Back to square one

[Boxer2500]

They say college is great for finding out what you don't want to do. So far, I've spent thousands of dollars to find out that (A) I don't want to be a mechanical engineer and now (B) I don't want to go into forestry as a career. I chose this major because I wanted to be able to work outside, plus it was *the* thing to do at this school. After one semester, I've come to realize that as much as the outdoors appeals to me, I'm just not that into the inner workings of plant life. 'Careers in Forestry' class has only reinforced that. Not only are the jobs tedious, but unless you want to pursue a PhD there's very little money to be made – heck, I could go out right now and use my CDL to make more money than I'll be able to make with a BS in Forest Resource Management. So after two years on, two years off, and another semester on, I'm right back at square one.

All of my interests seem to lie in the creative vein in one way or another. My two biggest hobbies are music and photography. Right now, I'm seriously considering just letting it all hang out and going into art school, probably majoring in photography. Recording engineering and production is another thought. It's not like I was going to be hauling in the big bucks with my current major or anything, I might as well do something that really interests me.

This leads to the next problem: Aside from the forestry program, U or M just isn't that good a school. If I'm going to put in the time, effort, and money I may as well come out with a degree from a respected institution. I adore this town, but it might not be worth altering the course of my entire life to spend two or three more years here. As much as it kills me to leave this place, I might have to. I could go back to Ohio, pay in-state tuition, and go to a much better school at the same time. There's always the option of moving somewhere else out west, but I really don't know if I'm ready to take on yet another new town thousands of miles from home where I don't know anybody.

So basically, I can either stay in Missoula, live it up, and go to a second-rate school, or I can just head back to the dreaded Midwest and live close to home for a while. The third option is to just give academics a rest for a while longer. I have a Holden Caulfield-esque attitude about higher education. It's a racket, but unfortunately it's become so engrained in American society that it seems you can't get anywhere without that expensive piece of paper. Personally, I think it's all a load of bovine excrement, and it feels like the only reason I'm going through all of this is because it's simply assumed that you need a degree to serve as a productive member of society. As long as I can make enough money to keep a roof over my head and have a little bit of fun, I really don't care about all the rest.

Needless to say, I'm lost. While I'm not one to cast my fate to the whim of an internet forum, I figure it can't hurt to hear some other perspectives. So fire away.

Your e-buddy,

Dan

[Rich]

I make not a dime off my Masters degree from USC.  I've made a relatively nice living off my Masters earned at a small state college (EWU).  I've interviewed literally hundreds of job applicants over the years, Dan, and I've learned one thing.  It's not the grades, the school, or the degree...it's the candidate.

FWIW...

[Ultra]

Read these two quick guides by Gary North.:

Misunderstanding Higher Education

Self-Education for the Cost of Toner