What if not University?

[GrandeOrso]

Hi everybody.

I'm pretty new here and in general in the whole journey of awakening, and actually I'm not really sure if I'm really into it.

I did watch Leo's video "should you go to university" and from that one it appears clear I should aim for something différent, but what? 

I started a bachelor in social sciences back in 2017 and quit after 3 semesters, although validating almost all my credits. I bought a one-way ticket to Ecuador and spent 10 months travelling, discovering things and living the moment. Covid came and I went back home. It's been a year. From one side I'm still suffering from reverse cultural shock (also because I live in Switzerland, a super conservative society), but in all this time I haven't figured anything out. I even bought Leo's life purpose course. I don't think it works because I don't have enough life experience and self-knowledge (how can I answer "what unique skill of mine can best serve me and the company I work for" if I have no working experience and no hobbies?).

So I thought of finishing my degree, and I can actually finish it doing half of it in something else that interests me more: philosophy.

It's about reasoning and big questions, still academia but in 1.5/2 years I will be done. 

What do you people think? 

I did think about what I deeply love and enjoy, and it involves animals, nature, but also girls and fun... You see, I'm not clear. I thought that I had to be an explorer because that's what I've always been (and I love travelling), but what is that? You can't do anything without a degree it seems. Then I thought about being a sport instructor, because I love sports, but I'm also not in extremely good physical shape. 

I'm more lost than ever. More in love with life, too, thanks to my travels, shrooms and 5meo (yes I did it), I love the mystical part of this and I recognize how miserable it was to be a nihilist... But you can't live off spirituality just like that. I would travel more if I had the money. Asia, looking for more.

At the same time the very practical aspects of reality are escaping me.... Money, responsabilities.... I might just be a kid still, and need to toughen my bones (even tho im 26)

 

What a mess

 

 

 

 

[GrandeOrso]

What I would really like to do would be jumping in the world and roam it doing different jobs, eventually leading me to my passion and vocation. But it feels unsafe, it might be stupid, it might not work and I might end up doing shit jobs forever.

The alternative, though, is to fall back in line and go back to SCHOOL. Even though I have energy, love for people, humor, desire, ambition.... 

How do you do it by yourself? I dont see the way

[hamedsf]

well, it depends on your situation. 

I was just studying cellular molecular biology a few years ago, then quit the university for the good, I tried things out then got back to university again one month ago. 

although I'm still not a fan of university but due to my situation and requirements, I changed my life strategy. thought I still love biology then why not going there again.

as I said, the need for university changes based upon your life situation but still I can say that some entrepreneurs don't have degrees.  so by great discipline you can go forward without needing university. 

[Yarco]

14 hours ago, GrandeOrso said:

I don't think it works because I don't have enough life experience and self-knowledge (how can I answer "what unique skill of mine can best serve me and the company I work for" if I have no working experience and no hobbies?).

.....

I did think about what I deeply love and enjoy, and it involves animals, nature, but also girls and fun... You see, I'm not clear. I thought that I had to be an explorer because that's what I've always been (and I love travelling), but what is that? You can't do anything without a degree it seems. Then I thought about being a sport instructor, because I love sports, but I'm also not in extremely good physical shape. 

Dissonance between these two paragraphs. You have plenty of ideas and hobbies, you're just worried that they aren't "acceptable" things to pursue.

14 hours ago, GrandeOrso said:

What I would really like to do would be jumping in the world and roam it doing different jobs, eventually leading me to my passion and vocation. But it feels unsafe, it might be stupid, it might not work and I might end up doing shit jobs forever.

The alternative, though, is to fall back in line and go back to SCHOOL. Even though I have energy, love for people, humor, desire, ambition.... 

If you feel that the way to best try out different possible jobs to find your passion is by jumping job to job, then going to school and going all-in on a degree in only one subject is definitely not the way to go. If you spend 3 more years studying for a particular career and hate it, that's a lot of time and money down the brain.

[Bob Seeker]

I think philosophy is best done on your own. School is shitty for philosophy in my opinion. They aren’t gonna tell you the deepest truths or anything close.

the degree is only good if you want to be an academic philosopher or something. Good luck writing about your psychedelic experiences.

you have a fear of working shitty jobs forever but that assumes you never find something you are most passionate about and never commit to something, and to following it, developing a good career in it or a deep life purpose. That would only happen as a result of laziness in my opinion.

a random degree can be helpful almost in the sense that people might just see you as more generally qualified, although that might not be worth much. Experience or a good portfolio of work is worth more to employers.

you could also start a business. That’s not easy from what it seems but still an option.

