Quote:
Originally Posted by pigsonthewing6 
So while I'm in school I figure I might as well bust my ass off. I'm already there so I should be working hard. And then during the week I'll mostly commit myself to my studies. The goal is to have no work or studying to do over weekends and breaks.
|
Sounds like a good plan.
On the other hand, remember though that you will have more unstructured time in college than you have now. How much free time you have will depend on your major (for instance, if you decide to major in one of the sciences, you will have less free, unstructured time). So you can have as much fun in college as you wish. You can also incorporate study abroad in your schedule. I didn't take advantage of this option when I was in college.
I would suggest that you try to get into as good of a college as you can so that you will have more options (e.g. connection to alumni with good jobs). I'm not sure that graduating from an Ivy League school is necessary to get a good job since I know a number of people who arrived at where they are without a brand-name diploma. If you decide to go the community college route, make sure that you will be allowed to transfer to a four-year college after two years.
Your major will/may have an impact on your employability. If you find yourself loving philosophy but want to go to medical school or go into finance, you can take the basic required courses and participate in internships to round out your background.
Working at a minimum-wage job might be okay for the short-term, but you might eventually become bored and demoralized (since it sounds to me that you are a thinker). Running a small business full-time is not as easy or fulfilling as it sounds. It's definitely not for everybody. You might want to start something low-cost during your summer break and see how you like it.
I'm glad that you've started to think about your life goals and are asking people for advice. I am a strong believer of conducting experiments (instead of just gathering info) to find out if you would like doing something. Sometimes you will find out quickly; sometimes it will take some time. For instance, I found out that I wouldn't like working as a journalist at a daily newspaper, after writing just two articles for the paper. I was a college student at the time and didn't get paid for my efforts, but I found this out after investing only two days of my life.
All the previous advice are based upon my own life experience. The advice may or may not be too general for you. If you want more specific advice, feel free to post more details (e.g. majors, career paths).
All the best.