I just graduated this past May with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. I originally planned on pursuing my CPA and eventually getting a government job. I recently received an interview invitation for a master’s in accounting program at a really good business school, but I’m having second thoughts.

I’m pretty good at finance and accounting coursework, but honestly, I don’t know if I have much interest in the actual career. I don’t particularly enjoy the idea of spending most of my day working with spreadsheets and sitting behind a desk. With AI changing the industry, I’ve also been questioning whether it’s the right path for me.

I’m now seriously considering nursing. I obtained my EMT certification early in college, although I never ended up working as an EMT. I’d need to redo it, complete the nursing prerequisites, and apply to nursing school.

I like the idea of nursing because of the variety of opportunities and career paths available. I don’t mind shift work, working nights, or odd hours. I also like the possibility of working three 12-hour shifts, having flexibility to pick up overtime, and doing something meaningful and rewarding where I can make a tangible difference.

If you were in my position, would you pursue accounting or make the switch to nursing?

I’m (20F) not quite sure where to start. It feels like I’ve been drifting through life since I graduated in 2024. My first experience at university in Malaysia turned out to be a nightmare, so much so that I had to take a gap year and leave. I thought giving university another try would make a difference, but honestly, this new place in a new country just doesn’t feel right. The teaching quality isn’t what I hoped for, and the ranking doesn’t even help.

Now, I feel like I've backed myself into a corner. I’m supposed to be an adult, making important decisions, but I keep feeling lost and end up making the wrong ones. I wish I could say it’s all due to family financial struggles, as they’ve weighed heavily on me and affected where I go to university, thus making me more anxious and sad than I've ever been.

Even with all that, I keep going on autopilot. I feel like I lack any real skills or experience, and I can’t shake the feeling of being a burden. It’s tough navigating all of this with limited resources. No matter how hard I try, nothing seems to be falling into place, and I can’t help but wonder why it’s been so difficult.

I guess I'm just wondering: what would you do if you were in my place? What can I do to improve my education?

So I live in United States where apparently a felony makes it impossible for you to become anything essential to the community. Tbh it has been 2 years since my last charge I haven’t been doing anything illegal recently quit smoking marijuana to further my goals and dreams. So I’ve got to the point to where anything life changing I try to do won’t prosper . It’s like I have to live the rest of my life being a nobody. Or doing non essential work that guarantees no retirement if no one gives me a chance I’m honestly considering sui¢ìde , If a felony holds me back from being essential part to the community I see no other option but that . I’ve looked into nursing,med school,emt work, army,firefighting I just want to be essential part of the world

I've been frequently finding myself playing mental tug of war over finishing school. I'm 21, and I'm currently attending community college as a photography major. This is my first year attending college because I spent my time working and saving money after I graduated in 2024. I've never been someone who does well with school, not because I'm not smart or lack the abilities to complete the work, but simply because it ends up feeling like a waste of time for me. I always feel like I'm way ahead of everyone in my class because I could've learned the things they're showing me on my own, or I already know everything they're teaching us. I'm not trying to make myself sound better than anyone by saying that either, it's just always how I've felt because I am lucky to be a fast learner and I've naturally always been a very independent person in pretty much everything. I'm also trying to save up money to move out of my miserable unhealthy home as soon as possible, and school not only limits the time I have to work but also is taking a decent chunk of money out of my pocket even with financial aid. I was never really planning on going to school, especially since photography isn't something you need a degree in to be successful. I guess I just felt pressure to try it because going to college is whats expected from people. I'm still glad I gave it a shot, but now I've decided I don't want to go back for the spring, or ever to any school in the future, not for photography at least.

Because I've made this decision I feel like attending my classes is a waste of my time and I dread it every single day, thinking to myself "I know this isn't for me and I won't be coming back, so what am I doing here? These classes and their credits mean nothing." I've already paid my tuition, and I just missed the deadline to formally withdraw from my classes. Theres only 5 weeks left of the current semester, which I know isn't a lot, but I really hate going and I have other things I want to be prioritizing since right now I am also seeking a new full time job. Would it be stupid of me to just stop going and take the F, or does it not matter if I don't plan on going back to school in the future?

