• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Lost as to what to do.

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I'm a sophomore in college, and I need to figure out something I want to do...but it's a little more complicated than that, but at least it eliminates a lot of possibilities out.


Anyway. As of now, I'm attending a 4 year state college and majoring in Graphic Design/Animation...so far, I hate it...I thought I would like it. It's very basic...and a lot of it is core classes, but I already took basically the same classes in high school, so it's hum-de-dum deja vu, for a lot of money, and I don't really want to spend for another semester to see if I still actually would like animation or not (you technically don't start the coursework until your junior year, and I already wasted a year seeing if I liked one college or not in the first place).

So, I need to consider what else could I major in? I've considered a lot of factors into this to make it much simpler for me to choose, but I'm not good at looking at statistics and predicting the future:
1. I have made it a given that I will most likely not enjoy doing anything I make a career out of (although I found I might have a fondness for sciences, but I could just be kidding myself).
2. I'm okay with that, just as long the major I choose offers the opportunities to internships that leads to careers that give a decent pay (aka hitting 6 digit salaries) and reasonable hours and benefits, including travel time.
3. Whatever I do choose to major in, I want it to be something interesting (nothing like accounting or being a pharmacist...boorrrring). Something that will challenge me in many ways, something that will be different by the day (for the most part).
4. I don't mind going to graduate school for anything, but I want a major that will look good in whatever I decide to go into. I'll be willing to go in order to get a better paying job.

I could be dreaming too much, maybe such a job doesn't exist for someone like me...but I really hope there is one....maybe computer science might offer such an opportunity?


Any ideas?
 

miss fortune

not to be trusted
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
20,589
Enneagram
827
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
hmmm... all I can say is that in academics following your intellectual passions doesn't always pay off... I have 3 liberal arts degrees and can't find a job using any of them thanks to a government hiring freeze in my area :thumbdown:

study the most practical thing you can find that won't bore you to tears and take the classes that really interest you for your electives... or if you're super lucky, you'll find something practical that you're passionate about :holy:
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
Staff member
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
27,230
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
hmmm... all I can say is that in academics following your intellectual passions doesn't always pay off... I have 3 liberal arts degrees and can't find a job using any of them thanks to a government hiring freeze in my area :thumbdown:

study the most practical thing you can find that won't bore you to tears and take the classes that really interest you for your electives... or if you're super lucky, you'll find something practical that you're passionate about :holy:
But if you are not passionate about your field, it can be hard to sustain the level of effort to do well, especially if grad school is needed. Follow your passions, but augment that with some supporting skills, whether that be with computers, languages, statistics, etc. etc. so you can always support yourself if you don't get your "dream job".
 

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
But if you are not passionate about your field, it can be hard to sustain the level of effort to do well, especially if grad school is needed. Follow your passions, but augment that with some supporting skills, whether that be with computers, languages, statistics, etc. etc. so you can always support yourself if you don't get your "dream job".
That's the thing though, I have no passions, although I truly wish I did.

Everything bores me to tears, too. I just find most of the things I learn in class (other than sciences or math) to just be way too repetitive for my tastes.

And I hope I can support myself. God, I spend all of my savings from working full time for four months just on books for college. That hurt really bad. :cry:
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
Staff member
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
27,230
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
If you can't identify any real passions or interests, are there things you are particularly good at? It sounds like science and math stand out in your experience; could you switch to one of these departments?
 

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
If you can't identify any real passions or interests, are there things you are particularly good at? It sounds like science and math stand out in your experience; could you switch to one of these departments?

I'm good at...a lot of things.
I actually went into the career center at my university last year, and they made me take a career aptitude test...I forgot what it was, but it had to deal with five different categories, one was Art, one was Science, I don't remember the rest, but I tied with four of the five subjects, and the counselor was like, 'Wow, you really can do anything! Just choose what you like to do!"

:dry: :doh:

I was hoping for answers, or at least to narrow ideas down to possibly one subject...I wasn't expecting to tie in everything (except secretarial work and such...bleh).

About the science/math thing, I did poorly at my previous university, but for many reasons. I want to try it out here, but what turns me off from it so much is that I feel like it's been drilled into my head to like math and science, it explains all the academic summer camps I was forced to go to, either by myself or my mother...I thought they'd be useful I guess.
 

miss fortune

not to be trusted
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
20,589
Enneagram
827
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
But if you are not passionate about your field, it can be hard to sustain the level of effort to do well, especially if grad school is needed. Follow your passions, but augment that with some supporting skills, whether that be with computers, languages, statistics, etc. etc. so you can always support yourself if you don't get your "dream job".

my passion is Sociology... unless I want to go to grad school, it doesn't really pay off... I studied languages and stats as well, but there's a hiring freeze... by this point I really wish that I'd studied something like nursing, which would have been signifigantly more marketable of a skill and I still would have been interacting with and learning about people :)

I'm just speaking from experience there :sadbanana:
 

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Criminal Justice or Law appeal?

