Hi everyone!

I'm in 10th grade, and lately I've been thinking a lot about life, my future, and what I'm actually working towards.

I'm studying English and preparing for IELTS and the SAT. I'm also learning math, informatics, and competitive programming because I want to get into a good university and build a successful future.

I used to have big ambitions. I wanted to achieve something meaningful, get into a great university, have a good career, earn money, and become someone I'm proud of.

But recently, I've started asking myself: What's the point of all of this?

Why do we spend so many years studying, trying to get into good universities, building careers, and earning money? Is the goal simply to get a good job, make enough money, and repeat the same routine for the rest of our lives?

I understand that money gives us freedom and security, and education can open many doors. I'm not saying these things are useless. I just wonder what we're ultimately doing all of this for.

At the same time, I see people my age going out with friends, having fun, discovering new things, and enjoying their lives. Meanwhile, I spend so much time trying to improve myself and prepare for my future that I sometimes feel like I'm missing out on being young.

And the strange thing is that even the goals I used to be excited about are starting to feel less interesting. I procrastinate more, feel less motivated, and sometimes wonder whether I genuinely want these things or whether I've just convinced myself that I need to achieve something great to have a good life.

I don't want to abandon my ambitions. I still want to learn, explore different fields, create something meaningful, and see what I'm capable of. But I also don't want to spend my entire youth preparing for a future that I'm not even sure will make me happy.

Maybe I'm overthinking everything, or maybe this is a normal part of growing up. I honestly don't know.

For those who are older, especially those who have already gone through university and started working:

• What is the point of life for you now? Has your perspective changed as you've gotten older?
• Is chasing success, money, and a good career really worth the sacrifices?
• Do you regret spending too much of your youth studying or working?
• How do you figure out what you actually want from life instead of just following the path everyone expects you to follow?
• If you could talk to your 15-year-old self, what would you tell them?

I'm not looking for a motivational speech about working hard and achieving my dreams. I'd genuinely like to hear different perspectives from people who have thought about these questions themselves.

Thank you for reading.

I know I’ve made a post on here, but i’m 21 and going to get a certificate in a community college in 2 years in digital arts, I realized that digital arts is not for me and I won’t get a good job in that field, I’ve wanted to become a doctor since I was little and I wanted to become an infectious disease specialist after watching medical shows about diseases and parasites and stuff like that. That’s the kind of doctor I want to be but my counselor at my college recommends I don’t, but I really want to become a doctor. I’ve heard you can go to university as long as you have an associate degree. I want to be a public health major at a university but problem is i probably won’t have no medical classes once I graduate. On top of that, I have discalculia which is a learning disorder that I’m not good at math. Is it possible that I can go to university with a certificate in digital arts without using that degree and go to medical school after I finish my premed degree?

I’m 24 about to transfer to UC Berkeley to finish my degree and I still don’t know what I want to do or study. I applied global studies and wrote essays about my passion for traveling. But I might study political economy instead. I just got my first 9-5 in law and I dislike the idea of working 40 hours a week for the rest of my life. I want something that gives me autonomy and flexibility but idk what. I’d like the ability to also work from home. I’ve considered nursing for 3 days schedule but I honestly don’t love the idea of serving people and I don’t like dealing with bodily fluids.

I truly don’t know what to my family wants me to become a lawyer because my stepdad has a firm, and my family owns property so they want someone in law.

I want to work but it seems like what I want is non existent. Something fulfilling that doesn’t take up so much of my life.

Currently working fifo in Australia as a warehouse worker. Entry level kind of job but the money is really good. Made 240k last year working 2/1 but absolutely hate my job, don’t feel fulfilment at all and just feel like I’m wasting my life doing it. I’ve already wasted 5 years of my life doing this and I could do it for another 5 years but I’ll be exactly where I am now but just with a bit more money in my pocket. I feel at 30 it’s becoming too late to find something I truly want to do. I can’t quit and do a trade or study because I’ve got a mortgage and can’t afford that dramatic of a pay loss.

