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Career/education suggestions for a indecisive 20 yr old female.?
First of all, I'm pretty lost when it comes to who I am. I basically was controlled by another person ages 13-18, and feel this is the reason I really don't know myself. I don't know what I would be good at or what I want to do. I took a dialysis technician certification course. I'm pretty sure I don't want to work in a hospital, but that seems all there is to do around here to make good money. I'm looking for things to learn about everyday. I'm really interested in how the mind works, how the world works, the history of things (recently interested in Japanese Samarui history, forms of martial arts, different religions/beliefs, anything on the discovery channel).. I just am lost... and looking for suggestions on the careers that are out there. I want to start schooling as soon as possible... I just need to figure out for what. Anything would help! Thank you.
Public Comments
- Hi. It is normal to be undecided about a career at your age. That is one of the many wonderful things about going to college: It gives you an opportunity to explore new ideas, subjects, and learn more about yourself in the process. I recommend you meet with an academic advisor at the college of your choice so you can go over your program of studies. Several courses you will take fall in the category of "General Education" and are requirements to fulfill your associates and/or bachelors degree. Also, there are career counselors available in college and their services are free to prospective and ongoing students. They have psychometric testing to help you choose the best career/s for you. Best wishes.
- From the sound of your posting, you chose not to go to college after high school. Acquiring certifications and such for specific fields isn't going to be useful to you in the long run, if you aren't sure what field you want to go into--and certainly it's not likely that you will go from not knowing about to pursuing after an answer here... You sound like you would be a great candidate for 4-year college--you sound articulate, self aware, and motivated, although youthfully lost. Being around other young people in an atmosphere that focuses on education for the sake of learning (the material and about yourself) might help you find the right niche for yourself by exposing you to new topics. When you get out of college, you will be able to get a job that pays as well as certificate jobs (like a dialysis tech), but you will not be as limited, b/c you will be a stronger candidate for jobs that require some on-the-job learning. If you are worried about the financial situation, go to an admissions office at a public school, be it a 2-yr or 4-yr college, and ask them for advice on how to work out a plan to pay for and go to college reasonably. You can also work your dialysis tech job and go to school part time, and possibly make ends meet! If you had great grades in high school and/or are a minority, you might be able to get into some colleges for little/no tuition. Good luck on your decision. And by all means, realize you are not alone--most people your age feel lost...although some do a good job of hiding it. My guess from your question is that you are too bright to be satisfied by a limited, technician-type career.
- This may be contrary to what most people may say but see if you can seperate out your academic interests from your career interests. The reason is because we are often forced into a career choice because of pressure from parents and expectations from others around us as you may have already experienced. Often times, we go to school to become something such as a doctor or an engineer. Meanwhile the subject areas that are more academic in nature such as Philosophy and Physics are discouraged because of lack of employment opportunities. The mistake I made was that I chose my college major because of what kind of jobs I can get afterwards which came down to monetary worth. It makes sense because after all, the goal was to graduate and make a good living. However, what I realized is that I should have done it the other way around. I should have chosen what I wanted to study and then figure out how I am going to make money using what I have learned. If you have noticed, people who make a lot of money aren't always the most well-educated. It seems like you have a lot of interests right now. Why not learn them all? I know that unless you are born wealthy, just going to school is not practical for a long period of time. You will have to earn a living somehow. However, instead of learning to find a job, how about if you make money so that you can learn? I think we call them college professors. I don't know if you will like school that much but you get my point, right? Don't think that the sole purpose of going to school is to earn a living aftewards. If you do, you won't enjoy it.
- just take a career aptitude test like this http://www.job--listings.info/free-aptitude-test.htm and see what they come out with, it's free.. then you'll know what suits your personality. When you know that, you can then look for a college etc. good luck
