Now I dont plan on dropping out of college, but recently I’ve been finding myself waking up and just wanting to get in my car and drive away. I’m not overwhelmed by my classes or am struggling in any of them so far, and quite frankly I’m really enjoying the new people I’m meeting here at the University of Texas Dallas. However, I really don’t like school I’ve done it for as long as I can remember and finished high school with a 4.3 GPA, but its wasn’t because I wanted to, it was because I was forced to. I’ve been told all my life that I have to become a doctor and my parents and family are constantly pushing me in that direction, but now that I am alone in college I’ve realised that this isn’t for me, if it was up to me I would just take my camera around the world, but I really haven’t heard of many careers in photography paying the bills. I don’t know, am I being ignorant or should I do something about my situation?
I’m assuming your parents are paying your college bills… that adds complexity. My suggestion is to try to get through freshman year with strong grades. Can you find a photography outlet on campus? Also, a premed can be ANY major as long as you finish the pre-med requirements. You could be an art major (not sure what majors your college offers).
Most people would like to chuck their day to day job/schoolwork and just pursue hobbies. Most of us don’t do it.
Go to school for you so you can gain employment to pay your bills. No adult has every loved what they do every day to make ends meet and would love to ditch responsibility and pursue our hobbies, with somehow, everything else being taken care of, like it was when we were carefree kids. Reality doesn’t work that way.
Your parents can’t make you a Dr. And if you don’t have the background in volunteering since you were 16 in a hospital setting, you likely won’t get into med school anyway. Med schools are competitive and you have to have more than an undergrad with high GPA.
Join a photography club on campus. Maybe someday, you hobby could turn into a job or you could freelance on the side. Major in something that gives you the travel and could also document it. Or volunteer for some. There are lots of humanitarian groups that go oversees.
Change your mindset to look towards all you can do in your future instead of running away from the now. Life is always work. Whether it is school or relationships or a job etc.
Invest in you now. Don’t get in your own way because you are short sighted for instant gratification. True fulfillment comes from putting in the work and discipline.
Hang in there - as mentioned above, even adults feel this way occasionally!
UTD used to have a club “Photography for All.” I’m not sure if the club is still active or not; if not, you could revive it. Most people need a stress reliever, and it sounds like photography could be yours.