Thinking of skipping college

TheBiz

I'm just looking for some others insight.

18, in Leaving Cert filling out the CAO and mentally changing weekly and not to sure if college is for me.

I'm looking at business at the moment because I find it easy enough and it's fairly universal/transferable but I don't really know if it's for me.

I love music and men's fashion.
That's where my interests lie, so I was considering skipping college and pursuing those two interests.

That sounds great but I'd need to go out, get a job, move to the likes or Dublin, London etc (I'm from the rural west of Ireland) and providing for myself and going it alone seems intimidating, I mean nobody I've known has done this, and living in a big city on low pay doesn't seem likely. Not to mention I wouldn't know anyone.

At the same time college seems like a waste of 4 years and a lot of money, and my parents wouldn't be too keen on paying for me to study design/music..

I had also thought of becoming a barber but I'm not 100% sure..

What do you think?

(No obvious question just looking for insight)

desertcircus

Music and men's fashion both have something in common - they're both fields in which plenty of people earn close to zero. Most of the money in both cases is made in offices that have only a tangential relationship to the field - so the bulk of well-paid jobs in music are in accounting departments, IT infrastructure, sales management and the like, while something similar operates in fashion (both men's and women's).

There is, however, nothing to stop you from pursuing these interests while also studying in college; Ents in particular is a great place to get involved if you want to move into the music industry later on. It can actually be a big boost - a record company or booking agent, for example, will have far more use for a knowledgeable business graduate with solid Ents experience than someone who's been playing at open mics for four years and now needs a steady job.

One thing I'd mention, which may come across wrongly, is this: forget about making your fortune as a musician, DJ or designer. It's not impossible, but in terms of the likelihood that you specifically will do it, it's as close as it gets to a 0% probability. You have a comparable chance of winning the lottery, so think about other areas within the industry and whether you'd find them interesting enough to go into.

TheBiz

desertcircus wrote: »

Music and men's fashion both have something in common - they're both fields in which plenty of people earn close to zero. Most of the money in both cases is made in offices that have only a tangential relationship to the field - so the bulk of well-paid jobs in music are in accounting departments, IT infrastructure, sales management and the like, while something similar operates in fashion (both men's and women's).

There is, however, nothing to stop you from pursuing these interests while also studying in college; Ents in particular is a great place to get involved if you want to move into the music industry later on. It can actually be a big boost - a record company or booking agent, for example, will have far more use for a knowledgeable business graduate with solid Ents experience than someone who's been playing at open mics for four years and now needs a steady job.

One thing I'd mention, which may come across wrongly, is this: forget about making your fortune as a musician, DJ or designer. It's not impossible, but in terms of the likelihood that you specifically will do it, it's as close as it gets to a 0% probability. You have a comparable chance of winning the lottery, so think about other areas within the industry and whether you'd find them interesting enough to go into.

Then again, lottery is just luck, you can't 'work harder' to win the lotto, buying more tickets is not the same as a full time dedication to the topic, + less people pursue these careers then those who do the lotto.
But I do see you're point and that's why I'm unsure..
I don't necessarily want to be a designer but to work as a stylist or in the creative side of fashion, or something closely related.

A lot of what this ties into for me is wanting to be self employed or at least have control over what I do..

desertcircus

TheBiz wrote: »

Then again, lottery is just luck, you can't 'work harder' to win the lotto, buying more tickets is not the same as a full time dedication to the topic, + less people pursue these careers then those who do the lotto.
But I do see you're point and that's why I'm unsure..
I don't necessarily want to be a designer but to work as a stylist or in the creative side of fashion, or something closely related.

A lot of what this ties into for me is wanting to be self employed or at least have control over what I do..

I don't know about men's fashion, but making a good wage from playing or writing music is far more difficult than in almost any other field, and is to a huge extent a factor of dumb luck or one-in-a-million talent. I know a couple of people working as musicians, and they're working long and unsociable hours in wedding bands to make a living - that's the reality for most.

One thing I would say regarding self-employment is that it's been fetishised to a certain extent over the past few years with the rise of startup culture. Most self-employment in Ireland is in the shape of farming, and a huge chunk of the rest is in the shape of very small operations that require long hours and extremely hard work, and a willingness to take on a lot of stress. There is more freedom to choose what you do on average, but there are huge differences between different fields and types of self-employment, just as there are in different fields and types of salaried work. A well-paid nine to five role can give you a lot more freedom for a lot less stress than running your own shop or working freelance.

godtabh

Not every every one needs to go to college but you do need to understand what it takes to get into the industry you want. Then see what kind of background similar people in industry have. Is it formal education or experience?

Zenify

Even if you later decide not to work in business I would highly recommend a business degree.