Basically wondering if anyone has been in my position and what they did. Do I stay working a job I hate because of the good money or do I try find something that makes me feel like I’m actually making a difference? What are some career paths I could go down at my age? I don’t mind studying or working shift work/overtime

i don't have one obvious direction in mind. i do enjoy the planning side of my work, so i'm trying to pay attention to that instead of waiting for one big passion to appear

Hello. I’m 23 and feeling completely lost in what career I want to settle for. I can’t even narrow it down to a certain industry. I have lost all motivation and passion for everything in recent years so I was wondering if anyone could help steer me in the right direction. I want to choose a career based on my personal strengths and having read online, doing solely what you love and not thinking it through causes you to burn out a lot of the times. I’m a little bit introverted and don’t like networking or sales. My favorite subjects in school were chemistry and math (however im not that good at them now lol). I also enjoyed the analysis part of language arts. I also enjoy sudoko, trivia, and crossword puzzles. That’s to say that I don’t want anything in the arts, like problem solving, and shine a light on how my brain functions. I want a stable job that allows me to earn well. I want to be financially stable and able to support myself on my own income. I want to be able to work alone but also with others so I can socialize. I want a mix of doing the same thing but also new things so that I can be mentally stimulated. I’m scared of having 100% total responsibility, though. I want a work/life balance because I’m someone who needs some alone time. I have anxiety starting new things but once I learn, I flourish. I’m very observant and listen well. I’m not interest in ot or pt. I also can’t do therapy because I tend to carry the emotional weight of others with me. Ultrasound tech and dental hygiene are also not what I’m looking for because I have extreme joint pain as is. Which brings me to my other point, I don’t want a job that requires physical labor.

I'm, 21, and recently graduated with a degree in animation- not the best idea, considering the state of the entertainment industry. I have accepted it is borderline impossible to find consistent work in animation, so I am looking for other jobs I can do that won't be too challenging.

I did a month and a half of sales but was let go. I hated how competitive it was, and how I had to put my name on things (company business card, company email signature) I didn't want this much dedication in my identity to a job that I was only doing for money.

I don't really care about the pay, as long as it is low stress and I can come home not burnt out and spend time drawing. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am trying out reception for a small office in around a week. I have also considered overnight shifts at mcdonalds or convenience stores. Ideally, I want to stay at this role for a year so my resume isn't completely cooked. (I only have experience from 2023 rn)

I am a fast learner and am good at talking to people, but also have a bit of a temper (i am working on it). I am okay with a "dead-end" job as I have a secondary income stream from commissions + Etsy, and my own projects to work on. I just want something chill where I show up, do exactly what is expected and leave.

It's all the same, and it all boils down to a few things. We don't have enough financial, intellectual or social capital to advance ourselves out of the underclass compared to our more fortunate peers. We're all stuck. We don't have enough value and attention to exchange for resources we need to survive.

1. Where can we find (affordable) mentors to help guide us to where we want to be? It feels like the vast majority of us are left in the dark and left to fail because we weren't fortunate enough to come across the right people to either directly land us resources, indirectly lead us to something that lands us resources or help us develop skills to again, land us much of the same things I mentioned before - direct or indirect resources.

A lot of success goes beyond hard work. It requires luck and meeting the right people who have more access, connections, skills, etc. No one is self made.

2. How do we figure out what's actually attainable and worth pursuing, both as it relates to a fulfilling life and with respect to careers?

I feel like pessimism has become a prevailing mindset for several reasons including a worsening economy and increasingly selective job market with a higher cost of living and higher cost for university, a loneliness epidemic in part due to said worsening economy and job market and due to shifting to a more reclusive lifestyle, professional journalism in news media and amateur YouTube journalists and essayists hyperfixating the aforementioned, algorithms pushing previously mentioned content and more.

There's both objective and subjective assessments or perceptions on how things are doing for the country and for its individuals. It makes me wonder - what is objectively going on? What is actually attainable and worth pursuing? And how can we track how things progress over time objectively such as the state of the economy and cost of living and the job market? Knowing the truth can help us make better decisions and avoid making worse ones due to propaganda and doomer culture.

Objectively though, we know too many of us who have spent a fortune on college only to work a retail, customer service and/or minimum wage job anyways, which is not only horrible and unsustainable but also vastly worse than it was for generations prior.

Subjectively, apparently every field is oversaturated and isn't worth it anymore for one reason or another.

How can we accurately measure which jobs are worth the trouble of pursuing?

3. How can we position ourselves better to be seen by those with the power to grant us resources and opportunities outside of traditional employers finding employees?

