u/CuckiMan_45

I’m 22 years old from Panama and currently studying psychology, but lately I’ve realized that software engineering and building products/apps might actually be the path I’m more passionate about long term.

The problem is that my life feels split in multiple directions right now.

I should have graduated psychology earlier, but I lost focus during university and now I still have around 1–2 years left. Recently I had a serious conversation with my mother, and she agreed to help me finish the degree financially, even if it costs more because of failed subjects. So now psychology is not impossible financially anymore.

But at the same time, I’ve realized I don’t really want to depend on psychology as my main source of income forever. What excites me most is:

- software,

- building apps,

- entrepreneurship,

- creating things that help people,

- and eventually building my own company.

I’ve even been developing ideas for a mental-health/wellness app for a while, and I genuinely enjoy thinking about product design, software systems, and tech more than I expected.

Right now I’m trying to decide between:

1. finishing psychology first while working and slowly learning software on the side,

2. studying software engineering later at a cheaper public university,

3. or trying to combine both paths somehow.

Financially, I also need a job soon because I only have around $300 saved. I’m considering returning to call center work because it’s one of the fastest ways I can earn money while studying.

I’m also worried about burnout because I tend to overthink and mentally overload myself. Part of me wants to study two careers at once, but another part of me thinks I should stabilize first instead of trying to do everything simultaneously.

Have any of you:

- switched from psychology (or another field) into tech?

- studied one career while slowly building another?

- worked call centers/customer support while transitioning into software?

- or realized later that your “secondary” passion was actually your main path?

I’d really appreciate practical advice, especially from people who had to build financial independence without a perfect support system.

Edit: I thought about spending $400+ on a TEFL course so I earn money teaching English as a part time job while simultaneously strenghtening my CV. It will be $424.50 and it is from tefl.org. It is much better than a call center who will most probably ask me for 8 hours of my days 5 or 6 days a week. Now my question is, would you guys recommend for me to study both careers next year at once while I work around 4 hours every day for 5 days a week?

Hello everyone. My experiences in life are not much tbh. (Obviously). I have a music diploma and pursue music as a hobby. I sing and play guitar. I'm also a psychology student, close to graduate in a year. I have had experience cleaning and taking care of a cinema's halls. I also had experience in call centers and a corporate job cleaning Excel data sheets. In the end, I'm looking to be an English tutor on iTalki but I'm still unsure. I want a job that lets me travel the whole world. I have seen Youtube influencers that have traveled to countries like Japan and it looks like a dream come true. I also contemplated the idea of doing freelance gigs that pay well. If I pursue my dream to travel the world teaching English, how do I know it would fit me based on what you know by reading this post? Any comment would be appreciated, specially from English teachers.