What the efff do I do?

It seems to me that some people are born with one set goal in their life. They go through school and take all the proper classes and strive to achieve whatever it is they've always wanted to do. Some people don't have that. I'm one of those people. I'm a junior in high school, don't have much time left, and still have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. I know one thing i want to do is go to San Francisco or somewhere In California and live on a beach or something like that... But what else??? I don't know, and I don't want my parents to be disappointed or freak out on me because I don't have a plan. They're gonna think I'm a bum like my brother who collects unemployment at the age of 20, or my sister who purposely got pregnant to drop out of college and then got really bitchy for no reason...
Maybe it's just me.
But please I'd like some advice:2thumbsup:

 

If your life were a novel with you as the main character how would it play out? Don't worry about being realistic.

 

Don't worry so much, your in the best position ever. You can do anything you want to.

 

I'm 21 and just recently figured out what I'm content with doing with my life. I won't use the word want because I want to have a billion dollars dropped in my lap but that's not going to happen, anyway, I'm currently going to night/morning classes to get my diploma and then plan on going to a trade school for plumbing.

 

Well, in a perfect world... I'd be a beach hobo and there would be no need for money anywhere
But... I kinda need money

 

you are nowhere near having 'not much time left'

i'm 19, spent the past 1 and a half years in a college i don't really want to be at, taking (and failing, unfortunately) classes that really don't matter to my degree and overall not making the best out of my situation - but i realize that really the only thing (okay not only) I do have going for me is TIME. there is plenty of it in the long run

i'm planning on applying to the art institute in denver and moving in with my sister for the time being. it's a great idea, as it is a wish of mine that I am realizing and actualizing!

you can make things happen! you don't HAVE to know what you want to do either. You're only 16! You still have a whole other year and a half of high school. And then another bullshit year that you can take up to do whatever (i'd suggest going to college and doing bullshit there, though)

 

Just to share perspective with you - when I was in high school, I lived in a group home with other "problem" kids. I was getting A's in math and biology and F's in history and english and C's or D's in pretty much everything else. Dropped out of my last year of high school to work and ended up finishing later in night school and got a GED. Got to attend one semester of college due to a program for us kids at the group home - of which I skipped about half the classes. Pretty much I was not a top prospect for a good job.

Meanwhile, plenty of the kids around me in high school had good parents and money and were able to "go through school and take all the proper classes and strive to achieve whatever it is they've always wanted to do".

But eventually I found myself and - long story short - even with those starting disadvantages, now here I am I'm middle-aged, helping my 22-year old son pay for his 3rd year of Engineering at Wash-U (where he has a 3.93 gpa), and I have managed to retire early with a paid-for home and few debts.

Basically, at your stage of life you actually do still have plenty of time to find the road you want to travel, and start down it; and even get to the end of it. Don't get stressed up on it all.

You are fine - there is yet time for you.

 

Sounds like you need to appreciate what you've got. Do you have food, good health, a good schooling, parents and friends and freedom? Some people don't have any of these. They aren't worried about not having 'time'. Might want to reflect on that.

 

Thanks for all the good replies. I think I'm just stressing about it because everyone right now- students, friends, and teachers- are talking about what they want to do or what college they're going to and how they have these fantastic plans for a higher education, and I don't. It made me think i should have a college plan. But really I don't need one yet.

Also I asked my mom, "If i really became a beach hobo, would you be disappointed in me?" and she just goes "OF COURSE NOT!!! "
So that's good

 

You are so young! Im going to keep this real short. I agree with Nostromo, basically DONT SWEAT IT. Alot of people just like me dont know what they want to do. I went back to school later on, and now I'm doing very well Thank the Lord.
Enjoy your youth! Go live on a beach for a while the answer will come to you, you cant find it.

 

bet over half of those kids saying they know exactly what they want to do in college will go to school, have a breakdown and completely shift their focus

 

I'm 57 and watching my son go through this right now. Only you can figure out what you will do in life.

Get your self some menial job that allows you to save a few bucks and go to Cali and live on that beach. Then go do it again. You will find your goal along the way.

All you "have" to do is look after your own food, shelter and clothing.