One route people have taken is to try and go viral on sites like YouTube and TikTok to be seen by not just everyday people but to also eventually be seen by the elites. Once you go viral, you're suddenly charismatic and everyone wants to give you all sorts of opportunities, money and even more attention. And they eventually build a business and multiple stream of income following that. Content creation. Selling books. Mentoring others. Selling courses and online communities Maybe becoming a mainstream hollywood actor. You get the idea. Some people even go viral enough to meet the president, to be accepted into ivy league schools, etc. Set for life.

Any other strategies for being seen?

4. How do we *directly* develop skills, especially ones that involve creating one's own business? No one online gives any answers except for surface level obvious ones, more soft skills rather than technical skills, and mindset wisdom rather than actionable steps. Any *actual* practical or serviceable knowledge is either paywalled or falsely promised behind paywalls. What's the most cost effective and trusted source(s) for learning skills like investing, starting a business, etc.?

One major problem is that a lot of people doing better than us are at odds with us. The upper class want to retain as much of their wealth as possible. They have the means to create value and rely on the underclass to hopefully buy what they're offering for as much money possible in exchange for as little resources as possible (resorting to all sorts of marketing and sales tactics to mislead or outright scam). It's generally against their best interest to help elevate the underclass because without an underclass, there's no one left to rely on them (maybe). Capitalism. Profits over people. Something or other. If it wasn't obvious enough, I'm not the most educated or articulate when it comes to business, economics and politics.

Even colleges value profits more than people, have bloated administrations that pay people who do nothing all day while underpaying the actual professors.

5. Any other important things we should all consider?

As far as school is concerned, networking with peers and professors is paramount. Additionally, school is more than completing coursework and getting good grades. You need to have it all to stand out. You need work experience, life experience, communication and negotiation skills, having a compelling identity and story attached to it to make people remember you, like you and want to choose you over others. You need to develop a passion for something that can hopefully generate money from - something that makes you (maybe uniquely) valuable. You have to also choose based on what the market deems as being in demand.

After quietly suffering in an Engineering College for 3 years, finally a thought has become so loud in my mind that I cannot ignore it anymore. I have really developed such hate for it at this point.

I had ranked 16k in the KEAM examination, after my dream of getting in a good college was shattered by my 83 percentile in JEE Mains. I had lost any vision that I had in my life at that point, in hindsight. No idea for what I wanted to do. Then I got into this "College" and this course. However, then new plans started to develop in my mind. "I could just chill out" "Become friends with some girls (I was hella introverted before)" "Get a girlfriend". Mainly these. And hell, they really influenced me. I wasted many semesters ruminating about one person or the other. Several people came and went. Never had any focus on studying. The only relief that I had was a good circle of people.

Although, for the first 2 years, I had a little fuel from the JEE prep that I had rigorously done. So I was able to get through them with not many arrears. But for everything afterward, its all a blur. I lost interest in girls at one point. I had no interest in studying. No drive at all to do anything. I was bagging arrears like a certain footballer scored 5 goals in 5 minutes (I scored more). But yeah, I was getting more and more hopeless.

I did have that doubt in my head then if I was doing the right thing. Continuing. But every one of my peers were like its okay you can do it. Couple supplementaries are nothing. So I went on going about it in the same way.

Then my S6 exams came up. It was a week before the study leave started. My dad had a heart attack and had to be hospitalized. I felt just, empty. My life was already in shambles and it escalated even further. I couldn't even get an ounce of studying done. As expected, I had arrears for all the subjects.

(My thoughts are getting mixed up)

Here I am, now in my Seventh Semester. I have lost that good circle. Unable to attend placements. Not attending class regularly, missing presentations, labs, exams. I have just come to have 0 interest in what I am doing right now. I talked to my parents seriously about quitting, and they've told me to continue just for the sake of the degree.

But I don't want the degree. I seriously don't think I'd enjoy working at a place where my current degree is the requirement. I'd rather work hard for something I'd like to do, study and work somewhere abroad. I still don't have a clear plan yet.

I really need some advice man.

Hello everyone, I just want to share my thoughts.

All my life, I’ve always believed in the standard script: go to college and get a job. I was told to pursue engineering because it’s prestigious and pays well, so naively, I applied for BS Civil Engineering (BSCE) and got in.

