So it's only the first semester and I already want to quit. I don't have any motivation to do anything, because nothing interests me besides music. I can't stand to study because I just keep asking myself what's the point in doing it? I'm hesitant to go for a music degree, because I feel like it almost will do nothing for me, especially in the current state of the economy. I'm good at computer, but shit, who isn't now a days? I need some advice folks.
College :\
- Thread starter AllanD
- Start date
TheWinterSnow
Den Mørke Natt
What field are you going into (what program/degree)? I never though about going to college after high school because i hated school in general. After doing heavy labor for a few months I changed my mind. After getting into Revalver about a year ago and how you could design your own amps I wanted to build my own amp and though about starting my own amplifier company. When I found a trade school that had an EE program I jumped onto it like flies on shit. Still loving it because the more I learn in class, the more I learn about how amplifiers work and how I can mod my 5150 and even build my own. I have only been in for 3 quarters and I have already applied as a Repair Technician at a local music store. So repairing amplifiers at a music store because I went to college is pretty fucking win in my book. And I really like computers (I build my own, kind of a little side hobby to music), we are doing networking and programming classes (should be able to make my own VST sims soon) so I could easily turn around and work for the likes of Intel, Cisco, Aerotek and even Aerojet, or I could work at a computer store selling and repairing computer at places like Fry's or Best Buy. So really a general interest of mine that can be loosely related to mine became my career path.
Bottom line if you need motivation you can tell yourself that if you don't get your at least a bachelors degree in anything expect to be doing heavy labor earning near minimum wage, that should whip you into shape. Just for your information the average American that makes a modest living has their bachelors degree, with that after 10 years in the field you will just be making around the 80,000-120,000 a year unless you work for an oil refinery or join the military, you won't be making a living without a bachelors, of course some people get lucky, but the average person doesn't get so lucky.
Bottom line if you need motivation you can tell yourself that if you don't get your at least a bachelors degree in anything expect to be doing heavy labor earning near minimum wage, that should whip you into shape. Just for your information the average American that makes a modest living has their bachelors degree, with that after 10 years in the field you will just be making around the 80,000-120,000 a year unless you work for an oil refinery or join the military, you won't be making a living without a bachelors, of course some people get lucky, but the average person doesn't get so lucky.
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
I'm going to kinda disagree here. I think you should go to college because you want to and because you have an interest in a field. Going just to go is a great way to start life DEEEEEP in debt, with little to no knowledge of where you're going. All my buddies that went to big universities and shit and just raged all the time ended up with debt and most didn't even finish. I doubt they are unique.
TheWinterSnow
Den Mørke Natt
yes I agree, you need a genuine interest in the field that you are going into, but regardless if you expect to make a living you NEED to go to college, that is why it is extremely important that you spend a lot of time researching something that you will enjoy, specifically something that is related(directly or indirectly) to your hobbies/interests that has a demand in that field. So that rules out music school unless you have opportunities of music companies who you know for certain would be interested in hiring you if you had a degree, which is pretty slim.
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
I disagree once again. I don't think you NEED to do anything. There's just a much better chance of you getting something.
But even then a degree doesn't always mean much.
I am in school though.
TheWinterSnow
Den Mørke Natt
High School or college? I totally agree again a degree doesn't mean anything, it lowers your chance for unemployment and increases your chances for pay. In America the percentage of people that are making 80,000+ a year that don't have a degree is almost as low as unemployment (something like 4%). So if you plan on making a living expect to either start your own business or have a very miserable job that you completely hate, usually dangerous, far away from home, overseas, extremely long and hectic/random hours so expect to never see your nice house, drive your nice car, spend time with your family and forget having a romantic life because even if you are home, you will be way too drained to have any leisure time.
if you expect to make $100,000+ a year working a safe 9 to 5 weekday job that's close to home (within a half hour) and not want to blow your brains out after a few years of working there (or just to even somewhat enjoy what you do), you better have a degree because ultimately, its the ones who have a degree who get the good jobs, the ones who don't are the ones who get whats left.
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
I am in college. I have a bout a year and a half left on my undergraduate degree and another 3 years afterward.... (I suppose... depending on which avenue I choose to follow.)
I'm going to bow out here. I made my point and that's it.
I'm going to bow out here. I made my point and that's it.
TheWinterSnow
Den Mørke Natt
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
Hhahah I hope so. I think it's cool though that you decided to do something that interests you and make the plunge to attend school. Especially in this country where education = $$$$$. Sallie Mae has me by the balls.
TheWinterSnow
Den Mørke Natt
Sallie Mae has me by the balls as well, even when you are in college you still fear that it won't make a difference especially in this economy!
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
I don't fear the economy or fear getting a job. I just fear idiots, chimpanzees, Jbroll, and ostrichs.
TheWinterSnow
Den Mørke Natt
ParsonsMatt
Alas, Tyranny
Here's the deal.
If you really have no motivation, and ONLY want to do music, and you don't have any fallback career,
AND you think you are the SHIT, have a ton of drive and determination and think you have a pretty good chance of making it,
drop out of school now before you get any more indebted by it, and work your ASS off to do music.
If, on the other hand, you have a career path idea that you need a degree for, go for that instead, and put music on the back burner.
