When I grow up I wanna be... (spinoff)

This is a spinoff of the equine careers thread on the Off-Course forum.

I have no idea what I want to be. Next year I start touring colleges (I think) and it would be nice to know which colleges I want to visit. Problem is, I don't know what I want to be, so I don't know what I should go to school for. For those of you who didn't know what you wanted to be when you were growing up, what did you do when it was time to go to college? What did you end up doing as a grown-up? FWIW, I like Science (it's chemistry this year, bio last year) and English. Civics is also pretty interesting.

Ummmmmm, I still don't know and I'm almost 43 years old!:lol:

I thought I knew, started schooling, then picked up a second major, now I am headed in a totally different direction!


ps I am 36 and still waiting to grow up :)

A geologist!! I just decided this at 24 years of age. I'm currently 3 years into a psych major but decided that I wanted to do something that is going to be interesting and profitable.

Colorado is a fabulous place for geologists. There are government and research projects to work on, as well as oil companies that I can sell my soul to and make 6 figures a year. My plan is to take all of my pre-reqs at the local community college, then transfer down to School of Mines in Golden in fall of 2013. Wish me luck!!

If you are that unsure, I'd suggest you go to a community college and get your pre-reqs out of the way. No point in blowing a minimum of $30K on that when you can transfer your credits and get them much more cheaply!

Seriously, am I the only Walter Mitty out there???

I want to be:

An entrepreneur, developer of residential homes.

An architect.

A civil engineer.

A horse trainer.

A writer of the Great American Novel.

An animator.

A baker/shop owner with a niche bakery that specializes in European pastries.

A baker/cafe owner with a specialty line of cranberry-themed breads and desserts.

A manufacturer of copper-wire topiary forms shaped like dinosaurs.

An innovator/entrepreneur developer of whirlygig-style water pumps used as kinetic art and swimming pool pumps.

A producer of pre-fabbed, architecturally-inspired backyard sheds.

A theme park owner called Horseland, a la Disneyland, which would be divided into regions named for the continents, and have horse displays, rides, horse exhibits, camping, restaurants... or as my son says, "Seriously, that sounds like the most boring theme park ever."

A retail gift shop owner of a store specializing in horse-related products.

A philanthropist developer of a townhouse and cottage community, that would house retired and impoverished workers in the horse industry, like grooms and jockeys, and have stables with retired horses.

There's more... ...Actually, my real life is pretty cool, so I haven't had time to pursue these other things! :)

Ha at 46 I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Whenever that will be.

I went to college and got a BA in English. A good degree if you like to read and not do any math harder than addition or subtraction. :D. (but seriously it dis teach me how to write and how to read for comprehension. I definitely have used the skills that I got frequently. )

Since graduation I have been a carriage driver, a waitress/server, a groom, a tour guide, a traveler, an Art resource director, a furniture salesperson and an entrepreneur and a horse trainer.

I still think I would like to be a Princess astronaut. But am taking classes in New media and am super excited by journalism right now.

I am a piano/flute teacher with multiple degrees, am winding down a semi-career as an equine writer for magazines, and ran a profitable farm sitting business.

If I could do anything I wanted, with no regard for economics, current culture or location, I would open a Tea Room, with an adjoining tea/coffee shop. The tea room would have fine linens, china, nice flatware and rose bowls of flowers on the tables, with a menu of luncheon items (sandwiches, salads, soups, pot pies, etc), pastries, teas and coffees available. The shop would have coffees, teas (both hot and bagged), pots, presses, strainers, and a limited supply of good machines available for purchase. It is very difficult to make this fly profitably in New England. Can you tell Southern Living is one of my favorite magazines?

I agree, it's nice to have space to be a Walter Mitty for a while! Thanks for starting this thread! :)

Many people switch their majors, so don't worry about it. I did in my 2nd year of undergrea - what I thought I wanted in HS turned out to be...not so interesting to me once I explored it further in university. I stayed within the science field but totally changed future-career paths.

Heck, I almost went into a totally different field because of one awesome prof. You'll be exposed to lots of ideas and career paths you probably haven't even thought of. Just find a school that you like and that offers a good range of majors in both science and the humanities, and enjoy exploring :)

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Originally Posted by Chief2

I am a piano/flute teacher with multiple degrees, am winding down a semi-career as an equine writer for magazines, and ran a profitable farm sitting business.

If I could do anything I wanted, with no regard for economics, current culture or location, I would open a Tea Room, with an adjoining tea/coffee shop. The tea room would have fine linens, china, nice flatware and rose bowls of flowers on the tables, with a menu of luncheon items (sandwiches, salads, soups, pot pies, etc), pastries, teas and coffees available. The shop would have coffees, teas (both hot and bagged), pots, presses, strainers, and a limited supply of good machines available for purchase. It is very difficult to make this fly profitably in New England. Can you tell Southern Living is one of my favorite magazines?

I agree, it's nice to have space to be a Walter Mitty for a while! Thanks for starting this thread! :)

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I would go to this Tea Room!

