd feels more hopeful about her future!

 

Elise in NC

[Crimson Wife]

Two of my high school friends studied art and are doing VERY well professionally. One did graphic design and is now head of the marketing department for a textbook publisher. The other did a grad degree in Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon and does User Interface work for a health system.