Is college right for me?
First off let me say that i will not be basing what I actually do based on the people opinions I get on here, I am simply seeing what other people think. I am really struggling. I do not know whether or not I want to go to college. I enjoy learning, but so far I have completely HATED school ( granted, I have home schooled all my life.). I really want out of all of it, but at the same time I know that I need to go to school to have a good lifer later on. At least, that is what everybody tells me. My mom is a online college professor, so of course she is going to push me. I have been thinking about taking a year or so off after college, maybe take the occasional class. and just focus on getting a job. You know, just taking a break. Any advice you can give will probably not help, but at least it might quell my trepidation. As a side note, can someone maybe suggest a major to look into? I have not found anything that i enjoy so far... The only thing I could think of would be something in technology...
How do I know if community college is right for me?
I'm a big proponent of community college. However to give you a good answer I would have to know your objective in going to community college? Are you planning on transferring to a four year school? Are you taking remedial classes to improve your GPA? Are you looking for vocational training?With a modest investment of time and money you can earn a marketable credential and escape the "minimum wage/part time job trap." There are hundreds of certifications available. One of my favorites is robot maintenance technician. It looks like fun, and it can lead to a full time job with benefits paying $25/hour.Here are some other ideas for marketable credentials.There are little known on-the job training opportunities. One example are the 0phthamology clinics that offer training and certification as an opthalmic specialist. You get paid to learn.There are the trades and technical schools. The retirement of blue-collar Baby Boomers is going to create a huge demand. An elevator repairman can earn $78K. My local community college has had to drop their plumber certification--no interest. These jobs can't be outsourced or automated.Then there is the ever popular programming boot camp. Coding is one of the highest paying and most in-demand careers you can find these days—and it doesn’t require a four-year degree. Boot camps promise to get you job-ready in a relatively short amount of time at a modest cost. These programs—usually eight to twelve weeks long and costing $10K on average—offer hands-on training, career guidance and community support, and the opportunity to work on personal projects you can showcase to prospective employers. They’re like trade schools for the computer age. A key issue is the degree to which graduation from a boot camp constitutes a marketable credential. Check that out before you write any checks.Don't ignore the military. This takes some planning. You want to gain skills that translate to civilian life, e.g. aircraft mechanic.There are lots of ways to become financially self-sufficient, but you are probably going to need a credential.
Do I have to pay for college right away?
You can take out a loan and pay it off over 10-30 years (or less), and some colleges offer payment plans where you can make payments over the course of the semester rather than as a lump sum (there may be a fee with this). There are generally no penalties associated with paying off student loans early, so if you're going to have a job and make money during the semester, but aren't sure it's going to be enough to fully cover the tuition, a loan will be a better choice. With the payment plan, you're obligated to make the payments when they come up, while with a loan you usually don't have to pay anything until you graduate. If you know you're going to have the money, the payment plan may be a little cheaper. If you're not going to be earning any money (or very little) and are considering taking out $10k+ in loans every year, you need to find a cheaper school. If you graduate with $80k in loans, you're looking at over $6000/year in loan payments until you're 50.
How do I know if what I’m studying in college is right for me, given that I don’t feel a deep passion towards anything monetizable?
I used to think like you but have learnt this truth the hard way. MONEY IS NEEDED even if you want it or not. You need to pay your bills. In order to follow your passion in case you have one you have to feed yourself. At least till the point your passion starts yielding money.So I will suggest a strategy. Put half your efforts in creating money which is needed for survival and half your efforts to live your passion or to find it out. When your passion starts giving you money stop working for money.
I don't think college is right for me?
I'm a 20 year old male who has went to 2 different colleges. In the first college i took my remedial English's class and pass them with no trouble. The very next semester I was set to take a computer course which after my 3rd class it was little bit hard for me and felt i didn't want to do that anymore. So than i decided to go to a community college which again i had to take remedial English's because college wouldn't transfer the classes. I got through the first semester at the college and did well. This very next semester in the fall i took 4 classes but only passed 2 of the 4 classes because in the 2 classes wasn't motivated to do the work. So now here i am wasted 2 years of college and basically still a freshman because wasted all that time going to different colleges. I'm thinking about not going to college but the problem is that it doesn't leave me with a lot of option and might have to work 7 day work weeks which don't want to do. I also want to be able to support myself if i don't go to college like making enough money on something i want to do and not have to go back to college because i get fired in the future and stuff. I want to be able to have the same opportunity as a kid that went to college like being able to have job growth and not just having one job with one pay my whole life.
How do I know if moving abroad for college after school is right for me?
I would say the first way to know is to see whether short-term travel is appealing to you. I would also look into whether schools abroad have programs that appeal to you and your career path. I would check to see what kind of support systems exist where you’re considering going to, and how different they are from what you’re used to. It would seem to matter a great deal whether you can afford to do it as well. Talk to people who have done study abroad, and talk with advisors in study abroad centers on college campuses. Finally, I’d do some looking into WHY it’s important to you to do this. Are you moving AWAY from something, or toward something?