Wrong degree?

Started my college career in January 2006 at age 23, and during this time was attending an automotive degree program that seemed logical. My father was involved with electrical engineering in the Navy, and had even worked for Boeing for a short time. As second job's to make ends meet he worked as a mechanic in local shops.

After one semester at a local community college located in Michigan during this time the economy tumbled and realized this was no longer feasible nor what I really wanted to do with my life. I was fortunate enough to get a job at the local Ford dealer for 7 months before being laid off. My time at this shop was beneficial because I realized this was not the career for me.

Sometime during late 2006 or early 2007 I became Christian, which was a special experience and happened at the perfect time of my life. Around February/March 2007 everything was clear and knew Ministry was the life God wanted for me.

September 2008 found myself attending an unaccredited bible college where I met my wife. This only lasted one year because the college stated they helped students find jobs and there was no program to assist students - by the time I found a job, I was out of money and was unable to attend second year. My wife (then girl friend) was a year ahead of me and graduated.

Fast forward to the year 2013 and found myself attending Liberty University Online, which is a very rewarding and challenging program that is well organized. Truly impressed! However, this only lasted a year because my wife began to have pain from both pregnancies and after my father passed from cancer, her father was diagnosed two weeks later with the same cancer that claimed my fathers life.

She was depressed, emotionally abusive, and in lots of pain. After much praying and talking with others, it was clear this was the wrong season of my life to attend college for ministry.

So instead I decided to focus on a very challenging and competitive degree for the oil industry. My local area's economy is heavily based on N/gas and we're having huge amounts of expansion. Although due to diversity it is better if you're a woman because these companies are hiring 2 woman for every one man trying to show more diversity.

After deciding to take this risk and go further into debt my wife was in an accident and the oil economy collapsed; nonetheless, our area is based around N/gas, but that also means layoffs in other areas of the state. Thus, this make it even more competitive!

Anyways, love what I am studying, and is perhaps one the of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. The program is hard and many students drop throughout due to intense amount of math and formulas you have to memorize. However, my wife started taking classes for medical assistant, and this is when I realized perhaps the medical field is where I should of gone.

I would be home every night rather than two weeks on and two weeks off. Sure the pay is only 1/5th of what I'd make working in the petroleum industry, but I can memorize the human body like it was always apart of who I am. Guess, that is silly cause I am human,but you get the idea, right? My wife talks to me and it makes sense and just sticks without having to try.

Problem is, I am going to be 33 soon, and unable to borrow much more money to switch degrees again. We have been living off our student loans since my wife started having issues so I could care for her and our kids. She was unable to be with them alone due to seizures and didn't qualify for assistance.

So, am I doing life wrong? My father never liked what he did and even on his death bed stated " I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, and still don't." He was 54 when he stated this.

Should I finish my degree? Was supposed to graduate this semester, but due to my wife's accident had to medically drop classes and this offset me; I have one year left, maybe two if I decide to get the second part of this program complete. This is roughly 7 classes or possibly 15 if double majoring, which does pay another $30k a year to start.

Or should I swallow my pride and refocus my life?

Another option would be to complete this program, but continue my education part time for medical and then switch a few years down the road?

-Confused!

That does sound confusing doesn't it? Sorry about that.

Was planning on graduating with one degree, but my wife's accident caused me to fall behind, causing me to medically drop several classes and get a refund with out a Withdraw showing up on my transcript. There are certain classes only offered in spring and fall, when I dropped some classes last spring it off set my program, meaning I am not taking a class that should have been already completed to continue my education and graduate with the one degree this semester. One more year of college beyond this next year gives me two degrees, more pay, more hiring opportunities, and better job security. Plus, some companies are requiring both degrees and others are hiring students and sending them back to get the other on their time off.

So I am debating another year on top of my next year, which is two years more from now, rather than one to graduate.

Both degrees are related. The job outlook is 100% hire rate within 12 months of graduation and have family working in the field already. With lots of natural gas expansion in my area there are lots of job opportunity and they hire directly from the college before anywhere else. They prefer a student with a degree over someone with experience and no degree.

One company came in a few weeks back and hired 3 students right away. BP was also here and they filled their intern positions already. Agrium will have 55 jobs (for this position alone, not including the other half of this program) this time next year and they are directly hiring from the college only.

Prospect are good!

Problem with student loans is we're living off them since my wife got into her accident requiring lots of surgery and seizures. She couldn't be left alone with the kids and there was no help available financially, so we sadly went into debt to keep a roof over my families head. Plus, it is a good thing I am not working, this program is very hard and has a large work load.