I'm having a tough debate with myself, so, well, I'd like some advice from outside points of view!

Right now, I'm a full time student. However, I'm not working. This is the first time I've ever stopped working to be just a student. I've been student for over 4 years, but I've always had a job at the same time in the past.

So, although I'm taking out loans and am doing okay financially, I feel great shame in not working. I'm worried about what other people would think of me not working, since so many other students work. My future job would pay well, so I don't think paying off loans would be too much trouble, but I worry that I should be working for extra money and to pay off loans.

I've been battling depression for a long while, but recently it's been really rearing its ugly head. I hoped taking a break from work would help with this.

I have a feeling this was partly due to my last job. The last job I had required me to be very, very social, and I avoid being social as much as I can usually. Although I was a good employee and left on a positive note (because I was moving), I feel like the job scared me from working in general. I'd come home physically, but mostly mentally, exhausted, and often would immediately lay down and sleep for way too long, only to wake up and do it all over again. Being so social was one of the most draining experiences of my life. I lost all interest in everything and absolutely dreaded coming in to work everyday. I'd spend all day very anxious and just feeling awful. But, I have a strong work ethic that won't let me do an underwhelming performance no matter what, so I pushed through it for over a year. Strangely, all the social contact has made me much worse socially. Before the job, I was very professional and polite in my mannerisms, but now it's been tarnished to some extent, and I've lost a lot of that professional edge. I'll have to rebuild it now.

Now I know I shouldn't work in jobs which require me to be very social anymore, which is a shame because it's been the experience list of work I've been building.

So I had an idea: what if I run a business from home while attending school?

It'd be something I'm skilled in and there seems to be a market for. I'd also have the opportunity to not have to work with so many people like in the past.

However, I feel a lot of doubts. I'm not too worried about how it won't take off immediately and might take a year or more to get going. I'm more worried about if I'm just shirking my responsibilities to do something silly. Or I just don't want to face adult responsibility and difficulties.

I mean, I wonder if I should be working a regular job, and running a home business is a silly idea that will lose precious experience working as an employee.

I should mention that I'm studying for an engineering degree. The one I'm in requires a lot of study at home, so I'm thinking that not working a regular retail job or similar might not mean hurt me so much in the long run as far as experience goes.

I'm also wondering if I should build any side skills, like bookkeeping, in case I desperately need a job someday.

Thanks so much for reading.

[NeedHaldol]

Pay the minimum on your student loans.

Take that debt to your grave.

It is hard to start a business, especially if you do it from home.

I had a web design business for 2 years and it was hard as hell to get clients and make any real money.

Taxes are about 30% of your income, if you live in the US.

I now have a mobile DJ business and it's going slow. Luckily my wife has an awesome job, otherwise I wouldn't be able to make it on my own.

Thanks so much, NeedHaldol! It's surprising how much income of someone self-employed is taxed.

Oh, I think I might need to clarify. I'm still planning on getting my degree and becoming an engineer, since engineering still sounds really fun and fulfilling for me, surprisingly. Yeah, a lot of people probably do it for money, but I truly do like the looks of it. On the plus side, if I decide I hate engineering, having a side business could be something to fall back on.

What I'm mostly worried about is if I should be earning money and building experience doing normal jobs during this time of schooling, rather than starting a home business. I don't want to go into specifics, since I'm still shy about it and working out the details, but it'd be a business that'd not be affected too much by schoolwork.

A big part of me thinks I should be working while going to school, and not starting a little business while going to school.

[reb569]

I don't think there is an issue with not working while going to college, especially if you can afford it. Additionally, self-employment can be used as experience too. My only recommendation as someone who has attempted a business in the past and failed, is don't invest too much in it. My little experiment cost me 40k in debt 15 years ago and while it's been paid back, it has impacted my retirement savings and has put me several years behind and has reduced my retirement acccount significantly. Just do your research and don't jump into it until you have completed it.