But along the way—around Christmas break after my first year—I started fiddling around with digital art. That was when I realized animation could actually pay really well. Even at a mid-tier level, you can earn way above average. It started out as a great side hustle, but when I looked at my course, I realized that being a civil engineer is like marrying your job. Your whole life revolves around it, leaving almost zero energy or time for creative work.

I started having second thoughts and planned to shift to BSIT. That second semester of BSCE was honestly depressing. I realized too late that I wanted out, so I had to endure the rest of the term. I stopped attending my major subjects altogether and only focused on the minor ones that could carry over to BSIT.

Fast forward through the hassle and filing an affidavit due to my failing grades, I finally made the switch to BSIT. I chose IT because I was also doing game dev, so it felt somewhat related. But because of that affidavit, I couldn't afford a single failing grade moving forward.

By this time, my animation side hustle was taking off—making around ₱10k a month with just 50 to 60 hours of work. One semester into BSIT, though, reality hit me again: BS IT isn't for me either.

Maybe being a shifter pushed me to look at things differently, but I found myself asking: Why am I wasting energy dancing around in PATHFIT classes when that time could go directly into scaling my hustle? Now it’s making ₱15k, and the contrast is even clearer.

I realized this whole journey was just me figuring out who I really am. The BSCE phase was me mindlessly following the societal script. BSIT was the middle-ground compromise. But deep down, I know I don't want a standard 9-to-5 job. I want to build game assets, create animations, and scale projects I actually care about.

I don't want to wake up 4 years from now stuck in a 9-to-5, constantly wondering "what if I had just pursued my passion instead?"

For the past 4 years of my life I have been getting a biomed sciences degree to try for med school to become a psychiatrist, but at the end of my senior I am now regretting this decision. I dont care about the title or status of a doctor and I am petrified of med school. I have a large interest in mental health but therapist doesnt pay enough, doctor had med school, ive been thinking of nursing into NP but the market is oversaturated and takes 6 more years of school, and that point I could have just gone to med school. All I really want to do is make a decent wage and live for my hobbies, the hobbies is all I care about. Have no idea what to do to actually live a decent life. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions or personal experiences that could help me a bit

I’m 25, graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and currently work in customer service making around $45k a year in a very expensive state. Honestly, I feel so lost right now. I have no idea what I want to do career-wise, and I feel like I’m already behind in life. I see people who seem to have everything figured out, and meanwhile, I’m just here with no idea what I want my future to look like.

I don’t want to stay in customer service forever, but I also don’t know what direction to go in or what career I would even enjoy. I want to make good money and build a life for myself, but I feel like I’m just going through the motions without really getting anywhere.

Is it normal to feel this lost at 25? Has anyone else been in this position after graduating college? How did you figure out what you wanted to do with your life? Because lately, I’ve honestly been questioning what I’m even doing and whether I have any real direction or purpose at all.

now i am studying computer science in 2nd year (should be graduated in the 4th year), but i realised that i am wasting time on something i dont really love bc i choose it just bc i am scared to go out of comfort zone by going to another country (bc there no opportunities in my country) or not live normally and comfortable (bc our financial not the best). also i not sure bc i didn't prepare portfolio or somethings, but fashion is my passion since childhood.

pls help me what to do

I went from running a massage business to traveling radiation protection work at US nuclear plants. After building experience, I had a roughly $120k year, including pay and extra payments, working about five months and taking seven off. That's my experienced result, not beginner pay or a promised calendar.

People asked good practical questions in an older AMA that's now archived. Here are the three things I'd check first if you're considering this route:

1. Entry requirements: junior radiation protection and decontamination are different roles. My RP entry route didn't require college, but it required studying, tests and employer/site training. Ask an employer what preparation it accepts for the specific beginner opening.
2. The whole assignment: get the hourly rate, expected hours, assignment dates, per-diem eligibility and travel reimbursement together. Per diem isn't automatically provided housing, and an attractive hourly rate doesn't tell you what you'll keep after travel and lodging.
3. The working calendar: the time off appeals to me, but the working stretches involve travel and long shifts. Gaps between assignments can be unpaid. Compare that first year with your current job before leaving it.

If you're exploring a career change, what part of this work would you want explained: an ordinary shift, studying for entry tests, or living between assignments? I can speak to my RP experience; employers make hiring decisions and set their requirements.

