<p>I am having a difficult time deciding where to go from here. I am 20 years old, going on 21, and have an associate's degree in liberal arts from my local community college. I never really enjoyed high school, hated being told what to do, but my overall high school un-weighted GPA was a 3.95. I graduated 103 out of 375 students in my class without taking any honors classes which would have put me much lower because of the weight difference. I received dean's list all of the four semesters that I attended community college. My overall GPA for those two years is solid 4.0. My SAT score was a 1740 during my junior year of high school. I could have taken it again and gotten a higher score but again, I was never a fan of academia and felt it was good enough. I have almost a photographic memory and great recall ability, which is why I managed to coast through high school and community college without really studying or putting in much effort. I see it more that I do not have a passion for those things than that I am lazy and do not like to work. So I would appreciate if you all refrained from bashing my "participation trophy/I get everything I want" generation. I know that we are ungrateful... </p>
<p>ANYWAY, I digress... I am stuck now deciding whether or not to go back to get my bachelor's degree at a four year school (Rutgers or TCNJ most likely) but I am not really interested in anything that colleges teach. None of the degrees offered really interest me. I do not see the point in getting a degree in something if am not going to pursue a career in that field, especially in this day in age and with the economy the way it is. I was looking at a B.S. In liberal arts but I am told that it is literally a worthless degree and not worth the debt I will accumulate. I am not from a wealthy family, and due to the fact that I am a white American male whose parents are NOT divorced, I pretty much qualify for zero student loans and few scholarships (how the tables have turned.) I am a musician and have been playing guitar in bands and gigging for 15 years now. I took a music production and audio engineering course in New York City for a semester and loved it. I would say that I am really only passionate about music, audio engineering, and working out (I am an avid powerlifter) but I realize that none of those things really guarantees a comfortable living. Plus, pursuing a degree in sports training or music is not worth the money as chances of a job are the same regardless.</p>
<p>I refer to my generation as the "transitional generation." This is because we are stuck in the transition of the times. The old way of doing things is done with, but the new way hasn't been shown to us yet so we are literally stuck spinning our wheels and waiting in limbo. The old adage of, "Guy goes to high school, graduates college with a four-year degree and massive debt and then gets a job, pays off his debt just in time to save for retirement and then dies" is not working anymore (has it ever really worked?) Even individuals with college degrees are not finding jobs nowadays. With the amount of debt the country is in, I do not see us ever getting out of it. I was looking at trade jobs, but am not really interested in them either. Plus, I was talked out of plumber and electrician by a plumber and electrician. They told me it is too much wear and tear on your body for such little pay. I have been told that the future of education lies in taking individual certifications and classes based on what you are interested in and building a skill set that way. </p>
<p>With all that being said, I may not know what I want to do with the rest of my life but I do have an idea of where I want to be in ten years. I would like to have my own home, no matter how small, paid off. I would like to have a car, no matter how crappy, paid off. If I am not working doing what I love which is making music, I want to have a 9-5 job that I "like" so that I have the financial means to do what I want on the side. If I ever find myself dreading going to work each morning or "living for the weekend," I would much rather die. In addition I would like to remain debt free which is a big reason I am so hesitant to just "get any degree." I do not think I will really see a return on my investment in this day in age unless I get a degree in something like engineering or computer science. </p>
<p>Obviously individuals' tastes change with age. I do not know what I will enjoy doing even 5 years from now. But I need to make a decision and would appreciate some guidance. I am willing to work hard but it has to be something I love and would be doing anyway even if I didn't get paid for it. The reason we have so many disgruntled workers today is because students choose a degree based on salary as opposed to doing what they love. Many thanks...</p>
<a href=“