It did at one point, then I learned more about law school...I sort of really don't want to go through that...I'll go through med school, since it technically ends up being more financially rewarding in the end.

And yeah, I'm trying to see what the future holds to see what jobs and degrees will really be worth it in the next 5-10 years, I'm feeling like anything in technology or medicine is a safe bet.
 

swordpath

New member
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
10,547
MBTI Type
ISTx
Enneagram
5w6
And yeah, I'm trying to see what the future holds to see what jobs and degrees will really be worth it in the next 5-10 years, I'm feeling like anything in technology or medicine is a safe bet.

There will always be a vast justice system, as well.
 

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
There will always be a vast justice system, as well.

True, but I'm pretty much the last one people would expect working for the justice system. I have trouble with rules and such. :D
 

The_Liquid_Laser

Glowy Goopy Goodness
Joined
Jul 11, 2007
Messages
3,376
MBTI Type
ENTP
That's the thing though, I have no passions, although I truly wish I did.

Everything bores me to tears, too. I just find most of the things I learn in class (other than sciences or math) to just be way too repetitive for my tastes.

And I hope I can support myself. God, I spend all of my savings from working full time for four months just on books for college. That hurt really bad. :cry:

I can relate a lot to what you are saying. I'm 35, and for 34 years of my life I've never really enjoyed anything that resembled work even though I learn fast and seem to be able to do just about anything. I've just recently found work that I like to do, but I'm not quite to the point that I'm getting paid for it yet. (Actually I have a prospect, but no one has signed any contracts yet.)

Anyway here are the resources that helped me figure out "what I wanted to be when I grew up". The first is the Holland Codes. This gives an idea of the types of careers that you will like. When you combine your main preference with your two secondary preferences you will narrow down your career choices a lot. This is the test I took. It's really good but it will cost $10-$15 to take.
The Career Keyâ„¢ - Your Personality - Holland's Six Personality Types

The other resource I recommend is a book called "Now Discover Your Strengths". Amazon.com: Now, Discover Your Strengths (9780743201148): Marcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton: Books
It will allow you to take an assessment that will identify what your natural talents are. This book identifies how you like to work while the Holland Codes what you like to do. I'd suggest using the Holland Codes to narrow down your choices and then use "Now Discover Your Strengths" to see if your talents can naturally fit one of the careers you're considering.

Good luck! I hope you find the career of your dreams. :)
 

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I can relate a lot to what you are saying. I'm 35, and for 34 years of my life I've never really enjoyed anything that resembled work even though I learn fast and seem to be able to do just about anything. I've just recently found work that I like to do, but I'm not quite to the point that I'm getting paid for it yet. (Actually I have a prospect, but no one has signed any contracts yet.)

Anyway here are the resources that helped me figure out "what I wanted to be when I grew up". The first is the Holland Codes. This gives an idea of the types of careers that you will like. When you combine your main preference with your two secondary preferences you will narrow down your career choices a lot. This is the test I took. It's really good but it will cost $10-$15 to take.
The Career Keyâ„¢ - Your Personality - Holland's Six Personality Types

The other resource I recommend is a book called "Now Discover Your Strengths". Amazon.com: Now, Discover Your Strengths (9780743201148): Marcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton: Books
It will allow you to take an assessment that will identify what your natural talents are. This book identifies how you like to work while the Holland Codes what you like to do. I'd suggest using the Holland Codes to narrow down your choices and then use "Now Discover Your Strengths" to see if your talents can naturally fit one of the careers you're considering.

Good luck! I hope you find the career of your dreams. :)
AGH HOLY CRAP!!!
THAT'S THE TEST I TOOK!

I remember, because those were the same exact personality types given on the other test.
I remember tying in everything except social and conventional, where I scored really low on conventional.
Damn my well-roundedness. :doh:

The career advisor was like, "Well shit, you're on your own, kiddo." :dry:
It's yet another reason why I left the wretched college.
 

The_Liquid_Laser

Glowy Goopy Goodness
Joined
Jul 11, 2007
Messages
3,376
MBTI Type
ENTP
AGH HOLY CRAP!!!
THAT'S THE TEST I TOOK!

I remember, because those were the same exact personality types given on the other test.
I remember tying in everything except social and conventional, where I scored really low on conventional.
Damn my well-roundedness. :doh:

The career advisor was like, "Well shit, you're on your own, kiddo." :dry:
It's yet another reason why I left the wretched college.

Heh, that's interesting. However I have a very, very strong hunch why you are having trouble figuring out what you like. (As I said I can relate to your situation.) The reason is that one of your natural talents is that you're a "learner". This means that you tend to be quite interested as long as you're learning something, and you'll be disengaged if the material is something you've gone over before. I think that is also why you don't like your Graphic Design classes, since you've already covered the material before. The learner talent is interfering with you discovering what your true preferences are.

However there is a solution. Another way to figure out your Holland Codes is to figure out the type of people you have the greatest affinity with. What type of people do you naturally click with the easiest?

