Should I become a lawyer, an army officer or a software engineer?

[barclay76]

I'm 24. I finished highschool in Germany and went travelling. I've spent my time from leaving school until now working in IT and travelling. Now I'm 24. I realise that whilst I didn't want to go university back then (didn't feel ready). I want to now in order to proceed with a profession. When I was as young as 7 I wanted to be a lawyer, the idea excited me and I enjoy the shows about it, even when my friends who are now practicing tell me it is good fun but difficult. A part of me wants to go do that.

However I have been offered a place with the military as an officer but I have no degree. I can't put it off and go to university or I will be too old to attend the officer training when I am finished.

Further to this, I have always been very good in the IT industry. I enjoy knowing that I am good at it, and that I know a lot in the industry. I'd like to one day set up my own software business. However I only know a couple of programming languages and would also like to go back and be a software engineer.

So that is where I am - I have applied to university for law and software engineering. I have been offered a place in both - and have to choose between those and the military.

I want to do it all. But I don't know what to do. Should I pick the childhood desire? Should I pick the computing that I'm naturally gifted in, and know I could go very far in? Or should I try the military - I know it'll be a lot of fun and commanding men I would get some amazing life experiences out of it. I've worked hard to get a place so it makes sense to go. But now that all three of these things are possible, I'm not sure what the hell to do?

I know it'll be wise to go to university, I guess I can do that whilst in the military. However I also know I won't be in the military more than 12 years. So I will need something to fall back on when I leave service, or god forbid take an injury and leave prematurely.