Post Secondary isn't for everyone

Since i was a 1st year i never really felt passionate towards my studies, maybe i'm just being lazy and need to work on my work-ethic. But even so, i just don't feel the motivation in any specific subject. I think i finally understand that univeristy/college may not be for everyone. I didn't wanna believe that at first, but i realized it's ok. You're not a screw up or any less smart imo if you choose not to go, infact if you already have a game plan for something else it would be smart not to waste your time here. Do i believe in higher education ? Sort of, maybe in the sense of enlightenment and keeping an open mind, but you could say i'm a selective learner, i only like stuff that interests me, so i don't really like the idea of studying the same subject for 4 years. There are so many mandatory bullshit courses that i think are completely irrelevant to my major . I just don't see myself belonging in any specific group like compsci, or law, med etc. I've already come so far that i mine as well finish off my degree, but to be honest i don't feel a single ounce of happiness being here memorizing random crap then regurgitate it on an "exam" in which my future is determined by a numerical value ? I believe in uni/college for enlightenment, but nothing more. I feel that my passions lie elsewhere. I understand that it is the safest and most direct path to a secure life, but i hate how family members try to live their life through you and believe its some sort of guarantee. And then thats how get all these threads on yahoo answers " Is it too late to ...." Man the thing that scares me most is not living a fulfilling life and doing what i wanted then always wondering "What if ....." But i guess this will be my back up plan B, but once i get that piece of paper i am outta here, can't stand this place.

Trust me. I can't see myself doing anything. Actually, I just can't see myself doing anything where I'll even be remotely happy. I basically feel lost, not knowing what to do with myself if I suck at everything. Am I really only good for nothing? Am I just destined to do physical hard labor as work until I die? In this world, the happy and successful exist. But with that concept in mind, then a sad loser must also exist. And I honestly feel like that's just what my fate is.

@Yuki, you seem really depressed...try to cheer up a bit. I'm not sure if it helps, but here's an advice that Dazai gave Atsushi, 「don't pity yourself. If you pity yourself, then life becomes hell」. http://67.media.tumblr.com/6119b0b01334cb3d9c409d02d8b5e0e3/tumblr_inline_ogkelobbUY1t8qde1_500.png We all have our own problems. I'm saying this because people always think I am the happy and successful overachiever. But they never knew I've been tortured by PVC until getting a heart operation. So don't compare yourself to others too much, and try not to look down on yourself like that.

@Yuki Yeah i was feeling pretty lost too but now i know for sure, uni just isn't for me. Took me so long to realize because i was scared to admit it and did not want to disappoint. But i truly believe you can achieve happiness and success following your desires. In fact, the happiest people i've seen amongst my own social circle are all doing what they love. Higher education is a safe bet, but its not the holy grail like some people make it out to be. A lot of degrees on their own can't even get you a decent job unless you pursue graduate studies. I don't think our fate is finalized, call me an optimist or romantic but i think its possible to achieve what you want so long as you actually go after it. It's the fear of hardship and failure that scares me the most, and the lack of support. But sooner or later i'm just gonna have to suck it up knowing i at least tried my best. I thought i sucked at some basic stuff too, but i think you and i are different from other people in a good way. We weren't meant to go down some generic path.

Really, you're right, and that's the way it should be. In the UK in recent years so many have gone to university that degrees are absolutely useless. All jobs come with a tag looking for experience, which people out of university just don't have. In fact in some industries I looked into, publishing in particular, you're unlikely to be accepted at all until you whore yourself out for free to gain experience, which, let's face it, is un-affordable unless you live close enough for travel to be free and get to live at home for free. I really think universities should up the ante and refuse anyone who doesn't attain high grades, and yes, this means that I wouldn't have been able to go to university, and my current partner wouldn't have been accepted to university either. However, the only job I've had where I've actually used my degree is when I went to Japan to teach. Otherwise all of my jobs have been standard low-paid jobs I could have got straight out of high school. There are also a lot of jobs who refuse you or throw your cv away because you're too qualified for the job because of your degree. My first job when I got back from Japan was cleaning for ISS, and my manager even said if my sister hadn't been working there they would have binned my cv because I was too well educated and unlikely to stay. As it turns out, I worked there for two years. I've also seen in recent years that apprenticeships are being advertised as 'the new thing' (when I was in high school university was being pushed as the thing to do), and that's because all these businesses have realised that they get better staff if they train them young, rather than wait until they're in their 20s with nothing but a piece of paper confirming they're smart, but have no practical experience.

