Giving up on your dreams

I just wanted to come on here and thank all of you guys for providing me with great insight and advice when it came to banking on this website. Unfortunately due to COVID-19, my parents have been laid off from their jobs and can no longer pay for my college. I have tried exploring many options but it looks like at the minimum I can't return for many years to come and I am moving back to my hometown to help my parents. Due to the lack of education and large time commitment investment banking is, I am having to give up my dream of going into investment banking. To all the people I met and helped me along the way, who may never see this post, I just want to thank you. While this community can be a little brash, I appreciate the distractions and insights provided so I could try and chase my dreams. As a former first generation college student, I thought I was going to provide for my family in a capacity no one else had before. Unfortunately, that call to help has come to me much earlier than expected. If anyone has any advice for how I should approach this situation or if there is even the slightest bit of hope to one day joining the banking field, please let me know.

 

You will be fine and stronger for it.

Listen to any interview with any successful person looking back on their life and it’s almost guaranteed there are setbacks early on. Maybe occasionally you hear a “smooth sailing” story but that’s 10% of the time at most. Take some time to help your family, your longer-term goals can wait a bit.

 

Consider this a speed-bump. We ALL have them. It's super easy to look at someone who is successful and think that their path was smooth and success came easy. I guarantee that's basically never the case. People show you a shiny, polished image. Remember every MD you meet, every successful GP, there's likely pain, hardship and setbacks behind those facades. So, you gotta do what you gotta do for the moment. But never give up on your dreams and don't stop grinding.

 

Why does this have to be the end for you? I was also in a very similar position a few years ago, had to leave college for a family emergency and for a second I thought life was over. I know that it might seem like that, but it is not. There are many ways to still bounce back and get back on track, maybe not from the ideal places, but it’s still something.

What I did was attend my local cc whenever I had some time off from working full time. I took an overnight job and then took classes in the morning/online. By the time I was able to graduate with my associates my family was in a better place where I didn’t have to work full time, which allowed me to start commuting by bus (I couldn’t afford a car) to my local state school satellite campus. I decided that no one was going to decide my future for me, so I busted my ass to land the position that I got today.

Remember that, no matter of your situation or where you are from, you are the only one that can decide your future. Chin up, I know it’s tough, but you can and should bounce back. Please pm me if there is any way that I can help, more than happy to help you start planning/connect you with people as you get back on track.

 

If you are qualified, willing, and interested I highly recommend joining the military. Solid pay, incredible benefits including the post 9/11 GI bill. 36 months of (basically) paid for college college plus a stipend once you do your four years. If you have a some undergrad already done you could probably swing your undergrad and an MBA. Feel free to DM for details. This path is more traveled than you may think.

 

100%. A mentor of mine grew up in poverty, enlisted, then had his education completely paid for by the military.

Now he's crushing it as a C-Level at a mid-size public tech co. on the West Coast.

 

All these "we all have obstacles" comments are whack, most people esp in this industry have not faced obstacles this level of controlling of ones life. OP, I would recommend speaking w your schools counseling to see if you can take time off while you work and re enroll as a sophomore to rerecruit

 

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