I have a degree in psychology, and no idea what it’s good for. I don’t want to work as a psychologist. All those jobs are lame in my eyes. Maybe it could help me get a job just to help me save money so I can quit it and try to start my own business.

 

The more concrete and hard sciency the degree is the more it can help you simply earn good money until you can leave it to start your own business. with a philosophy or psychology degree you are not able to capitalize on that as easily.

 You will need to do further programs or get outside experience to get a good job, like in the tech field or something.

Edited August 8, 2021 by Bob Seeker

[Esilda]

On 07/08/2021 at 9:45 AM, GrandeOrso said:

What a mess

I'm still sorting myself out too. I finished my degree over two years ago and I feel stuck in my job that's not even entirely relevant for me and my purpose. I've been feeling something for deeper in life, a spiritual path, I've just started reading the Power of Now. I don't really see the value in vision boards and this whole Oprah movement but I know I need a vision. I feel a bit aimless even though I have a lot of skills. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Esilda

[Andrea Marchetti]

@GrandeOrso Oh man, it seems like I've written that.
My suggestion to you is to do something. Whatever. If you don't know what to do yet do something, if you have no idea of what to do at all, start working anywhere, in a McDonald for example, and save some money for you future trips (in both senses ). Don't spend your time merely thinking about what you have to do in your life, I've done that for years and it's wasted time. Experience something, you'll feel what you like and you'll plan better next time. Do an Erasmus working project (probably you can't in Switzerland) or something similar, for a year or so.
I started studying philosophy as well, when I was your age. Then left and came back again, now I'm finishing it. It's okay, but I doubt you're going to find your life purpose there, as you said it's "still academia". But who knows...

[SaltyMeatballs]

4 hours ago, sda said:

I answered this question from my current knowledge of what I know about myself. I think that you should answer this question from how much experience  you presently have. Then in the future of your life, the answer to this will change depending upon you. As that happens, you may also have to evolve your life purpose.

 

It looks like you are deeply mired in spirituality without taking care of the basics such as food, shelter, security and all the needs on the Maslow Hierarchy of needs. Take a break from your spiritual work and first build a solid stage orange foundation of your life which involves things like mastering your basic needs such as water, food, shelter, employment, relationships and self-esteem etc (Maslow hierarchy of needs). 

@sda Or why not do both. Are you saying the seeking spirituality and basic needs at the same time is not feasible?

[Bob Seeker]

2 hours ago, SaltyMeatballs said:

@sda Or why not do both. Are you saying the seeking spirituality and basic needs at the same time is not feasible?

I agree with salty here, just don’t make the mistake of thinking that spirituality is the solution to your survival issues.

[Matt23]

16 hours ago, Bob Seeker said:

I think philosophy is best done on your own. School is shitty for philosophy in my opinion

Yaaaaa.... A course in critical thinking skills seems like the "only" or most effective and practical use of tuition money if you are taking a philosophy course.  Even then, you can learn so much online know and reading, and there's probably lots of way cheaper (and maybe higher quality) courses in critical thinking online and elsewhere.

You could even just see what books the course prescribes and just buy that without taking a whole course.

It could also depend highly no the professor as well.  A good professor can make a big difference.

But, ultimately, use your intuition and go for what you feel is most meaningful for you to do.  

 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Matt23

[Andrea Marchetti]

On 8/8/2021 at 4:17 AM, Bob Seeker said:

I think philosophy is best done on your own. School is shitty for philosophy in my opinion. They aren’t gonna tell you the deepest truths or anything close.

the degree is only good if you want to be an academic philosopher or something.

Not really. It's true you're probably not going to find any truth, nor a great amount of open-minded and wise people. However it teaches you to think critically and to doubt your own ideas, especially if you consider them to be the Truth, the one that others don't have. You might say they don't teach to think critically. This is true to a certain degree, and mostly true in all of the other fields, but it's really the case with philosophy, since you have to review and understand the whole of thought systems that we went through in millennia. This forces you to compare the different perspectives and escape for a moment the one in which you grew up with. There's not a best perspective on things, all of perspectives throughout history were just a succession of different trends, just like fashions. So it allows you (by actually forcing you, since you have to get the grades) to challenge your own perspective and detach yourself from the ones that you're identifying with.