I went to college and got a business degree after 4 years. Worked in a related field and hated it. Doing something completely unrelated to business now but I am still happy I did my degree. There are a couple of reasons I'm still happy:

1. I would have always asked myself what if.... if I never got it.

2. A business degree can be used everyday in life no matter what you do. A degree will get you thinking in a more advanced way. Some people disagree with this but they are usually the people with a pass degree or similar. Apply yourself in college and it will be worth it.

Piriz

my advice would be to study the best degree you can get into, the best qualification will lead to the best job opportunities, salary and financial independence. You can retain your interests in music and fashion by having money and spare time to go to gigs and shop for clothes. perhaps you can work in retail or barbers part time during college. if your interested in business, finance etc you might become an entrepreneur in the future but you need a good skill set /qualification and start up money to do so.
having a stable career and financial security is gold
just to add.. a holder of a good degree can achieve earnings from 25k starting to 50k after a good few years and to 100k if you excel at what you do..

cantdecide

I never made it to college for many reasons and I regret it for two reasons; 1) I would have enjoyed the social life (I ended up in male dominated work places and missed the chance to meet women outside the drinking scene (and I don't drink) so much lamenting followed and 2) I dithered and dithered for years and was a passenger in my own career which was largely based in construction based and then the poop hit the fan and I have nothing to fall back on.

I also wanted to become a mechanics apprentice but I was practically forbidden by my parents, which was bad advice. I would have loved it. Now I study and work full time trying to finally go legit and it's tough. Specifically, it's tough to become a student alone, later in life and forge all the skills that you've been developing up to this point.

My advice to you, sir, is to find something, even if it's something that your parents won't approve of and will never give you a living and just go for it. Most qualifications can be used as a platform to do other things and if you talk to people, a huge degree of people end up deviating from the plan enormously. Just pick something that works for you and go for it.

PhoenixParker

If you don't know what to do in college then take a year off, work for a bit, talk to people and think about it carefully. Maybe do a Plc course or something quicker and lighter then college to keep you mentally ticking over.

I wouldn't recommend skipping college but if you're that uncertain there's no harm deferring for a year.

tradhead

If I were you I'd do my best to make a decision for the CAO but just remember that it's really not the end of the world! Once that's done, could you look into maybe doing some work experience or an internship over the summer? This might give you a better insight into what you want to pursue, whether it's in music or fashion or in something business-related.

I honestly think that if you want to end up in either field, a business degree would be no harm at all. There are also a lot of jobs now that require a degree regardless of the discipline, so I wouldn't rule college out too hastily. However, it's genuinely not for everyone so deferring for a year, if it comes to September and you're still not sure, might be no harm either. It's still a while away tho and a lot can happen in a few months so concentrate on what's in front of you for now

Amirani

I'd fully recommend going to college if at all possible. The degree doesn't have to be related to your primary work interest, but the skills and fall back you gain make it very worthwhile.

Absolutely pursue your side interests at the same time, you will have enough time to do so of you're passionate about them.

Piriz

just to add further info into the mix..
a degree qualification opens doors, in fact with no decent qualification you will struggle in the world unless you know people who will give you a job in their business. A degree is not just a pass card you get after four years, a degree is knowledge that you will keep with you for life, knowledge that others will pay you for and knowledge that will give you a level of self confidence you can not acquire without putting the graft in.
as an 18 year old you have less motivation in professional sectors like business, finance, etc, but you have lots in music and fashion..this is normal, but by the time you reach 24 you might have lots of interest in business development, financial trading, renewable energy etc. and you will aim to focus your career in this type of direction.. an 18 year old's interest will change over the decade that follows.

TheBiz

Piriz wrote: »

just to add further info into the mix..
a degree qualification opens doors, in fact with no decent qualification you will struggle in the world unless you know people who will give you a job in their business. A degree is not just a pass card you get after four years, a degree is knowledge that you will keep with you for life, knowledge that others will pay you for and knowledge that will give you a level of self confidence you can not acquire without putting the graft in.
as an 18 year old you have less motivation in professional sectors like business, finance, etc, but you have lots in music and fashion..this is normal, but by the time you reach 24 you might have lots of interest in business development, financial trading, renewable energy etc. and you will aim to focus your career in this type of direction.. an 18 year old's interest will change over the decade that follows.

And surely I'll change with them, I actually already do find a lot of what you mentioned interesting but I wouldn't like to work in those areas.

Being that I would like to run my own business, I'd need to have a decent level of knowledge about the topic but I hardly believe a degree is outright necessary.
Going by my mocks I should be around the 400 point range and I think that I do have the ability to learn adapt and start again.

I'd love to learn about so many things, stocks being one of them, jewellery design being another and my parents alway said 'after your Leaving Cert' so I've put them all off, but now it feels like college is going to be 4 years where I could be doing so much more, realistically I won't be fully focused on my degree, I will probably end up neglecting it in pursuit of other things.

It could be fun, but I'd also end up going to keep the parents quiet, meet people and not be so unsure of where I'm going in life.

discus

A lot of the advise on this forum is from people who haven't got a clue.

