Finished a degree I hated, now stuck in a job I hate

A lot of them are wasting their lives at universities, but honestly, you're better off actually making some money
instead of just hitting the books 😁

goldenheron6 said:My story is a bit of a mess. I ended up enrolling in a school because everyone told me
it was the "right move," even though it wasn't what I actually wanted.
I pulled decent grades there, but I absolutely loathed the coursework. One specific subject was a total nightmare—the professor basically made it her mission to pick on me. It was so bad it messed with my body; I dealt with irregular cycles for months and even broke out in cystic acne just from the sheer stress of being in that classroom.
Now comes the second act of this tragedy: I’m working in that field now and I hate every second of it. I have to drag myself out of bed at 6 AM to go do a job that offers zero fulfillment. This whole industry just doesn't interest me at all.
So yeah, I’m basically carrying the weight of a career I never wanted for the rest of my life. 😵

It’s just one long chain of stress.

They really aren't kidding when they say if you spend your whole life listening to everyone else, you end up stuck in a rut.
Life is way too short to waste it being this miserable, but man, I’d give anything to be doing something else. I really regret not going into something like dental hygiene or esthetics. I didn't even go to college, but my actual dream was to be a preschool teacher.
That would’ve been the perfect gig for me.
But nope, nothing came of those plans. 😠

I finished vocational school and I'd love to actually work in my field, but the problem is there aren't many openings for my specialty in small towns, so finding a job is tough. Honestly, I'd take pretty much anything at this point, even something I don't like, because I feel like in America you don't really get to pick and choose; you just take whatever's on the table.

Amy Diaz53 said:I finished vocational school and I'd love to actually work in my field, but the problem is there aren't many openings for my specialty in small towns, so finding a job is tough. Honestly, I'd take pretty much anything at this point, even something I don't like, because I feel like in America you don't really get to pick and choose; you just take whatever's on the table.

That's just wrong. Even considering the opportunities here in the States, you need to change your mindset—you can always find a way to do what you actually want to do.
At the end of the day—it's never been easier to leave the US and find work abroad.

Grab a direction and just run with it!
* whatever you do—just don't stay stuck in one spot.

It’s honestly exhausting listening to young people constantly selling themselves short with lines like "I can't," "it's too late," or "I just can't do it."

You can do whatever you want, dear OP. That's actually what makes the world such a magical place—unless, of course, you decide to sabotage yourself by setting limits and deciding you aren't capable. You mentioned falling in love with your job. I'm glad, though I suspect we haven't seen the end of this story yet. As for that idea that you should find fulfillment in just anything? That's a lie corporate executives feed workers to keep them content with minimum wage. Hang in there, everyone; you deserve much better than that 🙂:-)