What should I do with my life? (career suggestions?)

[Michiyo-Fir]

Well, that sucks! Maybe you can get into the visual art courses next semester or in the 3rd year?

I can but since Visa isn't offered in the summer and the degree takes 4 years, I'll be stuck in college for 6 years lol.

I wanted to do design at one point too but UBC doesn't offer any design courses at all other than architecture type design courses.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

I still believe you two were separated at birth...

LAWL! Just saw this! We do seem pretty similar hahaha.

 

[Bigpoodleperson]

Sorry, no help. After H.S. i didnt want to go to school anymore, and i had a stellar job that i adored with horses! About a year later i didnt have the job anymore, but i didnt want to go back to school. I floundered for a bit with stupid odd jobs. Then i got to work at a veterinary clinic as kennel help. I worked my way up the ranks to a tech. I realized that is what i want to do for the rest of my life. I went to school to get my vet tech degree, and got my associates along the way. There are So many different things you can do in this field! From day practice, emergency, speciality care, P.T., etc. I am so thrilled and happy to be doing what i love!!!

I cant believe that your parents didnt want you to be a vet!!! If they only knew how hard it was, and the schooling that has to be done!!!! It is harder to get into vet school then it is to get into medical school!!!!!! There is only one human body to study. Vets have to know about dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, lab animals, and all large animals!!

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

Wait, what? Why? Take all the pre-reqs for vet school under guise of a biology degree or something. Technically it doesn't even matter the degree, but a biology one (to teach HS bio? I dunno, make up an excuse) makes the classes not stand out if they demand to see your schedule. Also it only takes two years to knock out all the pre-reqs, so you could start pretty much whenever.

Then apply (they don't have to know) and if you get in, you don't *need* their support any more. You're guaranteed loans up to cost of attendance, which includes tuition, books, living expenses, yada yada. It even has a 'Miscellaneous' category which I"m pretty sure is legal speak for 'beer money'.

Why? They think I'll get seriously injured by an animal or killed. Plus it's pretty much too late now. I'm out of science already, plus I really didn't enjoy science at all. I also failed math in first year college so that's probably a no go for med school, vet school, any kind of science related stuff.

Plus I don't really want to do it anymore. It was just what I thought I wanted to do as a kid.

Another problem is that I really don't want to stay where I am (Vancouver).

If I follow my thought process of becoming a prof for a college, it's going to work like this.

Finish UBC, go to a college in New York for a Masters degree. Finally move to London for a PhD and work in London. Honestly London is where I want to end up one way or another, it always feels like home to me, not here in Vancouver.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

I cant believe that your parents didnt want you to be a vet!!! If they only knew how hard it was, and the schooling that has to be done!!!! It is harder to get into vet school then it is to get into medical school!!!!!! There is only one human body to study. Vets have to know about dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, lab animals, and all large animals!!

They don't care about how hard it is. They think animals are unsanitary, dangerous things that don't deserve to be saved as much as humans and they will somehow injure me or give me some incurable disease. I don't know why they think that but all of my grandparents and aunts support them and think the same thing.

 

[GipsyQueen]

Why? They think I'll get seriously injured by an animal or killed. Plus it's pretty much too late now. I'm out of science already, plus I really didn't enjoy science at all. I also failed math in first year college so that's probably a no go for med school, vet school, any kind of science related stuff.

I think *most* people are bad at their first semester/year of Biology. At least here. Im in school for Biology and yeah my grades wont be great this semester because everything we're doing atm is not Biology. My classes include Biophysics, Biostatistic and Organic Chem. The Only class I have that is indeed Biology is Botany.

 

[GlassOnion]

I got Bs in pretty much all my true science classes. Anatomy? B. Physiology? B. Parasitology? B. Ochem? B. Genetics? B. Pharmacology? C. I think the only science class I did well in was Immunology. Things like Entomology, English, and Music classes are what brought up my GPA enough to apply to vet school and have half a shot at admittance. It worked out in the end though, and does so for many others, so I don't think that's a good reason not to give it a shot. But if it's not what she wants to do any more, then that's different.

