4321234

unless you're a genius, you won't be able to retire at 40 if you don't want to associate with people. have you considered investment banking? i heard they have the potential to make a lot and can retire by 40, though the work probably sucks. you might have to talk to people though. good luck.

Student615

I normally don't like it when people make this sort of observation, mostly because it seems so unnecessary, but...

You certainly remind me of another recent poster around these boards.

So, you might want to do a search for threads started by "wbksoft". The advice you're getting here is largely the same as he was given about two weeks ago, and you seem to have quite a lot in common. From the original post in his "Would you approve of your kids hanging out with someone like me?" thread:

Just a thought.

(If the implication here is a fair one, then, well...take a hint. If it's not, then I apologize, but the suggestion was a sincere one. Much of the advice given in response to wbksoft's posts could be relevant to you, and if nothing else, his threads might give you an idea of how your lackadaisical attitude comes across.)

Best of luck.

ken285

$50k is not the limit; I know an operating engineer who makes $200k a year, but that's with a lot of OT and he was pretty skilled and driving this very specialized piece of machinery. That being said, I know a few guys who had college degrees that went to do a trade, and now they're trying to find something else to do. And don't forget that you can pretty much be laid off at any time. Don't expect to make more money over your lifetime without a college degree than with a college degree.

And yes you do start out as an apprentice for three or four years, depending on the trade, and assuming you'll be union. The pay is not that good...

Narcissa

math is AWESOME

why don't you get a teaching job? it's not as physically draining and you still get paid a lot after a while

Moire

I don't like teaching.
I don't like public speaking.
I am not good at communicating my ideas.
I don't want to put up with disrespectful kids.
I don't want to put up with disrespectful parents
I don't want to put up with idiotic school personnel.
I don't want to waste my time getting a degree in education.
I'd rather do something else.

mcim

In that case, teach english abroad you teach not only kids but adults as well in the same class, and you won't even understand their complaints!
As for not communicating your ideas well and public speaking, that's something you might want to work on, as they are major assets to be well in. I used to be afraid of public speaking, but I decided after giving presentations weekly for a year in a class., that I enjoyed it, since I'd kinda get an adrenaline rush that I'd feel after presenting, so I just associated public speaking with feeling good in my mind. I'm still wary of public speaking, but I wouldn't mind being in a situation where I can improve on it and try to kill that wariness(also I'm still kinda aggressive at it, I want to eventually become more laid-back).

juststoppingby

Moire, look into being an actuary.

My daughter, who is a math major in her senior year, is pursuing that. She says you just pay to take a series of tests after you study some books. There aren't any actual actuary classes that she is taking, it is mostly self-study is the impression I get, although some universities may offer this specialization (just not her university). I presume you need a math degree to sit for the actuary tests, but it sounds like something that could be done in the evenings after work.

Moire

juststoppingby, I thought about being actuary. They say that if you have a degree in math, and pass the first two exams, you pretty much have a job guaranteed. But I am still not clear as to what being an actuary actually entails. (Please don't send me to beanactuary.org). Do I just sit in a cubicle from 9 to 5 making statistical charts? "Here: a list of numbers. Find patterns." Is that what the job is like? And once I'm done playing with numbers, am I required to give presentations explaining my findings? Is this a job an introvert could do? Or do you need the attitude of the stereotypical finance major eager to wear a suit and a tie to work?

al6200

So what exactly is your dream job? Maybe that's a good place to start from.

You don't like:

-giving presentations
-siting in a desk
-working with statistics
-talking to people
-wearing a suit
-working in an office

You like:

-being outside
-seeing a project hands on

I don't know about this - but maybe you could work in construction, and do night school to get a master's in Civil Engineering. I'm sure there are civil engineers that manage construction companies, work outside, and get to do some hands on stuff occasionally.

My advice would be to decide what your perfect job would be than work from there.

Moire

I want to know more about what being an actuary is like. Anyone?

ElectricTech

Yeah, what about engineering? Probably wouldn't have to give much presentations, just pretty much work on projects.