I have a bachelor's from Duke and many of my peers are now lawyers, doctors, etc. But I want to be a stripper. Am I making a mistake?
I have a bachelor's from Duke and many of my peers are now lawyers, doctors, etc. But I want to be a stripper. Am I making a mistake?
"You have demonic genius" -Naomi Wolf
"I very much resent it when people - maybe with good intentions or from a progressive point of view - keep telling me, 'It's their culture' ... It's like saying the culture of Massachusetts is burning witches." -Azar Nafisi



No. It is only a mistake if you think it is a mistake. Go with your gut and do with it is right for you. Noone can live your life for you. So, it is not up to them to decide what is best for you. You may get some rude comments or people think that they know what is best, but only you know what is best. If you can ignore those and roll on... Then you're golden.
I dropped out of college. My friends have either long graduated or moved on to graduate school. I have friends who have gone to great schools like Duke, Vassar, Stanford, West Point, etc. They are going to be Lawyers, Medical professionals, Military officers, etc. They probably go on my Facebook page and shake their head. I not only dropped out, but the jobs I have listed are just sales jobs. I have listed on there that I am a dancer, but noone has commented on it yet.
I went to a highschool that was similar to a magnet school. Most of the students were in Honors and AP classes. I took alot of those classes. We all had high expectations. Everyone knew I was a fairly intelligent girl. That alone probably shatters their world. They probably thought I should've gone to an Ivy League school or atleast a really good State University and have become something prestigious.
I used to run into teachers or friends at the grocery store and when they ask where I am going or what I am doing and I tell them, they are like "WHY???" "But you were so smart..." I was never a genius and my SAT scores were terrible. Just because everyone thought you were the smart kid doesn't mean you are obligated to go that path. Your average person attends college immediately after highschool and alot of them struggle. Your average person isn't usually that bright. This is why most of our customers we come in contact with are complete morons. Actually alot of people we come in contact with in our daily lives for that matter.
Intelligence and an advanced education is not mutually exclusive. If you have a degree you're slightly ahead of me. That means if you end up hating dancing you can do something else. Nothing is totally ruined. You can bounce back from any situation. If this turns out to infact be a mistake, it won't be the end of the world. The best part about life is figuring out who you are and what you want to do. The more you encounter what you don't want, you are closer to figuring out what you DO want.


I just commented on your other post, but I feel this one deserves a response, as well.
I'm wondering a few things:
- How long ago did you graduate?
- Did you graduate with a degree that truly satisfied you?
- Are you currently working at another job, or are you just daydreaming about stripping right now?
- If you are working, do you find fulfillment in and enjoy your job?
- Do you have any firsthand experience at dancing?
- Why do you want to be a stripper?
Your question is vague, but here's my shot at an answer: it depends. If you currently have a good job and you have never danced before, quitting before you truly know what dancing is like would be a mistake. But if you're familiar with dancing and you choose it of your own volition, then that would not be a mistake.
Also, please remember that a mistake is doing something you hate out of a sense of obligation, or spending your life doing what other people tell you to.





Personally, I ended up really not being happy with the industries I got my degrees in after I graduated. I'm in a similar situation to you where all my friends are going on to get Master's & PhDs... but when we go out anywhere or talk on the phone they are a lot more interested in my life than their own. I think that speaks volumes.
Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should... do what makes you happy!
Don't you ever sleep?
Not at night...that's when the stars have rather better things to do. They're coming out, shining, that sort of thing.
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I totally agree- I was that person for 7 years. Kept telling myself that I had a Master's degree in this field, and if I just worked harder eventually I'd be able to cover a month's expenses. Never happened and I finally just woke up that I was keeping myself from doing better financially and being happier at work.




You have stripped in the past, according to your post history. So why would stripping be more of a mistake now than it was then?



Sometimes students choose a major based on their intellectual ability but don't consider other aspects of their personality. The ability to take risks, be flexible, think creatively, and be an entreprenuer are attributes that stripping would satisfy more than a 9-5 job.
I too graduated with a four year degree, but didn't work long in my chosen field-I just couldn't do it. Although people look at me and shake their heads, I am happy with my choices. I've had alot of adventures and fun stories to tell.
Don't feel alone. Your degree (especially from Duke) is a great accomplishment-you earned it.



It depends on your goal in this life... Mine is to be happy, and stripping is one of the things that makes me happy so I do it. Case closed.
Stripper after hours... NinaNin.com


I dropped out of graduate school while I was working on my thesis at one of the world's most well-known and respected medical schools. I loved cell biology, but hated working in a lab. Most of my colleagues were very introverted and married to their work. I found much of the work repetitive and tedious.
I knew that I'd never be happy spending the rest of my life in that environment. After years of pursuing this degree, I was burned out and depressed. I tried to write my thesis, but my heart wasn't in it and I didn't have the emotional wherewithal to do it.
I danced part of the time I was in grad school and loved it, but after I dropped out of grad school I felt it was in my best interest to pursue a more traditional career path.
I got jobs in pharmaceutical sales, advertising sales and marketing. Hated everything about those jobs.
After I got laid off from my marketing job, I breathed a sigh of relief and went back to dancing. At this point, all I was thinking of was how I was going to pay the bills.
Now that I'm dancing again and no longer hating my life, I'm going to find a way to build some sort of entrepreneurial career where I have more control over my life.
Everyone is different. I'm on a very convoluted path to following my bliss, but I'm closer to it now than I ever was in academia and corporate America.





I also have a degree, and am a licensed Respiratory Therapist in NY and NJ. However, the economic, scheduling, and contagious disease related realities of the profession I trained for quickly reared their ugly head as soon as I went from the theoretical college environment into the real world hospital night shift environment !!! As a result, I changed my career focus to becoming a 'serious professional stripper'. At this point in life, I was successful enough as a 'serious professional stripper' to have built up an investment nest egg sufficient to fund my total retirement. Had I stayed with the Respiratory Therapy, I would still be working holidays and worrying about the next state budget cutback costing me my job !!!




I don't think so. However I would start thinking about what your dream is.
If you weren't dancing what would you rather be doing. Shoot for that and dance it out as long as possible.
Dance now and make that money unless you start making more doing something else which is ENTIRELY POSSIBLE.
^ Although the OP needs to beware of gaps in resume history, taxes, etc. Make sure that by the time you catch up to your dream, the IRS isn't up your ass and you have explanations for what you were doing during your time off.
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