10 answers
michael
Student
New Orleans, Louisiana
1
Question
Updated
1083 views
I’m unsure on what I wanna do, currently a junior in hs, and I wanna do something get’s me active,losing weight,get’s me stronger, so I thought trades but my parents want me to get the college experience even though my cumulative gpa is low (2.8) and I thought about college mainly North Texas(even it’s out of state) but I’m not sure and one of high paying degree’s like stem majors, I’m not too interested in, so I don’t know what to do?
I’m not sure but would like some help, I wanna be ready for when I step out into the world
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10 answers
Mary Johnson
administrative assistant
1
Answer
Dade City, Florida
Updated
Mary’s Answer
If you're interested in the trades, you can do really well. College isn't the only path to success. Reach out to people in the trades and explore what might excite you.
Thank you for giving me advice.
michael
Tami Moore
Engagement Concierge
1
Answer
Lakeland, Florida
Updated
Tami’s Answer
Hi michael,
Deciding on the direction of the future can be a difficult decision even when you are unsure of the future. You can always go to a community college while trying to figure out which direction you want to go and then transfer to a university with your credits. Just make sure you do what's best for you and not for anyone else.
Deciding on the direction of the future can be a difficult decision even when you are unsure of the future. You can always go to a community college while trying to figure out which direction you want to go and then transfer to a university with your credits. Just make sure you do what's best for you and not for anyone else.
Joseph Ford
240
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
Well, first make sure you do what interest you and not have others make that decision for you. Your parents like other parents want College because they feel it will give you the best opportunity for a career. Theres nothing wrong with that. You are very young and it is ok to make choices in life that are trying because you think it is interesting. Sometimes the only way you really find what you what in life is to make mistakes on the way to a successful career Trade or College. If there is a Trade that has your interest and you feel your good at, example electric, go for it. Especially if there is already a mentor. I worked in a Record Shop, because I enjoyed music. Eventually ended up at three Universities, partied at one before I found my strength was in Computers. Graduated from the 2 other schools. So, it's never to late as long as you're always moving forward and have a good relationship with the parents.
Joseph Aseo
88
Answers
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
It sounds like your goals might be different from what your parents expect, especially if they're thinking about a college degree. But there are other exciting paths you can take! You could look into certificate programs that don't take as long as college but still give you valuable skills. For instance, I know someone who chose a two-year program to become a Physical Therapy Assistant. This allows them to help patients recover from injuries or surgeries while working with a licensed Physical Therapist. It's a rewarding career without needing a four-year degree.
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
michael
SHAKENDRA SINCLAIR
Claims Manager
3
Answers
Macon, Georgia
Updated
SHAKENDRA’s Answer
It's difficult to go in a direction that differs from. The expectations of parents and family. It is important to remember the final decision is yours. I would suggest having an honest conversation with your parents regarding your life goals. There is a good chance once you share your concerns your parents, it could change the context of your conversation. Some things to consider: trade jobs have excellent earning potential often at a lower cost of a 4 year degree. You can often complete dual enrollment classes as a junior or senior in high school. This may allow you the opportunity to consider some trades while gaining certificates or college credit.
Caitlin Canton
Human Resources Manager
31
Answers
Cleveland, Ohio
Updated
Caitlin’s Answer
Hi Michael,
It can be difficult if your vision for your future does not align with what your parents want. I am sure they want the best for you, and potentially want something for you that is different from their own experience.
There are so many options for how you can navigate your future, it can feel overwhelming. I'm glad you came here for some guidance.
I am a firm believer that choosing a career path based on potential income is not a guarantee of "success", especially if the field is something you are not at all interested in, or is really challenging for you. Engineering can be really lucrative, but I am not strong in a lot of those subjects, and have no interest, and it would ultimately not be a great path for me. However, I like math and I am really logical. Accounting was a really good fit for me (though I went to college just pursuing general business because I did not know what I wanted to do).
