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[Beatrice]

What do you intelligent and sexy people do for your livings?  What careers should I be enlightened to?  Which should be given a cold shoulder?  

I'm a second-semester freshman right now looking to schedule and pay for a third in a few weeks and really I don't know what to do.  I say some time off and a bit more real world experience would serve me better than raking in some more ecclectic credit hours which may or may not get me closer to a degree.  Mom says no.  So I've been thinking and reading and now I come to you, noble-posters-many-of-which-have-much-more-experience, and ask, WTF?  Maybe an open forum brainstorm of sorts can get me re-inspired.  I haven't worked nearly enough to have a burn out just yet.

[Nabubrush]

I recieved a BA in English with a Technical Communication emphasis. It's helpful in my work, but I certainly don't need it. The person who does my job when I'm not here used to test meth labs for the DEA, and I can't remember off the top of my head what she studied. I fill in for Petroleum Engineers periodically, not all of whom have degrees in their specialties. My gut reaction is, unless you really want to do something that demands a specific degree, don't worry about it too much. However, I'd add the caveat that unless you really, really want to get a degree that is absolutely worthless in terms of getting a job (you know which ones I mean), try to get one that doesn't scream "pothead" to potential employers.

I'm pretty sure I'm either intelligent or sexy.

[slink]

I wasn't anything, and wasn't doing enough, but that kind of changed last week.
I didn't get round to graduating from Uni. Let alone finishing the first couple of weeks. One time I even dropped out the day before it started.
I always considered myself a graphic designer/web monkey, as it's what I've spent most time doing trying to fill in cash holes. Then my friend at the graphic design place in town gets ill and recommends me as the guy the boss should hire (he was looking for someone else anyway, and with no one in...). So I went in and now I really am a graphic designer/web monkey.

I don't plan to do it forever though. I still have the equipment, though not so much the time right now, having just got home at about 6.40 from work this evening, to get into music full time. Be it as a rockstar, film composer, whatever. Music is, and always will be, my first love (along with computers). I also plan to finish writing thigns variously. What with a film having been made (should receive that tomorrow, to score a soundtrack for it), I want to write some more screenplays and finish my novel.
Basically, my philosophy is, find the thing you enjoy doing, be it purely creative or not, and find a way to do it. I was desperately in need of income, so I am working in design now, but some day I plan to go do my music thing. Now it's just a question of whether I start saying 'well, I'll hang around for another month or two to get a bit more income...'
That said, I'm also in no huge rush to leave.

[AlohaDawg]

Find a very rich old man, marry him, and kill him with sex. It is both kind and lucrative.

That said, I didn't know what I wanted to be and now, at 37, I get to pick again.

I chose a career in public health and government service. It looks like I'm going to stay in one or the other, and maybe both. We'll see - I tend to think that what you do in Grad School if you go is often more determining than what you do as an undergrad (unless you are in the sciences).  So have fun in college, create a nice wide base for yourself, and spend some time right after college at a shitty job that makes enough money for you to have a little fun while you make your decision. You'll never be in your twenties again, so don't fuck it up. Take it seriously but don't be too serious about it. If you know what I mean.

Edited to add: thanks for noticing; I feel very sexy these days.,

[Nabubrush]

You'll never be in your twenties again, so don't fuck it up.

I'm so glad that my life worked out so much better than it looked like it was going to when I was in my twenties. I fucked it up, hardcore. (It was fun, though.)

But seriously, don't fuck it up.

[slink]

You'll never be in your twenties again, so don't fuck it up.

I fucked it up, hardcore. (It was fun, though.)

But seriously, don't fuck it up.

Definitely agree with that. I managed to start sorting my life out before I got far into my twenties (what with still being there and all), but I'm still in the midst of the sorting it all back out. Sometimes I think my not going to uni was a big part of starting to fuck it all up, but I still would hate to be back in education.

[wombat]

I say your mom is wrong.  I used to be a college professor and I always advised students to take time off if they didn't know what they were doing in college.   Of course, since I quit being a college professor with great satisfaction, I suppose that I could have been trying to subvert the whole educational system or something.  But I don't think so.  I dropped out of college for a while myself and it was the right thing to do.  You get a lot more out of it when you've gone back on purpose because you know what you want to do.

Sorry mom.

That said, I would be wary of waiting too long to go back, because it does get harder and harder as you get older.  But as long as you are in your 20s I say there is no rush.

[Nabubrush]

Of course, since I quit being a college professor with great satisfaction, I suppose that I could have been trying to subvert the whole educational system or something.

Do you think it is intelligent and sexy to be subversive, wombat?
I do.

That said, I would be wary of waiting too long to go back, because it does get harder and harder as you get older.  But as long as you are in your 20s I say there is no rush.

I didn't even start until I was 25 or so. My wife has been in two years, and she's just beginning her thirties or thereabouts.

[wombat]

It is rad to wait to go to college till you're older.

[pmcd9]

It is rad to wait to go to college till you're older.

I am rad, yay!

~Paul

[jough]

Well, Beat Rice, I am probably the worst person to ask in regards to useless majors.  

I dual-majored in English Literature and Philosophy, with a minor in Creative Writing.  And nothing about me screams "pot head."

I took time off after high school before college, and now I'm taking time off again before I complete my PhD.

It completely does not matter what you major in (sorry, Whole Grain Abuser's Mom) until grad school.  Hell, for that matter, it really doesn't matter where you go to school.  Once you have your MA/PhD/etc. no one will give a shit where you went to undergrad college unless you're priming yourself to be an asshole and want to brag about your days at Yale or something (Note that I do not think that everyone who went to Harvard or Yale is an asshole - it's just that people who brag about where they went to college tend to be assholes and the only places that are brag-worthy are the Ivy Leagues).

