High School Senior
Image from Gelbooru (Click on image for source)
As some of you, if not most know about me, I am a high school senior at the moment and this is my last year of school. Today was a bit of a turn around on the way I have been thinking. I know I made a post about this before but to be honest I am still pretty nervous about, well….growing up. As 18 I am pretty well accepted the fact I am pretty inmature in the way I think. Though my issue is that there is so many things i have to do and decide before the time comes for me to do something with my future, here is what I have come up with thus far.
1. Currently I have been looking into some tech schools in my area (Due to personal reasons this is my only option of schooling) I am heavily looking into ITT Tech. I see there have a lot of campuses giving me the option to move around which I sort of plan to do sooner or later during my stay there.
2. I am also looking into a job in the area so I could posibly get my own place. I am kind of hoping I will get someone who can share a place with me. My friends locally that I thought were going to have kind of decided to do other things, which is perfectly understandable, so at the moment sort of looking into a roomate.
3. My career is going to be in Computer Programming or Web Development so I am still debating between those 2 things, though I am leaning more into Programming since that seems to be more of a universal job that I could find good work most anywhere. Which is what I am aiming for due to a move I am planning to make in 4 years. (Those who I chat with on messenger would know what I mean)
See that is what I have in my head so far, the main thing I want to ask is this. After high school what did you do? Did you actually miss high school? What do you do now, and are you happy? Also I wanted to know if anyone has any opinions about ITT Tech?
I proceeded to epic fail after high school. I moved halfway across the country to a huge city from a small town, on my own, without knowing anyone there. Proceeded to end up working a job for a while and it turned sour after I was tainted by illegal substances the boss got me into… I quit my job and had a homeless stint, stayed in a shelter, came back home, got in more bad situations, met the woman I married and then things started getting better the longer I was with her. Now I’m kind of lost but I have a wonderful son and wife with me that make each day worth living, and I couldn’t be happier even when things aren’t going so great. I’m studying Japanese on my own in hopes that one day I’ll be able to leave this country for good and have a more promising future in Japan. We’ll see about that though. Uh yeah, hope I didn’t make myself look too bad here but I am a hikkikomori attempting at recovering… I don’t miss my school at all really, but I do miss not having to pay bills XD
I finished my first year in college. It’s still break over here, and I’ll start my second year in about three weeks. Can’t say I’m happy or sad, since it’s just more school. ^^;
I’ve only heard of ITT Tech through the bajillion TV commercials that they have. Other than that, I really don’t know much about it.
As mentioned, I’ve only heard of ITT tech through commercials, so I don’t know much either!
I graduated last year and am now a Sophomore in Rutgers! I ended up transferring from Pennstate, but there I had my own apartment that I shared with a room mate who actually is mostly responsible for getting me in to anime! Living on your own is a lot of fun in the beginning, but you gotta be prepared for the responsibility is all. Like you wanna cook every once in a while, not just eat out all the time, manage your budget, learn to pay bills on time (like the rent and electric) and clean every once in a while, out of respect not only for yourself but your room mate as well! Though I didn’t like the school I went to, living on my own was an experience in itself. Luckily we had an asian food market nearby and we tended to make noodles and dumplings with steamed rice and eat pocky afterwards, haha!
Though if you’re not one to manage on your own, I wouldn’t recommend jumping all in to it for the first time and try to focus on your studies at the same time. I got carried away with the freedom and it didn’t reflect all too well! Now I commute to Rutgers, and since school started, I’m very happy. I’m happy to be back home with my parents and not have to worry about cooking or cleaning too much when I get home, tired, from a long day at school. Yes, how close you are with your parents is also a factor. Even if you’re away from home, they’ll call every day wanting to know how you’re managing and how they can help. Not to say that it bothered me, but it’s like a bell in your head goes off and you suddenly miss them. Homesickness hurts, and it’s one of those things you experience when you’re away from home.
Good luck with choosing a major by the way, I think what you have in mind is a pretty good idea. There are jobs in that field, it pays well, and you seem to enjoy doing it! Sorry if I rambled a bit too much ^^;
As you know I just entered university, while I’m partially influenced by parents (I’m Chinese, you might be able to guess how that influence works). I will tell you what I think:
Keep ITT as a last resort. To put it bluntly, the commercials show that ITT gives people a second chance. Keep that in mind, don’t go jumping in when you haven’t even had a stab at college/university yet.
Keep studying. Don’t loosen up (even after you get the offers you wanted, I could have earned 500 more in scholarships had I bothered to do my work after March), and 500 bucks could buy a lot of shit.
As for career choice, I would honestly say go for programming. That said, keep your doors open! Apply for both, take things one step at a time. Sure, you’ll have to choose your university choices and deadlines will approach, but you get to choose. Shutting doors is always better than not even opening them.
For either career, try to pick a university/college that offer co-op/internments. University of Waterloo is known to have job offers for students even before they graduate, thanks to their co-op programs.
As for your plan to get a job close to home, don’t think about it. Your future career after graduating from post secondar education will get you more money than part-time jobs (I’ve done minimum wage jobs all summer, I know). Also, don’t be afraid to leave home. As for fearing campus life/room mate, if you fill out residence applications as honestly as you could, you shouldn’t have a problem with him (that’s the philosophy, almost everyone on my floor is paired with their friend).
If you need advice, I’ll try to make myself available, zgmf.x.56s.sword.impulse@gmail.com is my msn. There’s a third year in Western that replied to my DannyChoo news, I’ll try to find him for some insight.
What you feel is perfectly normal. Everyone goes through it. I’m proud of you for fessing up.
For either career, try to pick a university/college that offer co-op/*internships*. University of Waterloo is known to have job offers for students even before they graduate, thanks to their co-op programs.
My god my grammer sucks when I’m sleep deprived, and my classes start in 9 hours >.<
It is really nice to wake up and check my blog and be flooded with this much advice. I really do appreciate this, and this was the reason I did not post yesterday. I have been feeling a bit down on myself in a way through so much thought on this kind of stuff.
Each one of you gave me a pretty good bit advice on just about every aspect.
Persocom with moving far away from home experience
Mitoko with a bit of insight on life outside of the family abode
GNdyames with the insight about ITT Tech.
And of course Orange letting me know that it is not any more fun than High School XD
To be honest everytime I think of something I can do after high school is over, I get a good thought in my head of what it is then out of no where I just back track on myself and have to start with scratch on my planning. Going back to GNyames comment, a University of 4 year college of any sort is a bit out my reach for financial reasons as well as the fact that my high school career was geared torwards tech, there is not a way I can get into college now with the classes I took. Tech is about the only thing I can do
As for another tech other than ITT…there is a few locally that offer some pretty good courses. Mainly computer programming which one of you recommended I should take. I will look into that one shortly and see if I can go up and visit it.
Moving out of my house into an apartment is really nice, and something I want to do very much….but it is also a bit out of reach due to the obvious reasons..cost. It would be pretty hard to do that and school unless my parents helped with expenses.
With all that being said it is no reason to give up on it ^^ I can still think of something and more than likely take heed of the advice you have given while doing it ^_^
Thanks again you all.
Look for a program that offer part time co-op opportunities (a lot of tech programs are offered this). People at Waterloo Engineering tell me that all you need is the money for first year (and if you do have financial difficulties it will pretty much be paid by government loans). Co-ops are paid, and salary is pretty good for most cases and it will lighten up your financial diffculties significantly (in Waterloo, you will earn your tuition/residence/whatever during your course of 5 years. The offset is an additional year but it’s well worth it, you’re almost guaranteed a career after graduation). I strongly suggest that you think this through before making decisions.