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Actually, I have a college degree. Granted, it's only an Associate's Degree, but it is from an accredited community college, so for all intents and purposes, I am a college graduate. I don't really appreciate the condescension, although I should have expected that not everyone would be so kind on a forum such as this.
Based on your OP, others instantly recognized and suggested that college is not for you, and I did not say anything different.
And just because you have a college degree does not invalidate this statement, "college is not for you" especially when you said it yourself, "I really, truly loathe college."
Please point out where I was being condescending?
College is out, so I suggested a technical/vocational track that can meet or exceed your stated dream (esp given how un-materialistic you are).
You did say you were taught that a BA/BS is a MUST, what were you taught about the technical/vocational field?
Logged into C-D for the first time in at least a year. Time really does fly. Figured I'd post a little update for anyone who is in the position I was in two years ago - lost, scared, confused, angry, overwhelmed, the whole nine yards, who may have stumbled upon this thread via Google or something else.
I ended up dropping out of the liberal arts college. Good move. No regrets.
Two months after this post, I got promoted to full-time assistant manager at my store. I did that for the remainder of 2015. I learned pretty quickly that I did not like being in retail full-time. Point blank, it sucks. The money was very good for a 22 year old kid, and very good for retail in general, but it wouldn't go very far if I had a family support. The job sucked. Very stressful. I ended up deciding to go back to school.
Turned out the third time was the charm. I'm now working part-time to pay for school via a monthly payment plan. I'm attending a state university with scholarships and have had to take out zero student loans. The only debt I'll graduate with is from my one semester at the liberal arts school, which will be about $50 a month. I decided to major in Business Management, not because I really enjoy it, but because I knew I couldn't pay for a degree I wouldn't ever utilize due to lack of practicality. I don't know yet what I'd like to do with my degree, but I DO know that my options would have been very limited without it.
I will be graduating in December with a B.S. I feel very relieved. I don't enjoy school any more now than I did when I made this post, but I now recognize the absolute necessity of having SOME type of further education to compete in the job market nowadays. If I were particularly good with my hands, I would have learned a skilled trade, such as HVAC or plumbing, but alas, my skills are those of an artsy college type, not a tradesman, although I honestly wish it was the other way around sometimes.
Anyway, my advice to anyone who may be who I was when I created this post would be to follow your gut. Don't continue to do something if it doesn't feel right. Especially when thousands of dollars are involved. You need to have SOMETHING more than an HS diploma/GED to quite literally survive in modern society. Whether that is college, trade school, community college certs in IT or health or anything else, an internship, apprenticing, or just a skill that you learn from frickin' Google, you just have to have some way of making yourself appealing to employers. Oh, and full-time retail management sucks. Don't do it.
Of course, my story may change when I graduate. I don't know what I want to do with my degree, but I do know that I crossed some things off my list, and will have many more opportunities than I would have otherwise if I hadn't dropped out, explored other things, and come back. Sometimes, all you need is to leave something for long enough to gain perspective.
Logged into C-D for the first time in at least a year. Time really does fly. Figured I'd post a little update for anyone who is in the position I was in two years ago - lost, scared, confused, angry, overwhelmed, the whole nine yards, who may have stumbled upon this thread via Google or something else.
I ended up dropping out of the liberal arts college. Good move. No regrets.
Two months after this post, I got promoted to full-time assistant manager at my store. I did that for the remainder of 2015. I learned pretty quickly that I did not like being in retail full-time. Point blank, it sucks. The money was very good for a 22 year old kid, and very good for retail in general, but it wouldn't go very far if I had a family support. The job sucked. Very stressful. I ended up deciding to go back to school.
Turned out the third time was the charm. I'm now working part-time to pay for school via a monthly payment plan. I'm attending a state university with scholarships and have had to take out zero student loans. The only debt I'll graduate with is from my one semester at the liberal arts school, which will be about $50 a month. I decided to major in Business Management, not because I really enjoy it, but because I knew I couldn't pay for a degree I wouldn't ever utilize due to lack of practicality. I don't know yet what I'd like to do with my degree, but I DO know that my options would have been very limited without it.
