Sacrificing Passion for Income

By: Sarina Simpson

“What’s your major?” This is a question we have grown too accustomed to since becoming first year college students. Answers like, “Biomedical engineering” and “Biology with a Pre-med Track” garner responses of respect and praise. Other responses, however, like “Art” or “Philosophy” can be met with judgment and criticism. Much of the stigma surrounding majors that typically lead to careers of lower salaries lies within families due to financial expectations and high standards. This societal construction of the expectation to make more money than previous generations is affecting college students in negative ways.

When speaking to my friend Molly, she said that her desire to be a school guidance counselor has caused her to feel as though her parents are disappointed in her. She told me, “They’re nervous that I am not going to make enough money, but I know I’ll make enough to be financially secure. I honestly think they just are nervous that I won’t make as much money as them.” Molly is confident in the fact that this is her dream career, and after having support from her high school guidance counselor, she wants to offer that same feeling of safety and security to students. It seems as though this passionate dream should be enough to ease her parents’ minds and allow them to be proud of her for choosing her path as a psychology major, but nonetheless, they seem to be embarassed of their daughter’s choices. This causes Molly to feel as though her parents are not proud of her, and that she is disappointing the ones she loves. 

My floor mate Lilly told me of a similar situation that her sister had gone through with her parents. She expressed to her mother and father that she wanted to major in Education. They told her that she needed to change her major to occupational therapy, and that that was the only way she could work in a school due to the fact that other occupations within the education system tend to have low salaries. Lilly said, “She’s now a physical therapy major and she is going to work in a professional setting. It was really sad to have to see her give up her dream job just because of financial concerns.” Although the vast majority of teachers in America can support themselves financially, Lilly expressed that her parents consider it humiliating to have a child that would make less money than them. Her sister is devastated, and knows that she would enjoy having a special education major more than the one she has now.

On the other hand, some individuals I spoke with have parents that supported their decisions regardless of their predicted finances in the future. My floor mate Maggie said that her parents do not particularly care what she majors in and the career she chooses, as long as she enjoys it. She is a public policy major, and will be going into a risky and unpredictable field, but what is most important to her is that she can do what she loves. On the topic of her parents’ support, she said “It’s very freeing knowing that I can do whatever I want without my family judging me.” Knowing that her family believes that she will succeed in whatever field she chooses makes Maggie’s experience less stressful than others, and it would be beneficial to others if their family had the same attitude.