- Joined
- Sep 20, 2014
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- 12
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- 4
I know there are always so many threads about this thing, but I would really like replies (no sugar coating) specific to my situation. I am in high school and I really am trying to decide what I want to do with my life. My passion lies in animals, and I really do not think I would be happy in a career that did not involve them. I really enjoy biology, but honors chem last year nearly killed me. I like math though, and physics so far isn't completely horrible. And I'm kind poor. Like, I really stress about how in the world we are going to afford my undergrad. While I wanted to go away, I have decided that the best financial decision for my family and I is for me to stay home for school, then save money for vet school (if I decide to go through with it) or grad school. I'm already quite stingy with my money currently, so living like that does not particularly bother me. My real motivation is this one cat we rescued less than a year ago. We pulled him off the streets, and the vet said if we didn't take him at the time we did, he would have died like that, miserable (he had FIV and so many scars from fighting that he almost looked burned alive). Unfortunately he recently passed away because he developed more problems and the vet decided it would be best to let him go. The point is, it really makes we want to be able to save lives like that, even if it is for a short period of time. I'm kind of interested in zoological medicine and shelter medicine, the ones that make nothing. Of course, I would work in private practice if need be, but I'm just hearing that the field is getting really saturated, especially with the addition of new schools in the future (although zoo medicine is also extremely competitive...). There was a brief period of time where I wanted to be an oncologist, but I realized it was too much schooling and training for something I am not necessarily passionate about. Plus, I prefer learning the anatomy and physiology of animals much more than people. I may be broke, but happiness and passion in a career are really important to me, because time is the most valuable thing to me. I think I'm mostly freaked out about paying my way through vet school (rent, food, and I am definitely a dog person so rescuing a dog is really important to me when I leave home, regardless of career) and then if I'll be able to live a normal life afterwards. I don't want kids, and I know I may be young to decide that, but I kind of don't even like them. I prefer fur babies. So I don't know if that's helpful at all. I don't want some lavish lifestyle, but at least a house with a yard that at some point later on I could possibly buy. Oh, and I have like the least supportive parents ever, they just want me to go where the money is. Not that they wouldn't help (however they could) financially, but mentally I'd be on my own. I also worry I'm not smart enough, because chem really sucked any of the self confidence I had away. So should I bother? Or should I just have tons of pets? I know only I can decide this, but what would you do?
Sorry for the really long post. I just figured this forum would be the best place to receive advice.
Sorry for the really long post. I just figured this forum would be the best place to receive advice.