What would you do if...

[RisingStars]

First of all I want to mention that I surely know that nobody can make the life decisions for me. This thread is not about a final decision, only for input. In my experience my opinion is always strongly influenced by my thoughts and believes, so I want to ask different people with different life paths.

SO: What would you do if you would be (like me) just turned 18 years old, living with your parents and got 1 year school left to graduate from the highest german education. You know "The Fastlane" and read business books. Also you started two businesses, creating income but stopped because they weren't scaleable.

Would you:
a) Do "Dual College" - Apply for it in a bank and study, while already working in the bank. Get 1000€ a month and study for free + get a college degree for free. I could life for 1000€ a month nearly in every german city and move out of my parents house.
Problem: I would need to focus 100% on school to get the best possible degree for this.
That means: Stop going to the gym (atleast till I get good again in school) , stop reading fastlane so much. And of cause no time to start a business. For the last school year and the 3 next years in college.

b) Get a normal bank training. Also 1000€ a month but no college degree and less income after I finished 2 years after I am done. Option to work yourself up. Be in a private bank at the age of 35 and give rich people investing advise. (That would be possible with option a) too) 100k pay a year.
I don't need to get a good school degree and got time for business.
Mental problem: I am not doing 1 thing 100% focused. Not 100% business. Not 100% bank.

c) Do something totally different (travel, work, etc.) I got around 5000€ in savings for this.

 

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[Mattie]

Knowing a few people that worked in banks, I really never seen them move up. So, really I can't see you doing much without a degree in a bank. Is there a reason you're set on banking? I'm not familiar with the way you move up in Germany. Just U.S. and usually without credentials you get stuck as a low paying position.

 

[randomnumber314]

I would sit down and write a list of pros and cons for each option (you really only have two?) and go with the option that afforded the most opportunities.

 

[RogueInnovation]

I don't like any of them.

Tbh, depends how big your balls are.
I wouldn't do any of them, but thats just me.

Some people think they NEED to do stuff like you are doing, maybe you are just one of those guys? Dead set on something?


Honestly, I don't think you are being very creative, or open minded, and I think its a bad omen for every path you might take.

Move out, make money, run a business.
Why make it more complex than it needs to be?
Maybe you are trying to be special? Holding onto something?
Or maybe you are afraid of failing (fair point).


You have to decide.
You are 18, my guess is, you just don't have what it takes yet.

Don't joke around.

 

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[Ciprian Curcan]

Hi,mi advice to you is to do whatever you think will make you grow in knowledge and abilities , i would go for starting doing business. You are only 18,in case you fail you can still do it many more times,each time with more experience,untill you make it. Once you get a good pay in a bank you will feel secure and loose the drive for risk and get out of the comfort zone to do more and extraordinary stuff. Goodluck

 

[Hassen]

Doesn't sound like you're coming out of a Gymnasium? Feels a bit odd to me you only have these two options...

I'd say A. I think it's important to push yourself, test your limits and not have your options limited too early when you're young. Do you really have to stop going to the gym to get the good grades, or can you learn to study smarter, manage your time better, be more productive & organized to both have good grades & have some time for other things? You won't find out until you try and experiment. See how hard you can work & how far you can go, being only 18 y/o you'll always have a chance to try something else or start a business later. Although if you're entering your last year of Gymnasium though I guess I understand the workload.. That will be hard for sure. But some experience in the "real world" outside of school is important at this stage, imo. I don't feel trying to start a business straight out of school is always a good idea & getting a feel of how the working life is can benefit in a lot of ways.

B seems pretty pointless to me - it limits your choices in the future and like you said, it's not focused. If you're not going for A, might as well take C, take a gap year to try establish a business while living with your parents or traveling, maybe take on some temp job to help make ends meet or move out to a cheap city. If your area considers 1000€ to be regular for a student I feel it's on the more expensive end. Can you do gap years? If you take one year or two off will option A be closed? It doesn't sound like to me the option you described in A is a Hochschule or Fachhochschule so I'm not sure whether gap years are possible.


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[RisingStars]

Knowing a few people that worked in banks, I really never seen them move up. So, really I can't see you doing much without a degree in a bank. Is there a reason you're set on banking? I'm not familiar with the way you move up in Germany. Just U.S. and usually without credentials you get stuck as a low paying position.

