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Deciding what to do after high school.
M/17. It's been getting very stressful. During like the 1st 3 years of HS, I planned to just go to college for engineering. In 10th grade me and my best friend started playing guitar. We practiced alot and we love it. And now that I'm finally about to be free of academic work, projects, deadlines, and stupid grades of judgement, everyone wants/expects me to go to college, and I think I'm changing my mind. My friend and I have met people who want to do music too, and we want to start a full band. I cannot fathom how much I want to do this. I understand and have heard that its hard to make a living playing in a band. But if the opportunity is always there, why should I just give up? I haven't even graduated yet and I'm always getting lectures and being criticised. I'm tired of doing what everyone else wants me to do. I hated HS, what makes them think I'll enjoy ANOTHER 4 years of blackmail and crap?? It pisses me off cause I know for a fact that if I just told my family Fk college, I'm going to do what I want
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Want to answer more questions in the Hobbies category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Music?
I think the idea of you wanting to do what you love is great. That's what high school is all about. I'm in my junior year of high school and I have my whole future semi-planned out. But you know that you can study music in college too. Just think about it. With all the skills you have now and add that to what you could learn in college by majoring in music? You could be great.
I'm not here to say that you need to go to college because that is your decision. But you should really think about this very carefully because there are a lot of people who had a chance to go to college and didn't and now they're filled with regrets or worse. Wouldn't you like to have a degree in music or something like that? Not going to college at all would close a lot of doors and opportunities for you in the future.
Just make sure what you decide is what you want to do. But don't automatically say you're not going to college. Actually think about this and then make a decision.
Good Luck and I hope this helps.
~Andrew~
P.S: Don't lose your dreams.
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It's always a great idea to have a PLAN B in case things go south for any reason with music and money. You need to be able to support yourself no matter what even if you are quite talented. It's a volatile profession.
Your dad may not know today's style but give him credit he tried what you are trying to do and knows it's a difficult business and people often don't have money and need shitty jobs to continue chasing the dream of success.
What you should do is either take a year off and try everything to make it as a musician and then go to college if it doesn't work or go to college and try to make music in your free time and on weekends there so you have an education to fall back on later.
College and university doesn't have to be this nightmare thing you have built it up to be either. What you should do is find a profession you actually would like if you couldn't do music and select it or you could even do a major in music, music management or performing arts and also get a minor (degree) in something that you and the folks agree is a good plan B. Anyway, you should talk to them about your feelings and see that you aren't that far apart as you think.
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I can sit here and tell you what the logical option is until I'm blue in the face, and that won't change your mind. So I'm not going to.
You're going to have to think through how exactly you would carry out each plan. Unfortunately, much as it would be amazing to be able to follow our dreams all the time, they're not necessarily always feasible.
Where are you planning on living after high school? If you don't plan on following your parents' wishes, you're going to have to face the fact that you might not be able to stay with them. So you're going to have to be able to support yourself. It doesn't sound like you're doing paying gigs yet, so you'd have to get a job. Without any post-secondary training, you're looking at the wonderful world of minimum wage. Some people are happy being a struggling musician/artist/actor and working one or two crappy jobs, often for years. Are you happy with that?
Something to remember is that, despite what you might be told, you don't have to rush into your future. You're pretty young still, and you might just need some time to get your priorities in gear. What if you were to tell your parents that you want to take a year to work before going to university? Then you can work, save money and try your hand at the band thing. If it starts to really pay off, you can pursue that further, but if not you have a backup plan. As someone who left college for a few years and worked some lousy jobs, I can tell you that it really puts a new perspective on school. You learn why you want to do a job that takes some real training. It lights a real fire under you.
Another thing to think about is that university can't be compared to high school. Not in the slightest. It's a way to reinvent yourself and get involved with a whole new crowd. I also knew plenty of people who were involved in bands/other extracurriculars while studying engineering. It's not impossible.
All in all, you're going to have to get used to being responsible for your own decisions. If you end up miserable as a result of a decision you made, it's your own fault. Likewise, if you end up happy, it's all on you too! Nobody can tell you what's right for you. Only you can decide, because only you will deal with the fallout.
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