how many of you are doing what you want to be?

[Laxplayer201092]

So as I sit here about to graduate high school, I see nearly every kid say that they are goingto college for whatever major... Now my question is...

How many of you WANTED to go to college?
And how many of you are really doing what you want to be doing with your life right now?

Thanks!

[sean_miller]

I'm checking out the interweb whle waiting for the dishwater to cool off - gotta save my sensitive hands for the short game. I'm listening to Tom Petty's Greatest hits on my new headphones. The wife says to keep it down until our daughter is sleeping - we read the extended version of Cinderella tonight. My hockey team got blown away this evening, but oh well.

I'm not smart enough to make it on my own, so I went the college route - exactly where I want to be (hate using that piece of @#$@% dishwasher).

[zeg]

I wanted to go to college. At a bit over 30 I'm still in school, finishing an astrophysics PhD this year. This is pretty close to what I want to do-- creative, technical work. It would be all but impossible to go down this road without college.

It sounds like you're looking for advice or info to convert into advice.. if not, ignore the rest of this.

My advice is that everyone should go to college if it is remotely feasible. For a lot of people it may not be necessary for their career in the end, but there are very, very few life paths for which it is a detriment. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to expose yourself to ideas and career paths that very quickly close themselves off, and it is a good way to build networks (both professional and personal) if you don't happen to come from a background where those are already established.

I think that doing it right after high school is the best time unless there is something very specific and constructive you would like to do with those years. If you're pursuing something specific---art, music, some sort of business, a sport, etc, and you're doing it seriously, then by all means put college on hold to follow the dream. If, on the other hand, you just don't really want to go to school any more, I think you'll almost surely be better off to suck it up and start classes. If you're really burned out to the point where you're likely to fail out, then maybe take some time off, but I think that's going to be the exception more than the rule.

[woodzie264]

If I could do anything in the world (meaning I had the ability to do so), I'd love to play golf, whether professionally or work as Golf Pro...just being around the course all day would be great. Having said that, I'm very happy doing the next best thing I can think of. yes, I needed to go to college to do it.

[michaeljames92]

My advice is that everyone should go to college if it is remotely feasible.

The only problem is if everyone was smart enough to study at university, who would drive garbage trucks, work in factories etc.

I am starting first year uni this year doing civil engineering.

[David in FL]

A thought......

For most of us, the things we really enjoy doing, don't necessarily pay the bills. I do what I do because I make a very good living at it and it allows me a level of affluence to provide very well for my family and to allow us to play at the things we really like to do too.

As you're making your own decisions......please keep in mind the "family" thing. While it's all well and fine to live for yourself while you're single and not responsible for anyone else, that will likely change at some point in the future.

[ERC7.5]

Wow....hard to believe it's been 14 years since I was in this same situation....doesn't seem that long ago.

I am currently doing exactly what I'd found held my interest while I was in high school. However....I ended up working working in restaurants/bars and the manufacturing industry for about four years before finally going to school. My reasons for waiting are because I knew I wasn't mature enough to stay focused enough on my studies and because I had to pay for my own schooling and support myself while doing so.

I have now been in my current field for about 7 years and have not regretted a day of work in that time. It's very rewarding to actually do what it is that you enjoy doing for a living.

[atrapasuenos]

I didn't want to go to the university, this is my last year, if everything goes ok, on december I'm out. But in here if you want "to do" something you have to study and all that stuff, living from sports or something like that is really really hard.

Cheers!

[JT SCRATCH]

I would advise that you go to college. Unless you are planning on enlisting in the military, which is a great choice as well. I am 29 y/o and graduated college about 6 years ago. To be perfectly honest I never knew exactly what I wanted to do "for a living", but after college, I continued bartending and began the career search. After about 30 interviews and two jobs later, I stumbled into a field of work I would have never thought I would be in, and I love it. I work as a project manager for a commercial construction company in Baltimore. I get to travel, and have the type of job that I get to experience alot of thing I never thought I would. But without college, my options would have been very limited. In my opinion: college not only gives you an education and the choice of career paths, but it enables you to work for something that nobody can ever take away from you. And given the current economic situtation, a college degree is an almost necessity when applying for a career. A college degree will give you the ability to chose the line of work you wish to go into, and not be stuck doing something you hate. You can always change career paths, but having that degree makes it that much easier.

