The College Deception

I’m currently in the eleventh grade and working on my Associates in Arts degree in the field of Psychology. It really all sounds fine and dandy, but I have a problem with it. I honestly do not want to go to college.

What I want to do in life –which is to become a musician- does not entail a college degree. My “back-up” plan is to become a Forensic Psychologist (hence my A.A. in Psych), but I honestly know that that will not make me happy. The pay may be good, but I’ve never dwelled on material things. I am thoroughly terrified of growing up and having my parents send me away to college to study something that provokes a melancholy feeling (parents: “You should go to an Ivy League school. Imagine all the money you could make and you won’t have to struggle when you find a career.”)

I need a daily change when it comes to something I would be doing for the rest of my life, and nothing satisfies me like performing. Being on stage is my passion and sometimes it could be a blessing or a curse. I sing, play piano, and dance, and I would like to do a mixture of these things as a vocation. It would honestly solve a lot of my problems if I were able to do something I love for the rest of my life; I would be happy. I do not want to grow old with the eternal feeling of regret and misery for not having even attempted a music career. I fear that would be detrimental to my health in the future and even though I do not believe suicide is the answer, I would be very close to it.

Even more so, I am terrified of failure; pursuing a music career and having it fail, though I know I will never give up on my music.

So the plan is to go to college, maybe get a Master’s and drop out at some point so that I can focus on my music. Even too me, this doesn’t sound like a great plane, but I’m working on it and I would like to ask you for your advice.

Thank you,
Fortune.