Well, it really depends on the bank and how you are doing (Atleast thats what successful german bank employees said when I asked them). You can get ahead with a normal bank degree in a big bank in a big city and if you are good with people.

I would sit down and write a list of pros and cons for each option (you really only have two?) and go with the option that afforded the most opportunities.

Thanks, yea awesome tip. I almost forgot the TMF table for decisions. I will reread that chapter. No I dont have 2 options only. I have a lot more but these where the most favored by me.

I don't like any of them.

Tbh, depends how big your balls are.
I wouldn't do any of them, but thats just me.

Some people think they NEED to do stuff like you are doing, maybe you are just one of those guys? Dead set on something?


Honestly, I don't think you are being very creative, or open minded, and I think its a bad omen for every path you might take.

Move out, make money, run a business.
Why make it more complex than it needs to be?
Maybe you are trying to be special? Holding onto something?
Or maybe you are afraid of failing (fair point).


You have to decide.
You are 18, my guess is, you just don't have what it takes yet.

Don't joke around.

Hey, Thanks for your answer. So to not get anything wrong I summarize your point. Please correct me if I am wrong:
Your advise would be that I grow some balls, move out of my parents house and work some minimum wage job and try to start a business in the mean time?
Of cause I want to be special. When normal is working a dead-end job for the rest of my life and paying of my mortage and the leased mercedes.
But I am very afraid of failing. Telling my family I didnt made it. See people around me way more successful then me. Thats why I am looking for a education so IF I fail, I can rely on that and work a normal job till I get a 2nd try.

Hi,mi advice to you is to do whatever you think will make you grow in knowledge and abilities , i would go for starting doing business. You are only 18,in case you fail you can still do it many more times,each time with more experience,untill you make it. Once you get a good pay in a bank you will feel secure and loose the drive for risk and get out of the comfort zone to do more and extraordinary stuff. Goodluck

Thanks for your input. Thats a fair point. You right since I am 18, it wouldnt be that worse to fail.

Doesn't sound like you're coming out of a Gymnasium? Feels a bit odd to me you only have these two options...

I'd say A. I think it's important to push yourself, test your limits and not have your options limited too early when you're young. Do you really have to stop going to the gym to get the good grades, or can you learn to study smarter, manage your time better, be more productive & organized to both have good grades & have some time for other things? You won't find out until you try and experiment. See how hard you can work & how far you can go, being only 18 y/o you'll always have a chance to try something else or start a business later. Although if you're entering your last year of Gymnasium though I guess I understand the workload.. That will be hard for sure. But some experience in the "real world" outside of school is important at this stage, imo. I don't feel trying to start a business straight out of school is always a good idea & getting a feel of how the working life is can benefit in a lot of ways.

B seems pretty pointless to me - it limits your choices in the future and like you said, it's not focused. If you're not going for A, might as well take C, take a gap year to try establish a business while living with your parents or traveling, maybe take on some temp job to help make ends meet or move out to a cheap city. If your area considers 1000€ to be regular for a student I feel it's on the more expensive end. Can you do gap years? If you take one year or two off will option A be closed? It doesn't sound like to me the option you described in A is a Hochschule or Fachhochschule so I'm not sure whether gap years are possible.


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I am coming from a IGS. Its quite a new system with 13 instead of 12 years (on a Gymansium) to Abitur. You are very well informed about the german school system

You are right, I should start focussing more on my current task, thats for sure.
Of cause a gap year is possible, but I would rather try starting a business instead of do some work-and-travel. (Nothing bad about it but a business would be more fun for me I think. )

 

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[Hassen]

Wait, don't you mean 12 years instead of 13 years, not "13 instead of 12 years"? No way they are introducing some new system to go back to 13 years right after some states adopted the 12 years system only a few years ago...

Would your family be against it if you took a gap year to try establish a business? Tbh I think everyone is almost bound to fail their first several tries to start a business. I'm on my third & still not making too much progress, but I'm hopeful & I've learned a lot along the way. If failed attempts would stress you out too much or if your family would view it negatively, it might worth considering doing something else (school/work) full time while starting a business on the side.

