Future (applying for university soon! completely lost!)

[Promise]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#Its time to apply for universities now. And I have absolutely no idea, which is so bad. Its my future, and I'm clueless!#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#I've taken a whole bunch of science and some math courses.#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#But go figure, I hate science.#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#Everyone #ed_op#EM#ed_cl#always#ed_op#/EM#ed_cl# tells me to do what I like.#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#-I like horses. But I don't think I'd ever be good enough for a career with horses. (I mean there are people my age out there representing their country as Junior riders/showing grand prix already. How could I ever make it in that industry!)#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#-I like art. Again, not good enough. I asked my friend for an honest opinion about my artwork. She said it's good but she doesn't think its good enough to be a professional artist.#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#-I also like graphic design, photograph, etc. #ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#(But what about all the science courses I'm taking right now. They'd be completely useless, and after working so hard on them...)#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#And I won't deny it, money is a #ed_op#EM#ed_cl#huge#ed_op#/EM#ed_cl# factor for me. I do want a very good paying job (gotta support those expensive hobbies of mine... and being a shopaholic doesn't help either!), and the stuff I like doesn't seem like it'll do that for me.#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#My parents tell me I can do anything I want. Btw, Ive been to private school all my life, which has been#ed_op#EM#ed_cl# so#ed_op#/EM#ed_cl# expensive, so they do expect a lot from me even though they dont say it. #ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#So.. what's next?! What should I do...#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#Anyone have words of advice/wisom/similar stories. Guidance, anyone?#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[GoDDeSSofWiNgS]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Hey there Promise!  You are at a really wierd time and I know how you feel.  I flip flopped daily what I wanted to do but never seriously thought about it.  So what was I good at at school? History and social sciences.  So at first I thought hmmm maybe take year off and mull it over but parents DEFINATELY didnt like that idea as they worried I wouldnt go back, which was probably true lol.  So I applied to Western, Kings and U of Windsor but attended almost every university/college presentation my high school put on - they put on alot.  Is your school doing that?  Or is a local college/uni putting on an open house night with other schools coming?  Those I found very helpful as alot of options that were out there I had no idea existed such as criminology down here at Windsor (I am in history though).#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I felt the same about horse careers, I came late to the riding game and wasnt going to make it as a career rider and defiantely didnt have the finances or skill to own/run a barn.  There is Kemptville college though that maybe you would like to look into.  BB went there I believe.  Plus there is Guelph's equine programs and that would go well with your high school sciences probably.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So the best advice I can give being in 3rd year of a 4yr BA is to get out there and see what available and what really and deeply interests you.  If you like art check out the programs and universities and colleges you make like their teaching methods and oppertunities they provide.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Trufflemaker]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I don't have much advice to offer... I took an Arts program at university and loved it. To my surprise, it helped me establish a very successful and good-paying career (that I chose to leave 6 years ago). I will always have those skills should I need them in the future. (Right now I am doing the most important job of my life--raising my kids.) The other day I got this message in my email. It is a bit long but I hope it will give you some inspiration in your decision-making... #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl##ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#4040ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#The first story is about connecting the dots. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#I dropped out of #ed_op#?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /#ed_cl##ed_op#st1:place w:st="on"#ed_cl##ed_op#st1:PlaceName w:st="on"#ed_cl#Reed#ed_op#/st1:PlaceName#ed_cl# #ed_op#st1:PlaceType w:st="on"#ed_cl#College#ed_op#/st1:PlaceType#ed_cl##ed_op#/st1:place#ed_cl# after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#example: #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#st1:place w:st="on"#ed_cl##ed_op#st1:PlaceName w:st="on"#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#Reed#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/st1:PlaceName#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl# #ed_op#st1:PlaceType w:st="on"#ed_cl#College#ed_op#/st1:PlaceType#ed_cl##ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/st1:place#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl# at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#My second story is about love and loss. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#I was lucky - I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#My third story is about death. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0000ff#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#Your time is limited, so don't waste it living#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#FONT face=Arial size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in #ed_op#st1:City w:st="on"#ed_cl##ed_op#st1:place w:st="on"#ed_cl#Menlo Park#ed_op#/st1:place#ed_cl##ed_op#/st1:City#ed_cl#, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"#ed_cl#Thank you all very much. #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thank you Trufflemaker..what a lovely story. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I agree with taking a year off. Work and see what you want to do. Truly sit down and write down all of your interests, your goals, and go from there. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Kaleena]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#As GoW said, try and attend any and all of the university/college presentations and open houses to learn about the different programs offered out there. Vist their websites poke around see what your options are. I know there are some awesome college programs out there that sound very interesting to me.