How did you know what you wanted to do when you graduated high school?

Question

Did you know immediately when you graduated what your carreer path would be or did you have to think about it and for how long?
My son does not seem to know what he wants to do with his life.

Also, if you could tell me what your career turned out to be I would appreciate it... and how did you come to the conclusion that was your career path.

These kids seem like they know exactly what they want to major in and its so expensive to go to a 4 yr university. I just want my son to go to college and quit driving a fork lift. He doesnt seem to have a clue what he plans to do.

Answer 1

Very few high school graduates know what they want to do with their lives. Many go to college and goof around, take endless courses, change majors each year and end up aimlessly moving between different schools. Then, there are those blessed ones who have a vision and know what they want and go right for it.

Regardless, your son's path is his, not yours, and you need to back off and let him make his own choices, even if they are not what you want - like fork lifts.

Answer 2

Truthfully, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I was going. College changed me and after the first year I finally figured out what I wanted to do. The great thing about college is it offers an opportunity to try out many different things. You don't have to major in a subject to take the class. Freshman year I took a number of classes and focused on things that interested me. I finally settled on computer programming I thought it was going to be hard but I found it to be quite easy for me. I think in straight lines and that is what it takes to write programs and create software. Your son has to figure out what he likes or what interests him and take a class if he doesn't like it no big deal take a different one. I ended up getting a bachelor's degree in programming, then I became a consultant and I traveled to and worked in many different states and now I am a databse analyst for major hospital in Illinois. Don't worry your son will find what interests him. You know you can always enroll him in a class at community college to see if he likes something before going to a university. The classes are usually quite reasonable and will give a taste of college life. I hope this helps and Good Luck.

Answer 3

I knew since I was in grade school what I wanted to be. It was introduced to me by a tutor at a very young age. I was ambitious and artistic while growing up, so the job fit. Creativity and imagination helped me grow and develop my artistic senses which help me to this day. I actually got into my career while I was in highschool. While other people partied in their spare time, I focused on school, and apprenticing at work. I had imagined myself doing it as a career, for the rest of my life.

I have the power of making people heppy, bringing their ideas to life. I give them something that is meaningful to them, and that will last them a life time. I'm an artist, and skin is my canvas. I'm a tattoo artist, and I love it. I have had a passion for tattoos since I discovered them a long time ago. So I get to be around stuff I love, meeting all kinds of people, hearing so many stories, getting an insight into people's lives, I get to do what I have always wanted, and stay artistic. I also get the chance to work with some great people. I also make a good chunk of money off of it.

Before you write me off, don't think about the misconceptions that come with Tattoos. I graduated Highschool, and I'm still going to college full-time, and will complete with a degree. I have strong morals, and have an endlessly engaging relationship with God. I'm not a moron or a cad and have friendly generous nature. I'm not some terrible, unstable criminal or anything. Go figure. As mistreated as I am, I'm strong, have kept my identity, and become a stronger person. I'm dedicated and persistant, and although young, I've gained a lot of experience thus far.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to do it, I'm just explaining what it means to me. I really do love my job.

I wouldn't worry about your son. It's pretty normal, a lot of people are unsure with what they want to do for the rest of their lives...I didn't know many who knew for sure when they graduated, I was one of the few who did. It's not bad, it could be better that he's unsure, he has more time to think over his life, his options. It just takes them a while, sometimes they're half way through college before they figure it out.

Answer 4

Yes I knew from Gradeschool. I wanted to Teach and that is what I did for many years. I always enjoyed working with children. I started out babysitting, working as a Nanny, working in the ChildCare field as a Teacher and Director until I finally finished my schooling and taught all the way up to the 6th grade. I enjoyed it up to 9 years ago when the politics in the school system really started to get bad.

I did go to school with quite a few kids that had no idea what they wanted to do. I never understood this, but there are plenty of kids out there like this. I see even more these days.

For kids like this it is best to allow them to attend a 2 year college so they aren't wasting your money and their time. This way they can take courses and see where their interests lie. This way once they decide they can take all their undergraduate and transfer courses and transfer over as a Junior and the expenses would be cut dramatically.

Answer 5

[Opinion]The classes you took in high school should sort of lead you of what you want your future to be. If you are good in science and think it's fun to do, then your future could be somewhere around the science field. Or if you are interested in writing, you could become an author. Basically, it's mainly what you are interested in and what matches your talent. I think that is the best way to get a future that you like and will not be bored with. Or, you can always choose a future career where you'll be successful in life (but if you don't like that career, even though it pays for everything you need, in the end, you might get bored of that job.)

Answer 6

I didn't really know in high school - many kids don't. I majored in Mass Communications in college and got a job at a newspaper and then another at an ad agency. Turned out I didn't really like either - maybe it was the jobs or the bosses, who knows? But I'd worked in a library during college and enjoyed that, so I switched jobs and after a few years went to grad school and became a librarian.

Answer 7

I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do when I graduated from high school. Fortunately, I graduated early and was too young to be accepted in university, so I had a couple of years to work and find out what I didn't want to do. When I finally went to university, it was as a mature student and I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of it. And I did - with a 4.0 GPA.
If your son doesn't know what he wants to do, let him work on that forklift for a while. He'll soon realize that it isn't what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Or, perhaps it is what he wants to do for the rest of his life and in that case, all you can do is give him your blessing. He can't live your dreams for you.

Answer 8

I'm currently going into my sophomore year of college and I really didn't have much of an idea what I wanted to do when I graduated high school. Once he goes to college he could talk to advisors about trying to choose a career and hopefully find something he's interested in. I went in undecided and now I'm double majoring in english and advertising.

Answer 9

This is a more than typical thing

A lot of people don't know when they get out of high school. That's what college is for. It truly helps you find what you want to do in life.

I had NO clue coming out of high school, but i found my interest in engineering at West Point. I was a combat engineer for 15 in the army, and i still am, just a civilian

Answer 10

Nope, the public schools left me absolutely hopeless because my poor Math wouldn't let me take any of the better courses and you're left with nothing but a void that gets naturally filled.

In my case it was by all my UNSCHOOLING efforts since I was 8 years old.