[DragonFistLeo]

:(
I'll be 33 in July, am a quarter shy of a degree which I don't really want, won't get me the job I originally wanted and which I still owe a lot of money for and I can't seem to find anything which really inspires me or that I'm passionate about and would also make good money. Can anyone offer any helpful advice or inspiration..

[Fr_Chuck]

Decide what carrerr you want, what job you would like to do. And then work toward it, may take 4 or 5 years, but it is only time.

Your trouble is you are putting money as the factor of being a good job, a good job is one where you are happy, then you learn to budget according to the job you want to do.

[ordinaryguy]

Finish the degree. The most important thing it tells a prospective employer is not what facts or skills you learned, but that you can show up on time and finish what you start. A large majority of people who get college degrees end up working in a different field, but a much larger array of jobs are available to those who have some (any) kind of completed degree than to those who don't have one at all. Almost having one counts for very little, and may even be a detriment, because it says "quitter".

[henry3173]

:(
I'll be 33 in July, am a quarter shy of a degree which I don't really want, won't get me the job I originally wanted and which I still owe a lot of money for and I can't seem to find anything which really inspires me or that I'm passionate about and would also make good money. Can anyone offer any helpful advice or inspiration...?

I can't offer you any advice but I would like to tell you that you are not alone. I am 34 and just received my associate's degree at the end of 2005. I just applied to a university but am thinking of not attending because of my personal situation (which is another issue altogether). I have always been interested in science and my major is plant biology but if you ask me what I will do with it, I have no clue. My gpa is 3.65 so I am not an idiot, just a bit confused. You will find your way as I know I will. Life goes on whether you are ready or not. Make the best of it, it is so short... it's scary.

[Emland]

Finish your degree. You made it this far. If you are looking for inspiration - trying volunteering with Challenger baseball or the Boy's Club. Then just keep your eyes and ears open for that perfect opportunity.

[Pook_Myster]

I am half way through my degree too. I have swapped and changed and procrastonated and wasted money. I deferred for a semester and got my head together, found some direction, asked myself what it was I wanted to achieve in life generally and how I could apply my studies to that. I decided that a sense of achievement and completion is what I needed. To have my degree framed on my wall, completed - is going to make me so proud and relaxed, and I'm not sure that I will be able to feel that without completing it. It is important to finish things that you have started for the ability to feel that sense of completion and for me that is worth the struggle through the remained of my course. I am sure that no matter where my life takes me I will be able to apply the skills that I have acquired through my studies to make the tasks I complete easier. Just the fact that you finish your degree demonstrated to future employers that you finish what you start, you are able to apply yourself to your tasks - you will acquire strong written communication skills and these are things that will impress no matter what avenue you tread.

[henry3173]

I very much want to finish my degree and plan on doing so. However, I just got married last September in the u.s. and my husband is stuck in brazil (his home country) thanks to USCIS. He has never been in the u.s. illegally and does not have a criminal record. However, they are making us go through paperwork that will take at least a year before he can even enter the states again. I have not seen him in 4 months. This is why I cannot finish my degree immediately. I will be trekking to brazil for the next 6 months. I have not decided if I will go for a few short trips or just for a few months instead. I am still figuring it out.