"WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE!?"
Seriously, I'm 46. When I was coming out of high school, I didn't have much vision of my future. The best plan I had was going to the college where my dad taught (faculty brat discount), finishing a computer/journalism degree (I anticipated the online media world by most of a decade), and living in an apartment with a guitar and a good dog. Then I met a girl and accidentally got her pregnant, and all that went right down the tubes as I found myself married with a kid at age 20, working two minimum wage jobs and living on govt cheese to make ends meet. The need to provide, plus my family's military history, led me into the Navy nuclear world, running the reactors that power aircraft carriers. 20 years and a divorce later, I retired from the Navy with a new wife and a whole new life, thanks in great part to all the things I learned from hard experience. Now I work in a shipyard doing a job that I didn't even know existed when I left high school (radiation safety) making very good money. None of it was expected or planned, but I somehow managed to make it work anyway. I did end up with the (bass) guitar and dog though, so that's something.
The point is to the OP, you are young. Whatever plans you make, expect them to change and take you in as yet unknown directions. Expect change, and expect hardship. Learn from those things to grow yourself as a person. If you are poor, don't be satisfied with staying that way; the best way to avoid that these days is to develop technical skills, and if you want to do that in conjunction with music, I would say that something like electrical engineering or electronics would be a good way to go; if you can't afford college, you can get those skills through the military, plus money for college. Unless you are already talented (in which case you might find some music grants or scholarships for education) do not expect music to be your paying future; for every one touring professional you hear on the radio, there are literally thousands of musicians who never play a note heard by anyone but themselves. That's just the way it is, unfortunately, and best to face that reality early, before you end up sleeping on other people's sofas as a standard of living. Develop a solid foundation for yourself first, and build your music from there.
Regarding those who mentioned joining the military, I don't want to give a recruiting speech. But honestly, one term in the military (particularly Navy or Air Force) with your time used wisely can give you important life skills, technical skills, priceless experience, a degree paid for by Uncle Sam (using the GI bill and TA for college), and even a journeyman's cert in a trade if you're so inclined. Plus VA benefits, hiring preferences, and other intangibles that will follow you for the rest of your life. If you really have no direction or other good options in life, I'd be hard pressed not to recommend that as a foundation for your future.
Whatever happens and whatever you decide, though: DO NOT give up on your music. Even if you find yourself reduced to playing a Squier starting kit because it's all you can afford, stick with it. Simply being able to come home from whatever you do, put on some headphones and tune out the world with yourself, will get you through many dark times. As a disabled vet with problems, I speak from hard experience on that.
Hope that helps.
