Advice Hour: "My Mom Won't Let me Major in Psychology"
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 1:22PM 
Image courtesy of http://goodvibeblog.comBack again answering your questions! I got an email from a reader asking about a very common issue. I wanted to share it here for those who may be dealing with the same problem. This reader, Morgan, is struggling with a parent who is opposed to her daughter declaring a psychology major. This mom has even gone so far as to say that she won't pay for school if Morgan chooses to major in Psychology and not Math. Unfortunately many parents, and people in general, operate under the misconception that one cannot achieve professional success with a degree in psychology, sociology or any of the social sciences. In my experience as an academic advisor I've helped a few students educate their parents on these matters. Some have been successful in helping their parents come to acknowledge the vast professional potential in studying the social sciences, others have not. In any case, I think that all students dealing with this issue should attempt to make their case to their pareents. I shared a fews tips with this reader via email on how to do this. I wanted to share here on the blog as well, in hopes to assist any other students out there struggling with the same problem. Hopefully it will be useful. Click the link below for Morgan's original email and my response. A special thanks to Morgan for writing in and for allowing me to post her question on the blog!