Btw are you looking to get into retail/consumer banking, or corporate banking? I think either could provide you with useful skills and knowledge for when you start a business of your own.


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[jon.a]

I went to Spain and had fun. I'd do it again.

 

[Ninjakid]

I would stop asking "what should I do?" and start asking "who do I want to be?" then make my decision accordingly.

 

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[theag]

d)

(start a business)

 

[GuestUser113]

I would stop asking "what should I do?" and start asking "who do I want to be?" then make my decision accordingly.

Quickest way to find out what you want to do. Do what you hate doing.

 

[GuestUser202]

Me personally, I like to have a backup plan on pretty much everything I do. I'd say option A and here's why: 1) Backup plan 2) It will teach you time management 3) Free college, why not? As mentioned in another post here, you can make some GREAT connections in college! Sure, you MAY not be able to focus on the gym or a business, but it's only temporary. Heck even MJ said the fastlane roadtrip is curvy and winding, not a straight path. Consider this a curve in the road.

The other reason I say A is because you do not know 100% for sure you will not be able to go to the gym and/or run a side business. Most people (and I say MOST) tend to party and goof off in college. While they goof off, you start your business or hit the gym.

As for a fear of failing...I thought about that myself as I was reading through this post. Is it really a fear of failing? Or a lack of confidence?

 

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[RogueInnovation]

Hey, Thanks for your answer. So to not get anything wrong I summarize your point. Please correct me if I am wrong:
Your advise would be that I grow some balls, move out of my parents house and work some minimum wage job and try to start a business in the mean time?
Of cause I want to be special. When normal is working a dead-end job for the rest of my life and paying of my mortage and the leased mercedes.
But I am very afraid of failing. Telling my family I didnt made it. See people around me way more successful then me. Thats why I am looking for a education so IF I fail, I can rely on that and work a normal job till I get a 2nd try.

My point is of course not as caustic as all that, but you took the first step, by taking off the armor of all those ideas.
I wanted you to question your depth of conviction.
Because at the heart of your trouble, is your heart just doesn't "feel it" regarding what you are choosing between.

When I was 18, I could never find out what my heart really wanted of me. So I tried my best to "not fail" in others eyes, but it is a mistake.

Because you are meant to fail, your parents are meant to become disappointed in you, and you are meant to reach a point where you truly understand the value of HARD WORK in YOUR FAVOR, rather than theirs.


Only a true fire, and a true grit, will get you through the nights where your hand is shaking because you are terrified of all you must confront. Only strength of self, can sooth the cracks that break into you, as people start sledge hammering on the pane of glass that seperates you from total failure.


When 18, you think, its meant to be clean.
But, the truth is, it is in the messy, bloody, remains, that you can "pull 10Gs", and handle it. And when you can survive that, you become just... bulletproof.
And can become a GREAT businessman.

If you try to do it all neat right now, chances are you won't be ready to FIGHT for the freedom you can have if you wade through the muck.


Most ideals of success are traps.
True biz acumen, is actually toughness, to the fears.
So by running from them in a prissy job, you give power to all the losers that want to get their hooks into you and control you through that fear.

Break those little hooks, face the fear, find the courage.


Safety is just an illusion, and IF you really want to succeed, you cannot get there that prissy way.
Be wary, of the false paths. Be wary, of NOT using your true strength. That of all your conviction.

 

[RisingStars]

Wait, don't you mean 12 years instead of 13 years, not "13 instead of 12 years"? No way they are introducing some new system to go back to 13 years right after some states adopted the 12 years system only a few years ago...

Would your family be against it if you took a gap year to try establish a business? Tbh I think everyone is almost bound to fail their first several tries to start a business. I'm on my third & still not making too much progress, but I'm hopeful & I've learned a lot along the way. If failed attempts would stress you out too much or if your family would view it negatively, it might worth considering doing something else (school/work) full time while starting a business on the side.

Btw are you looking to get into retail/consumer banking, or corporate banking? I think either could provide you with useful skills and knowledge for when you start a business of your own.


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No I mean 13. They go back to 13 now because they where so stupid to try 12. Now they see its shit, so they go back to 13. Comes from not thinking first.
Gap year to establish a business is a good idea, but my parents wouldnt like it.

