I feel like a bad person for thinking this way

[Jupiter Drops]

There are these girls I know from church. They've graduated university around one or two years ago, so you can't expect them to have their degree-related jobs right off the bat. Some degrees, in my biased opinion, are useless, but then again, it's still not a bad idea to have a degree if you have any plans to work overseas as a teacher.

Continuing on. It's just that I don't want to live my life that way, you know? I don't want to graduate with a piece of paper in one hand and massive loan debt in other. I don't want to work at some place that's not related to my field, and I also don't want to be unemployed.

By seeing how these girls struggle with their lives, hating their unrelated field jobs, and thinking of going back to school, I can see that maybe one day, that could be my future if my cards don't play out well. And I definitely don't want to live my remaining twenty-something life out that way in the future.

All I know is that I'm scared. I've always been scared, and although my anxiety did die out a little, it's coming back to me again. I'm going to switch to another major soon, and I'm wondering if I'm making the right choice. I'm also wondering if I can get a job related to my field after I graduate from school. I don't want to struggle with payments, and I hope that I can be able to buy stuff that I like instead of struggling to pay for rent every month.

Maybe I should quit what I'm doing right now and go to a trade school. So, what does everyone think of this? Should I continue on with my major, or quit now and go to a trade school?

If I quit now, I would feel like I'm abandoning my old dreams for money... Gosh, even though times are tough right now, maybe I should stick up for my dreams.

How did you guys deal with this kind of situation? Or what advice can you offer me?

 

[twnsrkr]

It depends on what trade your talking about with both college and trade school.

 

[K9_Trainer]

Well, that really depends on what your major is and what you actually want to do. I'm going to be practical here and not just tell you to "never give up on your dreams!" or some nonsense like that. You do have to be realistic when you evaluate your degree, how valued it is or demanded it is in the field you want to go into, and how much the degree is going to cost you. Some degrees ARE useless, practically speaking. That's not a biased opinion, that's reality.

I'm a biology grad student myself, I already have my BS. Getting a job is not going to be an issue for me because biologists are more or less in relatively high demand here. At least a BS is nearly mandatory because the field is intense with information, and an MS will make me stand out more, make me more valuable to a company, and consequently get me higher pay. I'm also not in debt at all. My parents graciously payed my undergrad, and I have scholarships that are paying my grad school in full practically. "Will I be able to get a job?" and "Can I afford what I want?" are not fears that cross my mind.

But depending on your major, you may have a different story. A friend of mine got his BA in psychology. A BA in psychology is utterly useless on it's own. He wanted to do counseling though, and he started off prepared to go into grad school because you need at LEAST a masters for that. He had to get the BA as a step towards the MA. Do you know whether the field you want to go in is going to be like this?

Do you NEED a degree to do what you want to do? Or will a trade school and experience suffice? Is the pay you will receive for having the degree higher? Will actually make the degree pay for itself? You could be wasting money if that's the case.

Do you know how competitive your field is in the area you want to live in? That's another thing to factor in. To a field that is highly competitive, a degree will help you. If it's not? It might not help and your pay might be lower.

 

[m.a.r.X]

I'm very glad that the government paid almost all of the tuition fees but I never were open to the chances I got and never settled for a job I didn't like.
It was a big mistake !

In these tough times, you just can't wait for the "perfect" job for your career.
I learned it the hard way.

 

[Jay217]

I agree with alot of the above postings if you could tell us the program you are taking and the trades course your looking into that would be helpful.

I'm taking a Business 2year Diploma with a Transfer to a University for the Bachelors.

I've wanted to become an Accountant or work with economics for a long time, I had 2 paths to choose, since i wanted to live at home for money reasons.

I could do a 2year university transfer program at a slightly more prestigious university. The other path was a diploma transfer program with another university. I chose the latter because if i don't fully make the 4 years I could at least have the Diploma for some worth.

 

[Timyone]

In Australia the first degree doesn't have to be that useful as long as you get a second one! you can come here and do a masters in what ever

 

[Radagast]

In Australia the first degree doesn't have to be that useful as long as you get a second one! you can come here and do a masters in what ever

Actually, most students in Australia take a first degree that is (at least in theory) aimed at some sort of job.

Many students in the US do a "general" first degree, hoping that the second one will lead to a job. In today's economic climate, that could be an expensive luxury.

All I know is that I'm scared. I've always been scared, and although my anxiety did die out a little, it's coming back to me again. I'm going to switch to another major soon, and I'm wondering if I'm making the right choice. I'm also wondering if I can get a job related to my field after I graduate from school.

