
Meet the parents who won’t let their children study literature - walterbell
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/09/02/meet-the-parents-who-wont-let-their-children-study-literature/?utm_term=.c1735a0de4d1
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maxharris
I'm sorry about expressing an unpopular opinion here, however I can't help but
see this as a good thing.

First, degrees cost a lot of money and they have to be paid back, in full,
with interest, by the borrower (which is the student in most cases).

Second, there has been a wild upswing in the last 30 years toward humanities
majors, and either no growth or even a decline in STEM majors. (Source:
[http://2378nh2nfow32gm3mb25krmuyy.wpengine.netdna-
cdn.com/wp...](http://2378nh2nfow32gm3mb25krmuyy.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/11/EducationTabarrok.png), whole article at
[http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/11/col...](http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/11/college-
has-been-oversold.html))

Third, there is absolutely no reason why a person can't major in something
that prepares them to do well in today's increasingly automated economy,
_then_ study the humanities on their own after they have a secure job. (This
is a little autobiographical, but I majored in Molecular Biology, worked for
awhile, then started working in software. Now I read _a lot_ on my own! In
fact, I think it's pretty normal for people in technical fields to branch out
into other things as they get older...)

Given all of that, I think that these parents are generally doing their kids a
favor here. There are so many people already buried under student loan debt
they have no hope of repaying because they didn't choose wisely when they were
just starting out.