I chose my career path ideas solely for their ability to let me make music. If my grades are good, I'll do ********, which a part time pharmacist makes $60K annually. If my grades suck, I'm going to be a HS teacher, which gets around $40K, and summers off ( tour time
). Both jobs are highly portable, so I could live anywhere in the US.If I were better at music, I'd have probably dropped out after the first semester and just pursued that as hard as possible. Sometimes I wish I had... Other times I'm glad I didn't.
Do you think the music lifestyle would fit you though?
I've never been a relationship/job type of person, yet I feel like that's what I'm pursuing in college. I think the music lifestyle would work for me except for I like to sleep in my own bed and shit in my own toilet. Music seems really bleak right now. Every person seems to think it's supposed to be free these days...
I've never been a relationship/job type of person, yet I feel like that's what I'm pursuing in college. I think the music lifestyle would work for me except for I like to sleep in my own bed and shit in my own toilet. Music seems really bleak right now. Every person seems to think it's supposed to be free these days...
TheWinterSnow
Den Mørke Natt
and that is why I am going to college, I have a backup because as much as I would like to see myself with that lifestyle, the chances of that happening are slim. But I am doing something in college that can be related to music and unlike music dreams there is a demand for what I am going into so I don;t have to worry about not finding a solid permanent job.
Torniojaws
They call me Juha
It's kind of funny in Finland, because our education is free, it's actually the "poor mans jobs" that earn you big money
90 % of Finns have a degree, and of those, 50 % have a Master's or Doctor's So, because the huge majority of Finns are "overqualified" for plumbing, electrical work, and such, they actually pay very handsomely for those jobs, and the work is not too hard - they have to hold on to the people they can convince to work in that job And the economy certainly does not help. Unemployment in Finland is nearing 10 % :zombie: And that's from statistics from the beginning of this year (basically, last year's data). With the amount of lay offs this year, I'm sure the real number is closer to 15 %. And of those, most are white-collar jobs.
The joke is:
What do you say to a Doctor?
- Hamburger with fries and cola.
Unless the only things that interest you are scrubbing toilets or eating paint chips, you can find something that you'll really want to do. That discovery may or may not happen while you're attending school, but I don't think anyone is going to be able to help much with that.
If you think there might be something there for you, stick with it. If not (and I don't think this is likely), pull out and go back later - you'll be wasting tons of time (and not just yours - your professors and the staff members working with you, anyone who is supporting you somehow, et cetera) and there's nothing like a real job to make college seem like a great fucking idea.
My feelings on all fields that aren't somehow scientific, technical, or mathematical are no secret, so I'm not going to recommend a music degree (I almost went for a music-math dual major at UNT, but then I heard the kind of noise they make at UNT and changed my mind) - it also doesn't help that someone I smoke cigars with pretty frequently has a graduate degree from Juilliard and, last I checked, gets his paychecks installing credit card machines.
If you don't know why you're going into higher education, there's something wrong - there are bazillions of good reasons for doing so, so there's a little bit of a problem somewhere if you haven't found one yet. Don't force yourself through something you won't do well or benefit from.
Jeff
If you think there might be something there for you, stick with it. If not (and I don't think this is likely), pull out and go back later - you'll be wasting tons of time (and not just yours - your professors and the staff members working with you, anyone who is supporting you somehow, et cetera) and there's nothing like a real job to make college seem like a great fucking idea.
My feelings on all fields that aren't somehow scientific, technical, or mathematical are no secret, so I'm not going to recommend a music degree (I almost went for a music-math dual major at UNT, but then I heard the kind of noise they make at UNT and changed my mind) - it also doesn't help that someone I smoke cigars with pretty frequently has a graduate degree from Juilliard and, last I checked, gets his paychecks installing credit card machines.
If you don't know why you're going into higher education, there's something wrong - there are bazillions of good reasons for doing so, so there's a little bit of a problem somewhere if you haven't found one yet. Don't force yourself through something you won't do well or benefit from.
Jeff
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Unless it's different in different states, you need a masters degree to teach.
And if it is different then NY down there, then Jesus Christ that's fucking scary.
Norris-wf
Member
I just graduated last week and I can honestly say it was the best thing I could have done. I enjoyed the course and I would say don't do a course for the sake of it, but as it was mentioned, you'll definitely find some course thats right up your alley. There are tons to choose from, even here in Ireland. I also love music, but I now have the choise to pursue music if I wanted and if it didn't serve me well I have the degree to go back too. Thats just my feeling on it, not everyone will agree.
In my case, I wasn't sure if it was the right area for me when I started but now that I'm finished I'm hoping to get into research in this field so I needed the degree for that. So my advice to you would be to find a course you love or could see yourself doing and follow it through, If you love music and can see yourself doing nothing else then you've answered your own question, your motivated and passionate about music so that is what you need to make a fair go at it. I'd be very surprised if you regretted it on your graduation day
In my case, I wasn't sure if it was the right area for me when I started but now that I'm finished I'm hoping to get into research in this field so I needed the degree for that. So my advice to you would be to find a course you love or could see yourself doing and follow it through, If you love music and can see yourself doing nothing else then you've answered your own question, your motivated and passionate about music so that is what you need to make a fair go at it. I'd be very surprised if you regretted it on your graduation day
