I’m currently attending a trade school for an esthetician course. The course was about 6 months long, and I only have about 2 months left, but I absolutely hate it. I definitely realize this isn’t for me, and I dread even going to school for it. I know this isn’t something I want to do as a future. I don’t even want the license for it anymore. Normally, I’d just say whatever, it’s only 2 more months left and I’d just suck it up, but I’m not even sure I’ll reach my state requirements to graduate. I feel like I could be spending my time instead of going to school, I could be working right now to pay this off. I’m currently 19, and my family were planning on moving to Arizona after I graduate and Arizona laws, from what I’m getting from the rulebook, is that you can’t even hold an esthetician’s license until you’re 23 there, so I wouldn’t even be able to use it when I’d move. Should I just drop out and spend my time working, or should I just suffer the 2 months and get what I’m paying for, even though I’m positive I won’t use the license?

I say finish it. I earned a bachelor's in elementary education and didn't like my first teaching job. I then worked in drug stores, book stores, and auto insurance, got pregnant and stayed home for 12 years raising two kids, then finally found my passion in public libraries where I also got to use my teaching education and skills.

I also have to agree with finishing what you started. You are young enough to change course in a few short months, but finishing your trade will be just another arrow in your quiver, and you never know if the opportunity will arise to make it pay off in some way in the future. Two months is nothing, even if you cannot use the skill now, but the fact that you completed something will lay the foundation for the discipline and perseverance you will certainly need later.

Maybe it's old school to have many skills, and many trades over the course of a life, rather than a career in just one thing, but the way stuff happens nowadays you just cannot count on one job for life. You can count on stuff happening that may bring big changes though, and the more skills you have, and experience, the better your options to make adjustment to those changes.

I can also say from experience it's a good idea to get what you can, while you can, and when you can, and make the most of it, because you just never know. So as WG said, hang in there and take what you have as you prepare for the NEXT step. There is ALWAYS a NEXT step to take on your path through life. Just make sure you get your transcripts and records of completions when you get them to take with you wherever you go.

Yep. Finish it. I say that with the admission that I had to look up "esthetician" to see what in the world it was. I am like WGirl in that I did not make a career out of my major (animal science), but that degree opened a door for me later to get into teaching and then school administration, so it was completely worth it.

Just like jlisenbe, you can never know where life and degrees will take you. I started with a degree in Chemistry, worked 10Y in research. Got a tip and moved to an insurance company and ran their environmental programs. While there, I started working with contractors fixing pollution damaged items. We got bought out by a really BIG (Red Umbrellas!) insurance company and spent the last 13 years of employment in Risk Management, working on large construction projects. Ret'd in 2005 but still keep busy with a small handyman business.

I will also agree, you may never use it, but you may use things from it.
Look at a change in attitude in that, OK, I will not do this as a profession.
But I will have valuable education that can be used for many things

It may be something you do with friends or family or for yourself later

And you may be surprised that at 40 your view life different.

Most people actually don't use their major from college, but do other things.

I pay and keep up my insurance license which I have not used in almost 25 years but I keep it, because I may want to someday (OK most likely not but it is mine)