# Follow your Dream Vs get your Degree



## Betsy Og (17 Jun 2014)

Firstly this isnt autobiographical, even in retrospect. But if, say, I was asked to talk to a group of leaving certs I think I'd nearly tell them to 'follow their dream'.

So if someone wants to be a musician, an actor, or a poet or a butterfly curator (if same exists) would they not be as well off giving it a bash from the word go. I'd say that realistically if you do the 'safe degree' chances are the lure of the cash will mean you'll never chase your dream..... imagine parents and friends saying to you "you worked so hard for your degree, you could now be out earning good money and there you are curating butterflies".

Lets say the dream dies, the butterfly curation industry isnt what it used to be, maybe then you hit the degree (bearing in mind mature student entry may get you on a better course), chances are you are 24 or less (I think its 24 for mature students) and with no kids, no mortgage etc., sure your whole life in front of you, you're still v v young, and at least you gave the dream a go.

Its a slightly trickier question for professional sports people, I know the 'going to England at 14' phenomenon has calmed down a little, and there is somewhat more emphasis on what else you might do it you dont make it as a pro (but probably still wholly inadequate). However it has the added pressure of "blink and you miss your chance". So I suppose it all depends on the teenager, and its a weigh up of them getting potentially broken by the experience, or being bitter at not going and never getting their chance.


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## Purple (17 Jun 2014)

I agree completely Betsy Og. 
Take the chance and follow your dream. Most people have no idea what they want to do or be. Those lucky few who do should nurture them.


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## ivuernis (18 Jun 2014)

This is how you do it 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAMrR05Xil8


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## michaelm (18 Jun 2014)

This follow your childhood dreams talk, if long, is worth watching (I may well have come across it on AAM a few yeas ago). This is the 10 minute version.


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## Leper (19 Jun 2014)

What a refreshing post from Betsy Óg! But, the wanted reality is different.  "Flowers are red young man and green fields are green, there's no need to paint flowers any other way than the way they have always have been seen." Or so the song goes.

How many gifted artists have we lost through our education system?  How many of us are in jobs that in reality we hate (or at least don't like), but are there just to put a crust on the table?  We are all chasing the dream and unfortunately success is what money is in your bank account.

Most of us who came up through the system and went to work immediately after secondary school want our kids to be educated to at least 3rd Level.  We now have a generation that unlike us has travelled to broaden the mind. They appear more open.  They are more educated.  They are caught up in reading work contracts to the letter of the law.  The blushing bride is usually in her mid-late thirties along with a husband who has already experienced every facet of life.  

I think they can live the dream alright but the dream now is no different than forty years ago.


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## Kimmagegirl (19 Jun 2014)

One of my sons got his MSc in Computer Science. Still dabbles in it to pay the rent as he travels the world. This is the long term plan. A bit of this and a bit of that, adding to the CV but still keeping up with whats going on in the IT world. He seems a very happy and contented person.


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## Betsy Og (19 Jun 2014)

I watched the 10 minute version, all good stuff.


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## Leper (22 Jun 2014)

Just a Thought - Is there anybody on here who attained 550 - 600 points in their Leaving Cert and followed their dream to become a junior civil servant, or a call centre operator, or shop assistant, or fast food employee etc other than going through university to become a doctor etc?  Please, I am not interested in anybody who would if they had achieved the high LC points, I'm interested in reality only i.e those who have actually followed their dream rather than their points.


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## Betsy Og (22 Jun 2014)

Leper said:


> Just a Thought - Is there anybody on here who attained 550 - 600 points in their Leaving Cert and followed their dream to become a junior civil servant, or a call centre operator, or shop assistant, or fast food employee etc other than going through university to become a doctor etc?  Please, I am not interested in anybody who would if they had achieved the high LC points, I'm interested in reality only i.e those who have actually followed their dream rather than their points.



Not knocking those jobs but they are hardly the stuff of dreams. Maybe the nearest would be someone with 550, not enough for Vet, but loves dogs and opened a dog grooming parlour.


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## Leper (23 Jun 2014)

Betsy Og said:


> Not knocking those jobs but they are hardly the stuff of dreams. Maybe the nearest would be someone with 550, not enough for Vet, but loves dogs and opened a dog grooming parlour.