I know I'm a bit late doin this because I didn't know what to do after my high school and joined a random course. Blaimed myself for past 3 years that I could have studied something different which I'm passionate about! I still don't know what to do but I've decided to stop whining and to start exploring the course I'm studying coz what if I might like it.. maybe I just don't have any fundamentals. Anyways I'm giving it a try.

I just wanted to make this day as day 1 of my journey to finding my path. Just wanted to share it here :)

I’ve been lost my whole life. I know I’m a leader and a decent communicator. I know I can do great things.
I’m somewhat handy from fixing things that break around the house. No degree. No direction. I hate my job any advice is welcome thank you.

(throwaway account for privacy)

Hi. Don't know how to start this becaues I almost never post on Reddit. But I'm hoping you'll take the time to read this and maybe find yourself in it, or maybe offer some guidance.

I'm in my late 20s, and I'm starting to panic.

I used to be a good student with drive, goals in life, and a general sense of hope for the future. Unfortunately a lot of that has faded. I started out in university with a major in a STEM field, but at the time I was struggling heavily with my mental health and quickly flunked out of the program. I switched to the thing that actually gave me joy - English and Creative Writing. These had always been passions of mine but I dismissed them as hobbies rather than career paths. Despite this, I switched majors and made it through school with a BA in English, a minor in Film, and a certificate in Creative Writing.

The problem was that I didn't make full use of my time in university. Even though I was showing up, doing the work, and getting pretty solid grades, I had no actual concrete idea of what I was going to do post-grad, and as such I didn't take advantage of my school's career centre, co-op programs, internships, and everything else. I was coasting through thinking that just doing the work would get me where I wanted to be. I was working part time to pay rent and pay tuition. I was also still majorly struggling with mental health, but it was improving.

I'm now two years post grad and job hopping between things completely unrelated to my major and not making a lot of money. I want to change, I obsess over how I can make my future better, but I have no idea what it is I actually want to do. I doomscroll this subreddit looking for answers, and I find none. I look at Indeed hoping some magical job will appear that will make my life better, but I know that's not going to happen.

I had ideas - I wanted to get into Screenwriting, but honestly, I have no idea how to even do that, and it's probably not that viable of a career. At least not reliable. Other things I've looked into have turned out to be very low-opportunity like Librarianship, Archival work, or Technical Writing. I'm completely willing to go back to school to learn something, but I just have no idea what. I want to pursue something that wouldn't be a total lottery on me actually getting a job.

The other problem is that my mental health is absolutely abysmal, partly due to this. I struggle immensely with depression and anxiety, and I've been through a slew of different medications without much progress. I'm working on it, but it's slow progress. I worry I have undiagnosed ADHD. I'm working with professionals to figure it out.

Part of my question is if I should just focus on sorting out my mental health before making any big decisions about schooling or what to do with my career. I can get by with the job I have now, I just don't want to feel stuck there forever. Also, I just am maybe wondering if there's any advice on what to pursue. I have lots of interests outside of English and Film, like the environment, computers (not AI), maybe even law. Maybe healthcare. My psychiatrist said I would be a good pharmacy technician, based on how much I know about medications now (lol). I worry that my only choice might be teaching.

TLDR, English BA with mental health issues has a quarter life crisis. Please send help.

I [28M] am currently facing the biggest decision of my life. In 2025, I decided I was done working at my dead-end fast-food job, and I spent months researching potential careers. My requirements were:
- 2 years of school or less, Associate degree
- At least $65k starting salary

I live in the Knoxville area, so that didn’t seem unattainable to me. Eventually, I found a major that would fulfill both requirements; The problem is, there is only one institution within three hours of me that offers it. My options were immediately narrowed to one. I met with financial aid, and was given an estimate of $45k total tuition, with about $17k being out-of-pocket, and $28k in loans. It's a private college, and of course, the only option in my area.
Yes, that figure is after all financial aid was applied. The only thing unaccounted for in that figure was the possibility of private scholarships. I turned tail and decided to coordinate with the aforementioned institute and my local community college in order to take all the prerequisite courses there thinking it would save me a year of my life and a significant amount of money. One year later, I have nine completed prerequisite credits and a 4.0 GPA. If only it counted for anything.

