The rest of my life?, What do i do now? Options

[cnelson]

Hey guys, for any of you who have seen be around the forums, probably know that i am 18 year old senior in high school. The last couple of months I've been weighing my options heavily about what to do for college. For the first month or so I really only had like two ideas.

The first was go to community college for two years figure out what i wanted to do, or go to Rutgers and get a degree in business management. I was also considering maybe becoming a teacher. I am an avid golfer and have been playing now for about 3 years, I have also been on varsity for school for the past 3 years. I am not as great as some players my age but i can hold my own. Thats when i was looking one day and found a couple interesting schools.

I found, PGCC (Professional Golfers Career College) and SDGA (San Diego Golf Academy) . Now don't jump to any concussions. These are not school that claim they will turn me into a professional golfer. I would get an associates degree in Professional Golf Management. I have a passion for golf that i don't believe most people will ever share with me. Thats what made me so interested in these two schools.

Over Dec. I went and visited both campus's that they have in South Carolina. One is in Myrtle Beach (SDGA) and the other in Hilton Head (PGCC). I quickly did not like Professional Golfer's Career College, however i felt differently about SDGA. It seemed like a great school, very small class's but everything else seemed really good. I got accepted on the spot to both schools just waiting for my letters in the mail.

I just don't know if this is the path that i should peruse. I do have a love for golf and would love working in the industry. However I live in NJ and its not like i could come home every weekend to visit. I have a girlfriend who i've been with for about a year and half, I have two best friends that i've known for 14 years. I have my parents here. Theres just a lot of things that are in the back of my mind. There are some days that i feel strongly about going to school there and other days that seem like it wouldn't be a good idea.

Some of you probably don't know, but the amount of jobs in the golf industry is very good and the school has a 85 to 95% job placement rating. She showed me the website that the students get access to before and after they graduate and it lists all the jobs, by state. I saw a whole bunch in NJ. I would like to become either an Asst. Pro, or a Head Pro. at a course. (Thats someone who you would go and take lesson's from) Asst. Pro's start around 35,000$ to 45,000$ and once your a head pro, if you're working at a good country club you could be making anywhere from 60k to a 6 figure salary.

But I still have no idea what i should.. If anyone has any opinions i'd great appreciate them. Thanks.

[Punisher]

I have to agree with Havok.. forget the girl.. I know it sounds mean but what is more important? The rest of your working life or a girlfriend now? I learned this lesson kind've the hard way! You're 18.. sorry to say it but that relationship probably won't go anywhere. I was 17 when I started dating my ex and we went for nearly 5yrs.. broke up last summer when I was a few months away from turning 22. She didn't really care for the fact that I wanted to be a professional pilot and didn't want me to be out flying for days and possibly weeks at a time, depending on the job I would take. What's funny now is she is dating a guy that lives in TN.. and he's in the army and right after they started "dating" he got shipped to iraq for 15 months...

Long story short, girls are ****in screwy man... don't plan the rest of your life based on a girl.. it's your life, you're the one that needs to live it and expirence the choices you make.

As for your family, who cares? You've been with them for 18yrs... lol. Kids go off to school... if you are that close to your family then you will be home for holidays... and when you are done with school you can seek a job in your hometown area.

Same thing for the friends, if they are real friends then they will never dissapear on you.

I speak from expirence here because I am about to leave to move completely across the country... I lost the girl, I went nuts... then I decided that I was just a moron and that it's high time I follow my passions and work towards my goals, the ones that will affect the rest of my days. I've done good in school so far but I've slacked off on flying.. and that already has hurt me because I'd be in a LOT better position right now if I would've stopped spending massive quantities of money pleasing my ex and spent the money flying.

If you love golfing so much then do it. I absolutely love flying and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I also love to weld so I also do that... if flying should ever fail me for whatever reason (medical or something) I could always fall back on welding, but flying to me is #1. I know that whatever the situation, I will always love doing my job and that is the most important thing to having a happy life and eventually a happy family. No one wants to be around an asshole that comes home from work pissed off every day.

To sum it up.. just do whatever you have to do to fulfill your dreams and do it with all of your ability and never slack off and never let anyone stand in your way.