by confusedteenager 37 Replies latest jw friends
If you're 18 and a U.S. citizen, you don't need to have your parents involved at all in securing college loans. You can qualify for them on your own.
I'm not sure if you need to be a full-time student. Check with your state gov regarding loan restrictions.
You will NOT be able to go to school AND pioneer. You'll need time for study, and if your parents won't help you, time for at least part-time work.
Decision time.
Regardless of whether you want to fade or leave or stay in the JW's, please please please consider as soon as possible stopping the pioneering. You are young and their telling you to use the energy of your youth is really wasting the energy of your youth that could be used to make money or further your prospects for the future.
Also depending on your families income apply for financial aid, that is if you live in the USA...I went to a community college and got my AAS degree and didn't have to pay one penny myself because my Financial aid was enough.
Also right now my husband is going through to be starting his third semester at the community college and so far we haven't had to pay anything out of pocket. Financial aid is paying for everything.
Financial aid is NOT a loan you have to pay back, this is money from the government that they send to your school to pay for books and tuition, and whatever is left that you didn't use for tuition and books, you get a check.
Here is the link http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to the USA financial aid, it really doesn't take that long to fill out the application. I'm sure even if you are in a different country there has to been some kind of funding.
I never had to get college loans and so far my husband won't have to get college loans either.
I wish you the best of luck. You actually sound like me a few years back. I had to come off the reg pioneer list to go to college, thankfully my parents were supportive of me and encouraged me to go to school, but I got a lot of trouble from the congregation because I was going to school. So prepare yourself for opposition from people. Be determined to go to school!!!!!!!! I look back now after fading myself at almost 30 years old and wish I had never wasted my time reg pioneering. Get educated so you can support yourself!
PM me if you have any questions about USA school, not sure where you live, but I might be able to help with figuring out school if you live in the States
And welcome!!!!!
G
I pioneered straight from school and when I stopped doing that there were no well paid jobs to go to. I spent many years regretting the fact I had never gone to uni and that was my lot in life. I finally went at 41. What should have been an educational progression turned into a life long goal. it should never be that way for anyone. Please, stop the pioneering, that can wait and give yourself a good grounding for your future, without regrets.
Your parents don't have to pay your loans. You could take out loans in your own name.
That may sound snarky but I did not know that at your age. Had I, I would have gone to college vs. letting my jw monster say no.
As to the work vs. pioneer, tell them you cannot find a decent paying part time job without skills, so you need to temporarily go get education, so you can later pioneer. "A means to an end" is a catch phrase of theirs. Use it.
join the service {military} and partake of the schooling available.
not sure if anyone already said this, but there are lots of free "personality profiling" tests online, one being the jung/briggs-myer. If you are struggling to work out a career fit for you, try http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp its quick and free and might give you a few ideas. Some debate how good this test is, but i just did it myself a few days ago and i have to say, the career options it suggested were spot on.
I dont know enough about US education system to suggest what to do about finances, but i have read on here that there are some free courses. And check with your old highschool, they may have counsellers who could help.
I wish you all the best
Love, Sky x
CT, sounds like you are on the right track by asking questions now. Definitely good advice has been given to you. Take it...a 2 year college that has an agreement with a 4 year university to accept the credits you will get there would be a good short term/medium term goal. To have credits transferred will save you money and time later on good luck in your decision. pioneering will not help you and your future at all. I pioneered for 7 years biggest waste of my life I.e. Don't believe the hype. Believe in yourself and take comfor you are not alone, for many have walked down this path. slavenomore
There are plenty of resources available in terms of financial aid (FAFSA is a good start), but you will have to write a lot of letters/essays and do a lot of searching. How were your grades in school? That'll be a significant factor in being able to qualify for scholarships. I would think that having been out of school for a year might be factored into whether or not some entities will award you anything, but I may be wrong on that.
Better to do the work to find some aid now than to pay later. Were there any subjects in high school that appealed to you? They could give you some insight on what major you should choose. But be sure of what your major will be and stick to it. Changing your mind will only make graduating a lot harder. Best to choose something you're in love with, if possible, because it does require a very intense commitment to tangle with all those courses, even if you're part-time.
--sd-7
Hi confused teenager!
I'm going to confuse you more, with some contrary advice!!!!!!
Firstly go to college/uni! Just go! Pick a course based on what you are good at, don't worry about big decisions like finding your passion or anything like that. If your good a maths, focus on that, communicator? Marketing or BA, whatever.
The important thing is just to get started.
Not everyone can work in what they love, but, that's not a bad thing. Because a good job gives you financial freedom to enjoy doing what you love. For example, my husband always loved woodworking & apprenticed to his uncle as a carpenter when he was young.
Still, he ended up in financial areas & has been a general manager of major international companies for many years. His job has allowed him to manage hundreds of people, travel the world ( he was financially able to take 2 years off & backpack in his 20s) & have the money to sail, ski, have a family, buy a home etc etc all the good stuff.
the thing is, his career works to his strengths, which are people management & communication. He still makes a ton of stuff in the garage/workshop and his passion has remained that, something to be enjoyed, not the source of our livelihood.
In summary, just think about what your best at & go for it. If your friends were going to describe you, what would they say?
you won't regret getting an education. You only have to look at this board to appreciate how many here deeply regret not doing what your considering now.
Finally, your youth is really precious, enjoy it, don't waste it (like I did hahahah!) trudging around knocking on doors, good luck!
