Are you a gifted student looking for the perfect study choice?
How to Choose a Major When You're Gifted?
The participants in Lewis Terman's study faced significant challenges in leveraging their exceptional intellectual abilities into meaningful, productive careers. Even today, gifted adolescents and adults encounter difficulties in deciding on their academic and professional paths. Multipotentiality may emerge as a factor in this dilemma. Yet, challenges also arise for the so-called "early emergers," those who excel at a young age.
What are the repercussions of having too many choices or too narrow of an interest field for gifted youth? How can they make informed study choices and plan successful careers? And how can parents intervene effectively from an early age?
An overlooked aspect of the personal development of many gifted individuals is tailored academic and career guidance. While numerous study and career counseling centers exist, they often offer generic services that do not adequately address the needs of gifted youth and adults.
[This text is quoted directly from Kerr, B. (Ed.). (1991). A Handbook for Counseling the Gifted and Talented. American Association for Counseling and Development.]
Multipotentiality
The struggle for (gifted) students to decide on a study path may stem from their multipotentiality. Multipotentiality refers to the capacity to excel in numerous areas. However, this abundance of options can evoke conflicting emotions: it can be both a blessing and a curse. When a student consistently excels across various subjects, they may find it challenging to pinpoint their true calling. Consequently, they may vacillate between different study options, perpetually delaying their decision. Ultimately, students may select a program for various reasons:
- Opting for a broadly encompassing field (thus postponing the need to commit to a specific career path);
- Succumbing to peer influence (choosing a path because friends are pursuing it);
- Yielding to practical considerations (opting for a university closer to home);
- Prioritizing potential financial gains (selecting a program promising lucrative prospects).
In many cases, the final decision isn't driven by the student's desires but rather by external influences, which often offer well-meaning but misguided guidance. Research indicates a prevalent tendency among students to opt for fields like economics, marketing, computer science, medicine, or law – commonly perceived as 'safe' choices. Conversely, fewer gifted students deliberately pursue disciplines like languages, mathematics, humanities, or arts. Particularly, young men often feel pressured to pursue scientific or mathematical paths, especially if their fathers excelled in those areas.
The predictable outcome of such decisions includes a lack of genuine enthusiasm for the chosen field, a dearth of intrinsic motivation, and a heightened risk of failing to complete the program. Subsequently, graduates may accept any available job out of necessity or, if they do secure employment in their field, may experience disillusionment leading to burnout or boredom. Parents and educators, who once held high hopes for these talented individuals, are left disheartened and bewildered by their career struggles. While they continue to champion the mantra of 'you can be anything you want,' they fail to grasp the unique challenges faced by (gifted) students who must base their choices on factors beyond sheer proficiency in a particular subject.
Early emergers
If multipotentiality poses more of a concern for individual students, "early emergers" often become a source of misunderstanding and worry for their parents and society at large. These precocious children exhibit remarkably focused interests from a very young age. Given that early displays of passion in specific domains are a common trait among eminent individuals during childhood, this precocity should be regarded as an opportunity that requires careful guidance, rather than being viewed as a "problem" to be overlooked or suppressed.
To offer effective support, it's crucial to first recognize emerging talents, and then provide training and resources to further cultivate these abilities. Additionally, maintaining an open-minded approach to the future trajectory of this talent or interest is essential.
Unfortunately, talent is frequently disregarded or overlooked, denying individuals the means to nurture their potential. Recognizing talent shouldn't be limited to traditional academic realms but should encompass creative thinking and leadership skills as well. Parents and educators must acknowledge that a child's passion may extend beyond academic pursuits to leisure activities like skateboarding or gaming, which could indicate athletic or spatial-visual aptitude. Dismissing these interests because they manifest in play may hinder the student's overall career development.
Suppressing the passion of early bloomers may seem challenging, but it often occurs inadvertently by downplaying their talent or emphasizing broad development instead. Sometimes, parents or schools may even prohibit necessary training, risking the stagnation of potential. Furthermore, excessive pressure or encouragement can diminish the intrinsic joy the child derives from their passion.
Below, you'll find tables outlining the characteristics of multipotentiality and precocity from childhood to adulthood.
Characteristics of multipotentiality | Characteristics of early emergers |
|---|---|
Primary School:
Middle School:
High School:
College/University:
Adulthood:
| Primary School:
Middle School:
High School:
College/University:
Adulthood:
|
Support
The aforementioned underscores the necessity for early interventions for these (highly) gifted youngsters. However, this doesn't entail pressuring them into making premature career decisions. Rather, it suggests integrating career development tailored to gifted students into either standard career guidance programs at schools or programs designed for cognitively gifted students like enrichment classes.
Career guidance for cognitively gifted students should not only accommodate their unique needs in terms of career development but also cater to their preference for challenging materials and methods. Most importantly, it should prioritize the exploration of passions or purposes over simply seeking a fitting job. Instead of focusing on teaching self-promotion, CV drafting, or job application skills, the emphasis should lie on recognizing the significance of this quest for meaning and imbuing life with purpose.
Guidance for Multipotentiality | Guidance for Early Emergers |
|---|---|
Primary School:
Middle school:
High school:
College/University:
| Primary School:
Middle school:
High school:
College/University:
|
Choosing your Major at Hoogbloeier®?
Indeed, many cognitively gifted young individuals excel in numerous subjects, which complicates making a definitive study choice. They are often labeled as multipotential or multitalented. Lacking clarity on their true passion, they are often nudged by their surroundings (parents, teachers, etc.) towards a field of study promising a lucrative career they are capable of, yet lack genuine enthusiasm for. Consequently, this often leads to burnout roughly a decade later. Not only do successful (gifted) individuals face this dilemma but also underachieving adolescents who struggle to identify their talents and passions. For them, the quest to discover their talents can reignite motivation.
In several sessions, our coaches delve into the talents of the youth. Additionally, their values are explored concerning potential future career paths. Understanding their interests and skills provides a comprehensive view, empowering them to make a confident choice regarding their academic path.
In the partner network, you'll find coaches with their services listed under their respective names. Seek out a coach in your vicinity who offers guidance on study choices and feel free to reach out to schedule an introductory meeting.
Copyright © 2023 dr. Sabine Sypré, Hoogbloeier® cvba – All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author. Sharing online is permitted provided the author is credited and a link to this article is included.
