Comments on: Did your parents impact your college major or career choice?

By: ComFilm

ComFilm — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:48:00 +0000

Sorry everyone I am a bit late… I am a 21 year old communication major at this moment. I have jumped on everything from psychology which I love learning about behaviors, but keep hearing others say it will take me forever to get a good job with this. I also love anything pertained to art mainly photography and cinema. I actually took a cinema class this last semester and aced it and most of all loved it. Film speaks to me… My mother says that being in cinema or even theatre I will not be able to land a job and that I should pursue something else instead. To satisfy my mother and I, I told her that I will major in communication with an emphasis in journalism(which she likes) and will minor in theatre and also audition outside and inside school productions. So in all it will make us both happy, I am also taking acting classes for my elective classes too. Last, but not least, I have found that I am actually helping myself if I do major in communication and decide on film since business and communication is very relevant in this line of work. I do understand my mothers point of view with not majoring in this, but sadly feel at times that she believes I am not good enough for this profession (my words not hers.) I have had several older friends tell me that I need to stop doing things to make others happy and actually do something that makes me happy. My sister believes the same thing. I understand my mother wants the best especially since she doesn;t want me ending up in a dead end job, but for some reason I have urges and well my mind won’t be quiet about majoring in film. I try to block it out, but in all honesty I love this art. Can this be possible? To go and major in communication while also trying to pursue acting?

By: Momsherealways

Momsherealways — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:32:00 +0000

I’m now an Asian mom, my parents influenced my career choice – I took Economics as opposed to wanting to be a Nutrition Major. They actually wanted me to take accounting but took Economics instead. I regret it actually as I now work in the accounting field.
And yes, I meddle with my kids’ career choices. I’m proud that I’m not passive – I emphasize the areas that they’re good at. But the final decision is theirs. Hopefully I will be as good an Asian mom as mine.
I love your blog!!!

By: S2t9b2j7

S2t9b2j7 — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:22:00 +0000

I’m currently pursuing nursing an I do like nursing but I feel that it’s just not something I can handle. I would love to be an elementary school teacher. I love kids and I love teaching and helping others. But I’m still doing nursing because my parents are paying for my schooling and it’s pretty much whatever they say goes. I told my dad once that I was not sure if nursing was for me and he said that I was just being lazy and not wanting to put in the hard work.

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:47:00 +0000

doesn’t sound like a lawyer – I and my two sisters
where’s the english class

By: mrmjmr

mrmjmr — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:05:00 +0000

my parents sent me to Lafayette College for engineering, while my true love will always be the arts, especially music. For those of you who don’t know about Lafayette, it’s one of the best engineering schools in PA. Unfortunately, it’s terrible at everything else. I hate my major, and I am stuck here with no motivation to work. I can either graduate here as an underachieving engineer, or switch majors and sell myself short with a sub-par education in something I truly love. I’ll let you guys know how this plays out.

By: BPT

BPT — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 16:20:00 +0000

I agree with everyone who says our parents just want the best for us when they push us to do something we don’t want. What I don’t agree with is that “what’s best for us” is synonymous with “being happy.”

By: FnCo

FnCo — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Well, I’ve always known what I wanted, I wanted something related to cinema, everything but being an actor. Directing and producing would be my thing. In my country, taking that degree is almost being unemployed for your whole life, so my parents won’t support me in any way, nor financially nor just for the sake of making my “dream come true”. I’ve tried to make them understand and NOTHING! So, to appease them, I’m taking a degree in accounting which is probably the most depressing thing in the whole world. I don’t feel motivated in any way and just imagining myself persuing that career puts me down. Act up to get their attention it’s not even an option, the only way is just achieve things on my own without their help. It won’t be easy and it’s extremely sad thinking that I won’t have anyone cheering for me on the other side just for the sake of seeing a spark of happiness in my eyes. I get to the conclusion that you have to be a little selfish and think about yourself and what makes you happy without worrying about others. I just wish they would believe in me and support me a little bit. Or I’ll just have to take radical measures. Do my thing, on my own and leave everything behind for good!

By: Kam

Kam — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:27:00 +0000

I’ve known many first and second generation friends in my art classes back in high school who wanted to continue with art in college, but their parents refused this idea, and said they should be doctors, engineers, etc. instead. It’s actually really sad. I’m lucky that my parents were very supportive of my choice as an art major.

By: Gilmergirl14

Gilmergirl14 — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Imean i love my parents dont get me wrong but i mean, lile my mother is in the medical field but my dad is in public safety and yhey want me to do like them but im not at all! I love computers! But my parents dont know what to do whith me i told them my goals in life and what i want to do but it just seems like its not good enough for them and it pisses me off so bad with the way they see how i dont want to follow them. It makes me cry evry time i want to think about it but im a strong woman and i dont need any one to tell me what to do!! And it dosent matter what anyone thinks of me! … But it matters what my parents think of me.:( im the oldest child and my parents adore me and i want to please them i want to pursue a happy life and i want to help the world and moat of all i want to please my parents but it seems like i just can and i shouldent have to conviniance any one but myself but my parents have done sooo much for me and i feel like i owe it back to them but at the same time o want to do what makes me happy but i dont know how to do that please i need help! . .

By: Somarlanh

Somarlanh — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:06:00 +0000

I chose to major in theatre. Needless to say, my entire senior year of auditioning and college applications were met by my mother’s blatant disapproval (business! biology! medicine!) and my father, though supportive for the most part and accompanied me to every school, would do a 360 on me and demand what kind of career I expected in the theatre. The week of SETC, where I was auditioning for over 60 colleges at once, was about 7 days straight of crying and screaming and threatening not to pay for college if I majored in theatre. It didn’t matter that I had my first play professionally produced or directed two shows by age 18. Being the smart Asian daughter I am, I already knew to attend a liberal arts school in order to support my major with minors such as film studies and writing to potentially land a job in playwrighting, producing, or directing, a much more stable emphases than performing. Nevertheless still, every time I come home, my mother asks “So what are you going to do with theatre and film studies?” She tells her friends I am a communications major.

Mom is still convinced I could be a doctor who acts on the side.
My dad is already looking up graduate schools. I am in my second semester of freshmen year. Every time I speak to him, the programs differ: one week I should pursue my MFA in Producing, the next, a Masters in Business would compliment my future career as a professor of International Relations. This summer, he’s convinced I’m going to Canada to teach refugees English instead of intern at the Repertory Theatre.

What my parents unknowingly instilled in me was that I don’t settle or compromise for anything less than I want. A major in the most unstable industry accompanied by two minors isn’t for kicks and giggles. But I didn’t throw a business minor in there to please them either. And if anything, I think they respect how passionate and diligent I am about what I do. My college career may cause them to toss and turn at night, but my confidence is what assures them I will succeed.