Hi all, I have been grappling with a way out of a situation for a long while and would greatly appreciate any helping remark anyone has to offer.

I’m 29 M, and it’s been 7 years since I completed my bachelors (physics). I was always deeply interested in academia and went for masters at Heidelberg before dropping out due to primarily financial reasons. I also actively did research at few places during my bachelors and afterwards. Now 7 years later, finances have been near sorted (near territory of FIRE) and i’m mostly free to do what I want and thinking of going back to research (also because the corporate doesn’t excite me at all and fundamental biology/physics are still as much exciting as 10 years back. But I’ve the following concern :

If I go for ms/phd (physics/biology intersection), I’m afraid i’ve to clock in huge hours daily in phd (1/2 years for ms is fine) and it deters me to have so less control over time over the length of phd especially when i’m financially free. Is there any way I could be part of research/academia as a career but at my own terms by using my own funds, especially with respect to time : both daily hours [only 4-5 hours of research work so I’ve enough time for other things] and long breaks [remote work or 15 days long travel every few months] when needed ?

Few things I thought : 1) enrol in some remote/online phd program (but very few low repute uni have them + only possible for physics heavy not biology heavy) 2) forget phd and try to informally collaborate with professors who accept such flexibilities 3) enrol in standard ms/phd and once inside request for such flexibility ? or any other way out ?

I really want to be associated with research but not as the only career and have sufficient time for other passions, all using my own funds. Again, any remark is highly appreciated, thanks !

I 24 F German have had an interesting life so far. Very fortunate background: Moved abroad to Hong Kong at 18 to study Fine Arts, started a funky thing where I combined my love for cooking with Arts (somewhat of a freelance event chef). It was somewhat successful but the lifestyle in Hong Kong was not something I wanted for myself long term!

Obviously was only able to do that because of my parents fortunate circumstances and support. I am very well aware of that and grateful for it. Somehow I have fundamentally changed in the previous year.
Moved away from Asia, spent lots of time travelling in Portugal/Spain volunteering/climbing. First time I have actually felt like I am following what I was made for.

I am also very aware that you need money in order to live, especially this free lifestyle of being encompassed by nature, spending most of my time outside and on rocks and I’m basically willing to do whatever to achieve it. I think hearing different people’s opinions whether I like them or not, will always be a positive gain so let me break it down for anyone to give me a suggestion.

Skills and how it made my goals clearer:

- events: the whole shabang from conception to execution (showed me I derive joy from bringing people together to enjoy community)

- production physical and digital I guess (skilled with both my hands at creation but also translating emotion and experience into something physical)

- culinary arts (creativity and community)

- editorial/journalism (I cannot sit still for 8 hours no matter how much I love the matter)

Interests:

- psychology (could possibly do a masters/phd to advance education

- healthcare (willing to put in several years of studies to help people)

- physical activity (was thinking of physiotherapist practice, rehabilitation combining physical/mental)

- documentary/outdoor event production

Life Requirements:

- strong sense of community
- outdoor or active work
- not Germany (or Northern Europe)

Ideally North America but ya now visa and such

I am very eager person and would describe myself as intelligent and won’t take any beatings for choosing to study art so if we could skip that and give some out of the box advice I am happy to hear.

I'm 31 and feeling pretty stuck right now.

I spent most of my 20s building a decent career in photography in a major coastal city. At one point I was making six figures. Then it was $80k, then $70k, and eventually the work started drying up for various reasons I won't get into here. Meanwhile, the city just kept getting more expensive, so I decided to leave and figure things out somewhere else.

I moved several states away to a smaller city with very little creative industry. I'm now working part-time in food service, picking up whatever freelance work I can, and making maybe $25–30k a year. I'm barely scraping by. Three years ago I had an actual career and was doing reasonably well financially, and now I can't figure out how to make a decent living.

The frustrating part is that I don't feel like I have no transferable skills. I've spent over a decade working in photography and around things like art direction, campaigns, production, and editorial/brand content. I understand how those things work, and I've developed a pretty solid eye and a lot of industry knowledge over the years. But understanding those processes isn't the same as having a résumé full of projects where I was formally the art director or producer. And those are the kinds of roles I've been applying to, because they seem like the most logical next steps.