Do think hard about what subjects interest you, but also think about which majors lead to jobs. Do some research, e.g.

* 10 worst majors, job-wise: here

* employment and salary for all majors: here

DISCLAIMER #1: I don't know if those sites are accurate. Your mileage may vary.

DISCLAIMER #2: there are still jobs for every major (although additional study may be needed to snag those jobs).

 

[lostaquarium]

Do something you're interested in, something that you love. And work your butt off to graduate with a good grade.

There's a lot of risk in trying to calculate which majors will lead you to a job. You're much more likely to get a job if you graduate with a first/distinction/equivalent in whatever major you do.

 

[lostaquarium]

Also, I find these passages incredibly moving and helpful whenever I'm worrying about the future:
Luke 12:13-31
Matthew 6:25-34

The Bible doesn't say "don't plan" or "don't organise your life". It simply says, "don't worry about things that you can't control". God will look after you, if you put him first. Plan your career, but always put God first.

Also -

Colossians 3:23
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters"

 

[wannaberocker]

Its simple really stay away from degrees in humanities. They are utterly useless and will likely send you to the unemployment office after college.


But remember even with degrees that are in demand. There is still a learning curve right out of college because you may have the degree, but no experience. Once you do get some experience, you will be very much in demand with the right degree in hand.

 

[Entered]

The first thing I would say is that university is not vocational school. This is probably the biggest misconception that we all have when we head off to university. It is a place of semi-independent learning. There are some degrees that have clearer paths to employment (e.g., professional colleges like dentistry, law, and engineering) but even among these degrees it is more about establishing a knowledge/skill base than job specific training. As mentioned above, there is a huge learning curve post university as a result.

The second thing I would say is that I have never believed that there is such a thing as a useless degree. Yes, there are some degrees that have less clear paths to employment and few opportunities, but learning is never useless. To classify them as useless is a little harsh. Some of the best jobs out there are held by people with humanities degrees. Again, the path is just less clear and that makes people nervous.

I guess what I am trying to say is that you need to shift your view of university. It was not designed to be a vocational school and therefore not all degrees will have a direct path to an in-demand, high paying job. The market will decide that. And, right now the market demands professional, scientific, and technical degrees with a minimum of a bachelors (to be honest… this is slowly changing as well… a second degree is really important in most jobs). A university is about a much broader experience than simply vocational training. Once you figure that out… it makes decisions a lot easier.

 

[Blank123]

Honestly, I can relate a lot to what you're posting. The last thing I want is to be shouldered with a lot o debt and looking for ways to dig myself out of that before I can start living. Its one of the reasons I chose Athabasca. It allows me to take my classes as I can pay for them. The downside to that, is that it takes me a bit longer to finish. I still get to study my passion and pursue a career in the field I'm interested in, but I won't finish on the same timeline as other students.

So either life is put on hold until that piece of paper makes its way into my hands.

But you know what? I think its completely worth it. Because once I'm done my schooling, I can pursue the life that I've been dreaming about. Will it be easy? Nope. But so worth it.

I guess it comes down to... how passionate are you about the field you're pursuing? Or the subject you're studying? Not all degrees will lead to lucrative careers, but I agree with Entered, no degree is a waste of time if you're actually getting something out of your time in University. Even if it means carrying some debt. But its up to you to decide all that.

Oh and this comes from a Humanities student who can expect to find a job *very* easily after university with a reasonably good paycheck. Heck even as a part-time nanny now, my choice in studies opens a lot of doors to certain families because it means I can teach their children something that they can't. And they're willing to pay me more because of it.

So no discounting Humanities majors either

 

[Rhye]

I have to say that its okay you are feeling this way and questioning things. I didn't question myself when I was an undergrad because I knew what I wanted to do. It was everyone else who would put me and my degree down. It was as if they were going to work and make the money for me and they were going to support my family. Most of all they were going to make me happy. No! They weren't.

I have two bachelors degrees and one master. To an outsider these degrees would be so far from each other but for me they weren't. They were all connected to each other and a way of me to reach my goal. In may ways I have reached my goal but that goal was never financial. I knew I wasn't going to get a lot of money going into this field, however, I did not know I was going to struggle this much. This happened only because of the economy and because I work for a very, very struggling district. I would have been making close to 50-60 thousand a year. And for me that is a LOT of money. I would live comfortable and help my family in every way.
However, I don't make that money but I still make enough to help, to save, and to spend as I please. Yet, I don't regret what I did. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was 6 years old and I want to be an advocate for children the rest of my life. I knew getting those degrees would not bring in a lot of money but I got something far grater then money from it. I experienced things I might not have, I met people I might not have, and I grew as an individual.
Do I want to live a comfortable life? Yes. Does not making enough bother me a lot sometimes? Yes. But I know a lot of that is not in my hands at the moment.