1) Creative types like artists, musicians, actors, writers, etc....
2) Studious, scientific types or people who are drawn to technology
3) Blue collar workers like mechanics, carpenters, or farmers
4) Leader types, i.e. assertive optimistic people that like to rally others together to get something done

If you can pick your preferences from greatest to least then you'll know what your Holland Codes are.
 

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Heh, that's interesting. However I have a very, very strong hunch why you are having trouble figuring out what you like. (As I said I can relate to your situation.) The reason is that one of your natural talents is that you're a "learner". This means that you tend to be quite interested as long as you're learning something, and you'll be disengaged if the material is something you've gone over before. I think that is also why you don't like your Graphic Design classes, since you've already covered the material before. The learner talent is interfering with you discovering what your true preferences are.

However there is a solution. Another way to figure out your Holland Codes is to figure out the type of people you have the greatest affinity with. What type of people do you naturally click with the easiest?

1) Creative types like artists, musicians, actors, writers, etc....
2) Studious, scientific types or people who are drawn to technology
3) Blue collar workers like mechanics, carpenters, or farmers
4) Leader types, i.e. assertive optimistic people that like to rally others together to get something done

If you can pick your preferences from greatest to least then you'll know what your Holland Codes are.

Hmm, difficult, for in all types of people, I have found people that I can click with easily, but also people I would clash with the instant we met (Some artistic types are too over the top about nothing and seem to be the most 'dramatic', scientific and leader types come off with either having 'House' personalities or they are the typical run over everyone to win no matter what types, and blue collar types just have completely different interests than me in general, but for the most part we can get along pretty well superficially).

Since I find that I get along with all types, maybe I could eliminate those negative aspects in people that I will probably never avoid if I go into a certain field by what I can stand the most and what I can't...

I guess scientific types are what I would get along with the most, by that reasoning, following leaders, artists, then blue collars.


And you're probably right about the 'learner' thing...although I find it interesting that I wouldn't consider myself a learner last year, since I didn't give a crap about my classes, if I wanted to know something, I'd look it up on the internet...but then again, my hierarchy of needs was dropped several levels down to trying to not be sick and to deal with the crazy residence issues I had.
 

The_Liquid_Laser

Glowy Goopy Goodness
Joined
Jul 11, 2007
Messages
3,376
MBTI Type
ENTP
I guess scientific types are what I would get along with the most, by that reasoning, following leaders, artists, then blue collars.

Going by that you'd want an Investigative type of career - something in science, engineering, computers or something related. Enterprising is second for you, so an ideal career would be something like managing other geeks, or doing consulting work or possibly starting your own tech oriented company.

My suggestion would be to pick either your favorite science or computer science or engineering and see if you like studying that. If you like that better then you know you're generally in the right area. I'd also suggest you take the assessment in "Now Discover Your Strengths". Simply knowing where your talents lie can help a lot in finding the right path.
 

Chloe

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
2,196
iI have exactly the same problem, even bigger i assume bc i am probably older than you (23), and in my country dropping out of stuff gets you on the begging again, everytime you drop you are back at HS degree, even if you drop on 6th of 6 yrs of medicine school for ex.

Heh, that's interesting. However I have a very, very strong hunch why you are having trouble figuring out what you like. (As I said I can relate to your situation.) The reason is that one of your natural talents is that you're a "learner". This means that you tend to be quite interested as long as you're learning something, and you'll be disengaged if the material is something you've gone over before. I think that is also why you don't like your Graphic Design classes, since you've already covered the material before. The learner talent is interfering with you discovering what your true preferences are.

this reminded me of something that i heard from counselor..that really really opened my eyes.

she said to me "you are kinesthetic learner, you learn from experience. by doing things, trying them. you cant figure out what you want with thinking (like many people can) you need to try it"
that was maybe obvious but really opened my eyes.... bc it's totally true..

some people can say "Oh,i'd like to be a dentist, seems interesting and practical" and just go for it and never feel sorry.

i am just total opposite, cant figure out anything before trying.

so my problem is not trying many things, for starts, and system here is like that that i really cant try anything but medicine, for now. :doh:

but also... there could be probaby other reasons for all this....

like..

not being "school type", i am more and more thinking this is also my case.

also, i believe people like OP, me etc., really cant go for practical thing, we must follow our passion, bc we would be totally unmotivated in something else.

this is all my case
 

Amethyst

¡MI TORTA!
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
2,191
MBTI Type
ESTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
iI have exactly the same problem, even bigger i assume bc i am probably older than you (23), and in my country dropping out of stuff gets you on the begging again, everytime you drop you are back at HS degree, even if you drop on 6th of 6 yrs of medicine school for ex.

:huh: :shock:
Wow, what country are you from?!
 

Chloe

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
2,196
also, intuitives problem: all must make sense on greater level...i must satisfy your current feelings, hunches, interests...it must stimulate you
getting distracted is easy when you are like that, always searching for something new.

ExTP seems more like ENTP in your case.
 
Top