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Comment by chunky1994 | Hacker News Reader

chunky1994

Indeed there is, but even when I do talk to that person, it's seems to just highlight the fact that I'm stuck in a place I don't want to be, and though I want to get out of it, there's no conceivable way to do so. There' so little time to do anything, and this year's going to decide my future. It's really hard to not think of it like a noose around your neck, and whenever I do think about it, I keep wondering whether I shouldn't have tightened it long ago.

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I'm stuck in a place I don't want to be

I promise you these things pass. I felt this throughout school up until I left Senior School for College and started having more control over what I did in my life, looking back now I feel like a completely different person from the me 4 years ago.

Trust me it gets amazing once you get out of there, you just have to get through the endurance test first.

This year's going to decide my future

No it's not. It's going to change your available options, but look around for some people who are successful and happy, not one of them is going to say to you "I'm here now because High School put me here". What matters is the choices you make once you're out of there, and whether that takes you closer to the kind of life you'd like to have.

There's so little time to do anything

I'm going to guess you're talking about exams here, but I guess this applies whatever it is. Even with 5 minutes left using that 5 minutes effectively will help you. If you care about the outcome then make use of whatever seemingly-tiny amount of time you have left. If you don't care about the outcome then use that time somewhere else. You sound pretty smart, your blog is well written, I'm sure that you can make meaningful progress at what you want to make progress in.

1 Well, my experience is of Senior School in the UK, but from what you're saying the difference sounds negligible for this situation.

this year's going to decide my future.

That is totally, absolutely wrong. Just because teachers etc say it doesn't mean you should believe it. I'm sure you've read how Steve Jobs forced himself to go to college because it was what was expected, and then dropped out. Personally, I missed the course I wanted to do, started something else, dropped that and finally ended up doing a computer science degree (which was something I'd ignored for 3 years). (Edit: and it all worked out better than if I'd done the degree I'd initially wanted to do)

There are plenty of examples of the opposite - people who don't go to college straight out of school.

Think it through - there are very, very few decisions that "decide your future" in a way that can't be changed, and the few that are usually are crimes.

Sure, work hard and go to college or whatever, but DON'T THINK "MISTAKES" CAN'T BE FIXED".

When someone tells you "this decision decides your future" nod politely, and ignore the implied pressure. They are incorrect.

I agree with you, and this is what I'd thought for the most part, but I find that if I don't think this way, I do exactly what bane did and just abandon whatever bores me. I don't want to just barely pass high school, I want to do well.

Personally, I missed the course I wanted to do, started something else, dropped that and finally ended up doing a computer science degree (which was something I'd ignored for 3 years)

I had a very similar experience that took this geeky computer nerd into the crazy and scary world of politics for a couple years. I ended up running a state senate campaign and worked for the WI Senate Majority Leader for about 2 years. It was crazy and completely different from anything I would have experienced had I stuck to Computer Engineering and graduated in the standard 4 years like everyone expects. It happened by accident (because I was purposefully wandering) and was far more educational than anything I could have done in college. It was is by far the best thing I ever did.

Don't be afraid of a curvy path through life. There's a lot of value in the curves.

Edit: formatting

"this year's going to decide my future"

No matter what anybody tells you, this isn't true at all. You can decide your future whenever you damn well want to. In fact you should always be adjusting your future as you need to. Don't listen to those that make you feel like this is it.

I've changed my future 3 or 4 times as I wanted to as an adult and never regretted it.

Different people are different distances and difficulties away from their ideal life, but the only way you're really stuck is if you give up. "this year's going to decide my future" is not true. Well, aside from the tautology that every year, every moment decides your future. The noose is a mirage, just as much as the resume/admissions game is. Play the game or don't - but don't let it bind you.

When you put it that way, it sounds much better. But what happens if you don't play the game?

You family may neg you for the rest of your life if they are that kind of people but so long as you do something with your life it doesn't matter much in the eyes of the rest of the world.

> this year's going to decide my future.

Trust me, everyone here is 100% right when they say that this is just so not true. Myself, I went to college to study music and audio engineering, I discovered partying and living on my own and dropped out. I got married. I got divorced. I lost all my possessions multiple times. I've experienced addiction, depression, the whole nine yards. I didn't discover programming until I turned 25. I'm turning 32 next year, and I couldn't be happier with my life. The whole thing has been a terrifying rollercoaster so far, and I'm not betting on it slowing down that much for a while. But trust me the one thing I can promise you is that things change, lots, all the time!!

Take it from someone who has believed the same lies. What the teachers are saying right now doesn't apply to you at all.

It is meant for those who needs to shape up to graduate.

Even though it is so incredibly unfair, these are almost the only people whom the teachers will focus on.

And for what it is worth: as hard as the yc interview is, pg isn't going to care if you graduate high school or not. The journalists who interview you will, because it makes for a better story.

> this year's going to decide my future

Hah, if you only knew how untrue this is. What happens in high school is essentially meaningless (take it from someone who graduated with pretty much prefect marks). Go to college not in your home town, enrol in a degree that seems at least mildly interesting, and be open to changing your mind.

Don't worry: your future is not held captive by your 18-year-old self.

EDIT: feel free to email me if you want to chat.

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