Some people go to college purely for the people there. As for me, I knew what I wanted to do and I knew that college was a big reqirement for it. Getting a job for it isn't as peachy keen and easy as people led it to be. "Oh we need people like you in that field" is what most people often say. But those people aren't employers. Either way though, college really isn't for everyone. But I do recommend making the investment in trying it out for a semester or two. If it doesn't work out and you're not feeling it, then move on to something else. There are plenty of fields out there that don't necessarily require a degree. I mean, my underclassman is set to take over a company soon. And the only college I know he's taken is the dual credit courses we took together in high school. And he enjoys what he does to an extent. So he sorta proves you don't need a college degree to be successful in life. You'll find people who have testimonials for everything when that's considered. Having a college degree and being successful, not having a college degree but being successful, having a college degree and not being successful, and not having a college degree and not being successful. It's all really about where you find yourself. Doesn't matter what other people think. Or what the statistics say. You do you boo boo.

yeah college isnt for me either...i went for like one term and i have no motivation to move forward with another. its strange cuz i dont want to settle for just a job at a grocery store for the rest of my life, but i also dont know what i wanna do. i've always wanted to do something that deals with music, but im not musically talented. i've come to peace with myself and accepted that my dream will just stay as a dream. while i pursuit something else to better my life. ik i wont be as happy as i would've been but what can you do? so yeah college isnt for everyone infact college is kinda lame. half of the stuff you learn isnt beneficial. if your doing a career like film or like music. classes like math, history, and english comp none of that is needed your not looking to become a math teacher or an author.

Well, besides the whole issue that not everyone can afford superior studies, in my country, at least, the amount of university students is around or above just 1 million over our whole population inside of the country. College/University is clearly not for everyone but, as I barely read above, I don't think the following excuses: 'this career is not for me', 'I won't need what they are teaching', 'If this isn't the one I want, I won't do any effort into finding out what I'm good for' are acceptable at all. Sincerely, if you have dreams, goals and motivation to go forward, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW, you will get them. If you don't like some school then work your ass off to find another one. Seriously though, most of you are living inside of countries that give you the opportunity to easily survive AND, AS WELL, to be incredibly succesful just by having a nationality. Grow the fuck up. I must add, negative thoughts won't help at all, just be patient and look for that something you will look up to one day and think 'I have nothing else to do that is more important than what I'm studying or working for'. If you guys can't say that for anything then yes, you all are right. Drop whatever your dreams are and stay as a normal, common, average and boring person. You work for society better that way.

I didn't mean to "make excuses" or try to undermine college, if you're a good student and have your sight set on an end goal, it could be a safe bet, but my point was its definitely not the holy grail by any means. For instance like Manga_bird said, my Chemistry Teacher's Assistant last year has a Masters in Chem but the poor guy is stuck being a TA for labs simply because he is over qualified to get a job. Another friend of mine could barely get a minimum wage job with a finance degree, which already wanted at least 4 years experience in his field. I just don't like this herd mentality that you have to go if you want a successful future. It just doesn't work like that, i remember in highschool it sounded like taboo if you weren't going considering like 90% of my graduating class went off to college. Not everyone is a straight-A student set on becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. In fact, many still don't even know what they wanna do. My reason in being here is as a plan B, dropping everything for your passions and dreams is definitely a recipe for disaster in my opinion, so it would be nice to have a fail-safe in case things don't work out. I guess to be more specific, college completely undermines the arts. Music, literature, film, these are completely neglected because many students are driven by vanity and are discouraged from pursuing their desires. Half the people in my science program want to be doctors, majority in it for the money, when in reality only 3% of them might make it to med school in state since the standards and competition are so high. Its as if people are forcing themselves to go down that path. Some people might be happy with that lifestyle, but i can't stand it. To let your life be dictated by a number such as grades is non sense to me and no one is any less smarter for not going to college. People's minds work in different ways, some create amazing art work, beautiful music, fantastic stories, sometimes political theories. This stuff matters too, but instead college teaches us to just memorize a bunch of facts, take a test, then have your future be determined by that resulting number.

I don't know dude, I've been studying architecture and so far the only subject that will always drive me mad is math. I understand that the whole educational system worldwide sucks but that doesn't mean that as a person one should get really bothered by it. You're just living a situation in which we can't do nothing else than to dominate what we are thrown. I understand, in fact, in architecture every space known to men has evolved in the span of 50 years, except for classrooms. I do agree that we should get different types of evaluations or a renewal of the educational system, something like in Singapure, just that with the diverse types of intelligences that are known to men. But school as it is shouldn't ever be eliminated. Since this world exists we've been living through natural selection. If you don't fit the requirements society needs you to be useful then you should just conform with whatever is your life especially if you aren't willing to work for anything and just whine about it. You want music? Then work yourself in it. It doesn't really matter what you choose. Just be the best in it. I, myself, am not the best artist but I try and I find people that appreciate it enough to buy my art. Don't like schools, change them. I think that you just lack passion and positiveness.