OK, lots of responses here that I have opinions on....so working through them and occasionally reorganising them....
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Originally Posted by
Hombre Secreto 
RN's make a lot of money, but if you don't want to be one... don't. Find something you love. If you love it than it will make you great at it. The money will follow.
I have never really subscribed to that train of thought. In my own career I have found that whenever I have serviced a client in an industry I was supposedly passionate about, the inner workings of said industry have turned me off my once-loved-passion! I have tended to better in fields I have lukewarm emotions and rational, objective counsel to offer, and kept my interests interesting!
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Originally Posted by
celery Money creates opportunity. Going into a field that pays well and offers great flexibility is a smart thing to do. What you love is most likely somewhat impractical (i.e. art, music, dance, and so on with other liberal arts), because I highly doubt you are torn between becoming a nurse and becoming an engineer. If you are truly passionate about something, there will be no stopping you from pursuing it as a hobby, or even academically after you have set up a practical life. .. Another word of warning (from a Fine Arts graduate), is that what you love may not function the same way professionally. As soon as it becomes something you must do (you know, for money), you might find yourself finding it just as restrictive as a regular job. I'm not saying that you can't do something you love and be successful doing it, I'm just saying that you can start with a solid, practical foundation, and then do what you love after
I tend to agree with this more than with the 'if you do what you love you will never work a day' theory - since most people who espouse it don't seem to be in love with financial planning, but think fashion design could be just the ticket for them. In reality, very very few make it, generally because their creative side runs wild and free while their business acumen falls by the wayside.
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Originally Posted by
globetrotter if you can get a nursing degree by age 21 (if I understood your post correctly), do it. there are a lot of things that you can do with a nursing degree that aren't nursing (medical sales, for one) and a nurse can always find a job, including jobs that include travel. even if you want to then turn around and go to university and have fun, being a 22 year old freshman with a great job to pay the bills won't be such a bad thing. on the flip side - as long as you don't create more burdens for your parents, you shouldn't throw away your life to make them happy. the "contract" between parents and kids is that the parents do what they can to prepare the kids for life, but the kids have to make their own decsions, and live their own lives. you can help your parents later when you have money by supporting them a little in their retirmeent etc - just don't become a burden to them now.
Once again Zach and I are in complete agreement in one of these threads. We are both pretty much wired for pragmatism in issues of career choice/education choices. The big hole that the OP is yet to answer is 'what does he really wanna do?' I can tell you that nursing will give you some very interesting opportunities later if you go back and study later/do the MBA or whatever...I work in PR for example. If you went and did some kind of comms training, you would be a shoo-in to work in this field as a healthcare PR consultant, or inhouse at a pharma company. Those people are like gold. I'm sure I am far from being the only person in such an industry either...Zach already mentioned medical sales. Insurance? Law? Lobbying? Public policy? These are all disciplines that keep churning out a Certain Sort Of Grad, but in fact are crying out for specialists who seemingly do not exist. You have a great opportunity to be That Guy.
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Originally Posted by
GQgeek Do you know what you want to do or do you just know that it's not nursing? You will learn that "finding" yourself in college will get very expensive very fast.
^this
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Originally Posted by
Master-Classter I'd suggest taking a TINY bit of time off if possible and going to go do something, like travel, even for a few months. I wish I had had a break after highschool before university. Pick a country or two and couchserf, meet some interesting people and see what life is like. It'll make you more mature when you hit University. As much as i want to agree with the "do what you love" bit from above, the sad truth is life costs money. Most people don't like their jobs anyway. Get a qualification that will feed your children and save whatever you can. Hell, get 2-3 certificates. Spend waht you want on side hobbies for fun.
well here's a thought - is there any profession in the world that will give you the ability to travel as much as nursing will? My ex is a nurse, just back from making buckets on a 2 yr stint in Saudi. She has now moved to outback Australia, and is loving country life, and again, making buckets of money (i think tax free as part of some govt incentive program to improve rural health care or somesuch). She had previously followed me to Singapore, where she worked in a dialysis center and later in an oncology ward there - both interesting experiences for her, that have led to her being very sought after these days - the variety she has done meant that she was wooed very strongly into her current role because in an all-hands-on-deck country hospital, she can do most anything. Go work immunisation in Africa, eastern Europe in hospital management, South America, whatever, you will have an incredibly portable skill that will allow you take you just about anywhere should travel be something you are interested in. And, as per a zillion and three comments above, including my own, then come back and look at what that offers you in other fields, with a buffer of financial security, and no need to be a drain on the family any further, as you study [whatever] while temp nursing or racing all over town doing pathology work (both things my ex did when she was between jobs btw)