I am not knocking those jobs either (in fact, I had one of them).  OK for arguments sake, let's keep it at around 600 points also.  Peoples dreams are different. 

1. Is there anybody using this forum who "forfeited" hundreds of Leaving Certificate Points to work where all those points would not be necessary?  Were your dreams realized?  Have you any regrets?

2. You are addressing a Leaving Certificate Class and some of them want to become junior civil servants etc.  You are advised that these are 600 point runners.  Would you try to talk them out of their "dream."?


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## Betsy Og (23 Jun 2014)

Leper said:


> 2. You are addressing a Leaving Certificate Class and some of them want to become junior civil servants etc. You are advised that these are 600 point runners. Would you try to talk them out of their "dream."?


 
I suppose I'd caution them that, as they are high achievers, they could be at risk of dissatisfaction due to a) promotion based on time served rather than merit and b) possible frustration at lack of influence to change things. However if they just want a steady wage and can fulfill themselves outside of work (whether family, sport, hobbies) then go for it.

For all the slagging of the public sector, I find the private sector to be a fairly soulless affair - Yeats 1913 comes to mind....(or maybe this is just Monday morning stuff...)


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## RichInSpirit (1 Jul 2014)

*Still Don't know what my dream is.*

I'm on the wrong side of 40 and I still don't exactly know what my dream is.
I've changed course a few times and went on occasional side "journeys" along the way. 
Sometimes I've followed other people's dreams too.
Degrees and education are definitely no load to carry and even if you end up not following your education path the knowledge and experience is invaluable.


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## Boyd (1 Jul 2014)

Leper said:


> Just a Thought - Is there anybody on here who attained 550 - 600 points in their Leaving Cert and followed their dream to become a junior civil servant, or a call centre operator, or shop assistant, or fast food employee etc other than going through university to become a doctor etc?  Please, I am not interested in anybody who would if they had achieved the high LC points, I'm interested in reality only i.e those who have actually followed their dream rather than their points.



Not sure if this qualifies, but I got over 580 points and took a degree course in engineering that was 425 points as I felt I was tech minded. Hence, I "forfeited" 155 points. I still work in the technology area, just not 100% in what I qualified in. I don't think I have any regrets with that choice.


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## Leper (2 Jul 2014)

username123 said:


> Not sure if this qualifies, but I got over 580 points and took a degree course in engineering that was 425 points as I felt I was tech minded. Hence, I "forfeited" 155 points. I still work in the technology area, just not 100% in what I qualified in. I don't think I have any regrets with that choice.



Yep, you would qualify.  Well Done! . . . and best of luck with your dream.  But, nobody with 600 LC points has yet come on here to inform us of their dream taking lowest paid job categories.


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## Betsy Og (2 Jul 2014)

Leper said:


> Yep, you would qualify.  Well Done! . . . and best of luck with your dream.  But, nobody with 600 LC points has yet come on here to inform us of their dream taking lowest paid job categories.



Bottom line is that low paid jobs can often tend to be not very rewarding (and not just in money terms). People following their dreams are more likely to be self employed and have "vocations" rather than take jobs.

So I think its more likely you might, eventually, get a post from the starving artist, author, actor, musician, woodcarver, dogs home worker, horse whisperer who got 600 points but went for what they loved. You wont ever get a post from the person who had a dream of working in a call centre (whether they had 600 points or 100), its just not something you could dream of - ditto most of the other low paid jobs you're talking about.


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## Sunny (2 Jul 2014)

My friend got over 550 points in the leaving and wanted to be a pilot but couldn't afford to pay for the training himself and none of the airlines were hiring cadets at the time. Instead of going to college to do a course that he might not enjoy, he took a job working as cabin crew in an airline. He did that for five years and loved it and was then was fortunate enough to be hired onto a cadet pilot programme. To this day, he says that even if he never became a pilot, he would have always worked with planes and probably would have stayed as cabin crew. I was always envious that he was fortunate enough to have a passion in life and the determination and ability to go after it.


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## shnaek (8 Jul 2014)

Got to say I agree with you, Betsy Og. My kids are very young, but I plan on telling them when they get to college going age that they can go to college, or they can take the money I'd spend on their college education and start a business for themselves (if they have a passion for something and a drive to work at it). College is just a few years of the craic these days. And I'd always say 'chase your dream'. You got one life, don't waste it.


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