How can I pull myself out of this self-induced rut?

Trades are the way to go if you don't like studying. They're more hands-on. You will not succeed at university if you are not interested in the material, especially if you have to continue working while you attend.

Originally Posted by robin

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I assume since you're asking this question that you aren't marrying up.

Sounds a bit cold, but I guess it does matter.

Originally Posted by GQgeek

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Trades are the way to go if you don't like studying. They're more hands-on. You will not succeed at university if you are not interested in the material, especially if you have to continue working while you attend.
I agree. You could eventually create your own business.

I would be on the trades train as well if I didn't pursue my current path.

And I actually think this is outstanding.....

Originally Posted by Aperipan

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My cousin is a Yale graduate and guess what he does for a living now? He cuts hair. He also makes a lot of money, cutting hair. With my father's blessings, he may even have his own shop in the next few months. Our whole family is ******** on him but he had turned a dismal state of being into something quite lucrative.

Another vote on trades. One of my friends interned or whatever they call it with the electrician's union while in high school. He decided he liked it, so he went to a university and got a 4 year degree in "electrical technology" or something that qualified him to be an electrician, but also qualified him to do a lot more.

Now he makes really good money because he holds licenses to repair all kinds of sensitive and critical infrastructure things.

So, you could always go to trade school now, learn a trade, and then if you decide you want to get more specialized, or into a supervisory role or something, you can do a similar university degree once you are in a different mindset.

Robbie I saw on your blog you had an idea of being a photojournalist for coke, try to see if that works.

Originally Posted by Musselma

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I hope this was sarcasm, because it's always worth it to try and make yourself a better person.

I'm talking about work skills. Go and speak to any career councillor and they will tell you the same thing - once you're in your 20's, it's time to exploit strengths.

Originally Posted by robbie

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I am just so intimidated by the idea of going back to a liberal arts college. I get overwhelmed, and feel I am taking 2-3 classes of no interest, and 1 maybe 2 with the smallest slivers of interesting course material.
Not be harsh, but that's what college is. In large part it is about showing you can put up with a lot of bullshit and unnecessary crap. Unless you want to do a trade or something similar, I'd say suck it up and take the classes.

Originally Posted by Connemara

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Not be harsh, but that's what college is. In large part it is about showing you can put up with a lot of bullshit and unnecessary crap.

Unless you want to do a trade or something similar, I'd say suck it up and take the classes.

You have to at the very least be interested in the general field of your major. If you are not, it will be a miserable time. But ya, even within a major there are going to be things that you like and things that you do not like, and you just have to do them.

Originally Posted by GQgeek

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You have to at the very least be interested in the general field of your major. If you are not, it will be a miserable time. But ya, even within a major there are going to be things that you like and things that you do not like, and you just have to do them.

Robbie doesn't sound like he knows exactly what he wants to do/study for yet, in which case a LAC education is a great way to try out different things.

I really don't have any new perspective, but I'll mention car mechanic because it hasn't already been mentioned in this thread.

I think it would be an awesome job to tinker with cars and fix them for people every day. Build up a good reputation as a car mechanic and get good referrals. Maybe fix up and sell some cars as a side job. I don't know what kinds of qualifications/schooling one would need to make that happen, but I think it would be awesome.

Too bad I've already sold my soul to the man.

Take loans and go to a state school like the majority of the country. There also are many, many financial aid programs and grants available.

Edit: Also I would say move out of Omaha and move to a large city on the coast.

Lets see. You want a job that: requires little formal training; compensates you handsomely; and gives you a lot of free time to pursue your other interests. Let me break it to you: I'm not sure that job exists, at least not without a lot of luck, hard work, or both. You seem to want to take the easy way out. You have to work for things, and until you buckle down you can't expect very much in return.

I think a handful have misunderstood me.

I am not opposed to hard work.



I really am just looking for ideas of jobs that pay better than retail (17k a year) , that I can do for the time being to be able to afford to go back to school. If this means saving up to go back, fine. If this means the job pays enough that I can afford to work fewer hours and take some classes, I am down for that too.

I am not opposed to college, I just don't know if I learn as well in that setting as I might in some other one.

Teger, I am not familiar with the east coast, and have only briefly visited CA and the Upper NW... I couldn't do either. It might not make sense, but people I encountered were of a completely different mentality than I feel I myself am. Nothing against those places or the people in them, I just don't feel they'd be a good fit for me. Thanks for the suggestion though, there is plenty of opportunity on the coasts I am sure.


I do need to start to take more pictures of Coke lore I notice around. I doubt much of what I found interesting would really be of much interest to Coke... it never hurts to try though.

Honestly though, what does a person like say Lynn Downey (levis) or Phil Mooney (Coca-Cola), historians/archivists study to get their jobs?

take loans and get scholarships and go back to school. if you are broke you should be able to get some decent grants and some low interest loans. the majority of people who graduate college do so with some debt, it's not a huge deal. if you have some schooling see if you can transfer credit.

also you can always go to community college for 2 years and then transfer. most community colleges are cheap, have good financial aid and have matriculation agreements with many 4 year schools that lets graduates with an associates transfer as a junior.

those people are most likely professional historians with PHDs.

the issue isn't that you're working retail, it's that you're working retail at target. that sucks, but I don't know if omaha in this economy is going to offer a better opportunity