Comment by iopuy

I'd just like to point out that parenting can play a huge role in this process. If your parents encourage critical thinking and act as sounding boards to the proverbial "what do I want to be when I grow up?" then yes, a lot of these issues can be foreseen.

    E.g. "Dad I think I want to be a doctor when I grow up." "That sounds like an excellent choice son, be prepared to spent a lot of time and money in school? You know we can try to help you pay for that but cannot afford it all"

    "Dad I think I want to be a theater major in school." "That's a wonderful passion son, how do you plan on using your degree after school?"