To ask for your help with my life?

It sounds like you are doing brilliantly! I would finish the degree if you enjoy it and you're already a year or two in - you may not pursue a career in that field, but a degree is useful to have under your belt in just in case and you'll have the sense of accomplishment. In terms of career, I don't know much about either dog grooming or interior design, but my instinct would be to choose something that involves a practical skill that can't easily be replaced by AI. Other people have pointed out that many creative professions are being rapidly changed by AI, so something like dog walking/grooming may be a better option, with interior design as an enjoyable hobby/sideline. I am twice your age, working in a not particularly well paid role that I can see being easily replaced by AI and I'm terrified; I have no other skills to fall back on, and if I do lose my job, have no idea how I'd survive, given the current job market. If I could go back in time, I would without doubt have chosen a more practical profession/trade that would have given me the option of self-employment but hindsight is a fine thing. In terms of travel, you are still so young and have loads of time to do that. Good luck with whatever you do!

What do you value more - a carefree youth or obtaining your ideal life by, say, 30/35? In a perfect world we could have both, and I'm sure many people do - perhaps you will! But I certainly didn't. I suspect having both requires specific sets of circumstance depending on the cards you're dealt and what it is you want out of life. Not to discredit those who spent their twenties collecting experiences while enjoying a flourishing career, but I don't think it's common.

Decide what you want, who you are, what you're willing to sacrifice and what you absolutely won't compromise on. Life won't follow your exact timelines, but it will fall into place. Good luck - oh, to be 20 again! 😊

I think you should carry on and obtain your degree. But can you ask your tutor for support in organising your studies and your future plans? You sound amazing by the way - I can’t imagine achieving so much at your age! But if you can find a way to be less stressed this will improve your life at the present.

OP, my two cents - you’re still young and there is plenty of time to make decisions about the direction you want to take your life. You’ve clearly got your head screwed on and I really do think you can stop worrying about ‘wasting your youth’ because you’re getting heaps of experience which is all part of navigating adulthood.
Becoming an interior designer/dog groomer/business owner doesn’t have an age limit. Of course, in industries where there’s lots of competition, the younger you start the more chance you give yourself to get there - but I don’t think you need to pin your worries on that at 20. I didn’t truly ‘find’ my career until 30 and now at 33 I’m in a Senior Management role and loving it so you’ve got time.
Finish your degree - you won’t regret having a qualification behind you. My degree isn’t remotely related to my job but I still loved it and it’s a hobby now.

If I were you I’d knuckle down, get your work done and save hard until you graduate. Keep your savings separate but work with your boyfriend on a common goal - do you want to each save 50% of a house deposit plus a certain amount to travel, to keep each other accountable to savings goals? That might set you up well for future housing considerations, and also give you a reasonable idea of whether travel is feasible, or whether you need to keep saving for another year to give a safety net. I think you’re right to be mindful of medium-term financial security, but all you need in that regard is some proper planning (open a LISA and start paying in if you haven’t already!)
Lastly, you said earlier in the thread that you ‘probably can’t change’ the fact you stress - you absolutely can. Have a chat with a mental health practitioner, have a look into CBT, think about equipping yourself to deal healthily with stress. You’ve had a lot of growing up to do in a short amount of time but you’re doing great. Don’t doubt yourself 🙂

I agree - I did my degree later in life and actually did a subject I really wanted to do that is in line with the job. You only get 1 lot of student loan, so I wouldn't waste it on something that you just find interesting if you won't use it at your age.

Personally I would consider asking if you can do some interior stuff where you are and take pictures. Use it as your portfolio and work with the owner to their requirements (don't do anything structural).

If that isn't possible I would travel and sign up with temp agencies along the way. Dog grooming is portable and part time work is relatively easy to get in Australia compared to UK I found, if you sign up with agencies. Personally I would travel while you're young and with the lad you live with (it sounds stable so if you stay it might become marriage and babies before you know it!). Travel with him and it will bond you together as well as making you aware of each other's daily needs/how to show up for each other in tough situations and be fond memories for the long nights when you are up every hour feeding babies if that is the plan.