It sounds like you need to do some reflection about what is important to you and what you want to do. What brings you joy? What subjects are your strongest, or the ones that you enjoy doing in school? When you picture the next year or two, what comes to mind? Try to remove your parents and their goals for you from this picture for the time being. Really focus on what YOU want, after all, this is your life. If you choose a major you don't like or is really, really challenging for you, you could end up not doing well, and that can feel defeating.
You don't have to start college immediately after high school. You can pursue a trade, and maybe take some basic courses at a community college in the evenings. You can just focus on taking community college classes to get a better sense of what you like and what you want to do. You can pursue a certification for a subject that really interests you.
There is no wrong path, and you can always change course when or if you need to. Have an open discussion with your parents and share your vision for yourself. Maybe if they see that you have a plan in place, they will be open to what you want to do.
I wish you the best of luck!
It can be difficult if your vision for your future does not align with what your parents want. I am sure they want the best for you, and potentially want something for you that is different from their own experience.
There are so many options for how you can navigate your future, it can feel overwhelming. I'm glad you came here for some guidance.
I am a firm believer that choosing a career path based on potential income is not a guarantee of "success", especially if the field is something you are not at all interested in, or is really challenging for you. Engineering can be really lucrative, but I am not strong in a lot of those subjects, and have no interest, and it would ultimately not be a great path for me. However, I like math and I am really logical. Accounting was a really good fit for me (though I went to college just pursuing general business because I did not know what I wanted to do).
It sounds like you need to do some reflection about what is important to you and what you want to do. What brings you joy? What subjects are your strongest, or the ones that you enjoy doing in school? When you picture the next year or two, what comes to mind? Try to remove your parents and their goals for you from this picture for the time being. Really focus on what YOU want, after all, this is your life. If you choose a major you don't like or is really, really challenging for you, you could end up not doing well, and that can feel defeating.
You don't have to start college immediately after high school. You can pursue a trade, and maybe take some basic courses at a community college in the evenings. You can just focus on taking community college classes to get a better sense of what you like and what you want to do. You can pursue a certification for a subject that really interests you.
There is no wrong path, and you can always change course when or if you need to. Have an open discussion with your parents and share your vision for yourself. Maybe if they see that you have a plan in place, they will be open to what you want to do.
I wish you the best of luck!
Peyton Alexander
Account Executive
3
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Peyton’s Answer
Definitely see if there's people in your community that have done either. Someone who went the trades route, talk to them, then do the same that went with the college route. Ask what each of them liked and disliked about their experiences. Then, ultimately, follow your gut on what you truly want in your life. If you want to give college a go, you can go and have a general education degree while you figure out what you'd like to specialize in. Or you can do the same for trades!
UNT is a great school with a super welcoming campus where there's groups for anyone to make friends!
UNT is a great school with a super welcoming campus where there's groups for anyone to make friends!
John Graham
Music Producer
90
Answers
Bremerton, Washington
Updated
John’s Answer
Hey Michael!
Have you thought about doing a hitch in the Service? You just need a HS diploma or GED. They will help you get in shape and keep you there.
Here's a link to what the Navy requires: https://www.navy.com/joining/requirements
In addition here are some of the physical requirements - I would advise trying to get as close to them as possible before visiting a recruiter.
Navy Physical Requirements for Joining: To enlist in the U.S. Navy, candidates must meet specific physical fitness standards. These include passing a swim test, a body composition assessment, and the Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT).
Here's a link about what to expect in Basic Training: https://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/Recruits/
Here are the guides on Physical Readiness to help you prepare:
https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Support-Services/Culture-Resilience/Physical-Readiness/Guides/
Here's a list of all the jobs for enlisted personnel in the Navy:
The great things about letting the Navy train you for a career are: They pay you while you're doing it, and you get on the job experience that you can use after you get out if you want to (e.g., Medical and Dental, Information Technology and Systems, Logistics, Aircraft Maintenance, Construction, Security, Air Traffic Control, Culinary (food/chef), Electrical systems/power distribution, Heavy Equipment Operation, Utilities and Environment, Music, Administration, Personnel, etc.).
