Despite being aware of my wrongs, it does not change the fact that I'm really determined to follow this path, no matter how it hurts me.
If you're a masochist, and thus you genuinely enjoy and thrive with copious amounts of suffering, well then you're going with the flow anyways. But if you're not, then I would recommend trying something new, that just comes to your interest, randomly....
I say randomly, because it's easy to spot those things that you're interested in doing, by just trying them, one by one, rather than holding on to programmed notions or dispositions of preference. We're programmed from at least high school years to "follow the money" and "adore the pretty ones", because that is the nature of the game in 3D STS.
However money should lose its sway when your wallet is full, and your soul has been emptied in pursuing a financially astounding, yet spiritually barren career. It's one of those things that those with more experience are unfortunately wary in answering -- for "stupid" wealth may solve some problems, however it is unfortunately unable to address others. The same principle belies attraction and relationship.
Sure, "beauty" may get you interested to initiate and invest, however if that's the only thing that gets you giddy, you'll unfortunately find out that youthfulness tends to disappear once you, or they, start to get older. This issue tends to underwrite many middle aged crises, when the superficial foundations of a commitment disappear, leaving absolutely nothing else to draw conviction from. Holding a mutual, bi-directional conversation, for more than an hour, should be an indicator in whom you could be interested in forming a relationship with, rather than just their physical attributes.
This theme is also commensurable in the other direction. If another person is only interested in how
thick your credit card limits are, well then its not a transformational relationship; instead its a transactional one, that abruptly ends when the monetary benefits either stop, or start to proportionately dwindle through time.
As for a career,
what are you wanting to pursue? To me, a job is a job, and anything will do. Unfortunately these days, wage stagnation and inflation are a thing, and the purchasing power of today's money is not the same as it was back in the 60's. Most things also don't require a university degree, unless they're either governmentally regulated professions (doctors, lawyers, accountants, et.c.), or involve teaching/researching at said university itself. I've seen many, many people who went into good jobs that they never wanted, or never intended (uni grads mind you), due to economic changes, disillusionment, or due to limited uptake of graduates in their respective fields. Those good jobs also only required a High School diploma.