Looking for advice!

hawky94

The Brit Pack (probationer)
Hi everyone!

I'm looking for your opinions/advice on an issue... I wouldn't really call it an 'issue', but anyway.

I've just finished high school here in Canada (YAY! :D) And currently have a small job which pays minimum wage, but will not be attending post-secondary-education institution in the Autumn.

I'm happy to have money in my pocket, but, I would like to attend post-secondary education at some point, but I see several problems: Firstly, I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life right now. I'm a writer by trade, so I'm looking to potentially follow up on that. But there is also other things I've considered doing (Policing, Journalism, and then there's joining the military.)

The second issue that I see with my post-secondary aspiration is that I do not have the money to fund my own secondary-education (it costs around $30,000/year) and I do not want to be balls-deep in student loans and paying them off until I'm thirty.

There is a possibility that the military could pay for my post-secondary education, but that's not certain. Given that I might re-locate to the UK next year, I'm unsure as to whether I should follow that up...

I'd also like to travel - see the world, perhaps not right now, but at some point in my life, I'd love to backpack or tour bike through Europe and the world.

I feel as though I'm stuck betwixt a rock and a hard place... Any advice?

Cheers. Sorry for the ramble :p Hawky.
 
Hi everyone!

I'm looking for your opinions/advice on an issue... I wouldn't really call it an 'issue', but anyway.

I've just finished high school here in Canada (YAY! :D) And currently have a small job which pays minimum wage, but will not be attending post-secondary-education institution in the Autumn.

I'm happy to have money in my pocket, but, I would like to attend post-secondary education at some point, but I see several problems: Firstly, I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life right now. I'm a writer by trade, so I'm looking to potentially follow up on that. But there is also other things I've considered doing (Policing, Journalism, and then there's joining the military.)

The second issue that I see with my post-secondary aspiration is that I do not have the money to fund my own secondary-education (it costs around $30,000/year) and I do not want to be balls-deep in student loans and paying them off until I'm thirty.

There is a possibility that the military could pay for my post-secondary education, but that's not certain. Given that I might re-locate to the UK next year, I'm unsure as to whether I should follow that up...

I'd also like to travel - see the world, perhaps not right now, but at some point in my life, I'd love to backpack or tour bike through Europe and the world.

I feel as though I'm stuck betwixt a rock and a hard place... Any advice?

Cheers. Sorry for the ramble :p Hawky.
My opinion, and it is just that, a personal opinion is to line your pockets and get a very decent safety net in your savings account before you make any rash decisions.

University is good, but having a degree doesn't pay the bills. My brother just graduated from MTU, in a very popular field yet he is having a VERY rough time finding a job in his field, actually, a decent paying job in any field. :confused: My parents signed for his school loans and in less than 6 months those payments will start. That's a huge responsibility.

I did not get a degree (I dropped out of University) and had a decent paying job and I am glad I did. I wish I had kept that job for a little longer and I had been more careful with the choices I made with it. Money that is put into savings goes very quickly when life pops up with her little surprises. Lunatik and I are learning this the hard way. Did you know a fractured foot gets you a month off work? Yeah. :confused:

I can't stress enough that you need to have a cushion behind you in case anything happens. While acquiring some savings you can think about what path you would like to take next, be it military, university, or just backpacking.
 
My friend- welcome the the world of adulthood, trust me... very soon you will wish that you back when you were 10 and had no worries, except how to date the girl sitting next to you in class... :)

Thinking about your future is the first correct step. The next thing would be to weigh your options that are available to you. Making that choice is really yours to make- and decide carefully...

There is a difference between what you want and what you need- i think you already knew that... Decide on what you need first, what you want can be made when you have the resources, that resources come from getting what you need.

I am not sure about Canadian policies with regards to education, but the military may not be the only organisation that provides opportunities for furthering your studies while learning a trade- I may be wrong in this...

In the end it boils down to you, my friend...
 
Hey buddy, congrats on graduating HS! I graduated last year after taking a 5th year and well..its been rough. I actually took over a business from my former boss which btw is bloody lucky (minus the hefty bills), so I am bringing in income (with the help of my dad) from that.

Instead of going to university, think about going to college- cause the same courses you can get in university you can find in college..and hopefully get right into the work force afterwards. I know that originally I was looking at university for Computer Engineering and ended up looking at the College version of it... So as said before...save up your money then go to college. Do something that interests you.
 
Hi everyone!

I'm looking for your opinions/advice on an issue... I wouldn't really call it an 'issue', but anyway.

I've just finished high school here in Canada (YAY! :D) And currently have a small job which pays minimum wage, but will not be attending post-secondary-education institution in the Autumn.

I'm happy to have money in my pocket, but, I would like to attend post-secondary education at some point, but I see several problems: Firstly, I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life right now. I'm a writer by trade, so I'm looking to potentially follow up on that. But there is also other things I've considered doing (Policing, Journalism, and then there's joining the military.)

The second issue that I see with my post-secondary aspiration is that I do not have the money to fund my own secondary-education (it costs around $30,000/year) and I do not want to be balls-deep in student loans and paying them off until I'm thirty.

There is a possibility that the military could pay for my post-secondary education, but that's not certain. Given that I might re-locate to the UK next year, I'm unsure as to whether I should follow that up...

I'd also like to travel - see the world, perhaps not right now, but at some point in my life, I'd love to backpack or tour bike through Europe and the world.

I feel as though I'm stuck betwixt a rock and a hard place... Any advice?

Cheers. Sorry for the ramble :p Hawky.

If you want to follow up on your writing; the journalism is the way to go. You shall ask yourself what you really want to do; you have a lot of time to think about it. To study at the college and the university level is different than the HS level so you must be interested in the subject. When I read your poems and your thoughts here; I should suggest being an English teacher. Another thing you can do before you decide what education you want is to check the job market for the education you get. There is an uncertainty with that, because the labor market maybe different when you graduate from a college and a university
 
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Don´t be the guy who signs up to get his collage paid.
IF you are to sign up, especially in these times make sure it is what you WANT to do.
Chances are these days you will be going to places you didn´t know existed doing **** you never heard of for a pay that doesn´t impress.
Be absolutely sure it is what you want.

IF and/or WHEN you decide to go that route you have ample oppurtunities to speak to people on here that has been there done that before you.

All in all, no one can make this decision for you. When you have decided and show some motivation and drive there are a treasuretrove of experience to draw from on this here site.

Good luck in whatever life this decision will lead you into.
KJ sends..
 
I have been thinking. The cost to attend to the high level must include the cost of living. The tuition cannot be that high; there is a way to managing the tuition. Firstly, check if you can get a scholarship and grants. Secondly, are you able to work meanwhile you are taking the undergraduate level? When I was taking my two Bachelor degrees, I was working full time. In the retrospect, I am asking myself; when did I sleep? Working full time and being a student at full time. Regardless, it will save you some money. If you are going for a MA, it will require your full attention. I took my two MAs after each other. However, I took four degrees only because I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. It gives me a huge opportunity today, when I jumping between these two fields. Boredom is my biggest nemesis.

The Swedish School system is different; in Sweden you must write a BA thesis, which is slightly shorter than a MA thesis, to get all degrees.

To be honest, your poems are really good, but it can be difficult to make a living on writing poems, they can be a sideline. If you consider being an English teacher, you can work abroad. Traveling the world and get paid to do so.
 
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