Should I drop out?

College Life
1

I’ve been at community college for 2 years now and was about to submit my apps to several universities. My GPA is a 4.0, I’ve got some extracurriculars under my belt, I’m highly motivated and dedicated to the things I put my mind to - but I’m not motivated to pursue any of the career paths available to me.

I started as a film major. Since I was 8 years old, I wanted to work in/for movies/TV shows. Writing, directing, acting, etc. Recognized that I don’t have the charisma or the talent or the patience for it, and dropped the dream.

Switched to biology, which I enjoy and excel at. Stuck with it for a year. Realized my path was med school - to eventually become an emergency med physician - and I’m not passionate about it enough to dedicate my life to 10 more years of rigorous schooling.

Switched to foreign language in hopes to someday join the FBI and eventually become part of the BAU, but learned that the language degree is absolutely useless in actually becoming fluent enough for the FBI language test. This was the most exciting revelation I had - when I realized FBI work fascinated and intrigued me more than anything else. In the past, I wanted to be a detective, but changed my mind after learning you have to be a police officer first. FBI was a jump over that. Doing undercover work/assisting in investigations is so ideal for me. I don’t mind loads of paperwork and since I don’t plan on having a family, moving around is not an issue. If anything, this is what I’m interested in most, but I feel I’m going about it all wrong. I know law degrees and accounting/IT are most valued for FBI positions, but I’m poor in math and have no interest in going to law school. If you have any advice on this, it would be helpful. (By the way, I’ve never seen an episode of CSI. This is not based on a fantasy. And I’m also in excellent shape, and enjoy keeping myself healthy).

But to the point - nothing is really working out, nothing grabs my attention enough. I want to be dedicated to something I love and am excited about, but I haven’t come across a gem like that. I’ve done extensive research on nearly every career possible. I don’t want a conventional job. I need something intense, lively, demanding, fresh every day.

So, in your opinion, how stupid would it be to drop out of college and pursue a piloting career? I can see myself being a heli pilot for the rest of my life. Demanding, yet quaint. Would love to hear insight on this, and if you personally think I’m making a huge mistake. I’ve tried to research heli piloting salaries, but they range from 18k to 100k, which either means $1.5k/month or $8.3k/month, which is a huge difference. If you know the honest salary, I would appreciate your knowledge.

Thank you, seriously

2

I’m not sure you have any idea what you want to do with your life. Not necessarily a bad thing, but many of the things you tried will require a lot of time and hard work, including being a professional helicopter pilot.

I don’t know much about helicopter piloting specifically, but to become an FAA certified commercial pilot, or an airline pilot, you’ll usually need several thousand hours of flight time, passing knowledge-based and other tests, and a whole lot of other training (I don’t know all the details, but you can look them up). You probably don’t need a college degree, but some companies require or recommend one, and majoring in a field such as physics or aeronautical engineering is preferred.

Additionally, expect to spend at least $10-20k on training, certification, and taking tests.

3

Do you know what the phrase “ten years plus ten minutes” means? Basically it means that when you see someone do something very specialized and it looks easy (and sometimes exciting) there is often 10 years or more of focused work or training behind it. And often that focused work or training can be a very tedious and repetitive.

It sounds like you are skipping around different foundations of career paths, and the second you start to get bored you shift. There is no instant shot to the exciting end result careers you have been trying or considering. All will take years of focused effort (even the boring parts) and keeping the end in sight to get there.

What I do see in your questions regarding the career paths you have tried to explore or are considering is the possibility that the military may be a good option for you. Have you ever considered taking the ASVAB? It is a standardized test used by the military that assess vocational abilities. It could lead to military opportunities in media communication arts, biological/medical fields, military police or other investigative security activities, or flight related fields.

4

@MITer94 I don’t mind applying many years of hard work to something I’m interested in, such as piloting. Med school is another story because I’m not passionate about it. If getting into the FBI took 10 years, I would do it, but I think I’m approaching the pathway to the FBI incorrectly.

5

@NorthernMom61 I don’t mind spending years to get to where I want to be, just not sure where I want to go. Piloting is not a choice I considered just for the sake of abandoning years of commitment to something. I’m not interested in military careers, but I looked into the ASVAB after you mentioned it and and it was actually very interesting…thank you for that suggestion.

6

You might check out the Coast Guard for some interesting opportunities.

7

@collegeluna if you’re interested in piloting and have the passion/dedication, by all means go for it. But first you should research on what sort of training is required and what job opportunities are out there. You don’t want to end up dropping out after spending 3 years, hundreds of hours of flight time, and $10k on training/certification costs only to realize your passion is somewhere else.