So, which should I do?

[_tom_]

I figure i should try Uni, but i can never focus myself onto learning stuff, i may just go for the experience and to meet new friends :/

yep I'm exactly the same. I just dont want a cr@ppy boring job  :(

[Elliot]

I also dont want to sound like Grandad, but you'd be better off with a straight pratical degree like IT or Business and Finance and then do the extra course afterwards.  That way you get to go to university, join university bands, get the best opportunity to play live you will ever get (i.e. University student unions) and a 'proper' degree which will be respected in the business.  The 'practical' courses like BTEC are just icing on the cake compared to that.

Well thats my 2p's worth of thoughts.

By the way lawyers do play guitar, if badly  :D

[_tom_]

hmm yeah good idea I guess. That kinda stuff is just so boring to me though  :(

[donovan.x]

Boring now maybe, but not nearly as boring as the factory job you might end up with if you don't take these options whilst they are available. :(

[big steve]

 That way you get to go to university, join university bands, get the best opportunity to play live you will ever get (i.e. University student unions)

i can't help but disagree with you there, i played as a stand-in memner a while ago with a band who are in university, (doing law etc) who have been playing the odd gig for about 3 years already, and they laughed off the prospect of a gig in the student's union.


but let's keep this thread in focus, some kids' futures are at stake!

[_tom_]

Boring now maybe, but not nearly as boring as the factory job you might end up with if you don't take these options whilst they are available. :(

Yeah thats true I guess. I just have to decide which I find more interesting I guess, IT or business :? They are both cr@p  :lol:

I wish I chose physics, so I could do this Sports Engineering course thing at uni, according to my brother I'd like it coz its all to do with bikes and stuff so it sounds pretty good.. shoulda thought things out better  :roll:

[donovan.x]

How old are you Tom? You sound quite young to me, not in any sort of bad way just use it to your advantage, drop IT and business studies, you sound young enough to start affresh, this goes back to what I said about working out what you want to do first, take a bit of time out for you, go wild and get your life back into focus and when you reach that point you will know what you want to do and start making positive steps into making it a reality! :D

[_tom_]

I'm 17 a week on sunday. I just dunno what to do atall hah I just dislike anything thats good for me! I probably woulda hated physics aswell I guess.

[jt]

So now i'm 23,tried every job i can think of,i'm  bored shiteless and still with no idea what i want to do with my life.... and everywhere i look theres nothing but more shitety jobs for peanuts, or ones that need loads of qualifications to get!

i`m in my 40`s [ yep i`m an old fart !!  :P ] You might be only 23 but let me tell `ya right now If you don`t get descent well respected qualifications then your chances of not spending the rest of your life Poverty struck & destitute are very remote espiecially in this day & age   [ Why do you think so many of us don`t vote ? ] i speak from experience yes there are some people who get lucky & find there niche & yes they will argue that they didn`t get lucky they worked hard in most cases it`s a situation that they where in the right place at the right time.
Unfortunatley in my life i`ve had a tendancy to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time !!  :roll:

As Chrisola has said Poverty wage is now the norm in this country Even here in London it`s become the norm, if you don`t want to be poor for the rest of your life or taking a HUGE chance on getting lucky, then get some usefull qualifications  :D

Sorry for another Rant !!!

 :D  8)

[dave_mc]

Hmm yeah thats a good point, I still have no idea what I even wanna do with my life :? I mean, all I wanna do on my school days is stay home playing guitar and listening to music  :lol: Thats only for my own pleasure though I guess, I'd be a useless teacher. Why cant I get payed for sitting around playing guitar on school days!? :lol:

yeah, i wish i could get paid for that too...

as someone else said, you're only 17, you're young enough to start over

i've done a degree in chemistry, i've been doing a phd for 2 years, and i've switched to an mphil because i just plain hate it, and i'm seriously considering just jacking the whole thing in because i hate it, it's just not me at all, and i don't want to get a job in anything to do with chemistry, and don't know what to do. Consider yourself lucky... i'm 24 and have no clue what career i want  

EDIT: i am in no way saying you shouldn't go to university, at least i have my degree to fall back on, so shoul dbe able to get a job in the civil service or something like that if there's nothing better available

i second what the other guys said about getting a degree in a widish subject, that dosesn't necessarily lead straight to a job, but sounds good because you have a degree. Something like physics, history, that kind of thing (i.e. dont' go for one in dentistry, since if you dont' want to be a dentist after you've done it, you're kind of screwed)

[Underground_Player]

I did Business Studies at A-Level as I wasn't sure what I wanted to do after school and thought the subject would leave my options pretty open, which it has done. It's interesting and the stuff you learn is very useable. Just as long as you don't assume you know everything about business after it  :)
As for IT, there are plenty of independant qualifications floating around which you could do while you're on the business course.

what about BIMM

I'm at BIMM now, and I'd definately recommend the course. They've really covered all the bases much better than I thought they'd be able to. Plus I think they're pretty realistic - for example, they're putting equally as much emphasis on very accurate simple rhythm playing as on lead playing, as I suppose the former is what gets you sessions. Unless a machine gets them first  :roll:
I do think the scope for well paid session work must be very limited these days, but there are a million and one bands starting up who might not have access to the best studio gear - the stuff that I suppose is putting session players out of work - and are therefore willing to pay (badly) some guy to do it the old fashioned way.

And there might be more competition from other new bands nowadays, but the opportunities for getting your band heard and signed are, so I'm told, greater than ever if you know how to do it.........

[HJM]

Just make sure what you choose to do is worth the £££££££££££££ it wil cost you to get through the degree - you'd earn more training as a plumber.....or a joiner (the last joiner I had did a loft conversion - and he turned up for his last cheque in a TVR....)

[_tom_]

Just make sure what you choose to do is worth the £££££££££££££ it wil cost you to get through the degree - you'd earn more training as a plumber.....or a joiner (the last joiner I had did a loft conversion - and he turned up for his last cheque in a TVR....)

Yeah I was thinkin of getting an apprenticeship of all things, in carpentry or something, as I like actually making stuff more than office based work, but I hear its too late now as college has started ages ago. I can still try next year though but business wasnt actually that bad today  :lol: I'll see how it goes I guess, at any rate it looks like music is out of the question really.

[Gary]

Carpentry is not a bad option - just be prepared for some hard physical work! I spent 12 years as a carpenter/ semi pro musician and the two jobs worked quite well together. Now that I'm a bit old to play in a serious band I'm thinking of putting my carpentry skills to good use and enrolling in a part time guitar building course at Merton College.

[_tom_]

Ah right. I think even though it may be hard work, people always want joinery and stuff, so it seems a good option really. I'll still get my A levels first though (or at least try)