There comes a time in life where adolescents have to make a choice in what they will do for the rest of their lives, and even though it seems like they have been getting ready for this pivotal decision for years, they realize they aren’t. Therefore, it’s their parents’ duty to help them figure this out. However, the truth is, their orientation is clouded with interest.

Nowadays, parents have learned to take new positions in regards to career choice. As times change, so have points of view, and parents are more flexible with their children and their futures. People are more open minded with careers such as: arts, philosophy, literature and many others. But the real question is, how important are parents when it comes to a final decision? Family certainly plays a role, before, during and after college; it is important to count with parent support in order to achieve success. It is also true, however, that many times students feel oppressed by their parents critics and make decisions based on their parents’ standards.

According to The College Atlas Organization, “30% of college freshmen drop out after their first year in college…and being unable to balance school, jobs and family is cited as one of the top reasons for dropping out…”.

Susana Arias, former TCS student and current Learning Center teacher talks about her experience, “So, when I graduated school my parents were always very opened to the idea of me studying whatever I wanted to. Art was a huge thing in my life back then and I decided to study Architecture…then in the first semester I changed to Psychology and I left to Buenos Aires. In my perception I did feel some frustration coming from my dad, he wanted me to become an architect, but that is not what I ended up doing… I do think there’s a cultural matter, like this mind set where parents try to strongly suggest hard sciences… and human sciences are not very well seen…”. Nowadays, we can see a change in parents’ role in regards to their kids and their career choices. With time, people have come to realize that being happy is more important than earning astronomical quantities of money. Back in the day, money was what drove society, and it is finally taking a shift; today, the importance of working in oneself is more evident, and modern parents have come to recognize the impact it has on their children’s lives.

Andrea Munera, 28, gives her opinion as a mother, “Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions we make in life, it will decide what our future will be like. This decision is not easy considering we are too young to imagine what we want to do for the rest of our lives. That is why I think it’s essential to count with our parents support, so they can tell us about their experience and serve as a guide. However, I think that decision is only made by oneself, and it should be influenced, only by what we feel. Only you know what truly makes you happy…It doesn’t matter what my kids decide to study, because I will support them unconditionally.”.

In a nutshell, times have changed, and people are more opened to new ideas, new careers, new lifestyles. Parents continue to influence their kids every day, but they also realize it is their job to guide them to happiness. So, how important are their roles when it comes to career choice? Very. They always have and always will be.