aight heres the deal...when i graduated high school i planned on going to college and doing the whole degree/professional job ____. but after about the first 2 years of it i realized that i hate going to college, absolutely hate it. the classes, the tests, the people...and the bull____, and spending two grand every six months on something that i hate. on the flipside my parents constantly push me to study, go to college, graduate, make money blah blah blah...but really i dont give a damn because i would rather make 25-35k a year doing something that i love to do then make 100k doing something i hate. i'm gonna turn 21 next month, and im joining the sheriff reserves and plan on switchin jobs and workin in the jail to get my foot in the door. now, what should i tell the parents since i know its gonna dissapoint em so much?a

 

They run billboards here in Socal looking for cops. The highest dollar amount I have seen is $73,000 for starting as a County Correction Officer (jailer). I am sure that includes a lot of overtime--but still it is a lot of money. My brothers were cops, but I went to college. I have to say that I did not do any better then they did in the long run. They get pensions--which don't exist in the private sector much anymore. How close are you to getting a degree? It would be ashamed to stop short if you are close--you would always regret it later. Maybe you need to take a semester/quarter off to think it through. Good luck!

 

Or switch your major...
The fact is, a degree means a lot, whether you use it or not.

I was in the same boat. I did two years as a psych major and I burned out. I transferred schools and studied audio for the remainder of the time. I have my BA, and while I'm not working in the field, it makes me a more valuable candidate for a job than someone who only has a high school diploma.

Take some time off, or try to find a major that you can have fun with. Then go for the sheriff reserves. If you have that degree, you'll already be a step ahead.

 

That's y I'm goin to a 2 year community college. U still get a degree if u don't want to continue on and if u want to get the 4year degree u can always transfer n do it, plus u save alot of money n can still make the same amount as someone who went to a full 4year school.

 

Cops here have to have a 2 year Criminal Justice Degree. They will hire you without one, but they will require you to go to night school. Plus it doesn't pay anywhere near 73k.

 

Cali can't be compared to anywhere else, it cost $250k to buy a 800 sq ft house sandwhiched between a crack house and a ***** house that needs to be totally redone.

If you don't like it, then get out. You should be advised tho, that nobody makes 100k right out of college, and most college under-grads will work 20 years before they see that kind of dough.

Sometimes, spending a few years on the job market w/o a degree makes college a lot more appetizing, but not always, and you might find your calling w/o a degree, millions of folks have.

 

a degree can be helpful/desired in many fields, but that doesn't mean one can't make a good living ( and be "happy" ) without one. That degree could mean more income initially, but it may also come with a nice student loan to cover as well. My wife & I know people who used their degree to be very successful in their fields, and we also know many who switched careers enough to make that degree unused. Or in many cases grads end up not being able to find the right job after school, and enter the workforce in a totally unrelated field ( and that degree did not help at all ). Our daughter is in a similar situation, had an idea on a career but not the interest or drive to go thru 6 years of school to try to make it happen. So for now she'll be a worker bee; with the mindset that her options are always open if she decides to go back in college. And thankfully she didn't stretch the school out for a few years and create all that debt for something she ended up not wanting.
So my opinion for what's worth: if you are in the right field and that field has a solid job outlook then it makes sense. But I don't always agree to go to school for school's sake unless money & time is not a concern.
My .02 anyways

 

suck it up and finish up. then do whatever you want to do career wise as you want. don't waste two years jus to give it up now. don't take any time off or you most likely never finish if you already hate it now.

 

i'm all for finishing your education because without a doubt it opens far more doors for the rest of your life compared to not having it.

your major doesn't dictate the rest of your life and say you can only work in these kinds of jobs. your college diploma demonstrates that you have the ability to learn and that you see things through to the end. my dad has a degree in zoology, but he is the senior planner for the housing development, engergy conservation and asbestos, fungus and lead abatement. doesn't work with any animals other than our pets.

one of my boss's who owns the chain or restaurants majored in criminology, which is ironic because he is the biggest crook i know, but he did it because he only needed to take one math class.

lastely, sometimes people aren't just ready for college. my orientation teacher told me that some people come in, just aren't ready. they drop out, spend a year or two in the real world, and come back ready after seeing what the real world has for them without their degrees.

i think you are just burnt out from finals, you can get through and then take a break over the summer, don't make any rash decisions.

 

^^Agree completely.

Sh*t gets tough in school and you will get burned out from time to time but DON'T make any rash decisions that you will regret for the rest of your life. Try switching majors or taking the summer or a semester off but don't for the life of you quit school. It is extremely hard for people to come back to school after quiting.

I know for a fact that advancing in most gov't jobs is damn near impossible and even more so without a degree. The money may be a great plus but trust me their are lots of downsides to most gov't jobs. You're best bet is to stick it out in school.

 

Yeah, some people just aren't school people. Sadly you really need a degree to get a decent job most of the time. And I'm pretty sure cops have to have at least a 2 year degree. At least here in chicago they do now. If you really feel burnt out, I'd say take a semester off or so and pick it up again. I got burnt out on my major real fast. I took different classes that still filled requirements though and then went back to my major stuff. Turned out the intro classes were just really rough and the higher end classes were fairly smooth going. You might have just got a bad batch of classes/professors. I know if you get a bad professor it is nearly impossible to learn anything and is infinitely frustrating.

 

Dude... quit being a pansy and finish school. Cops don't make crap. On top of that, if you are a market director or some kind of professional do you have to worry about coming home every time you go to work?

Would rather do something you enjoy for 30k?
Do you enjoy sports cars? Large homes? The finer things in life? Well too bad cause you limited yourself by not finishing school. Think about it.