If you make the service a career, the benefits are amazing: (Health, Education, Retirement, plus Housing and Travel while you're in. Here's a link about those: https://www.navy.com/careers-benefits/pay
I know it's not for everyone - but it's definitely an option. And if you do decide to do college first, you can join as an officer and the pay and retirement benefits are even higher.
I enlisted in the Navy and then later applied for officer status with a degree, then later on they sent me to postgraduate school for a Master's degree - free to me. When I retired, I got a full pension and my wife and I receive free medical for the rest of our lives - which can be rather significant as you get older. I was also able to complete a second career after the service in a related field. I visited 26 countries during my Service time, and lived up and down both coasts and overseas (twice). It's something to think about.
Whatever you do - you're going to do great! Best of luck and exciting times ahead on your journey...
Have you thought about doing a hitch in the Service? You just need a HS diploma or GED. They will help you get in shape and keep you there.
Here's a link to what the Navy requires: https://www.navy.com/joining/requirements
In addition here are some of the physical requirements - I would advise trying to get as close to them as possible before visiting a recruiter.
Navy Physical Requirements for Joining: To enlist in the U.S. Navy, candidates must meet specific physical fitness standards. These include passing a swim test, a body composition assessment, and the Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT).
Here's a link about what to expect in Basic Training: https://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/Recruits/
Here are the guides on Physical Readiness to help you prepare:
https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Support-Services/Culture-Resilience/Physical-Readiness/Guides/
Here's a list of all the jobs for enlisted personnel in the Navy:
The great things about letting the Navy train you for a career are: They pay you while you're doing it, and you get on the job experience that you can use after you get out if you want to (e.g., Medical and Dental, Information Technology and Systems, Logistics, Aircraft Maintenance, Construction, Security, Air Traffic Control, Culinary (food/chef), Electrical systems/power distribution, Heavy Equipment Operation, Utilities and Environment, Music, Administration, Personnel, etc.).
If you make the service a career, the benefits are amazing: (Health, Education, Retirement, plus Housing and Travel while you're in. Here's a link about those: https://www.navy.com/careers-benefits/pay
I know it's not for everyone - but it's definitely an option. And if you do decide to do college first, you can join as an officer and the pay and retirement benefits are even higher.
I enlisted in the Navy and then later applied for officer status with a degree, then later on they sent me to postgraduate school for a Master's degree - free to me. When I retired, I got a full pension and my wife and I receive free medical for the rest of our lives - which can be rather significant as you get older. I was also able to complete a second career after the service in a related field. I visited 26 countries during my Service time, and lived up and down both coasts and overseas (twice). It's something to think about.
Whatever you do - you're going to do great! Best of luck and exciting times ahead on your journey...
Liam Rielly
Data Center Technician
180
Answers
Manassas, Virginia
Updated
Liam’s Answer
I am not going to tell you what to do but I am going to tell you what I did because it seems we are similar.
The majority of my family works or worked in education or finance. I was always told that I needed a college degree to get anywhere. My grades were all over the place, from A's to F's. I had a great opportunity to go to a community college and get an associates degree and then make my way on to a different school after. I lived in a town where people had some factory jobs and not much else. I had no real idea what a job was but my father was a hard worker and did the same job for 30 years, and my mom did a few different jobs but those jobs didn't hold for decades.
I went to school for music performance but figured out the first three weeks the average band geek was way more skilled than I was so I eventually dropped out. Even though I did not graduate with anything, this allowed me to check the box on applications of "some college" as my highest education.
Later I worked a job that was ok but it had no path and did not have me working with anything challenging. I really liked the people that I worked with, I was suspicious about my company, and there was no path to more money or better work overall. At this point I saw some people I was going to high school with get jobs I wish I had and that motivated me a little.
