Follow your passion (preferably with dental insurance)

Photo by Jakob Rosen on Unsplash

If your child is graduating this May, I offer a heartfelt congratulations. I remember my own children’s graduation days. I certainly can never forget my oldest son’s graduation party when the decoration mortar board on the celebratory cake covered the “CL” in the word “CLASS” so it didn’t say “CLASS OF 2014.” No, it said something else.

We’ll leave it at that because technically this is a family publication. For those with college graduates, there is always an added bit of stress attached. The million-dollar question being, “What are they doing with the rest of their lives?” Are they going to college? Trade school? Or are they currently planning to live at home and sleep until noon every day while “figuring things out” and eating your expensive organic snack bars? If college is in their future, the next question becomes: What will they major in?

This is actually the real million-dollar question since the cost of a four-year degree is rapidly approaching that amount. It’s tempting to intercede and offer sage wisdom. My husband, for example, always felt strongly that you can’t go wrong with a Finance degree. So naturally, both our sons earned one, even as our oldest continued the drum lessons he started in middle school and our youngest repeatedly reminded us that his dream job is “personal trainer.”

We explained that both of these pursuits make wonderful hobbies. 

Thankfully, they listened.

Gif by paramountplus on Giphy

But what if your offspring is determined to chart a different path? What if they feel that a liberal arts school or a liberal arts degree is calling to them and that life will remain incomplete unless they follow their dreams?

Let’s begin by noting that there are different kinds of kids. Not everyone is meant to be an engineer or nuclear scientist. You can usually spot those children in kindergarten because they spend recess building elaborate Lego structures and taking apart the toaster to “see how it works.” These people are born, not made. Their destiny was sealed by age seven.

Then there are the children who stare thoughtfully at clouds at six years old and announce by freshman year that they intend to “change the world.” By senior year, part of their college application includes an essay about the ethically sourced candle company they founded that failed immediately yet still impressed an admissions committee at a tiny liberal arts college you’ve never heard of.

Now before you think I’m knocking a liberal arts degree, I’m not. I actually have one myself. It’s a Political Science degree. I worked hard for that degree and did so well that upon graduation I was hired by a Title Company as a back end closer, which sounds significantly more risqué than it actually is. After a year of that, I realized all my education had perfectly prepared me for my next adventure: getting a more practical degree in law.

As a parent, your biggest concern isn’t whether your child follows their passion — it’s whether that passion comes with dental insurance. Maybe that’s cynical, but it’s often the difference between raising an independent adult and gaining a thirty-year-old roommate.

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You also always want to appear encouraging, but sometimes it’s hard to muster up that attitude when you realize your child’s futureresume will likely feature the word “Freelancer.”

So, should you share your concern with your child when his proposed degree path is something you thought was a hobby? I think it doesn’t hurt to point out some obvious facts. The biggest being the cost of said degree.

“Now, wait a minute,” the college will tell you, “You can’t put a price on your child’s education.”

Actually, you can. It’s about $240,000 over four years at many institutions of higher learning. The goal is, of course, that over time it pays for itself. But unless Henry VIII comes back to life and takes over the country, it’s doubtful that degree in Tudor Studies is going to provide a clear path to the kind of job that will allow your child to pay back their student loans quickly.

That leads to the next big question, which is the earning potential of a liberal arts degree. Currently, the average starting salary for liberal arts majors is between $35,000 and $50,000 per year. In many major cities, that’s a living-with-Mom-and-Dad wage. To grow beyond these numbers often requires even more education (and debt).

Enjoy this time between graduation and the beginning of the next great adventure. And if your child’s plans include majoring in Archaeology, I would suggest waiting a while before converting their bedroom into a home gym.