They showed a presentation at the leavers assembly which shows what everyone is planning to do after leaving high school. Everyone else is doing stuff engineering, astrophysics, medicine etc. I tried to get into Law but got rejected by every University I applied for whilst everyone else got exactly what they wanted. I’m going for a degree in English which most people are saying is pretty much useless, but it’s too late to change it now
One of my friends who barely put any effort in at school just got offered a job that pays 40k a year with no degree because of family connections
I’m currently unemployed whilst everyone else has a job. I’ve applied for lots of places but no one has even bothered to respond yet and it’s been weeks. Everyone else can drive, has loads of friends, and somehow has the time to work whilst studying and STILL do better than me in school.
My cousin got straight A’s because his exams were stupidly easily due to COVID and everyone congratulated him. I got 4 A’s in normal exams and nobody said a thing.
I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do
8 comments
Don’t focus too much on others. You do you! At your age it’s easy to look around and see people doing better than you or have opportunities that you might not have. It’s okay and it’s normal. We are all dealt the cards and must play the best hand we can. You said you are doing a bachelors in English. I think that’s a really good step since that will teach you to communicate your ideas effectively. It might be worth while to either add on a minor or another degree in Math or business related field as well to help your English skills be put to test after your graduation!
Don’t worry about what you’re doing now, worry about your future ambitions. You’re not a loser if you’re trying and just haven’t made it yet. You’d be a loser if you have never even try to pursue your ambitions.
Comparison creates misery. You don’t know if those people actually want to do those things or if their parents are pushing them. Maybe they hate it and drop out. Maybe they’ll find hapiness somewhere else.
Do you need the money? Focus on getting a job first.
Do you want to study English? Fuck people who say it’s useless and go for it. If you decide this isn’t for you, see what your options are.
I know this sounds simple and it’s not. But you don’t know where you are going to end up. Neither do the other people at your school.
“Comparison is the thief of joy”
Issue one of comparison with others: as you get older it becomes less relevant as everyone diverts from each other and it makes less sense than comparing 10 year olds
Issue two: the helpful comparison is with yourself yesterday, yourself last week, yourself last month, and to act strategically to improve against yourself
Don’t let anyone tell you a liberal art degree is useless, and especially not a language.
When I graduated, I never thought that I was willfully putting myself at a disadvantage. I was offered a publishing gig fresh out of college in FiDi for $35k. I worked that job for a year and shaped my skill set to apply it to something more lucrative, and I bumped my salary up to $75k in just two years.
I have a secure job that I LOVE, I’ve got benefits, and I was able to move out of the city and closer to my folks thanks to the shift to remote. I think I’m doing pretty fine. What it really comes down to is building your professional brand – if you can do that, you’ll be successful, even with a “useless” English degree. Learn how to interview well, always be willing to help, and create things to show people. Opportunities will come to you.
The only person you should try to better than is who you were yesterday.
We walk our own path and we must deal with our own struggles and write our own stories. Your friends are writing theirs, you should write your own. Improve your skills, learn and develop new skills. Assuming you’re 17-18 now, you have till 40 to figure out what you want in life.
You said “it’s too late to change it now” but if English isn’t what you want to do, you can most definitely change it. Also, you’re not even in college yet so nothing about your future is set in stone. Keep focusing on you!