Am I doomed to fail?

And I don't know what I want to be when I grow up, although I'm beginning to suspect that injunction to be like what I used to tell a certain youngster to do to get her out of my hair: Go out and find me a stick that has only one end.

Sorry. I'm a smart ass.

What do you 'think' you want to do? There are tests that your schools counselor can probably give you that'll show that you have a natural tendency for one thing or another. My advice is to find something you really want to do even if it's something like fishing.

There's that old saying that if you're doing what you enjoy for work you'll really never work a day in your life. (Something like that.)

You're doomed to failure if you give up. Just don't give up.

looks to me like you respond to challenge. Find what challenges you, and will continue to challenge you.

Passion is fickle and fleeting. Challenge has a tendency to remain constant.

[i]...I like to fix things and I'm a problem solver. I figured, I'm going to go to ITT Tech and bolster my IS degree with an associates in Software Programming.[/i]

I expected your second sentence to end with "Computer Service" or "Networking" or another hardware-related specialty. Talk about a disconnect! :)

If you like to fix things, check out the hardware side. Networking and systems administration are both a mix of hardware and software work, but both of them will give you the satisfaction of seeing a concrete result after you finish your work. You won't be any worse off than you are now and you might find something you enjoy.

You've already got one degree in a field that doesn't set you on fire; why work on a second one? If 4+ years of learning IT hasn't given you any satisfaction, it's not likely any additional time or study will.

What do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies or recreational activities you could turn into a career? You're going to be much happier in life if you do something you enjoy than any high-paying position you view as drudgery. You may not make as much money, but you also won't spend any on therapy sessions.

Do you want to be a sys admin? A developer? What do YOU want to do? Your degree doesn't define you, it just helps you get your foot in the door.

just a thought.
It would involve lots of Problem Solving.
You never mentioned about any experience or effluency with goal setting. Which would also be key.
Any people skills?
Many managers I've trained or met over the years made similar comments as you have. Rather than focusing on being the best in one skill, as a manager, your task is to best utilize the skills of others. Of course knowing a lot about what they do helps.
Being able to assess a situation, forecast goals and delegate to those with the best ability to get the job done right are some welcome skills when tied with an ability to instill teamwork and growth. ...might be something to consider.

You know, I've considered all the responses that I received to this post and though I'm still slightly concerned about my field of choice, I think I'm taking a step in the right direction. I may not be passionate but I do have a passion for challenges (thanks boxfiddler).

I would really like to work in an analyst capacity and see both sides of a project, so it's not really management (Captain) but it's certainly along the lines of what I want to do.

And to Nick - I hate networking.That's one thing I do know with little doubt...hardware might be worth looking into though.So OnTheRopes...I won't give up. I'll persevere and see this thing through.

And Palmetto - I read fantasy and go to bars in my spare time - not really seeing a career in either, but trust me, I would if I could.

Thanks again all :)

I am a generalist and I don't have a lot of passion about most things.

The problem that presents itself to a generalist is that the passion drives the work over the rough spots.

Most programming is tedious rework that drives most people nuts and without the passion it is often hard to deal with the mundane nature of most programming tasks.

It is rare for a new programmer to get in on the ground floor and only work on the "exciting stuff". Most programmers "earn their chops" in maintenance first.

I think it is good to be able to "dance on many sets," but the downside is without passion as a rudder it is hard to stay motivated.

... of 'Personal' computing (Sinclair, Atari and yes, even IBM PC's) I was a master of all trades. I did programming, hardware repairs, circuit design etc. In those days you could know everything about graphics, sound, inputs and outputs, machine code and BASIC, applications - and be an 'expert' on the whole caboodle.

In these more sophisticated days, that's only possible (as far as I know) in one area - IT Support. Whilst you cannot know everything anymore, you can have a smattering of everything and be really useful to an employer.

What's more, being in IT Support allows you to see all aspects of this fantastic industry of ours, giving you perhaps a proper insight into where you would prefer to specialise. Another forum/blog on TechRepublic asks if IT Support is a dead end - no, it isn't, but it can show you, far better than a classroom, where your interests truly lie.

Alternatively, Project Management allows you to have/show an interest in all aspects of a project without needing to be passionate about any of them - all the passion you need is towards the success of the project - and when that's done, you can be passionate about the next one. It's a sort of temporary passion if you like, or a succession of temporary passions.

Noting your age, I should mention that it was not until I was 26 that I saw my first computer (and finally realised why I was taught Binary at school). I'm twice that age now, and have had/am having a reasonably successful career in IT. I AM passionate about programming, and have done that, as well as teaching, but am happy now in IT Support because one thing is guaranteed - it never gets boring.

I forget the exact number, but most people do not end up doing what they went to school for. I sure didn't.

School gives you a good basis to start from. You get life skills, and hopefully, learn to think analytically, meet deadlines, and self-manage yourself.

Whatever you do, don't become a perpetual student. I'd suggest starting in an IT department, and not necessarily as a programmer. Even if you have to start out at the help desk, you're learning to relate to the customer, you're fixing stuff, and that Jack of all trades ability will help you. It will also give you a chance to decide if IT is the place for you, and if it is, you can figure out what aspect is to your liking.

I left the career I went to college for, started doing exactly what I've recommended and now I have two jobs in IT that fit my skills and that I enjoy doing. At least, as much as I can enjoy any job since I'm sure that I was meant to be independently wealthy, and this was all a terrible mistake.