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>>31691173
Read book.

Guess you're not as smart as you thought

>>31691225
Guess not bro

>>31691173
>I'm a 21 year old guy living in the US. I was homeschooled through high school, and would consider myself fairly intelligent, at least slightly above average.
you're not. you may have a gift, but you haven't been in an environment with best practices to hone it. public School isn't great but just for things like learning how to study right you're way behind

>However, I have up til now chosen not to go to college because of how expensive it is, a desire not to go into debt,
if you haven't figured out 2 years of community college => straight As => getting 2 years of state school paid for leads to a degree with no debt, you're not that intelligent. if you're dave Ramsay style avoiding all debt you're also not that intelligent. you should be taking on debt on credit cards to pay off and build credit, as well as shifting things to long term low interest sources of money to make more from your investments. hardcore no debt ideology keeps you poor.

>and the fact that the fields I was interested in don't require a degree/value experience over formal education.
no such thing after 2008

>>31691399
>you're not. you may have a gift, but you haven't been in an environment with best practices to hone it. public School isn't great but just for things like learning how to study right you're way behind

This is a way better way to put it than what I said. Exactly my frustration. That's what I'm wanting to solve. How do I get the skills to apply the ability that I didn't work for.

>haven't figured out 2 years of community college => straight As => getting 2 years of state school paid for leads to a degree with no debt

Is that your advice? I don't know what I want to pursue and that's what my post was about. I know I don't want to get a degree if I'm unsure of what I want to do with it. I know I can figure out everything once I have a concrete goal.

I'd recommend the degree.
It makes it easier to work internationally. A lot of employers discriminate against people without them, even for jobs that don't require degrees (e.g. admin assistant). Even for dating it's a factor, a lot of those apps will list a person's education front and center. Statistically you're more likely to make more money, have better career success etc. If you get laid off and are unemployed, you want as much working for your resume as possible, a degree helps with that.

The longer you wait the harder it is to obtain as well (at least generally). Basically it gets harder when you have genuine adult responsibilities, like when you need to pay all your bills without being able to live rent free with your parents, if you get a mortgage, if you have kids or obligations to other people. You want to get your degree when your time and financial obligations are still relatively low. It's also good to graduate at least a bit before 30, because by then you might be compelled to hit certain milestones that a degree and good job make much easier to do (e.g. home ownership, getting married and having kids, etc). Almost all lucrative professional jobs require post-secondary, with a heavy bias towards degrees.

It doesn't need to be super expensive either. You can do the whole community college -> degree pipeline. With certain set-ups you can get scholarships, grants, or have an employer help pay for things.

>>31691528
This is encouraging. Thanks for the advice.

>>31691173
>21
>Has had a successful career as a deli butcher
>retired
>"like I should be a lot further ahead than I am right now"
You're plenty ahead for your age bro chill.

>>31691399
Shouldnt have to take a financial risk to get a job that isnt backbreaking wageslave trash. These are young people trying to get jobs not start businesses. College should be free like europe

>>31693740
That won't happen until the USA collapses.

>>31691173
>I'm a 21 year old
>I feel like I should be a lot further ahead than I am right now. Everyone's told me my whole life "Oh anon you're so smart. You could do anything you set your mind to." So it's frustrating that I don't seem to be fulfilling those expectations that others have put on me and that I've put on myself.
I'm about ready to turn 40.
I got great grades in school, always at the top of the class. I failed my first attempt at college since I bit off more than I could chew, my father decided to cut support, and I've been working minimum wage shitjobs for the last 20 years. Finally saved up the money to go to community college and get an AS in Computer Science, started working for the college's tech department immediately after graduation since they were the only place I could find to do my internship and they really liked the quality of my work, only to lose it 5 months later when the college board decided to do budget cuts on the tech support department. I applied everywhere I could with my degree, 5 months paid experience, 6 months unpaid internship experience, and letters of recommendation from my team mates and supervisor, never heard back. Back to working at a fucking gas station now, getting screamed at by people who can't handle basic math. I have no debt, but I only have my 22 year old van, my computer, clothes, and about $3,000 in savings which are getting lower by the day. I have no family, no children, and I'm only getting more tired by the day.
My childhood best friend went on to live our childhood dream of making videogames. He's worked with major studios like Lucasfilm as well. My sister fucked around in school, worked as a waitress for years, then leeched off a string of boyfriends to put herself through medical school and became a nurse. I studied all the time and never went partying or to bars, scored higher on every test me and my childhood friend took, and I'm still on the bottom rung of society.
You have time OP.