If you were 18 years old and...

[cinman2000]

I would have majored in Computer Science instead of Industrial Engineering and be writing apps or Video games instead of dealing with the corporate BS that I have to now for another 4 months. If I was 18 in 2014.....no clue. Just the same as most 18 year olds. As someone said previously: Follow your passion. If you have not found it yet, find a career that will support your lifestyle be it working hours or the big paycheck. #1 - Get a brokerage account and put at least 10% away now for retirement our of each paycheck

 

[LoneAspen]

What would I tell my 18 year old self (that would be in 1985)?

1. From a life enjoyment perspective...I'd tell myself NOT to live at home during college. My Dad died a couple years before that, and my Mom wasn't ready to live on her own. She made me a deal that she'd pay for my college if I went to the local university in town and lived at home to help her out.

In retrospect, I totally missed out on the college experience. Looking back, I'd tell myself to tell her I'd agree to go to the local university and be in town close to her to help her out, but I would NOT live at home. Even if it meant holding down a second part-time job, or sharing an apartment with a couple other people. I believe college is a time to get away from the parents and start your own life, and I missed out on that. I feel so strongly about that, that if I had kids, I would forbid them from living at home during college, or even going to school in the same town. I'd want them to go off and start their own life and start experiencing things on their own. I would even encourage them to go to school in another country in order to broaden their horizons beyond just the US.

2. From a career perspective...I'd tell myself to work a 9-to-5 job, in a cube, in an office, working for somebody else, for no more than three years or so. See how the "real world" works, and how you're working for other people making them money. You're "earning" money but not "creating" wealth. After those three years, get the hell out and form your own business with a couple partners you trust. It could be consulting, contracting, real estate, whatever. But find something you can do yourself or with a couple others (I work better as part of a small team with others to bounce ideas around with), own your own business, be the best at it, and grow it. Don't sit in a cube for 25 years working for other people (a lesson I learned too late in life).

3. From a financial perspective...invest a few thousand dollars in Apple stock each year and let it ride.

 

[scrabbler1]

I would have advised my 18-year-old self to apply to my university's (NYU) business school instead of the arts and science school. While I eventually transferred to the business school in my second year, I would have saved myself a lot of grief in my freshman year. And I would have told my 18-year-old self to major in Economics while taking courses in Computer Science instead of vice versa, saving me some more grief. I did not like the direction the comp sci major took so I switched to Econ in my junior year.

I would tell my 18-year-old self to not take that awful summer job in a kitchen but would tell him to make sure to take those day camp counselor jobs because they helped steer me in the childfree direction, a key step toward my ERing at 45.

 

[Rustic23]

Sailor,
I have not kept up with the current trends/salary. However, I really don't think there is that much difference in salaries now and when I retired from the AF. 1987. If you were a new bean with a brand new commercial license and minimum time, you could get on with a regional and the pay was about $12,000 a year. However, you only had to have a HS degree, and in about two to three years you would have the time to transition up the latter.

Between instructing and flying for a regional carrier, I don't think 1,500 hours would take you eight years, 4 years of college, plus med school etc to move up the chain. So yes. I recommend it. You will have to pay the piper in the early stage, but once you arrive, average salary $120,000 and you only fly about 80 hours a month.

Note: FAA limits pilots to 1,000 hrs per 365 day period or about 83 hours a month. There are situations they could fly more per month but they may not exceed the 1,000 per year number. This is for commercial airline pilots. source: Duty Limitations of an FAA Pilot | Chron.com

 

[Elbata]

I always wanted to be a home builder. I could have taken that in highschool. New homes are being built where I live, and I'm there daily watching them build.

Then after 10 more years, somewhat mature, a Lib Arts degree as a few here stated. Along with travelling the world during semester breaks.

In real life I learned appliance repair, and years later I got a degree in Political Science. What excited me about PolySci was that it was the same as fixing a washer, just more cerebral.

 

[Marathoner]

It's nice to see so many people happy with the choices they made!

Education-wise, I wouldn't change a thing. CPAs can pretty much always find a self-supporting job, and while the work isn't what I dreamed about doing when I was younger, I'm able to live a great life, sock enough away to retire early, and still have time for hobbies and interests.

 

[Theduckguru]

I would become a lawyer and get a business degree. I would then become a white collar criminal on Wall St.