26 yrs old + 150k + no job/degree

[str1]

I'm 26 years old with wife and kid. I never went to college and don't have any skills really. Zero debt, renting a house. Was making about 25k/year but I just quit so I'm at a crossroads.

I will however have about $150k to invest very soon. I have no idea what to do other than pay for college fulltime and try and get a degree. The only thing that remotely interests me is Physical Therapy and that's 7 years of school and the job only pays about 60k/year after that.

Does this sound crazy?

Buy a small house in the midwest for 60k. Live off the extra while in college.
Go to community college for 2 years.
Transfer to state college for 2 years and earn a BS.
Sell house and start renting to pay for grad school.
Go to PT school (if they accept me) for 2-3 more years.

If I pull that off i would come out debt free with good job prospects. It will just suck knowing I will be poor for the next 7 years though.

My main worry is not doing good enough to get accepted to PT school and being stuck with a semi-useless bachelor of science degree (biology or whatever) and no money.

I'm open to any better ideas. Open a store? Buy a business? Buy a couple foreclosures and turn them into rentals?

 

[daveyboy2345]

go to a CC and get an associates degree in nursing, pays as well as most 4 year degree careers with even more opening from now and probably many many years to come. Great benefits at any hospital as well.

Even better still, just get an entry level part time or full time job at a local hospital they will reimburse you 100% of your tuition, except books usually.

Not interested in nursing, try radiology tech, or respiratory tech. Biomedical Engineering etc.

 

[str1]

My wife is already doing that. The stories I've heard... cleaning poop off dead people, changing diapers, changing wound dressings... NOT for me.

I looked into becoming a physical therapy assistant, that's only 2 year degree but the school needs a full background check?? all kinds of references and stuff plus there's very limited slots (35) for it and only one school that does it within 100 miles of here. I will look into the respitory, radiology, cardiology tech stuff.

 

[chewyxrage]

I'd get a B.S in accounting then get your masters and become a CPA.

My school's masters program only takes a year, so you could get it done in 5 years and come out w/ job security the rest of your life.

 

[crazyjoe]

go to a CC and get an associates degree in nursing, pays as well as most 4 year degree careers with even more opening from now and probably many many years to come. Great benefits at any hospital as well.

Even better still, just get an entry level part time or full time job at a local hospital they will reimburse you 100% of your tuition, except books usually.

Not interested in nursing, try radiology tech, or respiratory tech. Biomedical Engineering etc.

Just curious, I'm looking at making a carreer change. Not that I really have a carreer now, but the entry level thing at a hospital interests me. So, someone with absolutely ZERO experience could walk into a hospital and get a job, and have them pay for schooling? Any idea what they might start out for pay at?

 

[chewyxrage]

Just curious, I'm looking at making a carreer change. Not that I really have a carreer now, but the entry level thing at a hospital interests me. So, someone with absolutely ZERO experience could walk into a hospital and get a job, and have them pay for schooling? Any idea what they might start out for pay at?

Depends - what type of entry level job?

My girlfriend worked at a hospital for a while to get experience with her degree (dietics and nutrition). She was a "Dietary Worker" and got paid like $7.50/hour.

She was a part time worker but I can't imagine the full timers getting paid much more than that.

 

[crazyjoe]

Hmm I guess I'm not sure. I would'nt mind working in a pharmacy, but I'm told that the schooling is 7 or 8 years. Or I don't think nursing would be a bad gig. I guess when it comes down to it, I just have'nt figured out what the hell I want to do. I know for a fact that I do not like what I am doing now(commercial construction plumbing). Yah it pays allright (34.73 hr), but I've been doing it for three years and I knew after the first year that I had to find something else. I know that I do not ever want to do any form of construction ever again. Right now I'm off work in construction for the next 6 months due to a recent surgery. Depending on if I find a different job I can start working in 6-8 weeks maybe sooner. Sorry did'nt mean to ramble.

 

[str1]

I really hate numbers and math, that's why I want to do something medical because it comes more naturally and holds my interest and I believe I would actually enjoy the job. It's not just about money to me.

I've come to realize you either need to be good at math (accounting/engineering/coding) or have good people skills (sales/management) or do a skilled trade (construction). The other route is owning a biz.

My wife is kinda doing what was suggested above, going to school and working part time as a CNA, then a medication aide, next goal is LPN and then RN.

 

[ego boner]

i put myself through school by working for five years at a car dealership. never made below 80k a year paid for school and have own business now.

 

[rsnoble-im-back]

I would suggest full-time trading if you don't mind loosing about 1/2 of what you have to learn. But then I seen the "I don't like numbers post" so nevermind.