Vets have to know about dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, lab animals, and all large animals!!

And alpacas and llamas and salmon and toads and yaks and...sorry, just going over what was on our last test Seriously, the fact that yaks can get infected by Brucella seems like the most pointless thing ever. Do we even have Yaks in North America?

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

I think *most* people are bad at their first semester/year of Biology. At least here. Im in school for Biology and yeah my grades wont be great this semester because everything we're doing atm is not Biology. My classes include Biophysics, Biostatistic and Organic Chem. The Only class I have that is indeed Biology is Botany.

No I'm awesome at biology. It's so easy for me throughout high school and college. What I can't do are chemistry and even worse, physics and math. Can't do physics and math at all.

 

[Dizzy]

Meh... I have 2 degrees, a job considered a career and still wonder what I want to be when I grow up.

Sometimes you just never know.

 

[Dizzy]

No I'm awesome at biology. It's so easy for me throughout high school and college. What I can't do are chemistry and even worse, physics and math. Can't do physics and math at all.

I'm in that boat. Ever considered zoology or conservation or ecology? Animal behaviour or geography?

Zoology is really interesting, you dont need to be totally clued up on maths n physics. An understanding helps with stats, but you can learn it along the way.

 

[Laurelin]

Now that I'm out of college there's so much more I want to do IN school. (Of course). I'd love to go for an art degree of some sort on the side but right now if I go for a degree it would probably be a masters in education. I'd also love to take more English classes.

I'd love to just stay in school my whole life and learn but I really need to settle down and find a 'real' job and such.

 

[Bigpoodleperson]

I ment to put Etc. in my post, GO!! I know we learned about more animals then i listed too!

 

[JacksonsMom]

Thought I'd bump up this thread because I'm feeling very blahhh about school lately. I really don't think I can do this business degree thing. I'm honestly unsure about college in general. I feel like I should find a good associates degree to get and then go into a career. I'm so not a school person -- and the fact that most of my friends are basically almost to their bachelors degree is kind of depressing. I feel like I'm so behind and that I'll NEVER reach that bachelors degree.

And the thing is, if I change my major now, I feel like a lot of the classes that I've taken would not even be used towards anything, which kind of blows. But I can't sit through business classes, I just can'tttt. My community college offers a lot of cool media-related classes (graphics, photography, communications and media arts) that I'd be really interested in, but like I said, alot of my classes I've already taken would be kind of pointless. But the only way I'm going to get through college is if I enjoy atleast a majority of the classes.

ARGH. I just don't know.

 

[Beanie]

Better to switch now than keep sticking it out and graduate unhappy with that you got. Don't consider it wasted. Business classes are pretty much never wasted.

 

[MandyPug]

No I'm awesome at biology. It's so easy for me throughout high school and college. What I can't do are chemistry and even worse, physics and math. Can't do physics and math at all.

That's me... And somehow i ended up in Psych which i naturally rock at, i just can't really make much of a career out of it. Though working with Counsellors i'm trying to twist it to making it an animal related thing. But really i think i might end up in social work and be terribly unhappy for a while until i get settled and kick myself in the arse to probably end up training dogs for a living (a very small living).

 

[PlottMom]

Dear god I could have written this, exept that my parents always supported my wanting to be a vet. And I still do. But I don't feel like I did nearly well enough in college to ever be accepted. I just got rejected my first year applying, yayyyyyyy.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Thought I'd bump up this thread because I'm feeling very blahhh about school lately. I really don't think I can do this business degree thing. I'm honestly unsure about college in general. I feel like I should find a good associates degree to get and then go into a career. I'm so not a school person -- and the fact that most of my friends are basically almost to their bachelors degree is kind of depressing. I feel like I'm so behind and that I'll NEVER reach that bachelors degree.

And the thing is, if I change my major now, I feel like a lot of the classes that I've taken would not even be used towards anything, which kind of blows. But I can't sit through business classes, I just can'tttt. My community college offers a lot of cool media-related classes (graphics, photography, communications and media arts) that I'd be really interested in, but like I said, alot of my classes I've already taken would be kind of pointless. But the only way I'm going to get through college is if I enjoy atleast a majority of the classes.