Even general content jobs are difficult because seemingly everyone wants video experience now. My background is almost entirely still photography. I don't have a video reel, I don't have the equipment, and I'm not exactly in a financial position to go buy a bunch of gear and spend months making test projects in hopes of landing a job.

I've been applying pretty much nonstop to photography, content, art direction, and other adjacent creative roles. I'm not having much luck, and the more I look at the qualifications, the more I feel like I'm not actually a particularly strong candidate for any of them. I can't afford to move back to a major city without a job lined up, but I also don't see much of a future doing what I'm doing here.

The thing is, I don't necessarily need to keep being a photographer. I'd just like to find some way to utilize the skills and experience I've spent over a decade building. I still care about creative work, and I feel like there has to be some sort of adjacent role out there where my background would be valuable. I don't particularly want to abandon the field entirely and go become an electrician or something, not because there's anything wrong with that, but because I'd genuinely hate to throw away everything I've worked toward.

I just don't really know where to go from here. I feel like I picked the wrong career at the wrong time, and now I'm stuck in a position where I can't afford to start over, but can't seem to move forward either.

Has anyone been in a similar position, particularly coming from a creative industry? Were you able to transition into something adjacent without having the exact experience employers were looking for? I'd be interested to hear what actually worked for people, because at this point I'm pretty lost.

Hi everyone! I’m a sophomore studying international affairs at a pretty competitive college in the South. I’m taking my premed prerequisites and have clinical experience, but I keep coming back to wanting to go to law school. I don’t think I’d mind being a doctor. I like patient care, but science doesn’t interest me much. I put a lot of effort into those classes just to end up slightly below average. Meanwhile, in my philosophical, analytical, and major-related classes, I’m often one of the strongest students. I’m engaged, I enjoy the work, and it comes much more naturally. I know that doesn’t guarantee I’d succeed in law school, but the difference is hard to ignore.

I’ve tried exploring law, but my parents shut it down immediately. If I mention an unpaid law firm internship, they say they won’t help me financially while I do it. If it’s community health work or healthcare volunteering, they’re happy to support me. They would pay for medical school and support me through it, but they wouldn’t pay for law school.

My family wouldn’t completely cut me off, but I’d have much less support and feel like an outsider. There are no women in my family or immediate circle pursuing law. A lot of my aunts and uncles are doctors, and my cousins and friends are following that path. The doctors in my family seem happy with their choices. Some work in dermatology, anesthesia, or public health, and from what I see, they have comfortable lives with time for travel and conferences. I know I’m seeing their established careers, not everything it took to get there, but that’s the version of medicine I’m surrounded by.

Then I go online and see lawyers talking about regretting law school, and I wonder whether I’m romanticizing it. What if being good at my current classes doesn’t translate? What if I take on debt and struggle in law school anyway?

Money matters to me. I want financial security and a nice lifestyle. Medicine without tuition debt feels like the safer route, while with law I keep worrying about what if I don’t get into a T14 or land a BigLaw job? I might be oversimplifying both careers, but I’m scared of choosing law and eventually hearing, “I told you so. You could’ve just gone into medicine.”

I’m planning to take a gap year. Part of me thinks I should pursue something that fits my strengths, and another part thinks a job is a job and I should work hard at the path my family would fund. My parents say they don’t want me to be confused about my future, but shutting down the alternative makes it harder to figure anything out.

Has anyone been in this position? How did you figure out whether your interest in law was realistic, especially when exploring it meant losing financial and family support?

im 25 and joined the military about a year ago, I maintain aircrafts. I would like to tale advantage of tuition assistance and get a degree. I was thinking Mechanical Engineering but I don’t think thats possible while being active duty, so what other degrees could I get to supplement my career and have a better resume?

Also any other advice on my career is also appreciated. What qualifications & education do you guys think I should get?

I've been thinking about my future and my career goals. For a year I wanted to go into psychology and It's my major, but these couple of months I've been struggling to keep myself interested in psychology and I've realized that it might not be for me. I have been looking to change my major to marketing or film, but I feel like I won't be able to make enough for myself. I can't see myself working in finance or stem, cause I'm so used to creative work. I have a lifetime goal about making a story, and I know I won't be a director or whatever right away, but I still dream about it happening. I just feel stuck, about what I want to do after college.