I wanted to go into consumer banking/wealth managment.

I went to Spain and had fun. I'd do it again.

I went to Spain last year in holidays but stayed at a hotel. For a longer time that would be a little expensive. Did you do a gap year in spain?
I had the best time of my life in spain.

I would stop asking "what should I do?" and start asking "who do I want to be?" then make my decision accordingly.

Awesome advice. Asking that question before I make a decision will help a lot.

d)

(start a business)

I am in the progress of starting one but maybe a degree would help me be "safe"

Me personally, I like to have a backup plan on pretty much everything I do. I'd say option A and here's why: 1) Backup plan 2) It will teach you time management 3) Free college, why not? As mentioned in another post here, you can make some GREAT connections in college! Sure, you MAY not be able to focus on the gym or a business, but it's only temporary. Heck even MJ said the fastlane roadtrip is curvy and winding, not a straight path. Consider this a curve in the road.

The other reason I say A is because you do not know 100% for sure you will not be able to go to the gym and/or run a side business. Most people (and I say MOST) tend to party and goof off in college. While they goof off, you start your business or hit the gym.

As for a fear of failing...I thought about that myself as I was reading through this post. Is it really a fear of failing? Or a lack of confidence?

I just found out that if I fail with option A I have to pay back all the money the company payed me. So If I fail after 1 year that would be 12.000€ debt without a degree.
In normal college is time to party or start a business but this dual system where you get payed is nearly no time I think. You work in the company when the other college kids got free time.

My point is of course not as caustic as all that, but you took the first step, by taking off the armor of all those ideas.
I wanted you to question your depth of conviction.
Because at the heart of your trouble, is your heart just doesn't "feel it" regarding what you are choosing between.

When I was 18, I could never find out what my heart really wanted of me. So I tried my best to "not fail" in others eyes, but it is a mistake.

Because you are meant to fail, your parents are meant to become disappointed in you, and you are meant to reach a point where you truly understand the value of HARD WORK in YOUR FAVOR, rather than theirs.


Only a true fire, and a true grit, will get you through the nights where your hand is shaking because you are terrified of all you must confront. Only strength of self, can sooth the cracks that break into you, as people start sledge hammering on the pane of glass that seperates you from total failure.


When 18, you think, its meant to be clean.
But, the truth is, it is in the messy, bloody, remains, that you can "pull 10Gs", and handle it. And when you can survive that, you become just... bulletproof.
And can become a GREAT businessman.

If you try to do it all neat right now, chances are you won't be ready to FIGHT for the freedom you can have if you wade through the muck.


Most ideals of success are traps.
True biz acumen, is actually toughness, to the fears.
So by running from them in a prissy job, you give power to all the losers that want to get their hooks into you and control you through that fear.

Break those little hooks, face the fear, find the courage.


Safety is just an illusion, and IF you really want to succeed, you cannot get there that prissy way.
Be wary, of the false paths. Be wary, of NOT using your true strength. That of all your conviction.

Thank you very much. Thats a gold advice for me. You are right, I try to much "not to fail" instead of do what I am good at.

 

[RogueInnovation]

Thank you very much. Thats a gold advice for me. You are right, I try to much "not to fail" instead of do what I am good at.

The whole idea of financial freedom, is about achieving it on your own terms.
To be ABLE to fearlessly exist on your own terms, yet to also, deliver the goods that benefit society in exchange for payment, is what we need to learn.

Do not get blinded by chasing money. Chase sight, and through sight, and courage, stand on your own terms, create your own life.


Parents will NEVER contribute to your success on your terms. They tend to be possessive, anxious, and seeking the validation of an invisible audience. If you let them guide your internal radar of where your life will go, they will lead you to ruin.

No one is perfect, and even more importantly, almost everyone is petty when it comes to anyone other than themselves, due to survival instincts etc.

YOU MUST face that to become a success, or you will get washed into a gutter and p#ssed on.


True determination to succeed knows no other course than what YOU create.
And by getting away from others attempt to make you Mr. Safe, you will expose yourself to the true danger, but also, possibly, the true power of yourself to fly.

 

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