The rest will look after itself

 

do much of anything. I suggest a hitch in the Airforce or Navy. not much risk or effort involved. Save your money, take correspondence courses on the tax payer, and have some financing for when you get out. If you still have no idea, you will be no worse off, believe me. Youll have 30k or so to fund you for 2-3 years of being "tight" with your $, while you learn/decide some more.

 

Don't sweat it. Just don't get stuck in some master plan you're not sure about. You're very young. Plenty of time. Follow your heart and see what happens. Oh yeah. Astrology helped me figure out who the heck I was.
Good luck.

 

are you stressing about lack of a plan..or stressing about what other people think about you not having one?....It isnt such a big deal that you havnt decided yet...in the mean time...get yourself a prepared answer for the next time someone asks what your plan is....

.......just get a juicy answer ready...like this....I'm looking into a program run by the airforce that is training pilots for fighter jets...its only an 8 year commitment and after that i think i might start my own helicopter school:mickey:

...see?..i just made that up..it will tide you over till you decide your path

...heres another

..I love the beach life and sun and surf so i am thinking about a degree in graphics and a business degree so that i can start my own surf board company

if you need more let me know lol

good luck:mickey:

 

I don't think this is very relevant. Worrying about what your going to do in the future isn't "not appreciating what you've got" its making use of the things that you have. Schooling for no reason is a waste if you have no plans for a future, and people who dont have those things wouldn't respect that at all. This is a little too personal dude. You don't know her, do you?

Anyway, i'm right here with you on this one. I have time though, i'm a freshman, but i'm scared that i'll get to where you are and still have no clue. Talk it over with people who have jobs that you trust, and ask them how they felt at your age whether or not they knew what they'd do, how long it took them, etc. and see what you can do to understand what you'd like to accomplish in the future. Don't let your hopes down though, just talk to adults and your parents and you'll come to a conclusion eventually.

 

yea i hate when people talk about being successful as if it means going to college, becoming a doc, having a huge house, and driving a fancy car.

basically its doing what makes you happy in life without having to mooch to stay afloat.

i knew a 30 year old beach bum once in hawaii. he didnt have a job and he didnt use government assistance. he was very successful. he made just a small amount by trading stocks to pay for plan tickets when he wanted to move and a small amount of gear. he lived off the land and ate anything he could catch, mostly fish and other seafood along with fruit that grew all over the island. he had a scooter that he drove to save time getting to his fishing spots and such but other then that he only owned a small bag of gear like a knife and fishing net, things like that. he also did things like weave baskets that he sold to tourist. the thing about him is he didnt need much to make him happy. he didnt want a house or big TV. he loved his life the way he was living it. and that to me is success

the less you need to be happy the less money you will need to make. who knows, you could be happy just selling hemp jewelry you make out of things and shells you find at the beach.

 

You shouldn' worry so much... Life's a gas and then you die! It's like what Nina Simone sung about... Everythings change... Nothing remains the same... Cept, the rain comes from the clouds, sunshine from the sky... and humming birds do fly!

 

can i move to san fran with u?

 

Yeah you can hang with the gutter punks on Haight St. selling $5 quantities of pot for $20. Throw on a Tie-Dye and now you are no longer a gutter punk and are now a Hippie. You can then justify robbing the tourists (that much of a mark up is robbery) by saying that they don't complain about being screwed. Plus they can go back to Wisconsin and say that they bought weed from a hippie in the Haight. Then just make sure that you don't fall asleep on the sidewalk between 11pm and 6am or you are facing a $150 dollar fine. Not to mention the $250 fine that you can get for panhandling. Sorry to piss all over your fantasy kid. Reality sucks.

Now I know I'm a crumudgen. But Gentrification happens. I have a pretty cool Hippie job that pays the bills. I help disabled people. The going rate for rent in SF is about $1200 a month for a studio apartment. Berkeley is about $800. College kids keep the rent's down. Plus there is about a 10% unemployment rate out here. You may as well go to school while you are at it. Learn something useful that can help you give back to society instead of sponging off them. This helps break down alot of the negative stereotypes people have about hippies being shiftless sponges who are stuck in the past.

Stay Brown,
Rev J