Serious help only please. Feeling lost and seeking guidance.

[Six8]

Ok guys I don't really know many people on here but from what I've seen there are alot of smart guys posting on these boards. I am at a point in my life where I have a ton of decisions to make that are critical to my future. The fact is that I am terrified of what may come to be of myself and my country.

Here is what I consider to be a description of myself and my situation:
-I am 22 years old.
-I consider myself to be an intelligent and curious person.
-I live on my own and pay all of my bills other than school which my father generously pays for.
-I frequently get depressed when thinking about my life and how it currently stands and may turn out to be.
-I work around 40 hours a week and was forced to take a semester off due to my new job and my truck taking a shit a week before classes started.
-I am a business major.
-My future is a complete mystery to me.

With all that being said and out of the way I guess this is in some way a cry out for help. Everything I read leads me to believe that what I am working for now may mean nothing in the near future. If I choose to go into business for myself I may have no bank to loan me monehy to get started. If I choose to work within the market, the market itself may not even exist.

Why would I go to school when I could just get a job now and gather material posessions which may be all anyone has left soon? I had a hard time motivating myself before all the talk started about our failing economy. Now I find it even harder and more depressing. I would like to think that everyone successful had times of doubt but mine seems to be neverending.

Before this gets too long to read which it may have already, I would like to ask for any words of advice on my situation. I feel selfish for posting this because I think many people may be worse off than myself. But I feel backed into a corner and lost with no one to explain things to me or set me straight on what I misunderstand.

Thank you to those that read this and please don't think of me as someone begging for sympathy. All I really want out of this is to use the knowledge and experience of others to possibly get me back into my old happy self with dreams and plans of a bright future.

 

[canadianhitman]

I think you're looking at this the wrong way. It's not as if the market isn't ever going to recover...it's cyclical...it always does. Besides that, a number of those who have already gotten themselves set financially will take early retirement during this meltdown as you are finishing school. When you graduate, that will mean lots of opportunities to get in on the rebuilding. If you enjoy your course of study, and that's what you really want to do, stick with it. Besides that, having a degree (any degree) is a good thing; it may qualify you to enter other non-related fields. After all, much of what you learn will never be applied on the job; a degree is often just proof that you are able to commit to a course of study and learn. Most careers involve continuous learning, so you're going to want to be able to demonstrate that you are capable to potential employers. I think dropping out and taking a so-so job just so you can by a few more trinkets in the short-term is a terrible idea. Just my two cents.

 

[Six8]

Thank you for responding canadian. The way everyone is making this sound is as if our economy will be dead for decades if not indefinately. Maybe this is just the point where I really am seeing what a cruel world this is even though I thought I had already been exposed to it. Do you really believe that in 2 1/2 years when I am scheduled to graduate that there will be jobs available? Or do you think that there will be a flood of qualified potential employees with no employers seeking them like I am thinking. Its getting late so maybe I'm rambling but I look forward to reading more replies on this tomorrow. Goodnight all.

 

[hurricane]

Ok guys I don't really know many people on here but from what I've seen there are alot of smart guys posting on these boards. I am at a point in my life where I have a ton of decisions to make that are critical to my future. The fact is that I am terrified of what may come to be of myself and my country.

Here is what I consider to be a description of myself and my situation:
-I am 22 years old.
-I consider myself to be an intelligent and curious person.
-I live on my own and pay all of my bills other than school which my father generously pays for.
-I frequently get depressed when thinking about my life and how it currently stands and may turn out to be.
-I work around 40 hours a week and was forced to take a semester off due to my new job and my truck taking a shit a week before classes started.
-I am a business major.
-My future is a complete mystery to me.

With all that being said and out of the way I guess this is in some way a cry out for help. Everything I read leads me to believe that what I am working for now may mean nothing in the near future. If I choose to go into business for myself I may have no bank to loan me monehy to get started. If I choose to work within the market, the market itself may not even exist.

Why would I go to school when I could just get a job now and gather material posessions which may be all anyone has left soon? I had a hard time motivating myself before all the talk started about our failing economy. Now I find it even harder and more depressing. I would like to think that everyone successful had times of doubt but mine seems to be neverending.

