What should I do with the rest of my life?

[Cake]

Hey guys, I'm 18 and from Ireland. I'm in my final year before college here and I can't decide what to do. All I've ever wanted is to play in a band, blah blah blah, but it's true. It's all I've wanted to do since I first started playing music (age of 8). I want to Tour and I want to Record and I want to do it for the rest of my life. But as we all know it's nothing you can just do. It's a risky step to take to become good enough to make a living from it. Here's my dilemma; My next best thing ( i think ) is to be a doctor. I have enough points (good enough grades) to get into medical college here in Dublin so that's not an issue, The only issue is time. Medical school is hectic and with all the studying and working I don't think I'll have time to play music. So doing both really isn't an option, at least not to achieve the level of music i want to (Coldplay ;) ). So I have to make my decision in the next 2 months, and it's the toughest decision of my life. Do I take the safe option, study medicine, become a doctor and play music in what little spare time I have? Or do i go all out, Play music, meet new musicians, form a band and take over the world. Sounds easy written here doesn't it? I also wonder if i do decide on the latter, how i would even go about it? I would like a degree in something i guess, as a fall back, but obviously something i could do alongside working full time in a band.

Have I mentioned It's all I've ever wanted?

Help is much appreciated!

Thanks.

[86Timewarp]

Do whatever is easy for you.

 

I like to preform (piano, singing, act, etc.) mostly Coldplay, however, because I'm good with computers, photography and video-editing, I do video work for my school, and on top of that: I want to design airplanes cause I an draw :lol:

 

I obviously know I can't do EVERYTHING, but I do have plans in case one or the other fails: If I can't be an engineer, I'll be a flight attendant, if that doesnt work, then I'll join the Air Force and Etc.

 

But you can always compromise because, when you're in the hospital and your patient is scared, how can you calm them down? YOU ENTERTAIN THEM! You gotta make these things work my friend, still I have like 2 more years till collage so I have time, but right now you gotta make the choice!

 

Good luck! :P

[Cake]

Thanks Timewarp, you've given me more stuff to think about. Thing is, I know no matter what I'll play music for the rest of my life, my asspirations are to play it for a living though. Be famous and tour and make it my life. But how difficult is it to "make it"? i guess that's the ultimate question.

[86Timewarp]

If you have experience, then keep building on it. Also, getting famous isnt easy my friend and we all know Coldplay had it tough when they started out. Being a doctor is also hard, you gotta make compromised and choices, you're at the corss-roads of your own destiny now.

[Cobalt]

Medicine will at least make sure you have a steady-ish source of income, whereas taking a musical direction is more unstable.

 

It depends what you want to do - have money and be able to support your smaller hobby, or potentially be a bit more broke and follow your ambition.

[Empily]

What I personally would do is at least try out medical school to see if it's for me and if I could handle that sort of thing.

Then if I hate it or it really isn't for me, I'd quit and do music.

Could get expensive doing it that way though lol

[Coldplay]

OP, if you are passionate about being a doctor, go to medical school and make music as a hobby. Record some songs, form a band etc little by little and if you do get successful you can take that on as a main career. That's what I would do.

You can get a degree in music and teach at a university but that's pretty much your only option with that degree I think

[Destrokk]

This sounds a lot like what I was dealing with a while ago.

I also want to do music, But I need money in the future so I would have to decide a career that can get me a nice house and food. But to go to medical school is a bit too much, while you do get a good paycheck just imagine you waking up everyday doing something (not that you hate) but that you don't really want to do?

If you really want to go into the recording industry then theres no point in wasting more than 5 years of your life to study for something you don't really want.

You can start with a small job and while you work to get higher and higher you can start playing music, writing songs and find people for a band. Then try to find a way to get known.

 

I decided this because it's more of an economic problem then to decide what to do. So this is a cheaper way.

[Wherrwhfer]

how did you know what you wanted to do with your life

 

i asked an internet forum

[Alien Radio]

Cake, you have the same dream as I have. I wanted to do that since I was just a child. I've been writing songs for a long time now. But I still have time to decide, a little more than 3 years. :)

 

Do what you really want to do. It's your dream, isn't it? Go on and change the world. :)

If I was at your place right now, I think I would enroll a college/university but also form a band and play some local venues, record a demo tape, etc... If it goes well, I would quit university and dedicate my life to music. ;)

 

Have you already written some songs? Try writing and play it for friends and family and ask them what they think. Maybe this will make your life decision easier. ;)

[Darlene_Ihnfsa]

you can't do medicine or some other degree you'd like through Open Uni? it will give you some more free time to play, i guess.... or join some uni wich is more friendly with givng you free time to work as you keep studying? i wouldn't go totally for the play option if you don't have or had a band already.

mid option is do both at same time but take it slow to finish medicine, say take half the subjects a year, if that option is possible.

 

i'm afraid, there's few we can advice you to, cause we are not yourself.

i know that time is hard, we all went through it when we've been your age, but you have to decide, and if you decide wrong, be brave and walk again the way to get where you want to get once you finish your duties -that's what i'm doing at the moment and it's taken me 5 years to finish a degree (Tourism) i didn't like much and which is vaguely related to what my will is, just to have a back-up plan in case i can't achieve my main goal, instead or go directly for writing as i wanted since i was 6- (say you decide for medicine but still want music, you'll have to do the second once you've finished the first, that's life and growing up, one have to take decitions of this sort).

 

also at least here, i know about many well considered indie bands which even when they do big tours they don't work all time in music and have other jobs or some studies, is not easy to get a good contract that allows you to work full time in a band, although is what all musicians aim to.

 

best of luck, if you decide for music, keep us updated about how the band is going :hug: as well as if you decide for medicine.

[trinest]

Do what ever you want.

 

Don't be stuck like I am and just sit at home watching the days and nights go pass. If you want to make music, get that shit going- start a band with a bunch of friends, play a night clubs, do something to make your dream a reality, because if you just sit there it isn't going to happen.

 

I live in a world were I can't do a thing because I have no idea what I want to do. I have a few years on you OP and well it is just isn't going anywhere. My skills lie in IT, however it isn't something I'm pashainte about, and at the end of the day I believe I live in my brothers shadow when it comes to IT. As he has become much more successful and has his own business etc.

[Connor!42!]

By the way, im nearly 18 and i'm doing a diploma of design at the moment.

 

Ok, well i know i don't have experience so all i can go off is what i've been told at what i think. I think that you should choose a career path that you're passionate about. Like you've said, you love music and though being in a band is maybe unreliable in terms of income, what about looking into a career in music/sound production, .....something that still relates to your passion though could still be reliable in terms of the income.

 

I've forever been told by my parents and other adults to have a career in what you love/have a passion for. This year, i wanted to do Architecture though i didn't have high enough grades which is why im doing a diploma so i can get into the course in 2012 and i have many friends who have dropped out of uni courses and gone into other ones because they found pretty quickly that they had no interest in their initial courses.

 

I went to a university info day and basically every lecturer i spoke to said that if you have absolutely any doubt if you should be in this course, then it's not the course for you. Basically they were saying that unless you have a strong passion for this course, then you shouldn't be in it and that may be the same with doing a science degree to become a doctor