JT

[-BAMA-]

to answer your question.... yes i am doing what i love...

i went to college right after high school. flunked 2 classes my first semester because i spent more time chasing women and drinking beer than i did studying... almost lost my scholarship, then straightened up the next semester and made straight a's and one b untill i graduated...

got an internship during my 2nd year at college.. which turned into a co-op program... which turned into a permanet job that i have today once i got my degree.

i wouldnt trade my journey for anything else in this world. i had alot of fun... alot of hard times.. a few near suicide days after some calculus tests.. and met my wife and married her in the process... and 5 months ago i had a sweet little baby girl...

college was single handedly the greatest 4 years of my life in many different ways... sometimes i wish i was one of those 7th year seniors....

i'm just 25 now.. i love my life the way it is.. my only regret is i should have bought a different house. this one sucks

[Fatphil]

dude this is really easy..listen...find something you like..get the degree...get a low paying job in the industry...download their entire information & customer base..steal it...then go on your own.

[retexan599]

When I was in high school, I had a really great chemistry teacher, one of those who made a subject come alive and instilled a deep appreciation for the subject. So, yes I wanted to go to college to get more into chemistry. As it turned out I studied Chemical Engineering and made a career out of that and got plenty of chemistry along the way. It's now been 50 (yes fifty!) years since I graduated from college and it was totally worth it. I not only did stuff that I really enjoyed, I was able to raise a family and see them into their life paths...all my children have college degrees also. There were, of course, life's usual vicissitudes along the way, but I never regretted my vocational choice. Good luck and Godspeed to you!

[Shindig]

How many of you WANTED to go to college?

When I was in middle and high school, I couldn't wait for college. By the halfway point of high school, I knew exactly which school I wanted to attend and which major I wanted to study there. I got in, went there, and things went from there. I must say, though, that I've always been the learning type and I went to middle and high school in a white trash area. I was correcting teachers - on verifiable things - from the time I was ten. Even though the university I went to was only 70 miles from "home," I rarely went back to visit my parents - not because of them, but because of where they were living. They came to visit me, instead, and that worked out best for me. I visit them MUCH more now that they've moved from there, although I also live a bit closer to their new place now too.

So, did I want to go to college? More than anything. I could study what I wanted, with students who (mostly) wanted to learn, and with teachers who weren't idiots. This isn't to say all my HS teachers were bad; I had a small handful of good teachers there too. But only the very best of them could compare to the professors I met in college. The four years I spent as an undergraduate were the four best years of my life so far. The four before that were the four worst, and the four before those weren't much better. When I was in high school, plenty of people told me those were the best days of my life. My response, and I stick by it, was "if that's truly the case, please shoot me now."

And how many of you are really doing what you want to be doing with your life right now?

Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that I'm not going to get a tour card anytime soon. The answer is still that I am and I'm not doing what I want with my life. I'm in graduate school at the moment, working on a PhD in computer science. Needless to say, I don't want to be a permanent graduate student. However, I love teaching within my field and I'm enjoying the research I work on. I'll be looking for faculty jobs soon (I plan to ask some geography questions on this board at some point), as well as some corporate R&D; type positions, and we'll see if I end up doing what I want to with my life on a more permanent basis.

At your age, do you have an idea what you want to do with your life? If so, what are you doing to work towards that goal?

[goblue107501]

As others have mentioned, if you can go to college, do it. You are better off with a degree than not 99% of the time. Does that mean that you can't be successful without one? Not at all. I have a couple of friends in high places, one went to college for two years, another didn't go at all.

Am I doing what I wanted 10-15-20 years ago? Probably not. I would have never envisioned that a job like mine existed. After bouncing around a few times I found something I liked.

My advice on college and career always goes like this. Go to college and get a degree...any degree. 10 years after graduation it won't matter if it was in Political Science or Communications or Business (unless it is something specific like teaching, accounting, medical, etc). Unless it is specialized no one cares what the degree was in, just that you got it. It shows that you can do it and it shows that you are capable of learning. Plus, wherever you work they will teach and train you how they want. You could be taught how to do a certain thing in college, but your company might do it differently so you have to learn their way. You will have more than one job after college so whatever you are doing after graduating won't be the last job you have so don't ever get discouraged if you don't like it. Most likely you will have 2-3-4, or more jobs in the first 10 years or so before you find that place you want to be at for a long time.

[Three Putt]

So as I sit here about to graduate high school, I see nearly every kid say that they are goingto college for whatever major... Now my question is...

Great Question...one of the best I've seen on this forum.