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I did a science degree in biology at Western (in London, Ont). Like you I took a lot of sciences and maths in high school. I did okay in them and they were more interesting to me than history or english type stuff. The one I like the most was Biology so I choose to do my degree in that. There are so many options with in each science degree you really just have to read up on the programs offered and see what sparks your interest! With my degree at western I choose not to specialize and just did a general biology degree because I wanted to take many different things within Biology (I took animal behaviour classes, I took some genetics, a few plants classes, some human anatomy classes, chemistry, biochem, microbiology etc, but if I had wanted to I could have done a degree specifically in any one of those topics). #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#For my elective classes I usually took Psycholgy, which is part of the Social Science department. I enjoyed psych very much and picked classes that would complement my biology classes.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Even if you choose to do an undergrad in Science, your first year is a general year where they make you take general science classes that cover lots of topics to get you familure with what direction you want to take after first year. For example in my first year I took, Biology (which covered plants, animals, human anatomy, some genetics), Chemistry (which covered a wide range of topics) same with Health Science, Pyschology and Math. The first year classes in almost any program are designed to giver you exposure to the disicpline and help you decide what you want to do the following year. For example In my second year I steared clear of Plants classes because I didn't do so well on that unit in my first year.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Its also not the end of the world if you start a science degree then decided you want to do something else, example Music...most universities are pretty good with councilling and allowing you to switch your degree focus. I think out of all my friends who I know and met at university I can count on two hands the people who ended up with the degree that they started with So don't think you are locked in once you make a decision.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So this was so long, got a bit carried away lol....if you have any other questions about what I did at Western or the other universities that I applied to feel free to PM me.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[PerfectAngel]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Welll, just so you know, once you've applied and been accepted into a program, it's not "undoable". I started in a BSc. in Biology and am now in BSc. Psychology, and 95% of the courses that I took in 1st year are applicable to my current program. I took an extra course over the spring, and voila!! Basically what I'm trying to say is that you can change your mind...you don't have to have a complete idea of what you want to do for the rest of your life before you apply!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Look at community college too. I can tell you there were quite a few people with university degrees in my opticianry course. It really can depend what you take at university or college as to whether or not you will by employable when you graduate. My boss's daughter just graduated from Western and is working as a bartender, the likelihood of her getting a job that has anything to do with her education is nonexistent. She could have been a bartender without spending thousands of dollars and 4 years away at school. My best advice as someone "older" is research the job prospects of any course of study before you pursue it. You say you like graphic design, I think Jax is a graphic designer and that Shoal is too, maybe you could talk to them about how they went about becoming graphic designers, and what it is like to work in that field.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[chenders01]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I would also suggest that you look at careers that are typically male-dominated.  My husband works in aviation (he's a pilot) and women typically get the corporate jobs faster than men do, because companies have to hire a certain number of women in order to satisfy the "equal opportunity" and "hiring of visible minorities" requirements.  They often are not better pilots than the men are, but they get hired so that the company can say they have "X" number of women employed.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So, careers like aviation, engineering, computing, or most of the skilled trades, which are all male-dominated...as a woman, your job prospects are going to be better in those fields (and some of them pay really well too).#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I would probably tend to stay away from studying Arts in university as those jobs don't often have many career options, and like Ruth said, you often will see someone who graduated with an Arts BA, tending bars or doing other menial jobs that have *nothing* to do with their course of study.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Trufflemaker]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I agree with Chenders about almost everything she says above... in my experience though, an Arts degree was very useful and lead me into an excellent career where I made as much money as my husband who is an engineer. I agree, some Arts graduates do not capitalize on their education and end up working in low-paying jobs. I agree too, that an Arts degree does not train you for a specific career... What it DOES do is teach you how to research, connect ideas, communicate effectively, and--in short--how to think logically and critically. These are valuable skills in the business world. (Particularly the communicating part.) I know many Arts graduates who have done very well in life, so if that's what you want to do, by all means go for it. Conversely, I know of highly-trained scientists who really don't make much money.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Now, I have to confess that--to my lasting regret--I dropped Math in high school and so was never able to pursue the sciences in University. I would have liked to have had the chance to study Engineering or Medicine, but had closed that door for myself before I was old enough to know what I was doing. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So Promise, do what you LIKE to do because there is nothing worse than being miserable in your choice of study and life work. You're more likely to be successful if you stay happy and curious, than if you're unhappy and bored. Science is practical but if you really don't like it, the Arts can lead to a money-making career as well. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[*Giddy Up*]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#That's a good story Trufflemaker.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I think you should do what you love- who cares what courses you've already taken? If you don't like science- don't do it. Here's another story for you. My friend who is in first year university took all sciences and math courses. What is she doing now? She's at the university of Ottawa taking HISTORY. She's never taken a history course in high school at ALL except for the manditory one in grade 10. