I choosed wrong education - now I feel my life´s ruined

I´ve been unemployed for several years although I have a university degree. I found the education itself interesting but after I graduated I found it hard to find jobs and when I tried working within my field I found out I didn´t like it.

My main study was tourism and human geography and I´ve realised I don´t want to work towards economic goals, as you most often do when within the tourism business. I also don´t want to work within customer service, at a hotel or such.

I feel my life´s ruined as I´ve already spent all of my study loans on the education I have and I´m very stuck in life as I don´t get any jobs. I feel great anxiety about my future and that I now know that I would like to become a psychologist but that´s completely impossible as you have to study full time. In my country you can´t study evening courses or such to become a psychologist, you have to study at a full time program, at day time.

I can´t replace such a career with just "volounteering among elder people" or something like that and I feel I made such a wrong choice that I´ll never be happy or get the possibility to work with something I really like.

Anyone else experiencing this or someone who has some advice to give?

You are definitely not alone. I have a college degree and I have been out of school for close to three years. I have had 5 different job and none has lasted more than six month. Each has paid minimum wage or just barely above it and I have an enormous amount of student loan debt that I cannot afford to pay back. My education has not been an asset in my job search or contributed to receiving a higher pay, as I was told it would from a very young age. I have no doubt that I am an intelligent and capable being, yet somehow unemployable.

Maybe try looking for jobs in a similar field but without the education requirement. If you are interested in psychology, look into mental health jobs that don't require as much education as a psychologist. Try to get on somewhere as support staff. It might not pay well but it would get you experience in the field.

First of all, you haven't ruined your life. There are far, far worse things you could do to ruin your life than get the wrong degree. I'm not sure how it is in Sweden, but here (I'm in the US), it's actually really common (my opinion) for people to end up working in a field that is totally unrelated to their college degree. I know this isn't likely possible for psychology, but in many careers, the degree opens up doors and shows that you can learn and perform, and people parlay that (all the time!) into different fields. Really.

Examples? I work in User Experience. I actually have a graduate degree in this. It's a combination of computer science, design, and psychology (the program I studied in involves all 3 departments.) In my work group, I work with someone who is a former architect. I'm still not sure how he managed to make that leap! But, he did. And I don't think he went back to school at all for it.

(Edit to add: I don't want to accidentally identify myself by providing too many close examples, but I remember - a few years back - I worked with a project manager at a very technical company who had been a music major, and used to work as a radio DJ!)

People get a degree when they're young, then spend the rest of their life figuring out what they like and what they're good at. Some people luck out and figure it out early, but a whole lot of people don't.

It's OK.

So, next question. Is money really the only thing standing in your way? Have you looked into scholarships to pay for school? Work-study programs? Student loans? Teaching internships? Jobs that let you work a late night shift so that you can attend classes during the day (since you said you can't take evening classes in your country)? Have you looked into going to another country where you CAN take evening classes, or might be able to do something to help pay the way (I don't what opportunities are available to you - but here, for example, I know people will go to other countries and teach English, as a way to travel while making some money to live off of.)

My sister got a law degree (as an older returning student) while working a full-time, overnight shift, and supporting a non-working boyfriend that lived with her. People do stuff like this. It is not impossible. When you want something - you find a way to get it. Everyone has obstacles. It just sounds like you've decided it's impossible, so that's it, you're not willing to actually try to find a solution.

One of the best pieces of advice I heard is that... if you want something, you have to go get it. You can't just hope it will happen for you, because life doesn't work that way. You have to find a way to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Good luck. Don't give up!

I knew a few people in supervisory positions that worked as sales managers for a call center and all they each had were college degrees in Spanish. Who knew...???

You do not have to apply for jobs directly related to your degree. Usually just having a bachelors, in almost anything, is good enough to get your foot in the door in lots of different fields. Sell yourself based on your degree but apply for all kinds of different jobs.

WOW I had no idea... I would think that, here in the USA mind you, with all the tours and travel agencies that many are sales and travel with the groups or visit and learn about the places on the tours the agencies are selling... promote economic goals? What does that entail, please?

I have two BAs and an AGS. They did nothing but prepare me for grad school. I moved because of my husband's job and didn't go to grad school. Now I'm going back to school through a work force scholarship as I've also depleted my student loans. Is there something like that there? I have to go to all day classes, too. They don't offer any nights, but I scheduled so that I only go MWF. Then I can work TTh. Can you do something like that?

Eta when I got my other degrees, I worked on campus 20 hrs a week, and worked an evening job 40 hrs a week in retail. On campus work might be something to look into. And idk about there, but retail is always hiring here.

In my field you can take the new career' main core courses, and add to the degree you already have in 1-4 years. Depends which schools and degrees, there's so many varieties you hve to talk to a college counselor

Why not go back to school with student loans?

why dont you start to look at community colleges , or doing specific modules at college again. you don't have to sign up for a BSc , just go with a pick and choose strategy.