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ChaosKiwi · 06-19-2007, 06:47 AM

To be honest I was in a similar position to you. I graduated high school and decided to take a gap year with some vague notions of starting a business (I'm not saying your ideas for business are vague, just explaining my position) and gaining some new experiences. The year went in NO way as I imagined it, and due to my youth and inexperience a business never materialised. I did however gain massive insights into the world & myself etc.

For the year & a half after I entered a software development diploma at a shady "training institute" I gained excellent marks but was totally burned out, the majority of this chain of institutes went under just after I graduated there as well. Burning out & the nature of the institute really made it hard to invision myself happily working in the software development field. I did meet some good people however, and lost my fear of public speaking while at this course (randomly).

I floundered arond for the next half year, and became really interested in personal development. I figured out more fully what I wanted to do (and maybe more importantly how I'd live my life while doing it) and researched ways to get there. I'm now currently at a well recognised uni and enjoying it immensly. Some of the time I've just recalled seemed like a total waste at the time but seems to have residual value as time goes on.

Here is my advice: Do what feels right to you in a manner or way that feels right for you, if it turns into something you are not enjoying then modify your path (for example if starting a business just isn't working then sell it/close down and go to uni), these ideas you are following all have value and that value can be partly transferrable (eg cause I had done the previous diploma - I was a shoe-in for my current course of study). Also be ready to go with the flow, plans don't always match with reality and resiting the differences multiplies the negative effects.

Good luck to you sir.

06-19-2007, 06:47 AM	#9 (permalink)
ChaosKiwi Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 124	To be honest I was in a similar position to you. I graduated high school and decided to take a gap year with some vague notions of starting a business (I'm not saying your ideas for business are vague, just explaining my position) and gaining some new experiences. The year went in NO way as I imagined it, and due to my youth and inexperience a business never materialised. I did however gain massive insights into the world & myself etc. For the year & a half after I entered a software development diploma at a shady "training institute" I gained excellent marks but was totally burned out, the majority of this chain of institutes went under just after I graduated there as well. Burning out & the nature of the institute really made it hard to invision myself happily working in the software development field. I did meet some good people however, and lost my fear of public speaking while at this course (randomly). I floundered arond for the next half year, and became really interested in personal development. I figured out more fully what I wanted to do (and maybe more importantly how I'd live my life while doing it) and researched ways to get there. I'm now currently at a well recognised uni and enjoying it immensly. Some of the time I've just recalled seemed like a total waste at the time but seems to have residual value as time goes on. Here is my advice: Do what feels right to you in a manner or way that feels right for you, if it turns into something you are not enjoying then modify your path (for example if starting a business just isn't working then sell it/close down and go to uni), these ideas you are following all have value and that value can be partly transferrable (eg cause I had done the previous diploma - I was a shoe-in for my current course of study). Also be ready to go with the flow, plans don't always match with reality and resiting the differences multiplies the negative effects. Good luck to you sir.