What are dreams?

I was studying Computer Science at my uni and I thought that's what I wanted to do for a living. As I got into it more and more, I hated it. I thought that my love for computers and it being a hobby of mne, well that I would love it. But things don't always seem to work out like that.

As a kid, I always wanted to be a white collar type person. I always wanted to have my own office, wife, kids, white picket fence, big house, lots of car, and everything that's a typical life. I really want that and it's like a fire inside me to get that. I'm 22 years old and I should have graduated by now but I don't mind to start over somewhat. If I'm going to do this for the rest of my life, then I'll sacrifice something for it. I don't mind because you can't get anything without sacrifce sometimes.

So now I'm studying International Business at school and hope to have what I dream for by working hard for my real dream and not what I thought was sensible at the time. It gives me a fire to work hard.

It seems like you're at a crossroads. For me following my heart instead of my brain seems to have worked so far. That's all the advice I can tell you. Just do what you really want to. If you have no motivation and live day to day, then in the future, you'll regret that you didn't do what you wanted to do. Hopefully you'll find your answer. It took me some time but now I feel happy and continue to move on in my life with a smile.

I wanna be a rock star by day, a political rebel leader by night. (Think Madonna crossed with Tyler Dirden from Fight Club.)

Next, have adorable little kids and raise them up to be conscientious intelligent human beings.

Next, become one of the first human minds transferred over to mechanical/electronic life (like a robot!). Evidentally, that will never be possible , but we're talking about dreams, right?

mike$houp (you should spell it like that ): I'm going for CS too, despite the fact that I don't particularly have a passion for programming, nor do I want that suburban yuppie life. However, I think finishing college is important. If someday a future family member (spouse, child) gets sick, your family is going to need somebody(you) to step up and take care of things financially, and having a college education is going to be most beneficial to you in that situation.

But until then, as long as you manage your finances and your personal life in a responsible way (i.e. don't rack up huge credit card bills and car loans, and don't have kids until you're ready to settle down), you will never be tied to a job you don't like. Remember, your first "professional" job doesn't have to be the only job you do for the rest of your life. YOU have the choice to do whatever YOU want, whenever YOU want to do it. If you want to travel the country writing poetry or cosplaying or running marathons, do it. As long as you don't have any huge financial or familial burdens holding you down, the world is yours.

I can't remember who said this, but it's rather appropriate:
Remember there are two ways to become rich: one is to gain a great deal of wealth; the other is to have very few wants.

My dream right now is being a game programmer, preferrably something along the lines of AI programming. I'm also thinking about doing development of next-gen programming tools and methods (fifth-generation programming languages). I haven't given much thought to anything else. When I was younger I thought of going to medical school and becoming a doctor. I'm still interested in biology and medicine, but I don't think I can go down that path now.

The best advice I can give you is to take something you're interested in and proficient with. Never take anything for the money and never relegate yourself into something you don't like to do. My sister spent four years in university studying sociology (she didn't know what else to take) and now she has a sociology degree that's completely worthless to her. She's now studying interior design at college and likes it a lot better. My friend's also taking computer science at university but isn't doing so well. He's struggling with first-year Java courses in his third year. I never understood why he took CS as he's more interested in computer graphics and making movies. I believe he's now registered for some courses at a local college for computer graphics and I think he's going to enjoy it a lot better.

Hmm, the thread’s title confused me at first. I thought that you were asking about dreams physiological/neurological sense. I was already gathering my biology and evolutionary psychology textbooks when I read what you’d written

Anyway, let me talk about my personal dreams for a while. When I was a kid, from about 6 to 10, I wanted to be a biologist. I was enchanted with everything from biology, specially evolutionary theory, and I read as much as could on the subject.

From 10 to 14 years, I wanted to be a geneticist. I’d this cheesy dream of being a biomedical researcher and helping to find the cure to diseases like AIDS, or fighting cancer. Until then I was mostly unaware of the economical realities of my country (economics didn’t interest me back then).

When I was 15 and went to high school, I developed an interest in physics (it all began after I read “The Physics of Star Trek”). I read as much as I could on the subject, but by this time I was well aware of the socioeconomic state of my country. It was by this time that I abandoned the dream of being a scientist (yes, you can call it weak will on my part). I though that I’d never have what it takes to go abroad and become a scientist somewhere else, and working in my own country was an unattainable dream, since the funding here is so low (biologists, physicist and the like invariably end up as professors in universities, which wasn’t my dream at all).