ARGH. I just don't know.

Get your associates in business, since you're so close. Finish it up. Transfer to a 4 year school, and you don't have to FINISH the business degree. 80% of what you've taken will cover pre-reqs and gen ed requirements for any other degree you want at a state 4 year university. I know at Maryland, people transferred regularly in/out of the business school after sophomore year. Junior year is when the actual business classes started--before that it was just "business statistics" and "intro to computers" and "accounting 101", but nothing that was so specific it couldn't fulfill a gen ed req in another department.

Classes shouldn't make you want to stab your eyes out every day, but I think you're shooting for the stars when you say you want the majority to be enjoyable. For some reason college students have this rosy picture of what their 4 years should be like, and then are immensely disappointed when it's not as easy/fun/social/exciting as they think it's going to be. (I actually just wrote a paper on that for grad school--how we can better prepare our high school students for the realities of what college is).

I know I mentioned this in another thread, but I'd look at how you could apply a business degree in another setting. Enterprise training? Corporate psychology? A business degree doesn't mean you're going to tally balance sheets all day. The vast majority of people with English, psych, history, etc degrees end up working in some sort of business environment after graduation anyway (or they go to grad school/professional school), so going into another major isn't necessarily going to prevent you from ever seeing another computer program again.

If you hate business and hate your life because of it, then by all means, get out. I had to leave engineering for that reason. But "business" is very vague and very broad (and also VERY employable) so if you don't like it because you're feeling cornered, then it might benefit you to research all your options with a business degree.

 

[Dekka]

You don't need much in the way of physics or chem (just organic I think) to be a vet. The problem is if you want to be a vet in Canada... good luck. Getting into human medicine or vet is harder in Canada than pretty much anywhere else in the world (not enough spaces for all the people who want to get in, which is really dumb as we need doctors...)

Teaching here is also a no go at the moment. Though that might change if you wanted to go back and get another teachable. (right now there are more teachers than jobs by far)

Instead of thinking about school programs or careers... how about making a list of the types of things you can see yourself doing. Ie indoors, or out... with people or not etc. Start small then see what jobs have those things.

 

[-bogart-]

Classes shouldn't make you want to stab your eyes out every day, but I think you're shooting for the stars when you say you want the majority to be enjoyable. For some reason college students have this rosy picture of what their 4 years should be like, and then are immensely disappointed when it's not as easy/fun/social/exciting as they think it's going to be. (I actually just wrote a paper on that for grad school--how we can better prepare our high school students for the realities of what college is)./QUOTE]

THIS actually , my son and I had this conversation the other day. Basically he was saying that college is the end all be all and he will get right out and make millions at his first job.

i had to sadly point out the HUGE amount of college kids flipping burgers because the "degree" they where going for is nothing special at all.

Now he wants to major in computer science , which is all fine and dandy , but make sure you have the proper expectations of ENTRY level jobs.

then he had the audacity to make fun of his younger brother because college is not for him and right now he is a deckhand. I had to point out that after 2 years of decking he can go to captians school and make right now 425.00 a day.

seems he is rethinking college now.

 

[Bailey08]

I generally agree with Cali. I really think you should suck it up and finish the associate's degree -- and agree that all classes aren't always fun (nor is your resulting job going to be ).

However, I disagree with the suggestion about transferring immediately to a 4 year school. I actually think that, since you really don't know what you want to do, it makes sense to take some time off from school, get a job, and think about it. I say this largely because I've seen people really struggle to get through because, IMO, they went before they were ready.

I agree, too, with Cali that many people who have degrees in things that interest them end up doing something else. I double majored in english and poli sci with the knowledge that I was going to end up going to grad school and graduate with a job in hand (different economy, too, of course).

Also, for what it's worth, just because people get there faster doesn't mean they're any happier in their careers once they arrive. Which is why I think it makes sense to take time off, save your resources, and take some time to think about what you want to do.