Now, as for the real issue: What does Beat Rice want to be when she grows up?

Western culture, especially in the U.S. puts FAR TOO MUCH emphasis on what people do for a living.  There is not even a NAME for what I do.  My business cards say "Convergence Technology Consultant" but that means exactly squat.  Basically I am striving to put paper publishing in the dumpster.  I mean, pressing ink onto dried wood pulp?  That's SO 19th century.

Anyway, you should figure out what you ENJOY rather than "what will make me money" because the ugly truth is that whatever the fuck you think will make money NOW will be swamped with unemployed people by the time you get out of school and you'll have to switch career paths anyway (this is not true if you become a doctor or lawyer or any other profession that uses a lot of lingo with Latin roots).

I like to suggest to students that they major in something that would be useful if they were suddenly sent back in time 200 years or so, not because that is likely, but because general knowledge about HOW TO DO THINGS is always useful.  Majoring in Computer Science with a concentration in Java may not be so useful in a few years when the world is using some new Aspect Oriented Programming language and you realise that any computer courses you took after Programming 101 are pretty much useless.

So what does Beatrice enjoy?  If your only pleasure in life is getting high and fuck*ng you may have a fine career in waitressing ahead of you - but at least you'll be able to get high and fuck for the rest of your life.

If you have other ambitions, it's never too early to start planning for realising them.

Even if you don't think that something you enjoy could actually be a job, don't worry about it.  Just study up on it, be the fuck*ng world EXPERT on it and someone will be willing to pay you for that expertise (theoretically).

If you fail to become a world expert then you will end up in the gutter.  But if you're at all attractive, you'll be able to snag a wealthy man and live in relative comfort if all else fails.

[sjlimmer]

Beatrice:

I'm gonna go ahead and be a downer here.  I've got to call bullshit on at least some of the above.  We've talked about this before, and really there's no guarantee that doing what you enjoy will actually result in any sort of success.  I'm not saying you have to work as a mindless grunt, but be open to the possibility that doing something you can tolerate is a viable option if you don't make your work your life.  Of couse, I'm talking out my ass to some extent, since all I want to do is research, to the point of considering academic positions just so I get to keep playing with chemicals.

As for grad school, it's largely true that your undergrad degree doesn't matter much (something I wish I'd realized then..I'd have saved myself some time not getting that second BS).  If you want to go into the sciences, you should probably major in some science as an under grad, but otherwise it really doesn't matter much.  Hell, people get into med school without studying biology, after all.

Speaking of science, it is what we need more of.  Something to consider...there are never enough people, and especially enough women, majoring in math, science or engineering (in my hubly ill-informed opinion).

[pmcd9]

(Note that I do not think that everyone who went to Harvard or Yale is an asshole - it's just that people who brag about where they went to college tend to be assholes and the only places that are brag-worthy are the Ivy Leagues).

I work with a whole bunch of those type of people only they are all graduates of Texas A&M.  I kid you not, and I'm truely embarrased for them.  One of the worst cases just got transferred to Philly.  I love thinking that everyday he's up in 10 Penn Center surrounded by his equally obnoxious Penn State counterparts.  Actually I don't know if Penn State Alum are obnoxious, but the TAM grads are the worst.  They actually believe theirs is an elite school.  I'm like yeah right, they are soo discriminating.  I mean If you're not in the top 20,000 that apply, you'll never get in there. /sarcasm

I usually keep my opinion to myself.

~Paul

[miles]

Wise Advice

Jough.  The Message Board Daddy.

By the way, I want to snag a rich guy.  I also like to fuck and get high.

[AugustWest]

My Dearest Bea:

Way to cut to the heart of the matter!  What the hell am I supposed to do with my life, anyway?  I suppose we should be flattered that you asked us.  

Here's a heartbreaking revelation.  Those of us twice your age on the boards are having just as much trouble with this question as you are.  Based on my conversations with my parents and their contemporaries this fact doesn't change.  Uncertainty seems to be a constant.  Looks like we'll never know exactly what it is we should do.

Enough Pontificating!

I don't really know you and I don't know what you're good at, your skills, your assets, your character, who the fuck you are.  Without that information all I can do is give you typically banal advice.  Follow your heart.  Do what you want.

I'm 39 years old.  I have two children, both of whom will be in college in 5 years or so.  I have a mortgage.  I will be losing the highest paying job I've ever held in a matter of days or weeks.

I'm not complaining.  I'm happy with my life and the choices I've made.  I'm just pointing out that my choices are highly constrained.  I can't make any radical decisions without seriously fuck*ng with 3 other humans and moderately fuck*ng with another 3.  I dearly love all 6 of them.

What's the point of all this?

Now is your chance.  If you have a dream, now is your time to follow it.  What's your secret fantasy career?  How do you get there?  DO NOT BE AFRAID!  THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE PEOPLE WHO GO FOR IT IS FEAR!!!  What could you possibly lose by rolling the dice and going for broke now?  You have plenty of time to start over.

My dear, we haven't met.  Nor have I met Bozack in person.  I've intentionally delayed our meeting for reasons I'm not sure I understand.  But based upon our shared cultural heritage I think I understand at least a fraction of your psyche.  DO NOT WASTE YOUR YOUTH.  FREEDOM IS AN ASSET.

Don't be afraid.  Pursue your dreams while you have the opportunity.

Be loving and be honest.