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So really, do anything you want.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'd also say to attend as many university fairs and open nights as possible. You'll find that there are more career options that you think. Also, when you go to uni, take a wid variety of courses- take some science, some math, some humanities, some social science- then you'll see. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Personally for me, I know that I'm going to apply for sure to kinesiology- but my debate is whether I go through the science route (where I get a BSc. specializing in kin- having to take two out of three sciences and two maths) and taking just latin on the side, or the social science route (where I don't have to take calc or those sciences) where I may possibly minor in languages.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[babytigger]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#promise  - another thing to consider........do you really want tof ork out big bucks for a course that 1. you may not like 2. won't help get you a job you like and 3. offers no practical experience for you?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#i never went to university - i knew it wasn't for me. i was going to go to college, but got sidetracked (another story). i would prefer college courses to any uni course, as i find them to be more practical & uni courses are more theoretical.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#and like GU's friend, my brother got accepted to Carleton uni in ottawa. he did english his first year, changed to journalism his second year then history his 3rd year & then transferred to Queens & got his chemistry degree!!!!!! hmmm...ok, so where is he now? head trader for aprivate wealth management firm - yes!! the stock market is where his chemistry degree got him.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#bottom line, even if you've graduated from one program, you're not limited to jobs in that field. figure out what you (not your parents) want you to do, and don't listen to your friends tell you your work isn't good enough, after all it's their opinion, and art is so subjective. remember, if you really want to do something, you probabaly can, but if you don't try you never know.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[zooka]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I was at the same point as you when I finished highschool.  I had gone to a private school and a lot was expected from me as well.  Since I had no idea what I wanted to do people persuaded me into going to university and taking a psychology degree so I would have a BA and get to experience different courses.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#That ended up with me graduating and having nothing but a BA and nowhere to go from there unless I wanted more extensive schooling in psych which did not interest me. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I took a year off a researched the local college and read up about all the programs and narrowed it dow to a few that really interested me.  I am now in my last year of college and know what types of jobs I want and have experience through placement in the field.  I look back at my university as being a waste of time because at the time I was not passionate about what I was doing and now I am.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Basically what I am getting to is take your time and find something that really interests you do not just go to university for something because you feel you have to do it because you have found something you want to persue as a job.  For most stuff college is a lot more hands on and is usually only 2 years instead of 4 so you can always start something there and if it turns out to be what you like you can follow it up with university getting exempt from some classes.  It just seems like a waste to go through a degree at university and then be like "what now?"#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[*Giddy Up*]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#That's true about college- you can always go to college for a program for two years then go to uni after. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I also strongly believe that if you are going to go to uni, go with a program that will result in a job. If you are aiming at law or medicine then of course university is required, there are other courses that will result in employable skills with less years of school too, I have a friend who took criminology at Windsor and is a PO, her husband took urban planning and he is a planner. They didn't end up with these jobs right out of university, but I think they were both working in jobs related to their courses of study within a year. Do your research on job opportunities before making a decision.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[geldinggirlie]

Promise, you are a wonderful, honest, sweet hearted girl....#ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#SO!  I'm going to tell you a little secret, that I wish someone#ed_op#br#ed_cl#would've told me before I stopped taken Sciences and Maths, because i#ed_op#br#ed_cl#found out what I REALLY would've liked to have pursued but didnt.#ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#Do some research into being an X-Ray#ed_op#br#ed_cl#Technician/Ultrasonographer.   There is a huge demand for#ed_op#br#ed_cl#them right now, and it will make you enough money to support your#ed_op#br#ed_cl#expensive habits.  I discovered this field as I was applying to#ed_op#br#ed_cl#College for Business Administration, and instantly wished I could go#ed_op#br#ed_cl#back and do my sciences and Maths over again, because If I had had that#ed_op#br#ed_cl#goal to work towards, I would've done it.  You might also want to#ed_op#br#ed_cl#look into something to do with Geriatrics.  There is a huge demand#ed_op#br#ed_cl#for people in that field right now as well.#ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#I wouldn't necessarily take a year off -- If I had taken a year off, I#ed_op#br#ed_cl#would've never gone back.  You can seriously do whatever you put#ed_op#br#ed_cl#your mind too.   If you're not 100% sure what you want to do,#ed_op#br#ed_cl#apply, and try for something -- maybe a Business Couse, or a General#ed_op#br#ed_cl#Arts and Science.  Or, if there are a few professions that may#ed_op#br#ed_cl#interest you, contact someone in that field and ask to tag along with#ed_op#br#ed_cl#them for a day, most places dont mind it at all.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
If you're really not sure what you want to do -- you could also go with
a course/field that you have done naturally well at through highschool
(hence my business endeavours).  That way you'll do well in your
first year of University/College.#ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#