I think it all comes down to working smart (first) and working hard (second). I am in the construction industry and many guys without a college degree are living a good life and somewhat enjoying their work (mostly electricians and plumbers...beleive it or not) Talking about above average houses and cars that are for the most part paid for. These guys are owners though, and the ones I am talking about have no college degrees. I make a good life as a certified building contractor and gas contractor, I went to college and my true love was meterology, not a bad looking guy, with a little make up...who knows I might have been on TV?! Guess what I am trying to say is that passion is passion, the focus of your passion will change throughout your life....always have open ears and an open mind, the will to learn and work hard will always be rewarding and should put food on the table. Much luck to you in the future and always listen. Big mouths seem to cut good conversation short.

[Lefty-Golfer]

So as I sit here about to graduate high school, I see nearly every kid say that they are goingto college for whatever major... Now my question is...

I didn't want to go to college so i didn't...to this day i still wish i would have. It can open doors that may never be open to you again.

A different question is can you / will be successful with out college. That is not a sure thing regardless of your choice. I got into construction, learned the trades and went out on my own in business. That is not an easy road but it very rewarding. I am doing much better then any of my friends on a financial level but have worked harder to get there….your life will be what you make of it. right now I am working about 30 hours a week...playing golf around 80 times a year and loving life...but it hasn't always been great.

[Gioguy21]

I'd have to agree a great question. My answer would have to be a fairly abridged version. Not yet, but in the place to get there. Graduating HS all I knew is that I wanted to play baseball, and did all 4 years of college, and was getting looked at professionally by the Reds, Twins and Dodgers only to have my shoulder have issues my senior year. After the offers went away I realized I needed something to pay the bills now that those dreams were all but gone. I decided with my communications degree with a second major in business that I'd take an unpaid internship at Citi/Smith Barney in the fall of 2007. Working at Brooks Brothers as a manager while working the internship I saw the market go to shiesse...and my hopes of being a financial advisor go along with it. My mother, father, and grandfather have all worked for the military/government as civilians for as long as I can remember...so I never wanted to do it. Well, the time came when I needed a job, (a real one) so I stuck my name out there and got a job for 'the man'. I buy weapon systems for a living now (for a little more than a year) and after 3 years have the ability to transfer anywhere really in the country that has my position. I'm looking to move to South Carolina for 3 things: Golf, Sun, Boat. It's all I've wanted in life besides a wife, kids, white picket fence...etc....and I'm not there yet, however on my way....so at the ripe old age of 24, I'm happy where I am, happy with the life I'm livin...despite the bumps, heartaches and obstacles that've come my way.

[wkdspd]

great question, and I'd have to agree with many of the posts here, but very specifically with GoBlue...

I always knew I would go to college, it was an understood throughout my childhood. my family had no money, and I busted my tail working 40 hrs a week to pay for 18+ hrs of classes a semester, plus summer and minimesters. I was under the impression the entire time that my life hinged on getting through my education and working in my field of study - medicine. so my senior year, I had my first cadaver lab. end of medical career. started over. I had invested 4 years and 140+ hours in an education I would not complete. I spent the next 2 years getting a standard business degree just to be DONE with school.

circle it up to now - Im a senior IT program manager for the largest telecomm in the world, leading initiatives that affect the backbone network that we're all enjoying our forum over right this second. Im the only one in my company at my level without a graduate degree. you cant even be considered (in my company) for one of my subordinate positions without a bachelors degree. there's the key though... it doesnt really matter what degree... as long as its something related to business or tech, etc... so as GoBlue said, just get the degree so you can move on, and most likely you'll figure out what "move on" means in the process.

I equate your question to some advice I receieved back in high school - I was 17, playing varsity football, working 30-40 hrs a week, and maintaining a 4.0 gpa - I was also a project away from earning the rank of Eagle Scout. the deadline to achieve the rank is 18 years old, and with everything else I had on my plate I was on the verge of just dropping it, thinking that it would never mean anything in the future. the advice I received from a mentor was that someone in the future would see my Eagle Scout rank for what it really was - not a list of merit badges and camping trips, but as a personal statement that I could put forth the effort and follow through with a long-term commitment and accomplish the final goals. as it happens, my Eagle Scout came up in the interview for the position Im in now - and I was told in no uncertain terms that it was the final straw that put me ahead of several other deserving candidates.

College is the same... get in and get it done - if nothing else it shows that you can put forth the necessary effort to succeed. yes, you can be successful without a degree, but man it sure greases the wheels... good luck!!!