I would say when you are going to school don't just try to get any job but something related to what you are doing, so when you get out of school you will be in demand.

I don't know if anything I said helps but its my experience and I wish you the best. In the end do what is right for you and your principles. Sometimes, if not all the time, life doesn't go as we planned but whatever we do experience enriches us.


p.s as for money for school. I am very lucky. I got grants and scholarships. If I tell you how much I paid for my masters degree you would be shocked, but I worked very hard to get those scholarships and I feel a lot of people have the opportunity to get such things if they take advantage. But if you can't, being wise about your budget and make a financial plan.

 

[wannaberocker]

Oh and this comes from a Humanities student who can expect to find a job *very* easily after university with a reasonably good paycheck. Heck even as a part-time nanny now, my choice in studies opens a lot of doors to certain families because it means I can teach their children something that they can't. And they're willing to pay me more because of it.

So no discounting Humanities majors either

Let me first say that i have nothing against Humanities studies (i personally enjoyed my humanities classes). I guess my only knock on them is that they are one of the most common fields of studies in US colleges/ universities. I mean US colleges are literally spitting out humanities grads by the hundreds and thousands every year. If you are able to find work with that degree right out of college, it can prob be one of the most fun jobs to have. But, when you have hundreds and thousands of other grads looking for that same job, it can be tough.



I guess it also depends where you live. I know a humanities degree would be absolutely useless in my state. So yeah im not dissing humanities major's, but just looking at the stats there is just so much more competition for a limited number of positions in that area.

 

[wannaberocker]

BTW another financial advice on school debt. PAY IT OFF ASAP: my first year out of college when i didn’t really have a stable job. I paid only the min on my student loans. Then when i looked at how much interest i was paying, i was shocked. From that point forward when i got a decent job, i started paying the max amount i could afford to pay on those loans.

 

[redblue22]

I am enjoying reading this thread.

I have no advice to give you. Our thinking is so very different, that the best advice might be to do the very opposite that I would recommend.

Actually, I'm not entirely sure I understand. What I hear is that you want money. And you want a degree that will increase the likelihood of getting a job--that itself will make getting money more likely? Naturally, you don't want to have debt that decreases the future money you hope to have. Am I in the right ballpark?

Thus, your current investment in education is only as valuable as it is to the goal you have of getting money. That should eliminate a lot of education tracks that are highly competitive or low pay.

Sounds pretty normal.

 

[Miles]

But remember even with degrees that are in demand. There is still a learning curve right out of college because you may have the degree, but no experience. Once you do get some experience, you will be very much in demand with the right degree in hand.

Good point. The transition from studying higher-level material to working an entry level position can be discouraging, but it's par the course. Unless you run your own company or have connections, you're likely going to start at or near the bottom and have to work your way up.

 

[redblue22]

You should read Matthew 6 : 24. I found a lot of comfort in that verse when picking out the little bit I did do in college.

 

[Jupiter Drops]

Thanks for everyone's advice, minus one person who said it wasn't an advice (), but whatevs. I get what I get.

I've made my choices, and I can't go back on them now. I don't think I'll ever become a doctor, and maybe that wish might still linger around me even if I wake up and become 40 years old one day.

I'm afraid of instability. I used to embrace it, but it's not what I want anymore, I think. I don't know. All of the sudden, here I am thinking that I wish I had chosen a more 'stable' life - go to med school, travel the world... But I used to think that dream was boring. It felt like it was something that my parents wanted more out of me. It was becoming something that they wanted out of me and I couldn't take it anymore.

Long story short. I got depressed, and my grades dropped. Went to art school to fulfill my repressed childhood dream to become an artist, and realized that art school, its environment, and industry was not all that cracked up to be. Got more depressed while staying in that prison/school for so long.

I don't know what to do anymore. I'm done doing art. I'm sick of it. I can't improve upon it. I feel really talentless. I should've quit it in the beginning while I had the chance, but back then it was like air to me. I couldn't live without it. Now it hurts me. The weirdest part on this whole thing is that I still love art even if I say this, and I want to keep on going with it.

I'm sick of art because I'm sick of some of the famous contemporary artists right now. What's so great about displaying human waste and other bodily fluids in the display case? What's so great about satires and parodies which point out obvious human flaws, but not the artist's? Some artists are so arrogant... and I'm sick of it. Then again, I'm also sick of those who call themselves 'scientists' or science majors because they're so 'brainy'... Life.

