I'm 20 years old, going to college, and have NO IDEA WHAT I WANT TO DO....?

Question

I can't seem to decide what I want to go with my life. I don't mind going to school for a while, I just want to be sure of what I want to do before I kill myself at school. All I know is that I want to make decent money, I don't want to work too many weekends or crazy hours and if I have to move I don't want to have to worry about wondering if I'll find a job.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

Answer 1

If you are good looking you could start working on your Mrs. Just kidding. On the front page of today's "FT" the head of The Federal Reserves Bank says he is afraid the US is heading for a fiscal crises. A career in commodity trading could insulate you from becoming a victim of the way the Baby Boomers are drowning this country in debt and liabilities.

Answer 2

Most people I know don't end-up getting a job that is related to the course that they finished.

Based on the conditions that you have mentioned, I would choose the easiest course that you could finish at the soonest time which would allow you to get paid decently without having to work like a horse. That means you need to choose something that is somewhat slightly in demand.

You don't have to be extremely proficient at it unless you are one of those people who were pre-programmed at conception to finish some dream course that they will enjoy and end-up doing for the rest of their lives.

The reality is, many people don't know what they want to do until they start doing. Don't let college dictate your path. Let it serve as a guide but not a restriction. Just choose the most practical thing and get it over with.

And when real life begins, your answer will come. Now is not the time to worry. Have as much fun as you can while you are still in school. Now only happens once.

You can always go back to school later on if it takes you a while to decide what you want to be doing for the rest of your life. But just like every other normal person out there who went through the same thing, you will eventually get where you want to be.

Answer 3

You would be well-served to complete your first two years of college (to get the generally required subjects out of the way) no matter what you might decide to do later. Life evolves and perhaps after the 2nd year, you will have a better sense of direction for your life. Spend some time and take available career testing (many free of charge) to determine what you are best suited for. From a personal perspective, ANYTHING in the medical field will practically guarantee you a way to make a good living no matter where you decide to hang your hat.

Answer 4

Does the school offer aptitude tests to help you discover your true leanings? Doctors make good money - but if you don't have the interest or aptitude why even bother looking in that direction. Architects make good money - same thing there. There is a zillion different business degrees from scheduling shipping to financial controlling. Do your interest lie in that direction? There are hair stylist in high end salons that make good money too - and that didn't take a college degree. Any trade or skill that can be taken to any area is a good bet. Specializing in wine making or management is a rather small niche. Accounting is universal, but only if you are interested in that.

Answer 5

What you need is a business which you can run from home, which can become international and can produce a residual based income stream. If you like talking to and helping people this might just be for you. Take a look at this web site www.iolair.acnrep.com. With this you can work what hours you like when you like and it can produce a very substantial income. It is not a get rich quick scheme but most people would consider it to be a 2 to 5 year programme to reach the top. But don't worry the monthly bonuses are substantial as you progress through the stages.
Take a look and let me know what you think, if you like it I will help you all I can.

Answer 6

Hi,

I thought I would offer a suggestion to explore. The need for qualified Human Resources Managers or Generalist is huge! Check the internet anyday, say craigslist, monster or careerbuilder and you will find that there are far more jobs than job seekers. I have been in HR "Human Resources" for about ten years. The secret is that HR is exicting and fun. Every day is different and you typically deal with lots of different personalities from diverse backgrounds. Make an impact and secure your future; this field is growing!

Answer 7

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Take it a year at a time. The statistic for people changing their majors in college is pretty high; more than you might think.

Take an inventory of your life, skills, interests. Write out both what you like to do and what you're good at (may be different). Then take a few courses that somewhat align with these and see what you think.

Answer 8

First decide what you like to do. Doing a job that you don't like, decent money or not, is not worth the struggle and could actually screw up your career. Talk to counselors and check out some career related websites. Also, spend some time getting to know yourself and finding out your likes and dislikes when it comes to doing something day in and day out. Just for a bit, think about you - now that may be harder than you think because we usually rely on the opinions of others to create a vision for ourselves - but think about you. Also, create a vision for yourself - what would you like to be doing a year from now, then five years from now and so on. Soon you will start to "see" your future and you can plot a course to achieve your dreams. Good luck and thanks for the opportunity to help.

Answer 9

Welcome to the club, buddy.

If youre looking for a 9-5 job that pays decently but you dont have to work much OT, look at large American corporations with lots of bureacracy. That includes companies such as General Motors, General Electric, Boeing, any Aerospace firm. These all require a Bachelor's Degree. So just earn one.

I'm sorry - I cant tell you what you like or dont like - so thats up to you. But for right now, earn your Bachelor's Degree.

Answer 10

There are major shortages for nurses and elderly care...however, since you said you don't want to work crazy hours/weekends, my best advice would be a pharmacist. You make good money without the crazy hours that doctors/nurses have.