In high school I was discouraged from being an electrician, working on computers, or trying to look further than my town for work. I was told an electrician is a low level job, computers you had to know math inside and out, and that the best place to live in the world was 20 feet from where I was standing.
I moved out of my town and went to a bigger city in order to attend the electricians apprenticeship. I worked hard for about six years doing projects in all sorts of places I would never have been on my own. I made it through the program and got a couple of licenses and a lot of experience. I only worked as an electrician for a couple years past that point.
I got a unique opportunity to work for a company that did testing on industrial equipment. I had test equipment that was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that I would bring to a building, connect it, get a graph with a bunch of lines on it, and make recommendations for equipment repairs if it is needed. This level of work had me working at the same level as electrical and mechanical engineers. I could not certify results or prove the math needed to change equipment function. This limited by not having a college degree.
When I was getting this job I got a contract that had me making decent money. There were a couple of things I was unsure of, legal words etc, on the contract do I brought it to my dad and asked him what they meant. He read it over and his eyes popped out of his head. I was making more money than he had at the height of his career. I signed and continued work but he couldn't believe that I had made that much money.
I left that job and started working at a data center. I came in doing computer hardware support, a field I had no training or schooling in whatsoever. I studied videos, books, did small projects, and built a small lab in my home (a home lab) so I could constantly learn work skills on my own time. I did a few different roles in the data center. The projects I am on I see them mentioned on the news and on websites almost daily now. I really like the work that I do and appreciate the company I work for and the people I see day in and day out.
Other than "electrician", my parents have no idea what I do. I can explain it to them over and over and they don't get it, you have to get to a point in your life where if your parents don't understand, you just smile and keep moving.
I went back to school for a short time for computer science just to try one last time. My time management was beyond poor so I couldn't complete the classes I needed. I hopped on a call with my mentor who raised the red flag about where I was in my classes. She was trying to help me come up with a better plan to move forward from there and she asked how much I was making at my current job. I told her, she was shocked. It was more money than she was making and had made. Her professional career was one to aspire to, degrees, years in the field, big name projects, but I made more money than her.
What is my point with this lengthy post? I explained all of this because I felt exactly where you are today. You don't need to go to college, but having it on a resume is never a bad thing even if its incomplete. You don't have to do an apprenticeship, but it will help you working in the trades definitely. You don't have to work a super fancy job, but some day you are going to look at someone doing something you like and think "I wish I could do that!". You can carve your own path and make your way down it, but its a little more work so make sure its the work you want to do. You can be placed in a job because you have degrees/ certs/ licenses, but can you move from that job to another if you wanted? The job where I was testing industrial equipment doesn't even have a real job title but was the most fun I have had working at all!
To mirror what others are saying here, your parents are saying what they are saying because they care. They might not know how to carve a path for you or how to give advice that will support you years later but that's their best intent. I hope my experience shines a little light on a path for you and allows you to become a professional in the field you want!
The majority of my family works or worked in education or finance. I was always told that I needed a college degree to get anywhere. My grades were all over the place, from A's to F's. I had a great opportunity to go to a community college and get an associates degree and then make my way on to a different school after. I lived in a town where people had some factory jobs and not much else. I had no real idea what a job was but my father was a hard worker and did the same job for 30 years, and my mom did a few different jobs but those jobs didn't hold for decades.
I went to school for music performance but figured out the first three weeks the average band geek was way more skilled than I was so I eventually dropped out. Even though I did not graduate with anything, this allowed me to check the box on applications of "some college" as my highest education.
Later I worked a job that was ok but it had no path and did not have me working with anything challenging. I really liked the people that I worked with, I was suspicious about my company, and there was no path to more money or better work overall. At this point I saw some people I was going to high school with get jobs I wish I had and that motivated me a little.