Besides, I needed a job, and I needed it fast. My allowance was ridiculous (I could barely buy a book a month with the money that I got from my parents). Finding a job in an office was the quickest route. I first started as an intern in an insurance company, then assistant accountant in an industry.

Graduating in Accounting was a logical choice, then. I enjoyed the hard math of economics more, but I degree in economics would leave me in no better position to find a job, so I chose Accounting. Now I’m 23 years old, work as a full-blown accountant in a financial company, and have a quite good salary (for my country’s standards, that is).

Am I happy with it? Definitely not. Do I have the guts to make a U-turn in my life now? Certainly not.

I’m currently looking forward to a better job, preferentially in the stock market (more precisely: the Brazilian Securities and Exchanges Comission). If this doesn’t work out, then I’ll probably take something in public finances, or finally take the Auditor route as a desperate measure (being a professional Auditor usually pays well, but I find it too boring). My boss once told me that I’ve the qualities of a leader, and that I’ve a lot of potential in management… I don’t know how much of this is true.

Anyway, I often wonder where I’d be now if I were bolder in when I was younger… or if I were bolder now. But a big part of me is too risk-averse to take big chances (this is a strength sometimes, but mostly a weakness).

Anyway Mike, whatever you do, do it before you get a family. Once you get a family you’ll be unable to make radical changes in your life (or at the very least it’ll be a lot harder). And engineering, in a broad sense, is not a bad career choice. There’re many innovative engineers out there. Look at the profiles of Steve Mann, Kevin Warwick or Hans Moravec. They’re highly unconventional persons, who like to step outside the accepted boundaries and yet are respected in their fields. It’s always up to you to make a difference.

I don't think I've ever had the dream as in what I want out of my life. I know I'd like a family of my own. To try and be a great father like mine is to me. But I know I got lucky there, just from listening to some of the people I work with.

I made some bad choices after high school, resulting in where I am now. I do know that if I had stayed in NC instead of moving here, I would probably be married now, and happily at that too. But I found moving here with my parents to help them out to be a greater need that my personal wants. My life is filled with regrets and coulda-woulda-shoulda.

Boltzmann: Anyway, I often wonder where I’d be now if I were bolder in when I was younger… or if I were bolder now. But a big part of me is too risk-averse to take big chances (this is a strength sometimes, but mostly a weakness).

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I'm the exact same way. It can get sooo annoying. For the past 2 years things have been very stable for me. Predictable even. But the recent chapter 11 filings of the company I work for and the increase in cost of living here in Florida (damn hurricanes) have shaken my ground. In my most risky move to date, I've accepted a promotion to assistant manager in my drinking buddys store. Even though I need this, it's made me somewhat uncomfortable. It's a very big change. The only thing I like about it so far is $350 a month raise.

Boltzmann said:

Hmm, the thread’s title confused me at first. I thought that you were asking about dreams physiological/neurological sense. I was already gathering my biology and evolutionary psychology textbooks when I read what you’d written

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Sorry to dissapoint you

Boltzmann said:

Am I happy with [my job]? Definitely not. Do I have the guts to make a U-turn in my life now? Certainly not.

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That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of looking back when I'm 45 and having a midlife crissis.

Boltzmann said:

And engineering, in a broad sense, is not a bad career choice. There’re many innovative engineers out there. Look at the profiles of Steve Mann, Kevin Warwick or Hans Moravec. They’re highly unconventional persons, who like to step outside the accepted boundaries and yet are respected in their fields. It’s always up to you to make a difference.

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The problem is the school I go to will probably burn me out and turn me cynical by the time I graduate, removing any creativing and innovation from me.

However, I do have the choice now to leave this school and go to another. I haven't hit the median yet and can still make a U-Turn and get off on the correct exit. At this point though, my girlfriend of 2 years and 2 months doesn't want to support me in leaving the school. She would still be living in Golden, and I would be in Ft. Collins, miles away from her. My dad fully supports me though, but my mom is a little weary about it. My close ones aren't as accepting as I was hoping.

Its gonna be tough if I do decide to transfer. It keeps going through my head what if I still don't like it there? I should just stay at mines and take the easy way out.

Then it goes through my head, There's no way I can be happy at mines. CS and Engineering is not what I want to do.

Ugh, I'm struggling with too many emotions.

One of my friends at school brought this up.

Davy said:

Describe the sound of a moist waffle falling onto a hot griddle.

No sound just antisocial people in the background not doing much of anything because they are tired and have a heavy day of classes ahead of them.

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That's the way breakfast sounds every morning at school.