So, you've already accrued a student loan that you'll have to repay, so giving it up now wouldn't be the best idea unless you've only just started. It might make more sense to broaden your forensic psychology to a broader BPS psychology degree if that is an option. Contrary to some of the feedback here, an OU psychology degree is a valuable qualification. I know, mine was the basis of a long career (in another branch of psychology). A good honours degree could open doors in a whole range of areas, not just in psychology.

Interior design sounds like an attractive career but the likely reality is that it's not an easy option and not necessarily very lucrative. 20 is very young and you have lots of options at your stage of life, many of which take time and application. It's easier to gain qualifications before you have long term commitments (such as children and a mortgage).

This i know so many people who studied this not one of them work in the field. The same with interior design how realistic is that. Op you sound like most teens early 20 year olds you have all these big ideas but haven't put a significant amount of thought into them. You need to figure out what you want most and focus on that is it travelling, working, studying, buying a house.

Fascinated that you think interiors design isn’t a very competitive , and uncertain career!

I suspect dog kennels // walking would be a more secure line long term. Which would allow you to build a financial buffer that it seems you really need before you think about anything else - everyone is different and some people are happy to wing it for a few years - especially if they have parents to fall back on

Long term, I want financial freedom, a nice home, dogs, a family, travel, respect, stability and peace.

If you want all that then you have to work hard now. Stop worrying about wasting your youth, just live your life and work hard. It will make it easier later on to get all your long term plans

Studying and working are not really unusual things to be doing in your 20s. What is it you feel you are missing? It does sound like maybe you like rurally? Maybe living in a city with more social life would suit you better?

How many more years of degree are left? If you only have one year left you might as well get on with it.

As for travel, you can do that once the degree is done. You have no commitments in terms of mortgages and kids. Literally thousands of young people go travelling and work along the way to fund it.

Tbf that context would have been helpful in your OP.

I don't know how realistic it is to want to go travelling after you get a degree (that you don't intend to use) and have to start repaying a student loan.

Ah, right. I'd not thought of student loan.

I was going to say similar.

Image: ongoing conflicts around the world

Brown: Major wars, 10,000 or more deaths in current or past calendar year
Red: Wars, 1,000–9,999 deaths in current or past calendar year
Orange: Minor conflicts, 100–999 deaths in current or past calendar year
Yellow: Skirmishes and clashes, 1–99 deaths in current or past calendar year.

Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts

Take into account the post-Brexit Europe restrictions, places where the local culture would be inimical to a woman's freedom to roam, and any other considerations such as whether you'd want to drink and dietary options - and it's not the carefree jaunt it used to be.

I agree it would be better to make planned expeditions, one destination at a time.

What do you mean about paying "eventually" for your OU degree? I've done several courses with them and all have had to be paid upfront.

Any degree is better than no degree to many employers today.

Going travelling in a van for a year is massively over-romanticised.
It is no longer possible to drive far outside of Europe - because if you look at a map you will see where Russia and Iran are (plus Syria, Iraq, etc, and Libya in North Africa). This is no longer the 1960s when hippies drove a van to India.

I would suggest you build a solid career and get a good employer first, one where you get six weeks (30 days) of annual leave plus bank holidays, after working there five years. Then you can go on two-week or even three-week holidays to the places that really interest you, hire a car and explore when you get there.

Impressive to who though? Why do you care what others think is impressive?

When i read your OP "I’m also studying Forensic Psychology"

My first thought was, "that's a pointless degree, as wont end up working in it".

My boyfriend and I would also love to travel by campervan for a year after I finish my degree, before settling down. But I’m scared about how we’d earn money while travelling and what we’d do when we came back to the UK. The thought of coming back with no clear path really worries me.

Where are you planning to go in this campervan? Since Brexit the rules have changed and you can only stay in the Schengen area for 90 out of 180 days and then you have to wait 90 days to go back in unless you apply for a long-stay visa. It's not as easy as it used to be.
Some information and ideas here: https://rollingbothy.com/blog/resources/motorhome-europe-trip-longer-90-days

Part of me thinks we should stay put for a couple of years, save hard, I finish my degree, start an interior design qualification, maybe train in dog grooming, build some kind of portfolio quietly, and then travel once we have a solid financial buffer and plan. But I worry I’m being too cautious and missing out.