In high school I was discouraged from being an electrician, working on computers, or trying to look further than my town for work. I was told an electrician is a low level job, computers you had to know math inside and out, and that the best place to live in the world was 20 feet from where I was standing.
I moved out of my town and went to a bigger city in order to attend the electricians apprenticeship. I worked hard for about six years doing projects in all sorts of places I would never have been on my own. I made it through the program and got a couple of licenses and a lot of experience. I only worked as an electrician for a couple years past that point.
I got a unique opportunity to work for a company that did testing on industrial equipment. I had test equipment that was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that I would bring to a building, connect it, get a graph with a bunch of lines on it, and make recommendations for equipment repairs if it is needed. This level of work had me working at the same level as electrical and mechanical engineers. I could not certify results or prove the math needed to change equipment function. This limited by not having a college degree.
When I was getting this job I got a contract that had me making decent money. There were a couple of things I was unsure of, legal words etc, on the contract do I brought it to my dad and asked him what they meant. He read it over and his eyes popped out of his head. I was making more money than he had at the height of his career. I signed and continued work but he couldn't believe that I had made that much money.
I left that job and started working at a data center. I came in doing computer hardware support, a field I had no training or schooling in whatsoever. I studied videos, books, did small projects, and built a small lab in my home (a home lab) so I could constantly learn work skills on my own time. I did a few different roles in the data center. The projects I am on I see them mentioned on the news and on websites almost daily now. I really like the work that I do and appreciate the company I work for and the people I see day in and day out.
Other than "electrician", my parents have no idea what I do. I can explain it to them over and over and they don't get it, you have to get to a point in your life where if your parents don't understand, you just smile and keep moving.
I went back to school for a short time for computer science just to try one last time. My time management was beyond poor so I couldn't complete the classes I needed. I hopped on a call with my mentor who raised the red flag about where I was in my classes. She was trying to help me come up with a better plan to move forward from there and she asked how much I was making at my current job. I told her, she was shocked. It was more money than she was making and had made. Her professional career was one to aspire to, degrees, years in the field, big name projects, but I made more money than her.
What is my point with this lengthy post? I explained all of this because I felt exactly where you are today. You don't need to go to college, but having it on a resume is never a bad thing even if its incomplete. You don't have to do an apprenticeship, but it will help you working in the trades definitely. You don't have to work a super fancy job, but some day you are going to look at someone doing something you like and think "I wish I could do that!". You can carve your own path and make your way down it, but its a little more work so make sure its the work you want to do. You can be placed in a job because you have degrees/ certs/ licenses, but can you move from that job to another if you wanted? The job where I was testing industrial equipment doesn't even have a real job title but was the most fun I have had working at all!
To mirror what others are saying here, your parents are saying what they are saying because they care. They might not know how to carve a path for you or how to give advice that will support you years later but that's their best intent. I hope my experience shines a little light on a path for you and allows you to become a professional in the field you want!
Very amazing story, thanks for your advice
michael
Rebecca Tang
Banking
2571
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Think 3 top things you would like to achieve in short term, e.g. within 2026
2. Define quantifiable goals and breakdown down into small milestones every month, e.g.
- lose weight 1lb each month,
- improve your academic assessment by one grade
3. Put down the plan how to achieve these goals. Start with something easy.
E.g. Do 15- 30 min exercise, eat less chocolate every day
Assign some time to do revision every day
4. If you can achieve the goal, have some little celebration and share the achievement with your family and friends
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Below are my suggestions :
1. Think 3 top things you would like to achieve in short term, e.g. within 2026
2. Define quantifiable goals and breakdown down into small milestones every month, e.g.
- lose weight 1lb each month,
- improve your academic assessment by one grade
3. Put down the plan how to achieve these goals. Start with something easy.
E.g. Do 15- 30 min exercise, eat less chocolate every day
Assign some time to do revision every day
4. If you can achieve the goal, have some little celebration and share the achievement with your family and friends
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Thank you, Rebecca!
michael