How I'd like 2 believe in hapiness & college prog.choices

Before I go on I'd like 2 say that I'm sure theirs more then enough funky postings on this forum and I would just consider this another one of them.Believe it or not I did not realize that optimism is the key to life until recently in m mid-teens.I had VIRTUALLY no concept of optimism for most of my life which was different from how for most of my life I've had no or little concept of fairness,jealousy and success mainly b/c for most of it I was (to put it simply) a bratty nihilist.However even though I've had the concept of optimism for some years now I still cant maintain that perspective very well for long.My personal comfort always comes second to a neccesity (I dont think of hapiness in a hedonistic way b/c I feel that doesn't give me the due credit I deserve)and the my old viewpoint about life always being (among other things) about the usefulness and utility of things when it comes to most of the tangible stuff is still very much there.As a result a scenerio has arisen where I've got to make a decsion based on what makes me happy but I cant decide which.I'm switching from my current biotech technician applying to different community college programs and I cant decide after going through a pre-tech program for a year for exposure to the eng.tech programs at the college in general whether after that I should pick architectural or electrical engineering power technician for the top of my three choices.I'm knowelagable and interested enough in physics to do the electrical technican program. Unlike say learning a language though I clearly have no much chance to improve some skills because of the obvious lack of access to that kind of equipment .Which is why I feel a bit better about the idea of going into something like an electrical technician program.I like most people am familiar with how electrical components look like and the extent in which it’s based on computers and math is something I can easily work on outside of class unlike using lab equipment and techniques in chemistry.What has really gotten to me and “marked me for life” (not in the sense of being disturbed with fear but in the sense that it definitely has left a deep impression on me) is the bad experience I’ve had with these labs now.I am now scared of picking another program on strictly the basis of my likely experience doing a lab (and not the lecture material).Let me just say that once you have your foot on the other side the grass isn’t really greener and you could’nt even tell if it was greener until you have your foot there.I’ve been scared of the idea of messing up in my next program choice and having to start from square one again.As much as I would like to go into an engineering technology lab what I’d like to know very much so to feel much more assured about my success in the program is how the labs are like espeically given the disillusioned experience I’ve had with the labs in my present program.I don’t know if I should stay or leave largely on the basis of a “get out while going is good” motivation (on account of this just being my first year). I mean I don’t have to do work in chemistry but doing biology related work is’nt much more different and I would’nt fully count on it for a job. I’m okay with the idea of having to do a considerable amount of math for the electrical technician program since sitting at a desk thinking out solutions to problems (which is a much more viable work environment in that field I suppose) will always seem more appealing to me then doing hands on stuff with equipment (which is’nt so bad in this case since I’ve actually seen electrical components like capacitors,integrated chips,resistors etc and thus there’s less of an abstract mystique to them like with chemistry labs I previously did in my biotech technician program).Then there’s the architectural technician program.I took one tech-design course in high school and borderline passed it.One of the reasons I didn’t do to good in that class was because of my timetable and external pressures from how my high school career had turned out to say the least.Yet I am willing to give AutocCAD another try and like the idea of contributing somehow to the design of buildings.However I’ve had very little experience with contruction related work and (I don’t really know if this is necessary even if I’m just a technician but) I don’t really appreciate architecture as an art (but am willing to give it a try).The cons though are unlike the electrical techie program there’s no co-op choice and I’ve heard that getting a job in architecture in general is very difficult.If I were to enter the electrical eng.techie program I was thinking after doing a post-grad certificate in architectural drafting or industrial engineering. However now in the end my point is though I’d like very much do desk work in either jobs,do very little hands on/field work and be happy but I have enough trouble with deciding what makes me happy and how to define it.

I had a very similar problem when I was considering graduate school in psychology and I remember the professor at one of the orientations saying "if this isn't really isn't what you want to do then you don't wanna be here". Graduate psychology programs are extremely difficult to get into (3.7 GPA to apply and the cohort who apply have over 3.9. In case your wondering my GPA is 3.6 so it wasn't impossible with one more year to go to get in otherwise I wouldn't have gone for orientation). However, it's the day in day out cubicle dwelling research and studying that, to me, was terrifying. Also, I'm interested in quantitative and theoretical psychology which is really abstruse and involves crunching the numbers in ways that makes counting "e's" in the phone book seem exciting (data analysis in psychology is really important though but it takes a special breed of individuals who are immune to tedium or boredom and can perform rote tasks for hours).

I guess what I'm saying is that if the job you want is going to mean all day everyday you are stressed, bored and sad then maybe you have to follow your gut. Of course, all the programs your describing are pretty specific careers which kind of locks you in place for X amount of time till you retire which is really scary.

I don't know. For me I try not to think of what you want to do but what, as a reasonable and morally responsible person, are you required to do. From that you can really just follow through with that and be happy knowing your doing the right thing. I know people who do things that are really important like nursing or civic plumbing (fixing the cities poop tunnels is important) and they feel happy in a really unique way. It's like they're kind of spiritually nourished (that's cheesy *face palm* but it's the best description that I could give).

Take care and good luck.

@Infinite_Jester Thanks for responding but just to say I'm actually looking forward to cubicle working in either electrical or architectural tech.Partly b/c it's similar to the enviroment of years of doing schoolwork at a desk and b/c I very unfourtunately didn't take to many tech classes in high school.

Infinite_Jester wrote:Of course, all the programs your describing are pretty specific careers which kind of locks you in place for X amount of time till you retire which is really scary.

I dont understand what your saying.All your saying is that if I were to get a jo after those programs they I would have to work for x amount of years.What's so scary about knowing for how long you'll work?.Wouldn't the majority of people actually like that?.

Infinite_Jester wrote:I don't know. For me I try not to think of what you want to do but what, as a reasonable and morally responsible person, are you required to do. From that you can really just follow through with that and be happy knowing your doing the right thing. I know people who do things that are really important like nursing or civic plumbing (fixing the cities...tunnels is important) and they feel happy in a really unique way. It's like they're kind of spiritually nourished .

Thanks for your view.Since your in the psych field I can how that would apply to someone who deals with ppl very directly.Howver one of the reasons I'm going into the fields I said of previously is b/c I actually REALLY dont like jobs where I'm responsible for people somehow which is what would have happened if I stayed in my biotech techie program and had say worked in a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

Infinite_Jester wrote:II guess what I'm saying is that if the job you want is going to mean all day everyday you are stressed, bored and sad then maybe you have to follow your gut.

That's what I'm having trouble with right now because of the division in mind considering the differences in factors like how easy the program is,employability likelihood,how much I'll like it,the tuition fee etc but most espeically whether I'll like it compared to how sucessful I'll be in the program especially with the labs.I dont know what will make me happy and one of my greatest fears is (Heaven forbid) having not progressed in what I picked and having to pick something else yet for a program yet agian.Do you have any tips as to how to prevent that?.