Basically I have nothing. No talents. No beauty. No brains. Nothing. I took a hard look at myself for the past three years and I'm standing here thinking, "This is my life?"

I'm already at my mid-life crisis, despite the fact that I'm still so young. One minute I'm fine. The next minute, I'm 20,000 feet under pressure.

Seriously why am I blathering all this in the Singles section...

I want to stop regretting so much about not studying and just sinking further into depression. That's what it always goes back to really. I feel like I'm nothing without knowledge. It's not really about money, truth to be told. I'm just stressing out the fact that I don't want to be 40 years old one day with a bad job, look back, and think that I've made a horrible mistake.

I feel like nothing without knowledge because I feel stupid. At least the girls who are unemployed have brains and beauty. Not me. But the weirder thing is that I'm looked down upon because I go to an art school. Of course, this is planet earth... Art is a luxury.


Anyway, I'm going to stick with this major... I can't become a doctor at this point. I can't waste anymore years away. If I could go back in time, then yeah, I would become a doctor, but that's another story. I can't rewind anymore. I'll have to keep on going and look forward to life. I'm going to cry lots, but please do pray for me. I'm a fool who just realized what I am and what this life is. Thanks.

 

[eckhart]

Thanks for everyone's advice, minus one person who said it wasn't an advice (), but whatevs. I get what I get.

I've made my choices, and I can't go back on them now. I don't think I'll ever become a doctor, and maybe that wish might still linger around me even if I wake up and become 40 years old one day.

I'm afraid of instability. I used to embrace it, but it's not what I want anymore, I think. I don't know. All of the sudden, here I am thinking that I wish I had chosen a more 'stable' life - go to med school, travel the world... But I used to think that dream was boring. It felt like it was something that my parents wanted more out of me. It was becoming something that they wanted out of me and I couldn't take it anymore.

Long story short. I got depressed, and my grades dropped. Went to art school to fulfill my repressed childhood dream to become an artist, and realized that art school, its environment, and industry was not all that cracked up to be. Got more depressed while staying in that prison/school for so long.

I don't know what to do anymore. I'm done doing art. I'm sick of it. I can't improve upon it. I feel really talentless. I should've quit it in the beginning while I had the chance, but back then it was like air to me. I couldn't live without it. Now it hurts me. The weirdest part on this whole thing is that I still love art even if I say this, and I want to keep on going with it.

I'm sick of art because I'm sick of some of the famous contemporary artists right now. What's so great about displaying human waste and other bodily fluids in the display case? What's so great about satires and parodies which point out obvious human flaws, but not the artist's? Some artists are so arrogant... and I'm sick of it. Then again, I'm also sick of those who call themselves 'scientists' or science majors because they're so 'brainy'... Life.

Basically I have nothing. No talents. No beauty. No brains. Nothing. I took a hard look at myself for the past three years and I'm standing here thinking, "This is my life?"

I'm already at my mid-life crisis, despite the fact that I'm still so young. One minute I'm fine. The next minute, I'm 20,000 feet under pressure.

Seriously why am I blathering all this in the Singles section...

I want to stop regretting so much about not studying and just sinking further into depression. That's what it always goes back to really. I feel like I'm nothing without knowledge. It's not really about money, truth to be told. I'm just stressing out the fact that I don't want to be 40 years old one day with a bad job, look back, and think that I've made a horrible mistake.

I feel like nothing without knowledge because I feel stupid. At least the girls who are unemployed have brains and beauty. Not me. But the weirder thing is that I'm looked down upon because I go to an art school. Of course, this is planet earth... Art is a luxury.


Anyway, I'm going to stick with this major... I can't become a doctor at this point. I can't waste anymore years away. If I could go back in time, then yeah, I would become a doctor, but that's another story. I can't rewind anymore. I'll have to keep on going and look forward to life. I'm going to cry lots, but please do pray for me. I'm a fool who just realized what I am and what this life is. Thanks.

If this is all that is going wrong for you in your life then it isn't much to be depressed about. this is very normal and healthy, sounds like you are just finding yourself. Art and science are difficult courses, art especially as it is so self directed and there is so much of it as you said. Ive made some aweful choices and really regret them, many regrets, but it doesn't matter as much as your salvation and faith. I know it wont help me telling you this but it might give you something to look forward to, try praying about it. God will love you more than any grades you get.
Can we see photos of your artwork? What kind of art style/ theme are you into?