Hello everyone! I am posting here hoping it may give me some sort of guidance or answer.
Ever since graduating high school I have felt completely confused on what to do with my life. I always enjoyed art so I went to a community college and majored in graphic design. Overall it went pretty well, I graduated with a 3.8 and thoroughly enjoyed the classes. However, I was depressed and doubted myself throughout my time there, dismissing my grades as being good due to attending ‘easy community college’. I told myself if I transferred to a 4 year school with this degree I’d fail out. Also worth mentioning, I am aware it’s not the easiest to find a job in graphic design and I would constantly tell myself I’d never get a job in it. So, now I am 21 and two years after graduating CC I am back to square one. Only working, no the slightest clue what to do, where to transfer, ect. This topic is on the back of my mind everyday and I am very stressed and upset.
Besides graphic design, I have considered some other interests. I am a vegan and very passionate about the diet/lifestyle. I would love to have a job centered animal rights/veganism. I am interested in health as well. I took nutrition/ health/ and exercise course while at my CC and found those quite enjoyable. So maybe I could do something in that field? My only problem there is that I am HORRIBLE with science and those majors are mainly science based classes.
Any suggestions? I still would love to do something artistic with my life but I just don’t think I can make a career of it. I constantly feel like a failure for not attending school and I am sick of feeling judged for it. I am trying to transfer by fall of 2018. Let me know what your thoughts are, thank you!
It’s ok to not have things figured out when you are 21. Really it is. Your life is not a failure, and its not a competition.
Couple of thoughts:
I know lots of people that are happily working in graphic design. If you are passionate about it, go for it! You might consider talking to a graphic design professor at a 4-year school about your experience in community college, and get his/her perspective about your fears of “failing out”. You might also want to talk to graphic designers in your area. Most people are happy to share their story and provide advice to someone that is interested in their field. An internship might be a great way for you to try it out!
Since you enjoy health/diet/lifestyle but are not into science classes, maybe explore something that doesn’t require a science education. A friend of mine is a yoga instructor, for example. She loves it!
Keep your chin up and think about what you want your next experience or adventure to be in your life. There’s no scoreboard and your not losing.
Go back to your CC and meet with the Transfer Advisor. Get help choosing places to apply to for graphic design.
Talk with your old professors. They know where their students have transferred and they know where their students have found jobs
Tlak with the fols in the career center. Take some of their career evaluation tests. You could find that you have a whole bunch of talents you weren’t aware of.
Consider meeting with a therapist to work through your depression and self-doubt. Even when you think you have found a goal to work toward, those issues could hold you up.
Consider volunteering with a nonprofit or museum, if you have time. I personally don’t think college is always meant t train for a specific career. You can access job skills through work, volunteering and interning. Check craigslist for these if your community college cannot help.
You are no different from most of the college grads I know. You have an associate’s degree, which is worth something, and at any time in your life you can continue, at your state college or university, with the good grades you have. Community colleges are not necessarily “easy” compared to the 4 year schools.
I know kids who graduated from Harvard who don’t know what to do with their lives either. I know older adults who worked in restaurants for 5 years after college before finding their niche.
Maybe there is a food coop you could work in. I know a guy who was famous, directed a well-known tv show, left Hollywood and became the cheese manager at a food coop in Vermont.
Graphic design is a great field. But you don’t have to work in it because that was your major. I am assuming you have technological skills and I do think you could be useful to some nonprofits, and that could turn into a job. There is also a union in that area: sorry not sure of the terminology. I have a friend who started designing the little blurbs on postcards (after 5 years out of college bartending) then he got involved with a union job and has been designing museum publications for decades.
Life is a series of zigs and zags. A job in a store can lead to designing the window can lead to a job in theater design (another real story). You are doing fine for a 21 year-old, believe me.
One other thing: if you are working and need to work, there are many ways to finish college over the year. Most state U’s have continuing ed, there are adult learner programs, low residency programs (Goddard), and online programs. You can take just a couple of courses at a time if a bachelor’s is important to you. Just try to study something you enjoy and are good at.
But a bachelor’s will not solve the confusion about what to do- that will happen over time.