Bah, what to do...

[Inunah]

Okay, so I've been thinking a lot lately, and I just do NOT know what to do.

I've been thinking about going to college, but I really do NOT want to go. I mean, I hated school so much that I almost didn't graduate because of all the classes I had been failing. Then there's the fact that I wouldn't have any friends and I'm too shy to make friends. And then I wouldn't even have a ride to the classes (I can NOT learn over the internet. Nothing I do on the computer keeps my interest long enough). Plus, there's the aspect of me not being able to pay for it and shit..... Bah...

There's also the fact that jobs suck. I have no ride to any job. There aren't any jobs open within walking distance. I have no driver's license (I WON'T GET ONE, DAMNIT. CARS GO TOO FUCKING FAST, I REFUSE TO DRIVE), and since the only person in town I know who'd drive me doesn't have a license either, blah.

So.... Like... My only option is to live with my parents and never leave the house, then.

What should I do? I mean, I want to move out and get my own life sometime, but it's like everything's against me and there's no way to get anything done.

 

[Veho]

Go to college

 

[Infinite Zero]

yes. GO TO COLLEGE DAMMIT

 

[scrtmstr]

go to college. A lot of people there are the same as you, they don't have any friends yet either. Put away your shyness, and make some new friends. It just take a bit of practice.

 

[Totoy_Kamote]

Go to college so you won't end up like this!

Spoiler

 

[exangel]

Whatever you do, DO NOT GET A STUDENT LOAN.
Going to college may be fine, but DO NOT GET A FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN.
That is one debt that is VERY easy to acquire and impossible to evade. No matter what lender you go through, it's basically a scam to get you to arrange for a loan they can sell to the US Department of Education. The worst is with for-profit schools, for a while they've been regarded as primarily online schools. But there are tons of for-profit colleges in our country, and if you don't know what program you want YOU WILL GET SCREWED by the counseling/enrollment administration if you don't know what you're doing.
Go work a dead end job until you know what you want to do/study. 100% serious, coming from someone who had the great fortune to drop out before my debt became more than I could manage.

If you're fortunate you can get certification or vocational training paid for by your employer depending on what field you get into (although it usually takes some time in the company before they offer it).

The work experience and paid certification/training can be a lot more valuable in moving up than being fresh out of a 2 or 4-year degree program with zero hours on the job.


Notice that everyone who's told you to go to immediately to "higher education" isn't in the US.

edit:
fixed a typo, and I have another point.
I don't drive either, and I don't have a license. I'm 27 years old.
There's another drawback to driving, make it two. Having a car, and paying for car insurance. The latter will be a great expense for you if you're fresh out of high school, as well.
In both of the places where I've been staying for the past 6 years, there's a lot of grocery/restaurant/store access within walking distance and in one of my homes there is fairly reliable public transportation.

 

[Goli]

Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. Since you don't want to do any of the things you mentioned... do one of them!

 

[Deleted User]

Public transportation, ever heard of it?
That's how most of the students here get around campus and the city. Transportation really shouldn't be one of your main excuses.

 

[Maz7006]

This is why we have something called a "Gap Year"

you are probably some 16-17 year old

in 3 years you gna have to start thinking straight and stop fucking complaining about shit (sorry but you sort of need this)

things are complicated, you have to find ways that make it better ?

can't make friends ? ... hmm was the same - college is good at helping with that -i.e. your social side

you will be exposed to such things and more there , get a job to pay it off, well some of it but whatever you'll end up making it.

A gap year can help you with all this as well, join some NGO or something, they usually take anyone/everyone at the expense of NOT having any kind of income, but pretty much everything else is on them (one of which is transport, i mean you are working for "free" for them) not only will you gain some social skills, but also some ties and not to mention friends, it will give you a strong background if you go onto college or just general free lancing.

hope this helps.

 

[Inunah]

1. We can't pay for college, even with loans and shit.

2. There is no public transportation around here. This is a small hick area. Not even the closest towns have public transportation. The only kind of buses we get around here are school buses.

3. The little grocery store down the street is so expensive we can't shop there except for the one or two things we need in the middle of the week.

4. The restaurants down by the store are expensive, too.

5. Nobody around here is freakin' hiring.

6. I'm not in this "gap year."

Also, what' NGO?

 

[emigre]

Non Governmental Organisation, I'm guessing

 

[Inunah]

Hmm... Seeing as I didn't know what an NGO is, I'd take it that there aren't any of those around here.

 

[exangel]

Since you say that employment is an option and you don't wanna sit around on your ass but you can't really leave right now, I have a few suggestions.

Try to join in some volunteer work. Every place I've lived has some sort of homeless outreach and youth outreach services, that make use of people with free time and lacking other things. They may not pay you, but not letting your free time go to waste in this positive way (serving others) looks really good on your resume. And it sounds great in an interview. Also, if they are present in your area, they'll probably pick you up and may feed you, which would relieve your family expenses somewhat. thats 5+ meals a week your family wouldn't have to pay for if you're getting fed by volunteering with an outreach.

Assuming you're in an even smaller town that has no volunteer organizations. You might be able to find out information about what your town needs through city government and start one yourself. Now that would be a lot of responsibility, but if you're leading such an organization you might actually get a government stipend (not exactly a wage, but it might be better than a full time minimum wage job).

When I was a teenager, I really wanted to join the peace corps, but I couldn't because I didn't have a permanent residence to apply from at the time. You should look into doing humanitarian work. Yes, it does mean that depending on the route you go you may not even have internet access for some periods of time. But I'm serious and I don't want to make my previous advice look like the only advice dissenting from the idea that college is great. (and because of its lonesome, it's probably bad)

I don't personally make a great living right now but helping others is a great feeling and I'd rather continue outreach work and scrape by with all my needs, than to put myself in debt to follow the tech career I wanted.

edit: forgot to complete a thought

 

[Inunah]

=_= You think I'm a humanitarian? People can go help themselves, I do enough good by and sitting here doing nothing and not fucking things up.

 

[Law]

Get out of the hick area and move to the city.

You must have some savings you can use to cover a month of rent somewhere, or see if any of your non-creepy Internet friends in a nearby city will let you crash at their place until you find a job in the area.

The start of life is a leap of faith.

 

[monkat]

One idea is to get off your ass and suck it up.

You don't want to get a job? You don't want to go to school to prepare for a job? Tough shit - if you don't contribute to the community, the community should not contribute to you.

Its not as bad as you think it will be, by the way.

Spoiled brat...

 

[RoMee]

you always sound like a kid most of the time(I'm guessing around 11 or 12)...what you are thinking right now, will be the biggest mistake of your life
it's kinda like you're looking for excuse to not do anything

when you get older and your life has become nothing because you refuse to do nothing, you will regret your decisions..I know for kids like you, this don't make any sense at all, but when you're older it will