Major high school decisions

Being a student is a lot of work! Just like every aspect of life has a job, student life also has a job. A job to go to school daily, complete homework, do well on academics, make friends, have social life, learn to develop interpersonal skills, communicate well and look out for yourself in a building called school. As an educator I know that the purpose of education or school is not only academic success but also help develop 21st century skills like critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and civic duty. The three R’s of learning have expanded from reading, writing and arithmetic to also include research skills, interpersonal skills, oral and presentation skills, and beyond.

I have two students in my household. One is a high schooler and the other is a middle schooler. As an educator who comes from a family of educators, I always emphasize the importance of good education and hard work. There is no shortcut to success or hard work in life, I always tell my kids.

Here in our state of Texas, students start taking their state assessments from third grade. High school is the time when some important decisions have to be made and few very important tests also have to be taken. My junior was signed up for her SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) on March 14 but because of COVID-19 the test was cancelled and now all SAT tests are indefinitely postponed. The College Board has recognized the situation and will refund the money and help them re-register for a fall session but we do not have any dates yet.

In addition to taking SAT generally in junior year, AP tests are also very common as students start high school. As the students are finishing taking their AP (Advanced Placement) tests this week, with the new testing format and testing from home, I wanted to share a couple of informational tips here. Last week my junior took 2 AP tests and we learned that few of her classmates could not submit their answers for AP US History and AP Physics tests. This is sad as these students will now have to do the make up tests later in June, with no fault whatsoever from their side. Please ask your students to log into the college board website 15-30 minutes before the test administration time. Make sure no one else at home is using the WiFi, if at all possible. This will help ensure that your child has the entire internet high speed at their disposal, which will help with quick uploading and submissions. Also, have a desk or designated place where your child will take the test. Here the students can organize their work area and be ready for the test a day earlier. Advise them to be ready with their log-in information, a bottle of water, and any other immediate necessities so they don’t have to move at all during the test. In typical classroom paper-pencil tests, the format was different- it was a longer test and students had built-in time for breaks. Now most tests are less than an hour long, with only one or two questions broken into sub- questions. Students have three ways to submit answers: copy and paste, attach a document, or attach photo of hand written response. For more details, please check the AP testing guide on the College Board website here. Tell them to rest well, have a good night sleep and try to relax on the day of the test. Good luck and best wishes to all high schoolers taking AP tests this year!

My high schooler has taken quite a few AP classes since she started high school, but the decision about whether to take AP classes or not is a student’s and their family’s decision. There is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on how ready your student is, their interest level, their future plans and the course/s offered by their high school.

Next, as they become seniors in high school the decision about which college major to choose may become stressful for students and I believe that there should not be any haste. I know students who knew what they wanted to pursue in college before starting high school, and some students who were not sure what to study even on entering college. Generally speaking, the freshmen year in colleges are generic for most students and they can make a decision about their major before finishing the second semester in college.

I know my older one has changed her plans multiple times. In elementary school, she wanted to be a veterinarian, then she wanted to be a radiologist, then in middle school she wanted to be a journalist, then she changed it to business when she started high school, and now it has changed again:) It is totally fine to explore different fields and let us know what her final decision will be, when she starts applying to colleges in fall and is ready to graduate in spring next year.

Here, I am sharing information that I gathered from some reputable sources about which may be a good college major for students who are graduating from high school in this new decade. This is for informational purposes only, and in no way should be considered professional advice. Please talk to your student’s high school counselor who can guide you further on what may be a best fit for your child.

According to Forbes 2020 news from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the college majors most valuable in terms of salary and career include biomedical engineering, biochemistry, computer science, software engineering, environmental engineering, civil engineering, geology, management Information Systems, petroleum engineering and applied mathematics.

According to Business Insider, accounting, advertising, civil engineering, computer and information science, construction, landscape architecture and design, language interpretation, legal services, nursing and other medical fields, and social work are the 10 college degrees most desirable in 2020’s.

According to Kiplinger, best college majors in 2020 include electrical engineering, nursing, computer engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, construction management, mechanical engineering, and petroleum engineering.

My last statistics is from cnbc.com. According to their report published in January 2020, the best paying job of 2020 includes the jobs of anaestheiologt, surgeon, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, obstetrician and gynecologist, orthodontist, psychiatrist, physician, prosthodontist, pediatrician, dentist (yes the top 10 are from medical field!) followed by petroleum engineering, IT manager, marketing manager, financial manager, pilot, lawyer, sales manager, business operation manager and pharmacist.

Although many of these studies and research point towards a type of engineering or medical field, that does not mean all kids should pursue a medicine or engineering degree! Of course not! Whatever they want to do, they should try to learn a little more about the major, volunteer or do internship (if at all possible), interview or survey someone who is in that line (if feasible), look at the option of colleges which provide those major/s, and look at the scholarship provided and/or financial aid before finalizing this big decision.

There are lot of factors to consider before deciding on college/career major, and our role as parents is to make sure we are helping them get the information they need. We can give them exposure to different fields, we can guide them but the final decision has to be made by the children themselves that they will be committing for life. We have to stand with them, support them, hear their questions and help them get the answers from the appropriate right source. High school counselors are good advisors and are resourceful if you or your students have college questions.

We have to remember that whatever our kids choose for their college or career, and are truly passionate about, they will shine and do well in that; irrespective of what the research may say. Kids need to follow their own interest, choice, and passion to be successful, happy and content in their future jobs as well as in life.

Just like one shoe does not fit all, there is no one major that can make our students successful. Hard work, perseverance, focus, patience, and grit are all required characteristics and traits for students to be successful!

I hope this post shed some light on how stressful student life can be, especially high school, and how we can lessen our kids’ burden by being supportive and standing with them as they make important decisions about their college and future. Stay tuned for my next blog post where I plan to compile studies about the best colleges in the US in term of high paying job, their best known majors, as well as information about scholarships and debts!