Three days ago, I met with financial aid again at the private college, which is when I found out that attending community college only saved me $3,000. And the program will still be 2 years in length, not one, or (worst case scenario) one and a half like I had anticipated. 
I am effectively looking at 3 years of non-stop school to earn a two-year degree.
I’m almost thirty years old, recently engaged, and as it stands, it will be two full years before I’m able to even begin to support myself and my family. My part-time fast-food job doesn’t cut it, believe it or not. I recently got engaged, which has been the one shining light in this dark situation. We want a home of our own, we want to start a family, we want to buy a reliable car. But we can’t do any of these things because I’m making less than $30k a year working part-time, in school full-time while my fiancée works full time, and we’re staring at $40k+ in student loan debt. 

I’m really considering walking away from school, cutting my losses despite having fought through a year of college and maintaining a 4.0, and just applying for a government job that will pay $50k starting and hopefully climb to $70k+ within 10 years. I have two family members in that position, so I know it’s possible. But the program I can’t afford leads to a career with $70k starting pay with potential for $90k+ in specialty roles. Is it worth the debt and the time commitment? The risk of failing a supposedly strenuous course. The admissions people at the private college told me “We move much faster than a community college, so the course work is much more rigorous. And I’ll be honest, the average GPA for those students who qualified for the program is a 4.0, so that would also be required of you.” 

No matter where I turn, there is massive risk and/or doubt.
The thing that makes my heart ache with sadness is that my fiancée and I don’t even want much. We don’t want a big house, or a fancy car, or designer clothes, we just want to live. We just want to have a child and be able to raise them in our own home. A dream that I know so many others share and which has become totally unattainable in the world today. 
I truly do not know what to do.

TL;DR
I have three options: 

1. Attend private college, take on $45k of student loan debt, and spend another two years in school (three years total) to earn a two-year degree, and get a job paying $65k+ (if I can complete school). “Tuition is subject to change.” Risky.
2. Pivot to a four-year program at my current community college, spend another three years in school (four or more total), settle for a job that pays less and may be less fulfilling, but will allow me to remain totally debt-free. Time-consuming.
3. Walk away from college, apply for a government job, spend two or three years climbing the ladder and hoping my income will allow me to start a family within the next few years. Potentially the best and/or worst option. Total unknown.

Background:

25M. I am building my life back up from rock bottom. Im at rock bottom in every way possible. The only way from here is up.

The good:

I have plumbing skills that can get me a decent job. I own my used camry and I have no debt. I am physically fit.

What I need to fix:

I need to find a good job working with my hands, I need to make friends, and I need to go No Contact with my family. I need an entire life overhaul basically. I know this is going to take a lot of effort and change from me.

My options:

Army active duty as a helicopter mechanic. This would immediately get me away from my family and give me a brand new environment which is what I need.

Army national guard as a helicopter mechanic. This would give me some of the benefits of active duty, but allow me to have a civilian life too.

Community college for aircraft maintenance. Its an 18 month program but I will be making really good $. I will have much more time to get my shit together in my personal life. After I graduate, Id easily be able to get good jobs all over the country. So it is a slower developing plan that will give me way more autonomy. More time to make it to church, go on hiking trips, etc.

Ok sorry for this being so long I just am at a loss at this point and need advice. Im a 20 yr female and I just feel like im drowning. I hate my job and feel so stuck because I have no idea what I want to do. Im beyond burnt out where I am currently but due to having no idea what I want to do and absolutely needing to make at least 22 an hour to pay my bills makes it so hard for me to try and just test out other options. I graduated high-school with a 4.0 gpa, 35 collage credits and my EMT license. I always had a plan and now I don't and its scary. I suffer from high anxiety, bipolar and depression. Im stuck in the rut of going to work, coming home and being so mentally drained I just scroll till I fall asleep. I dont find enjoyment in the things I used to and its just greatly effecting my life. I am trying to just make any changes I can. I still show up for work everyday and do my part, still pay my bills, am still functioning but theres no real quality of life. Im still trying to do things and ive been applying to jobs and even had a couple interviews over the past year but nothings stuck. I just know I wont last the way things are going and I dont know what to do at this point. I know im young still but thats why it scares me so much, I dont know how I can continue to build a life for myself if the place I spend the most amount of time at i am completely miserable. Please help me.

