Thread by @amandaorson

Talking with a younger relative considering college as a nontrad (he's 30):

I would only go to college if you had a job in mind and you needed a specific degree to do it.

Barring that I think a trade school is far better ROI.

He replied:

"I really haven't found any trade schools that I'm interested in unfortunately."

My advice:

TBH I think the notion of needing to be in love with your job is overstated.

I think it is MUCH more important that you lead a meaningful life, doing things that are meaningful to you, and your job can facilitate that in one of two ways:

1. you're actually doing that thing, OR
2. you earn a living via you job but have the means (time + money) to do the things that are meaningful to you.

Random examples:

- I had a friend that worked as a chef on rich people's boats (not kidding) because it was flexible and he'd take the summers off and travel, while working on his travel photography.

- A deckhand I worked with in Alaska worked as a carpenter in the North Slope, lived frugally, and with the money he saved bought a small apartment building in Alaska where he lived. Now he fishes in the summertime fo extra money and spends the winters surfing in Bali.

My point is - there's nothing to say you have to LOVE what you do.

You have to DO what you love, and sometimes what earns you money is just a means to that end.