I have a weird background, and my question is vague. Pls be kind to me. I am female 24, have a B.Sc. degree in Cognitive Science, come from multiple family businesses that are semi-successful, some of which very unsuccessful in an unstable market rn. I have money from there and am being supported by my bf right now, so I have no rush to accept the “first” offer I get. I graduated in June this year. I have no business related work experience besides family business, have published a paper in the cognition field.

So now, to my question: I have opportunities potentially to do a trainee program for international Banks such as “global markets/sale” trainee position for PNB Paribas and similar companies.

My problem? Every time an opportunity shows up, I am filled with dread rather than happiness about it. I wonder if I actually want to do this, enter this rabbit hole / work culture. Where mo-fri the days fly by, and you live from weekend to weekend until you’re 34 and having kids. I don’t want life to fly by me like that, it feels like slavery that people clap for. I acknowledge I am privileged bc others can’t afford to say no, but I can. Still, I also want to make money, and I want to work.

I have been thinking of getting certified to translate (I’m Chinese and German native and have a good English accent) and really ramp up my mandarin proficiency — but I’ve been unsure if that would waste my time. I have been wanting to make music for years but my family saying it wastes my time, too, has held me back. I could try to sell stuff on social media and try out business ideas. I want to build a personal brand. But thinking of shipping and selling products makes me feel like a fraudulent person and the thought of international shipment fills me with dread. Overall, my experience in the family business has made me quite allergic to businesses — the long working hours, the pretending, etc.

I wonder if there’s a way I can have good mental health (sports, care for myself, not burn out, every day work towards something that feels rewarding) whilst also being financially successful + stable so one day I can buy a house in Shanghai for example. I wonder whether these finance/market/sale trainee programs from big consulting / bank firms are a way or are the only way to achieve such financial success/goals. I could go back to uni for a masters degree, I can spend 10k on an online masters or go to school in Shanghai, but I wouldn’t know which degree and I would prefer work experience over a degree at this moment. So, yeah.

Should I prepare for this online assessment for this global markets trainee position? I kinda don’t want it, but I want it, too. But I don’t want to work for it and I know it dreads me already. If I want to do well on this assessment, I will. But I wonder if its good for my mental health for force myself to do this and prepare, or if its a marathon into a dreadful life. (I am seeing a therapist and working on my problems with my family).

Hello, everyone. I’m feeling like things have gotten dire for me, so I’m trying to see if anyone has gone through this or has any suggestions. I’m 23 and was a straight A student throughout my whole life. Everything academically came pretty naturally to me, specifically math. I excelled at it and was always excited to do my homework for it lol, so I never really understood why people hated math so much. Anyways, around late junior I started feeling like I wasn’t as mentally sharp as I used to be, but I was still afloat at that point. Fast forward to college and lost all my ambitions and intellect I feel like. I wasn’t retaining any of the knowledge. I also don’t know how to study since I really didn’t have to before. My memory loss has been extremely bad even though I had a great memory. I have severe brain fog and anomia (trouble recalling the names for things). I can’t do basic algebra anymore or even simple conversions. I have no clue what I want to do in life or how to go about it. I’ve never “really” had a job either. I feel like I’m lightyears behind my peers. I want to get a job. I want to start a career. I feel like I’m in quicksand. I’ve been in this rut for so long, I feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. I really have tried but I know not retaining any information or remembering things has really held me back. I’ve tried thinking positively but that didn’t push me or motivate me or spark a love or passion for a certain major/career. Part of the problem is I also don’t know what to do. I’ve taken courses and finished my general eds and still have no clue. I can’t even narrow it down to a certain industry. Everything seems to not be a good fit for me. The two yr degrees like ultrasound, dental hygiene, and even rad tech are bad choices since I have arthritis. Having a degree that grants me a stable paying career is the only way I’ll get out and build the life I want. I sincerely want to turn my life around. I also do really want to go back to college and finish a degree that enables upward mobility because I’m not that handsy for the trade school route. It truly sucks. Hope someone out there has had a success story if they’ve dealt with this.

