Should I persuade my son to study a serious subject at university?

By Gavan Naden. I don't want my son to make the same mistakes I did when choosing a subject – but I'm not sure he'll listen to me. There are 500 days until my son could leave home to go to university, wide-eyed and fully believing he's about to change the world. He's 16 years old, in the sixth form and nothing's going to stop him. Should I bite the bullet and try to persuade him that a "proper" job is where his future lies, one that is clear and defined? With almost a million 16-24 year-olds unemployed it's a tough world and a vague degree can guarantee little beyond a nasty debt. More...