i wouldn't call a high school teacher a low paying job. i guess it is compared to software.

In the US at least, it sounds very reasonable to go to college to get a history degree if your goal is to become a high school history teacher.

To me, it sounds perfectly an achievable goal to decide to go to college, get a major in history, know that you're not even close to the best historians out there, and expect a job teaching high school. just like the guy in the article assumed.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out, and might have been a waste of money. But there was nothing unreasonable in his thought process, from my perspective at least. I would even bet it won't be too tough for him to get a teaching job in the future.