[Dolphin]

Hello Sixstrings,

It's extremely hard to break through into the musical world. That shouldn't stop you from your musical pursuits, however. I'm not sure what you can do with a violin or cello, but you can certainly keep that musical interest going for the rest of your life. As some of y'all may know, I like to sing despite being horrible at it. But it's something I've done since I was a tiny little lad and I keep that interest going every single day, much to the chagrin of my roommates. In the shower, in the car, making a sandwich, changing a tire - I can be caught singing a catchy tune or making up my own based on what I'm doing. Don't let life prevent you from fiddling out a tune with your violin and bow.

On the idea of becoming a game warden - that's a wonderful idea. Similar to Mr. Schwaggins, I studied geography in college. One of the classes I took that could be topical was titled National Parks and Protected Areas Management. It was a great class where I learned more about the life of a game warden, along with general park management tasks. Game wardens are invaluable to the protection of our environmental resources and wildlife. We need people like you. I also watch North Woods Law - great show. It seems like you have a genuine interest in the life of a game warden - I think you should pursue it. You've already got a much better idea of what you want to do than I did when I was 17/18.

Mr. Schwaggins if correct that you shouldn't spend too much on college. Without a doubt, you should attend a public school. Game wardens don't make vast amounts of money so you don't want to spend the rest of your life paying off student loans. Being a musician doesn't pay well either and you miss out on the benefits of working for a state, federal, or local government (pensions, healthcare, early retirement - see rule of 80).

Ultimately, you'll have to decide what to do on your own. I started college as a business major set on working in real estate and I graduated on Friday as a Geography/History major headed to law school to learn how to protect the environment through legal means.

Best of luck my friend and remember not to do drugs,

Nicky

Thank you, Prince, I appreciate the response. It's very helpful. I'm not surprised you graduated with a history major like at all. I actually considered being a historian as well. I greatly enjoy history and have always been fascinated by it. I don't really intend on being a professional musician, at least not in an orchestra. The thought of joining a bluegrass band here in SC is definitely a prospect I am interested in but as a secondary job. I primarily want to focus on my career as a game warden. I don't intend on putting down my musical career by any means but my priorities are focused towards wildlife conservation and protection. My love for wildlife and biology is very similar to your passion for singing, by that I mean from an early age I've dreamed of being a biologist and working with animals. I love animals and it breaks my heart that people poach and destroy many of Earth's beautiful species. What with having careers centered around the environment I'd even bet we could run into each other in the future. The only problem is actually becoming a warden first. It's a competitive field, but I believe I have the drive to make it. Student loans are an issue I will definitely need to overcome, but hopefully, with the guidance of my family and the potential scholarships I can achieve their impact will be minimal. Only time will tell I suppose, but I shall definitely be preparing. I need to pass a physical aptitude test amongst many other tests. Studying laws and regulations is a good start and running a mile a day couldn't hurt. I've got a few good years to prepare so that is what I shall do.