I will be graduating in December with a B.S. I feel very relieved. I don't enjoy school any more now than I did when I made this post, but I now recognize the absolute necessity of having SOME type of further education to compete in the job market nowadays. If I were particularly good with my hands, I would have learned a skilled trade, such as HVAC or plumbing, but alas, my skills are those of an artsy college type, not a tradesman, although I honestly wish it was the other way around sometimes.
Anyway, my advice to anyone who may be who I was when I created this post would be to follow your gut. Don't continue to do something if it doesn't feel right. Especially when thousands of dollars are involved. You need to have SOMETHING more than an HS diploma/GED to quite literally survive in modern society. Whether that is college, trade school, community college certs in IT or health or anything else, an internship, apprenticing, or just a skill that you learn from frickin' Google, you just have to have some way of making yourself appealing to employers. Oh, and full-time retail management sucks. Don't do it.
Of course, my story may change when I graduate. I don't know what I want to do with my degree, but I do know that I crossed some things off my list, and will have many more opportunities than I would have otherwise if I hadn't dropped out, explored other things, and come back. Sometimes, all you need is to leave something for long enough to gain perspective.
Best of luck to all!
Glad it worked out for you! I took a similar route. Went to school for 2 years, hated it, took 4 years off and returned Fall 2015 to pursue a completely different major. It was the best choice for me and I have been performing much better than I had in the past.
Granted I will be 28 when I graduate but I will have a bachelor's and a master's, so really it all worked out in the end!
Logged into C-D for the first time in at least a year. Time really does fly. Figured I'd post a little update for anyone who is in the position I was in two years ago - lost, scared, confused, angry, overwhelmed, the whole nine yards, who may have stumbled upon this thread via Google or something else.
I ended up dropping out of the liberal arts college. Good move. No regrets.
Two months after this post, I got promoted to full-time assistant manager at my store. I did that for the remainder of 2015. I learned pretty quickly that I did not like being in retail full-time. Point blank, it sucks. The money was very good for a 22 year old kid, and very good for retail in general, but it wouldn't go very far if I had a family support. The job sucked. Very stressful. I ended up deciding to go back to school.
Turned out the third time was the charm. I'm now working part-time to pay for school via a monthly payment plan. I'm attending a state university with scholarships and have had to take out zero student loans. The only debt I'll graduate with is from my one semester at the liberal arts school, which will be about $50 a month. I decided to major in Business Management, not because I really enjoy it, but because I knew I couldn't pay for a degree I wouldn't ever utilize due to lack of practicality. I don't know yet what I'd like to do with my degree, but I DO know that my options would have been very limited without it.
I will be graduating in December with a B.S. I feel very relieved. I don't enjoy school any more now than I did when I made this post, but I now recognize the absolute necessity of having SOME type of further education to compete in the job market nowadays. If I were particularly good with my hands, I would have learned a skilled trade, such as HVAC or plumbing, but alas, my skills are those of an artsy college type, not a tradesman, although I honestly wish it was the other way around sometimes.
Anyway, my advice to anyone who may be who I was when I created this post would be to follow your gut. Don't continue to do something if it doesn't feel right. Especially when thousands of dollars are involved. You need to have SOMETHING more than an HS diploma/GED to quite literally survive in modern society. Whether that is college, trade school, community college certs in IT or health or anything else, an internship, apprenticing, or just a skill that you learn from frickin' Google, you just have to have some way of making yourself appealing to employers. Oh, and full-time retail management sucks. Don't do it.
Of course, my story may change when I graduate. I don't know what I want to do with my degree, but I do know that I crossed some things off my list, and will have many more opportunities than I would have otherwise if I hadn't dropped out, explored other things, and come back. Sometimes, all you need is to leave something for long enough to gain perspective.
Best of luck to all!
Now that you're studying business, take it from a business owner (33 years). Make sure that you have a decent grasp of Accounting (you don't need to major in it though) and computers. In business management there are lots of theory classes that make you think, but honestly aren't often very applicable to your first jobs. Finance? Important. Understanding financial statements? Also, important. Anything that's offered giving you hands on training in entrepreneurial preparation? Very important.
Don't be afraid of sales. Nothing in business happens until something is sold. It's often where the really big money can be made. Plus, it's the stepping stone to running your own company.
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