I think this is what you should do. You should definitely finish the degree and then reassess. I don't know anything about interior design or dog grooming! But once you have your degree you can consider training in something else. You have a place to live so that's something. Just be careful and to have a buffer in case the arrangement should come to an end at any point.
You can use the opportunity you have of having free accommodation to save as much as possible for the future.
What is your boyfriend doing? What's his income?

I think you are doing amazingly well, especially considering you were homeless at 17 and it's only 3 years on from that.
Taking a year off and travelling is a luxury and you only do that if you can really afford it. You can do it later. You aren't missing out.
I worked until early 30s and then became self-employed and now I take 8 weeks off every summer to do long-distance hiking plus a couple of weeks in the winter for cross-country skiing.

You say that " I want financial freedom, a nice home, dogs, a family, travel, respect, stability and peace"

We all want that but for most people it takes many many, many, years of hard work to get there.

If you re going to travel for a year obviously you will need to be able to fund that by working in bars on farms etc I assume. To me that seems like hard work.

I have to say that in the wider work environment psychology is not highly respected it is considered to be a soft humanities subject.

What you are experiencing now is the normal world of work which is stressful and time consuming and often involves dealing with demanding clients plus the domestics which leave little time for other things. That is just normal working life and what most of us must do to make money.

You seem to set a lot of store by being respected by other people. Please try to ignore that. The fact is most people are far too busy with their own lives and problems to think about what you are doing.

Personally I think the idea of dog grooming sounds great I know someone who does that and earns very good money.

Interior design sounds fluffy and interesting but is fiercely competitive and I do not see that you will be less stressed or have more spare time in that field.

Conversion rates from sales pitch to sales can be low. Potential clients will ask a number of firms to pitch you will be in a competitive bidding situation all the time and need strong sales skills.

Also be aware that AI is making inroads into all areas of design jobs which is only going to intensify.

To get clients you need to have a web site that shows what you can offer and be prepared to get on the phone to contact sales directors and housebuilding companies to try to arrange to give them a sales pitch.

You also need to advertise in local glossy mags that go to homes.

Life is a compromise if you travel you have a far more spartan existence than if you work but only you can say what is more important to you.

If you left now, is there financial implications?

I'm only asking as you sound like a smart, productive, focused and motivated young lady. Your current housing / job setup although not traditional seems to work really well... you have ambitions and although you find the forensic course interesting, I wonder would you be happier and less stressed if you could free up some time to do other interesting things like interiors that might eventually lead to financial gain?

There's lots of short term interior design courses, also spending your free time upcycling or visiting interior shops or showrooms, or drafting mood boards would be potentially relaxing for you and gain some great experience.

20 is very young you have plenty of time. What does your boyfriend do? Are there any interior design studios you could get an internship with? Could you look after your main dog grooming customer part time to keep a small income and intern somewhere part time, interior design sounds great but will you actually enjoy it when you get into it? It can be really difficult working with those sort of customers, they (think) they know what they want and compromises are not very fulfilling. And who wants to (can afford to) pay for that apart from the pretty rich that might be difficult to reach. And I suspect that would be equally stressful.

What are the job options from your degree? Are you managing to save money with the free house? I would try to build up your current business and see if you can find any opportunities to try out interior design with a placement (possibly unpaid) to see what is really entailed, you need to understand about colour and co-ordination and a lot about what is available in the market it is a whole other field, suppliers, etc, etc.

I’m going to make a very naive input here but I’m sure others will have better ideas .. I’d say build first, travel later.

I’d also say stop worrying about the future.
Get your degree done & dusted. Thats an amazing spring board and shows what you're capable of.

In the interim expose yourself to as many places you can where interior design is part of your visit. For example, new housing estate show houses and exhibitions for house building & associated interior design features. Read the books, buy the magazines, offer to help friends with colour schemes & mood boards. No information is ever lost or wasted. Use SM to advertise that youre looking for simple projects. For example I’ve got a NE facing room I’d like redesigned so someone like you would be very helpful & interesting to talk to.

When your degree is done, take stock then. You might want to travel to interesting countries to build up your knowledge of cultural influences and broaden your exposure. Then when you come home, do a full time course if you can afford it.

One step at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.