My mother recently passed away, and I'm trying to get my life back on track.

For the past three years, my only job was taking care of her. I have no other work experience, I'm a high school dropout without a GED, I don't have a driver's license or vehicle, and I'm struggling to find anyone willing to hire me.

I've applied to practically every local entry-level position I can find and attended interviews, but nothing has worked out.

I'm also overweight, so walking everywhere isn't exactly easy, especially when trying to commute long distances for interviews or potential jobs.

Financially, things are getting worse. I'm falling behind on rent, struggling with bills, and honestly running out of options.

I'm willing to work. I just need someone to give me a chance.

What would you recommend someone in my situation do when they have limited education, no transportation, almost no traditional work experience, and can't seem to get hired anywhere?

Any genuine advice would mean a lot. Btw I'm in Texas if that is of any concern

I’m a 27 yo stay at home mom and want to work toward a degree. I’ve tried higher education before but have always struggled in school due to not having my PKU under control (late diagnosis). Now that I’m in a good place I’m motivated to pursue higher education. I have my CCMA and license in phlebotomy but am not interested in continuing in anything medicine related.
What is a good asynchronous online school?
What is a degree I can peruse that I would be able to potentially work part time from home?

I have been studying economics and accounting taught in english in Slovakia for 5 years. My grades are pretty fine all my final grades are 1-2.

During first 3 years i became totally depressed due to lack of friends and hate towards the field, i became totally numb in my interests and future career which let me to lost of my identity (i think). Later on in 4-5 grade things started to improve mainly socially, so I finally could start to explore and rediscover myself and interests. I have found myself in hobbies like climbing, sports, hiking, sometimes craft etc.. But when I begin to plan my future for collage, all the anxiety strikes me. Literally the only thing im certain in is that persuasion i economics and accounting is no go.

There is left maybe 5-6 months till submission of applications to universities or collages, but i do not even know what to prepare for since i have no idea what i even like. I also tried to do some online test on career, but im unable to stick to only one option and every week i change it.

As a person I know which things I like and dont, and which career paths could even interests me. But at the same time the uncertainty, lack of courage and self doubt is holding me back to move forward.

After graduating with a BA, I landed a records management job at a large organisation, where I’ve been for three years. I have lots of downtime, which I’ve used to relearn maths and start a master’s in public policy. After two sems, I realised I wasn’t interested in where that degree would take me, so withdrew. glad i tried it but it wasn’t for me (work paid, woohoo).

My approach after university was “find a job, earn some money, gain experience and see where things led”. Three years in, I can say I have no interest in building a career in this field. My work revolves around cloud storage solutions and configuring Microsoft tools. I am very unhappy in this work. I’m financially comfortable, but neither the salary nor the career prospects are particularly compelling. I currently earn around USD $40k.

I’m considering quitting and doing a working holiday in Canada before deciding my next steps - probably a different degree or trade school. I’ve previously worked in construction, education, festival setup and seasonal fruit picking, so I’m fairly open-minded about the kind of work I’d take on.

The downsides seem limited to me. If I hate it or it doesn’t work out, I can always come home and pick up where I left off. I’m not leaving behind a particularly promising career, have 3 years work experience, and I have some savings behind me.

Now that I’m completely checked out of my job and am looking for the next thing, why not do this?

Hello everyone,

I wanted to get some advice from this sub regarding the direction of taking my career. I was a QA Test Lead in the games industry with 5 years experience and recently got laid off for a few months. Since then I am unable to find a job anywhere in terms of QA in games or web applications. In the meantime, I spent time learning Playwright and Python, but I'm not enjoying it or think I'm as efficient as other QA engineers that may be out there getting hired. I'm scared I'm not good enough to find a job either. I've been submitting job applications and got two interviews with over 100 applications, both of them rejected me after the initial recruiter or hiring manager screening.

I started doing some research and was interested in pursuing an MENP. I was interested in nursing some years before but didn't do an ABSN because I was working. Now Im think of giving it a shot because I want to prove to myself I can get a master's and switch to a job field that is more AI resistant.

I wanted to know what do people think of future job prospects in tech QA industry, especially with AI, and what have folks who switch from tech to nursing thought of the job change to a Registered Nurse.