When I grow up I'd really just like to convince my dog to stop peeing on the rug by the door.

I reality, though, I'd love to own a small business that specilizes in helping people who are doing the horse seaching to find the one that fits them. Think horsey matchmaker. Perhaps with a side of flipping the harder to rehome OTTBs (which would be an epic fail since I'd get attached and I'd probably end up with 30 deranged OTTBs) and giving foals all the groundwork tools they need to be reasonable members of society, like a baby bootcamp, if you will.

...about 40 years younger!

A superb mom, a great partner, and a fantastic lawyer. :D

sorry, I ain't never gonna grow up. :cool:

Some kind of conservation scientist, or science teacher, or policy maker, or or or...

My advice? Don't beggar yourself on college. If you end up being a scientist (or anything that requires grad school) you'll want to spend your money on upper level schooling. For undergrad I would find a good state school (I prefer big schools because there's more variety, but it's personal preference) and go in undeclared and take some intro classes in bio, chem, english, and anything else that interests you. In most schools you'll have to do this anyway for General Education requirements, so use those credits to "explore."

Keep in mind that you'll be trying to make a career out of your major, so if you major in Philosophy make sure you have some plans ;) Get involved in clubs, research, and internships to get a feel for the field and get some work experience under your belt. My research experience taught me more than my classes ever did.

Try to visit as many of your potential schools as possible. I remember going to one of my top choices, looking around campus and thinking "oh hell no." There was one school that was a good college but didn't have the major I wanted (Animal Science, pre-vet). I visited anyway, loved it, and ended up going there. I majored in Ecology, which I didn't even know was an option when I was doing my college search. So don't worry too much, you'll find something.

ETA: If you might be interested in science, keep in mind that you'll have a lot of pre- and co-requisites. For example if you take any math classes freshman year make sure they fit with the requirements, so if you declare Chem sophomore year you won't be behind. Advisers should be able to help with this.

In the area where I used to live (actually, two separate areas!) there was a tea shop and we'd go there for lunch to feel lady-like. It was a really fun experience and the place seemed very busy! Why not a tea shop? I think it sounds great!

dani0303, I love geology! Had I discovered it earlier in my college career, it would have been my major.

I, too, was an English major. Spent many years in retail management, some time in recruiting, many years as an executive assistant in banking, worked as a proofreader/editor for a small journal, yoga teacher...let's see...what's next?

You know what I hate is that question "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" I've never been able to predict, I've never had a long-term plan like that, and I've always enjoyed the adventure that's unfolded for me.

First, let's get the terminology correct. When I "grow older". I am, as of now, refusing to grow up.

Now, to the question...
... rich enough to support myself without having to work
... a traveller and lover of other cultures
... a speaker of other languages
... understanding of human nature
... even more understanding of a horse's nature
... a really good rider
... a respected horsewoman
... loved and wanted, not by all, but by a chosen few... and even more by a selected one

I know it doesn't necessarily answer the question for you... but that's my answer.

In less than 6 months I will be a Nurse.

BUT... what I really want to be when I grow up is a training barn owner. There are no Saddle Seat/Saddlebred barns in my area so I want to be the first. I want to own it/run it, and hire training and lesson staff. I want to build it from the ground up and be a top contender at the American Royal, National Academy Championship Finals and at Louisville.

Will this ever likely happen? Probably not, but I can dream. :) And if it never happens then I at least want to be able to afford my own show horses of high quality and take them to smaller shows myself.

I am a year and a half out of school and I still have no idea what I want to do!

If I had it my way I'd win the lottery and spend all day playing with my dogs and riding my horses.

I'm currently in the Biology field and do not like it as much as I thought I would when I declared my major (plus, I had no plans to go to grad/med school...somebody should have told me I was making a bigggg mistake!).

I may go back to school in the fall next year to become a MLT.

Or, I'd really like to open a bagel shop/deli. I'm from Jersey and the lack of good bagels in these parts depresses me to no end. Never mind that I've never actually made a bagel in my life...

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Originally Posted by Bluehorsesjp

I went to college and got a BA in English. A good degree if you like to read and not do any math harder than addition or subtraction. :D. (but seriously it dis teach me how to write and how to read for comprehension. I definitely have used the skills that I got frequently. )

Since graduation I have been....

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Hehehe, I think just about all English-degree-getters have a long list of what they've done since graduation ;)

I started animal science since I liked HS science and math (and English, ok, all subjects but PE). Realized I SUCKED at chem and barely made it through, lost interest in bios, so switched. Thought, hmmmm, maybe I'll teach or something.

Since graduation, I've been a magazine editor/writer, freelance writer for other magazines, pumped gas, front desk at a real estate office and a BO. I finally figured out what I want to do and man do I love being a cop. And I write reports that are probably twice as long as they need to be, yay for the creative writing concentration. I know judges groan when they see my name at the top of the page; apparently four page probable cause reports for prelim hearings aren't cause for celebration :lol:.

Who says you have to go to college anyways?? Why not a trade school?