Before this gets too long to read which it may have already, I would like to ask for any words of advice on my situation. I feel selfish for posting this because I think many people may be worse off than myself. But I feel backed into a corner and lost with no one to explain things to me or set me straight on what I misunderstand.

Thank you to those that read this and please don't think of me as someone begging for sympathy. All I really want out of this is to use the knowledge and experience of others to possibly get me back into my old happy self with dreams and plans of a bright future.

its that u in your avatar? shyt people change majors all the time in college .. u aint stuck .. u got your whole life ahead and your on a good path cheer up .. alot of people would give an arm and leg to trade spots with ya

 

[Razorguns]

Stop listening to the doomsayer morons. We've had civil wars, depression, black monday, 9/11 - and everyone always talked about the end of the world. Never happens.

Even if it did - move your butt to where the money went - europe, canada, whatever.

As for feeling depressed -- hang around positive people, tackle problems one step at a time, read some autobiography books of people way worse than you and became tycoons, and start viewing the world differently. Everyone around you is not that much different than you. They're also just trying to make it in life before their time is up.

Oh and enjoy life. The meaning of life remember?

r

 

[bw1]

Stop listening to the doomsayer morons.

Nuff said

 

[lartinos]

Hey bro, I think others have touched on it but you are taking total glass half emtpy appeoach to your life.
If you set goals for yourself and really work hard the economy will only set you back if you are in certain sectors.
Right now you should stop worrying about your future and just concentrate on your classes and enjoying the college experience.....
you only get it once bro....enjoy it!!!!
From there you will start to figure out what you really like and want to do. No matter what the thing is that compells you, I say start at the bottom and just work your hardest and make as many friends along the way. There are no easy roads, just ones you open for yourself through dedication. PM me with any questions you have I'll be happy to help you out man. You're taking the right approach in putting yourself out here, there are alot of knowledgeable people to help you figure shit out. Good Luck!

 

[EnderJE]

The quote that helps me the most in life is 'There is no spoon'.

Essentially, it means that there aren't any true non-recoverable consequences (other then murder and jail time, but there are people who've survived that). Sure, you might disappoint some people with your choices; but the most important person to keep happy is YOU.

I know alot of doctors who hate themselves because they took that job for family and it isn't what they truly loved. I know alot of manual labour people who love their job.

 

[musclemom]

Well, my son is a little bit older than you and I'm going to tell you the same thing I've always told him: Do what you love. If you are content in your life on a spiritual/emotional level the material shit works itself out one way or the other.

First of all, you're too young and life is too short to obsess over material posessions and what kind of career your going into and whether the market will go belly up or you can get a business loan or whatever. Ask yourself, "What would I choose to do, even if I weren't getting paid for it?" then move forward.

BTW, as for starting your own business, if your father is generously paying for school (and has the reserves to do such a thing, good for dad) then clearly he has confidence in your abilities. Any chance he'd be interested in investing in a business venture you start? Before you mention something like that to him you need to be willing to strike a contract with him so his investment is protected.

But seriously, life is an adventure to be savored, not anticipated with trepidation. A very major regret I have of my youth is that I made a lot of decisions when I was young based on economic practicality. If I had been a little more creative, chosen the harder way but the way that followed my heart, I would have been happier, more emotionally satisfied and truer to myself. I regret not taking the harder road.

Just remember something, as long as you're chasing it, there's NEVER enough money, ever.

 

[UA_Iron]

When I was 22 I never really had those feelings - that was two years ago. Of course I was juiced to the gills and lifting/engineering was my life. It sounds like you need more productive things to do if you have that much time to sit around and feel depressed about things. Is your course work pretty hard? How about finding a lady and shifting the burden of depression to the burden of madness (she'll drive you nuts, enough to distract the feelings of doom though).

You hit the weights? You stay active? Are you involved in anything? I'd imagine you'd be involved in a lot of things - business majors usually are. If not, you better get involved in clubs and stuff or else your resume will be thin compared to others.

I wouldn't worry about the economy. What you need right now is to start building some good credit history if you have not already. I would get 3 credit cards. Find ones with percentage cash back rewards and use them for your essentials - groceries and gasoline - and pay them off right away. If you have a good credit history and depth out of college you will not have problems with Banks lending you money.