Careers and majors for Figure-outer kids
Figure-outers are drawn to how things work. They ask why, then ask again when the first answer is too short. You may notice them reading about one topic for weeks, running their own small tests, or arguing from evidence at the dinner table.
What they need is hard questions nobody has answered for them, time to stay with a problem, room to be wrong, and someone who will take their ideas seriously. What tends to bore them is memorizing answers, repeating what they already understood, and being told "because that's how it is."
Careers to explore
- Trade: Lab technician, Detective
- Degree: Scientist, Physician, Data analyst
- Creative or own business: Software engineer
College majors to look at
- Computer Science: Work out how to make computers solve problems.
- Physics: Find out how the universe works.
- Data Science: Find the hidden story in lots of numbers.
- Chemistry: Mix things and learn why they change.
- Cognitive Science: Study how minds and brains work.
- Atmospheric Science: Find out how weather and climate work.
- Astrophysics: Study stars, galaxies and black holes.
- Marine Biology: Study life in the ocean.
- Geology: Read the history of the Earth in its rocks.
- Entomology: Study insects and why they matter.
- Neuroscience: Find out how the brain and nerves work.
- Linguistics: Work out how languages work.
In high school
Lab sciences, the math sequence that keeps options open, computer science, science fair, math club and research-style electives.
Ask the counselor how the math and science sequence is set, and when a kid can still move between tracks.
Not sure this is your kid?
Most kids don't fit one box, and interests change.
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