I started w linguistics then switched to french literature and paralegal studies. Almost done now and doing translation studies and paralegal studies instead. University/college is expensive and overrated. I wouldn't have applied if I didn't start off w a full scholarship (which I donut have anymore cuz I was being a dummy but it still paid for my first 2 years). Tech schools are good, anything with an obviously transferable skill unless you're applying for lots of scholarships.
I'm majoring in journalism. And although it can get very tiring and time-consuming, I do enjoy reading, writing and researching so it's not that bad. I chose to do that because at some point in my high school life I realized that I truly admired the work of journalists. My other option would be Literature or English (because of writing/reading), but you can't do a lot as an English major unless you go to graduate school, and even then most people become professors and teaching just isn't for me. The choice process wasn't fast but it wasn't too hard either. I did what most people here already recommended: made a list of my interests and explored what could be done with those. After that, I researched a bit more about the majors I had listed, to know for sure what they entail and which one I could see myself doing in the future. Also, I made a choice knowing that there was a possibility that I'd dislike it once I started and that's okay, I would still have time to figure something else out. I think the key is knowing that you have time, and it's not necessary to rush or panic about "wasting" time just because other people graduated younger and stuff like that. Just try whatever you think suits you and if it doesn't work out, start over and try some other path! (Jesus f*ck I write too much sorry)
My recommendation is to finish college and get a degree. If that truly... truly... isn’t it for you, please find your passion or become an entrepreneur and give it your all. Viral content success has changed some people’s lives but doing anything for the clout can also look desperateAF at times. My recommendation is to become a Doctor Lawyer Engineer Or Do something in the Medical Law Technical Fields Even if you do the bare minimum and jump through the hoops... you’ll probably be ok after your investment in yourself. I’ll be honest with you... it might sound elitist but I have a hard time keeping in touch with people that haven’t set foot inside a university for the purpose of bettering their future. My field is technology and my s/o’s is medical. My hobby is music which I also went to school for. I can’t say every course/lab/clinical/recital was interesting. I can say that I am never bored learning more about my field(s) or hearing her talk about hers. Even after you graduate you’ll find you will never stop learning. My true diploma/degree will be on my tombstone. I sincerely wish you happiness and success.
I got a degree in Fashion Merchandise Planning which was mostly creative stuff like design, marketing, some retail math, product design and supply chain management. I found out pretty late that those jobs really pay so bad until you're an exec or start your own business. And they are in cities that have high cost of living and go to attractive people or people with industry connects So I although I completed that degree program, with the credits I got from minoring in business management, I decided to pursue Info Systems and Decision Sciences with a concentration in analytics. I loved the analytical side of product planning and supply chain management but old fashion companies are actually pretty inefficient and most of the new girls on the block are tech based. Currently looking at Analytics, Statistic, and Comp Sci Masters Programs. I want to be a data scientist because the field is ever evolving and all companies are moving towards tech based systems management and decision making based on statistical insight. I know I have to do alot of leg work in my free time tho. I'm not a naturally strong coder. My comfort zone is math so aside from homework at studying atm, I am taking online courses to learn Python. It is a good starting programming language
I should say that my 2nd bachelors is taking 2 years to complete (I am halfway through) Most master programs following are 1-2 years so it's not a huge time commitment for the return on investment imo. Also I'm 21. Cuz I think age matters in decisions making. I think it is always better to take the risk when you're younger because there's less sense of urgency and lower risk involved.
Keep in mind tho that for pay, you will have to market yourself according to what you would like to make and negotiate aggressively. Do your homework! Also a great job market doesn't guarantee job security. You should always keep your resume up to date, document your contribution to the companies you work for, and keep a portfolio! And build a strong network! You can still be laid off or fired. It is just helpful to work in an industry in which many businesses are looking to hire someone like you.
If you want a cheaper degree apply to study outside the US. It’s probably less expensive and you get to experience another country. I did my BA in secondary education (I work as a teacher; low paying but I don’t mind since I like it) and in my country (a US territory) I paid my one and only loan pretty fast since I only took it out to study abroad for a year. I’m still paying another small loan for a masters I never finished but again the price of tuition wasn’t expensive so I’m not breaking the bank paying it back (like $50). If you decide to do it in another country what you will probably spend most on will be room and board honestly since tuition outside the US for foreigners and US citizens is super low in comparison to US universities.
I went to college on a full ride academic scholarship for Anthropology. But, college wasn't really for me. It felt redundant, like a waste of time and money. I had skills and connections in the hospitality industry; after 3 semesters, I was over college and dropped out to work full time in restaurants. I basically had an apprenticeship and moved my way up the chain in the restaurant industry. Although I wasn't in school, I still did a lot of studying. I eventually found a passion for wine and was finally legally allowed to study it, so I looked for and found mentors who helped teach me a lot. I got myself into a position where I had the knowledge, experience and connections to make the jump from restaurants to sales. Now I get paid to enjoy something I love: visit restaurants, eat good food, drink good wine, and be in good company. I still want to do my best, so I'm still studying. I study my competition, my mentors, my industry in general and it's history. Sometimes I enroll in night classes, a mini series or a single one the best classes are the ones that encourage you to drink during them😉, to learn more and get the opportunity to talk to other experts in my field. College is great, and it gives you a lot of opportunities. But it's not the only path. My sales partner went the college route; sometimes I see where I could've benefitted, but other times I see where I have different strengths because of the route I chose. He's a couple of years older, and we're basically in the same position and income bracket *grumbles* he's just- v annoyingly- a better wholesales salesman than I. Its not something you can do for every field obviously, but having a good work ethic is massively underrated at least in my country.
This is prolly gonna be tl;dr but eh. I graduated as a bachelor in computer science engineering in 2009, was placed in a reputed I.T company, was supposed to join in June 2009 but Thanks to GFC I got a letter saying my joining has been postponed to June 2010. I read about th8e GFC here and there and thought ill take a shot at finance, so I started preparing for MBA and got in a b-school. I got a job in Wells Fargo but I the college didn't allow me to write my exams due to short attendance in my final trimester. Then they told me that I will have to repeat the entire second year to get the degree, my friends told me to go for it but i was like fùck that i ain't gonna repeat and dropped out. Then I got a job in a bank, quit, stayed jobless and in the shadows for 2.5 yea. Fast forward to today, I've finally found my passion which most of the forumers Can guess I think lol. But yeah i would advice to keep looking for what your passion is and find ways to monetize it, could be a job could be a small start up etc. Don't limit yourself. And yes the education system is a systemic scam. The total education loan in just U.S sits at a whooping $1.6T which is another bubble that will pop anytime. Instead of making education cheap and accessible for all they devised a system where they could indebt people even before they start earning. You get out of the college and spend years repaying the loans, and 5-6 years of job and you're left with nothing, but life goes on and you're burdened with other liabilities like family, children and then you have to take debts again. This debt cycle is cleverly devised to cower people into submission and stuff, and if we don't break this we'll go back into complete slavery. I see dangerous times ahead. Every powerful government knows that if a population starts feeling too plucky and independent, all it takes is a healthy dose of Fear to get everyone cowering in submission.
You should prolly go for techfin. That's where the money is gonna be in the future. There's plenty work going on in decentralized finance. You might wanna have a look at it. Or blockchain or DAG based systems.
Also after going through this thread I'm convinced that this is the right audience for my bitcoin threads. This encourages me to continue with my efforts. Thank you so much op