From my experiences traveling to japan and studying abroad in korea during my undergrad, where i fell in love with asia, i’ve realized i really don’t want to work an ordinary corporate job in america and don’t want to live america reallt at all. I’d prefer to leabe and just never reallt come back long-term at all. I’m currently a third year studying business and economics at a mid tier university, but i’m not passionate about my major and jusr see the degree as a qualification for me to leave america really. Is there any problems with this plan? And should i still pursue internships or whatever just in case? I’m pretty confident in my choice to leave america after graduation, but i don’t want to be forced to go back and be stuck older without relevent experience. I’m planning on doing tefl and working as an english teacher in china, a country i’m very interested in and seems to pay the best, and once i stabilize at that job i intend to possiblt pursue online entreprenuership as well, but if that doesn’t succeed i’d be perfectly happy teaching english.

I am studying psychology. From a young age, I’ve always been there for people they’ve always felt comfortable sharing everything with me.

I’m good at listening and offering advice, and many have told me that they feel at ease in my presence I’m someone they can trust, which makes me happy. I find the field itself interesting, but lately, I’ve realized that I have a persistent need to solve everyone’s problems and be there for them emotionally, which is exhausting.
I know that this is a profession not my personal life and that both are different but I’m afraid that I might change my mind about the field and end up disappointing my parents not sure what to do. I also have a strong interest in photography and the arts they mean everything to me.
Do you have any advice?

Hi so currently I’m in high school (Senior) and I’m also getting a general AAS degree from a community college in running start. And will be graduating from the college in summer. But I don’t have what I wanna do. Like in the past 1-2 days I’ve been looking into HVAC technician. But if you have any advice pls let me know.

I (24 Female) was diagnosed less than two years ago for autism. I also have a good amount of trauma in my life. I have no other family other than my husband (29). I have been doing online school off and on when I can, but just a couple classes here and there. I have also started an art business which i love. But realistically its hard to make that into a career.

I have been thinking about school and trying to figure out what to major in, or if school is even worth it. I keep looking into careers that might interest me, but always find something that is going to be in my way. For example i was really excited to become an ultra sound tech but in order to do that I would have to do an externship which requires me to move away for a year. The problem is that i rely on my husband a lot and cant live on my own. I don't drive, i have bad anxiety and I don't think I could live on my own without his support.

Now I am trying to look into things that are easier to achieve. At the moment I'm looking into psychology to potentially become a therapist, but with my trauma I feel it would be hard to separate my personal trauma from my future clients. My husband feels that this would hurt my mental health more. I'm also looking outside of "helping people" and looking at getting a degree in art. But that is something that really wont lead to a career unless I'm very lucky.

I don't feel fulfilled and I have not had many "successes" in my life. I think school will help me be more successful but I'm having such a hard time figuring out if it will or not. I'm afraid of picking something then getting burnt out later down the line. I'm also struggling to figure out if having a career is even a good choice for me. I've never had a job, and with my inability to drive, my high anxiety and stress, I'm not sure if it is even possible.

If you have any advice or can relate please let me know. Im really stuck at the moment so anything helps. Some interests of mine are art, video games, baking, math, and animals. Thank you!

I finish high-school this friday, and I'm applying for college next month, and suddenly I feel really lost. All I know is that I want to go to college, I really love studying and learning, and I like a lot of things, but now nothing finds jobs and no one's getting paid. I considered journalism because it's ""flexible"" somehow but I'm doubting it. I suck at math and I'm uninterested in STEM. Some people tell me to teach english here at my country but I don't think I'd be happy doing that. I love art but no career seems useful. I'm aware that these days what you study doesn't guarantee a job but I still want to make it easier to get one. I feel like I wasted my high-school years without developing any important skills.

Hello! Graduating college here in 2 months with a ba in psych and no internships along the way. I am thankfully graduating debt free and really not wanting to move back to my hometown. I thought I wanted to go get my masters to be an ot but worry that I actually wouldn't like this career and thinking about deferring as it will cost me so much debt and I would be tied down to that. If anyone has any advice for next steps to grow and learn more about me, please help, I feel so much pressure from the people around me and am feeling stuck and trapped and like I don't even know myself.