University is dead, mate. 50% of young people are going to uni these days, and the market is saturated. Get a trade, start a business and earn better rewards. A huge amount of companies over here in the UK are switching from grad roles to apprenticeships. Look at Deloitte, EY, Babcock, BAe, Pfizer, Defence Science... They are looking for apprentices in Finance, Chemistry, Engineering, Accounting, Safety as well as the usual manual trades.

I've come back to uni, after a few years in the British Army, and tbh if I was your age, I'd be looking at a finance or science apprenticeship. Good money, great experience and by your 4th year, you are on more money that a graduate who comes into the business. Graduate programmes are dwindling by the day, as companies are taking in people and training them better than any university ever could.

You have a better insight of your needs than anyone else on this forum. Go with your gut, I reckon you have the drive to be one of the pioneers of this new era! Good luck

And here's a link you might find useful. http://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/apprenticeship

stoneill

If you are paying for it - do what you want.
If your parents are paying for it then pick the right course and stick with it.

discus

a degree qualification opens doors, in fact with no decent qualification you will struggle in the world unless you know people who will give you a job in their business. A degree is not just a pass card you get after four years, a degree is knowledge that you will keep with you for life

As a grad from a decade ago, I can tell you that your degree is only as current as your experience related to it. A standalone degree is worth jack **** these days.

knowledge that others will pay you for and knowledge that will give you a level of self confidence you can not acquire without putting the graft in.
as an 18 year old you have less motivation in professional sectors like business, finance, etc,

That's a load of crap - pointless generalisation. There are young people out there with great motivation.

but you have lots in music and fashion..this is normal, but by the time you reach 24 you might have lots of interest in business development, financial trading, renewable energy etc. and you will aim to focus your career in this type of direction.. an 18 year old's interest will change over the decade that follows.

And plenty of people develop that acumen over the years. At 18, with 5 decades of work ahead of him, he's better taking his chances with his passions. He's not even 20 and hes looking to move abroad and take on the world, why restrain him to 4 years of studying for something he has little interest in?

eeguy

My advice, as someone who spent 7 years in college across 2 degrees is don't jump on a course just because

Just because your friends are going to college, your parents want it or its the done thing.

If you want to pursue your passions, then go for it. Take a year to look around and see exactly what's needed to break into the field. Get a part time job to keep you in cash and the parents off your back.

Do your research, email people already doing the job you want to do and just ask them how they find it.

Look for courses that might be relevant.

Don't "just do" a business degree. If you hate it, you'll end up with a sh*t degree you won't even want on a CV

Sleepy

Forget about making a living in music or fashion. They're pipe-dreams and ones many, many millennials are suffering while chasing. There seems to be a much greater tolerance amongst parents for allowing their children to waste years of their lives chasing dreams than there was even 15 years ago and almost worse, there seems to be no-one in government or the Dept. of Education worried about wasting public money paying for hundreds of young people to get degrees in these type of field every year when only tens of them will ever make a living at it (and that in a country where such endeavours would allow someone an almost tax-free work life).

With about 90% of graduates from design / fashion degrees still living off their parents, on the dole or working retail jobs, what hope do you think you'd have in that industry with nothing more than a decent leaving cert?

Keep your hobbies your hobbies. Do a degree that makes you generally useful enough to society that you should be able to find employment with it and pursue the hobbies through the various societies and clubs on campus.

Stealthfins

discus wrote:

As a grad from a decade ago, I can tell you that your degree is only as current as your experience related to it. A standalone degree is worth jack **** these days.

Working in the horticultural industry I have met graduates from universities and 2 year plc courses.

Some of the best landscape gardener's and designers,nurserymen and women had less qualifications but more experience and enthusiasm than the graduates from leading horticultural colleges in the UK.

Knowledge experience and enthusiasm far outweigh letters after your name.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

fancy pigeon

If you're not ready yet, why not take the year out to find something that suits?

Find out what you like and go into college with a focused mind

beks101

Can you take a year off and just work/travel while you try to figure things out?

When I was 18 I was fairly clueless and was going to slide half-heartedly into an Arts degree but instead I just took some time off, worked in a music shop for a year and a few months in it all became clear to me. Went back to the CAO form, applied to study Journalism and have been working as a TV producer all over the world ever since.

I think the stress of making this decision that will affect the rest of your life at 18 is immense, when you have little life experience and little idea of what's practical and what's actually realistic in the real world. Some time spent out there paying your own bills and meeting people, hearing about others' experiences in college, can give you more clarity than you currently have.

fits

OP i know a lot of people who are interested in and even good at playing music. But they are not trained. Hell a lot of them cant even read music. Apparently double bass players who can read music are close to non existent in this country.

Why not get properly classically trained eg in UL. You could do a business qualification alongside or afterwards. If that is where your interest lies go for it.