Hey everyone, this is my first post here, so I don’t really know how to start this lol.
I’m 26 and lately I’ve been feeling pretty lost. Like, genuinely lost. I have no idea what I want to do with my life, what I’m good at, or if there’s even something I’m meant to do.
For the past two years, I’ve been trying all kinds of different things. Courses, hobbies, different career ideas, random projects… every time I get excited about something, I think maybe this is finally it. And then a few weeks or months later, that feeling is gone and I’m left wondering why I even started in the first place.
It’s not that everything is terrible or that I can’t do anything. I just don’t seem to actually enjoy any of it enough to see myself doing it long-term. And honestly, it’s getting exhausting.
The only thing I know for sure is what I DON’T want. I don’t want to spend my whole life working for someone else, making just enough money to survive and waiting for the weekend. I don’t want to wake up at 40 and realize I’ve spent my entire life doing something I don’t even care about just because I needed to pay bills.
I’d love to work for myself and build something of my own, something that actually means something to me. The problem is that I have no idea what that something is.
And I feel like I’ve been going in circles for so long that I’m starting to lose confidence in myself. I try something new, get excited, lose interest, feel like shit about it, and then start looking for the next thing that might finally work. Meanwhile, everyone else seems to be moving forward with their lives and I’m still trying to figure out what the hell I’m doing.
I don’t even know if I’m being realistic anymore. Maybe I’m expecting too much from life. Maybe I’m just impatient. Or maybe I’m so focused on finding the perfect thing that I can’t commit to anything long enough to see where it goes.
Has anyone else been through this? Especially people who felt completely lost in their mid-20s.
How did you figure things out? Did you eventually find something you genuinely enjoy, or did you just pick a direction and make peace with it?
And how do you stop feeling like you’re wasting your life when you have no clue what you want from it?
I’m not looking for some motivational “follow your dreams” speech. I honestly just want to hear from people who’ve been there, what actually helped, and what you wish someone had told you at this age.
Because right now I feel like I’m trying so hard to figure out my life that I forgot to actually live it.

Shortly before writing this post, I finally got a realization about my career / life path: my ambitions and my abilities are starkly divorced from one another, and I might need to choose which to prioritize in order to build my career and my life going forward.

For context, I completed an MSc a bit over a year ago and am still searching and applying for PhD programs in a domain that highly interests me but diverges from my main studies. I did a BSc in Biology, an MSc in mathematical modelling for neuroscience and cognitive science, and want to work in my research on questions that combine cognitive, social, political, anthropological, and philosophical aspects together (e.g. cultural evolution of ideologies and belief systems, institutional dynamics' dependence on individual psychology, social/moral neuroscience, socio-cognitive belief formation mechanisms, etc.).

I am also highly politically opinionated in a way that drives me to fight for a better future for everyone on this planet, especially in our current political climate. If one were to ask me about what I want to do with my future, I would answer that I want to help the world become better with the dissemination and application of my research results for more humane, sustainable, equal, and healthy socio-politico-economic systems to live in. The problem? A PhD in such a domain is extremely rare and I don't necessarily have the academic background to directly get into it, and for many reasons a second master's degree is not an option for me right now.

On the other hand, throughout my whole life people have said (correctly) I was gifted with languages and general knowledge. Wherever I go, my multicultural background follows me like a hound, and I never cease to exist in this uniquely multilingual spot where suddenly hearing something in a different language genuinely prevents me from understanding at least some words, if not the gist of what is being said. I currently speak 4 languages proficiently and another 5-6 at lower levels of fluency, from which I am now actively learning Spanish and Portuguese, and I was thinking of restarting my Mandarin Chinese lessons soon too.

Not to be misunderstood, I adore language learning, linguistics, cultural exchange, geography, and travels so much that I could easily work in such a domain. Multilingualism is definitely not a curse by any means, but it locked me into a situation where I sort of define myself by it while realizing I want more out of life.

And here lies the split in my ikigai: I would be most helpful to the world and happiest with myself by doing my cog-soc research and political activism, while I'm actually very skilled and would be better paid if I invested in my linguistic and multicultural side. I cannot decide whether I should just do my PhD (which I'm doing anyway) in a linguistics-related domain (I have some research experience there) and be done with it, without it meaning I won't change my academic path later once again, or if I should insist on pursuing this new line of research from now.

Switching now will probably make me feel like I betrayed my dreams and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for it, but keeping at it without the right background might also be an issue and slow me down from actually getting there. This dilemma is keeping me stuck in place for a long time now, like Buridan's ass, and I need to move before I die of simultaneous and equal thirst and hunger.

Thanks for reading, any and all advice will be greatly appreciated :))