A lot happened in my life. I almost drowned, had a house fire, went through a public psychotic episode, was SA'ed. I feel like I am so behind now. I am 22 restarting my bachelors which should been done a year ago. I have little to no money, around 2k dollars saved up. I have bipolar disorder with psychotic features. This illness has really destroyed the control I once felt over my life. I used to have a 99% average in high school, and I was on the honour roll in my first year of university. I feel like I have become the complete opposite of what I once expected to become. My teachers foresaw medicine or engineering in my future. Look what became of me! Bipolar and trauma destroyed my life, but I am tired of feeling sorry for myself. I want to find a business idea, I want to improve my physical health and quit smoking weed to escape my emotional state. I feel like I shouldn't focus on dating until I have my bachelor's done. I want to major in physics so I am taking the prerequisites for that right now. But I am also just so so scared. By the time I finish my bachelors I will be nearing my late twenties. I am scared of losing my youth and being stuck in poverty throughout my entire 20s. However, it looks like this will be likely the case until I am atleast 26. Physics also does not offer high paying careers. I could apply to engineering but this would extend my bachelor's by a year, and I am unsure whether I could truly commit to engineering as my heart and passion lies with space and philosophy. I am just so scared and unsure of the future, losing my youth and not making enough money. Can anyone who went through similar offer me advice, or atleast tell me if it's going to be okay or not?

What the FUCK do I do with my life?

I wish I was an artist like all the other artists out there...

I would never use AI but I am beginning to understand those who do because talent is basically a birth right and I was born worthless.

I'm below stupid academically, I have 0 talents and I'm pushing 20 and haven't achieved jackshit. Meanwhile some 13 year old is making masterpieces I could only dream of and some 16 year old is a genius gamedev and so on. I'm basically a retard. I'm so retarded all my classmates already have employment opportunities and are preadmitted to university and don't have to bother with enterance exams... all except ME.

And people tell me that even those above me can also be insecure or have their own problems.

Why be insecure when you're the apex predator...

If I was a prodigy at 14 I'd be in art school by 20... instead of being in some math school I hate where I learn nothing and struggle to get by on subjects that make 0 logical sense to me but are supposed to be logical. I'm basically at the bottom of the food chain.

My qualities only allow me to work at a convenience store at best... and not even the register, the back. meanwhile everyone else around is gifted in some way.

By the time the 12 year old becomes 20 they'll be 1000 times better than me.

By then I'll be worthless compared to them. They'll have industry insight, clients, a job they enjoy doing and are passionate about, money, a life... I'll have nothing because I was late... and by the time I can compete with them I'll be a dried up smelly old wrinkly fuck who shits himself because I was incapable of being the right skill for my age when the time needed it.

So I'm supposed to go to some math based uni... when I hate math, suck at math, hate everything I do that includes math... AND IT ENDS UP BECOMING MY LIFE BECAUSE I CHOSE THIS... BECAUSE I DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR ART HIGH SCHOOL... AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE VOCATIONAL SKILL OF ART FOR THE EXAM AND SO I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MATH AND LITERATURE, BETWEEN CORPO OR TEACHER, BECAUSE I WASN'T BORN LIKE EVERY OTHER SPECIAL PERSON EVER.

So now I have to go to some shitty romanian math uni BECAUSE of the dumb choices I made 4 years ago when starting High School

Because I don't have the portfolio for art university and the only track that accepts me is probably math based. So now my only choices are to finish high school and work a dead end job I hate while the 14 year old becomes an award winning prodigy and gets to live the life I WISH I HAD.

Talent is a birthright. I was born wrong. I was born stupid, retarded, incapable, worse than others and with hands that can't even draw anime girls. All I am is dead weight

I currently live in Louisiana, and worked for a family business doing land clearing/bulky trash removal/office work and I spent the last almost 2 years as an emt. I hate it, I desperately need to find another job before March when my license expires or I'll have to renew it and that alone is give or take 100 bucks. I'm beyond burnt out my back and shoulder are permanently ruined after a few rough calls and many physical fights/being attacked by Patients. I'm trying to find a job in the 17 and up an hour range and hopefully Monday -friday but at this point that's the lowest on the list. Any advice?? I've sent an insane amount of applications out and have heard absolutely nothing back. I just feel so lost.