Need a new hobby!

[or-ex]

so... i built my first pc, and i have nothing to do with it... i had to spend the money because my parents would make me spend it on something like summer camp, and i was like HELL NO! So does any one have a idea that i could do with it without gaming? ( parents will not let me play games ) I mean anything, building web sites, animation etc... you can see my pc in my profile...

 

[shanky887614]

i could tell you a few ways to bypass all the blocks they put on your pc

if your not an admin i can tell you a way to make yourself an admin, this is one of the most annoying things my parents tried years ago there is always a way around it

you could install a program like truecrypt, that way they cant see what is on your pc, then you can install all the games you like


you can program things, create website's make 3d models


you could try making these papercraftmuseum.com

if you have autocad or install blender then you can make your own then make 3d copied out of paper as long as you have a printer or access to one

 

[Device Unknown]

This sounds hypocritical on my part but I am glad they restrict you from gaming. As a grandfather myself i didn't let my kids play games more than 2 hours a day. You will thank them when your older, I promise.
But do take this time to learn something for your future. What are some things you like to go on the computer? Graphics design, programming? Networking? Electronics? Web development? mess with them all and see what you like the most, then master it! Took me 23 years to decide what I wanted to do with my life (network engineer).
Free training in any subject is out there to be had. Once you decide let us know I can point you in the right direction for free training.

 

[or-ex]

Thanks for the suggestion shanky887614, but i'm not into gaming at all (even if i could), because when i stopped, i realized how awesome ps's were...lol, and i'm the only user on my pc ( so i'm the admin ). But ya, i think i may try programming or 3d modeling, because when i got my pc I was only into overclocking, and that gets boring after a while, so... ya i needed to find something to do. And Device Unknown, i know it's true, even though it sounds stereotypical, games kill brain cells...lol, so thank for the suggestions!

 

[Onus]

Modeling, animation, photography, movies, YouTube (e.g. tutorials and demonstrations, like on my wife's [mostly Spanish] channel sogua2000); all of those can involve a computer. Or, especially if your parents are still expecting you to spend money, get a bicycle. Seriously. And I don't mean a bicycle-shaped object, such as are sold at your local WalMart, but a real one; Giant, Trek, Rans, Bachetta; expect to spend a minimum of $400. With gas prices climbing, keeping in good enough shape to commute by bicycle makes a lot of sense. Use your PC to plot biking routes, or contact cycling groups in your area, or visit sites like BentRiderOnline.

Edit: But no, games don't kill brain cells. In fact, twitch games help improve coordination and timing, and some games build problem-solving abilities. Not all, mind you, and not staying glued to a screen all day, but like anything else, gaming can be healthy in moderation.

 

[kilo_17]

I have an idea, it's not necessarily a "hobby", but, it's pretty cool. You can fold for the Tom's Hardware team. (here's a link to a thread about it ) http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/268010-28-folding-home-thgc-team-40051
You can post over there if you're interested, there's people that know a lot more about it than me.

 

[or-ex]

@jtt283 it was just a stereotypical conception, (does not mean it's necessarily true) but it does have a little truth to it...lol, and i wish i had money for a new bike, but when ever i get money, i always see a new GPU i want...lol, but bicycling is a good option, thx...

@kilo_17 thanks, i'll check it out.

 

[Pyree]

Go to the camp. I am 24 and I reget on not making enough friends. Don't follow my steps.

 

[or-ex]

haha, it's like 300$ and another 100$ for supplies! That could almost buy me a gtx 580...lol

 

[Kewlx25]

This sounds hypocritical on my part but I am glad they restrict you from gaming. As a grandfather myself i didn't let my kids play games more than 2 hours a day. You will thank them when your older, I promise.
But do take this time to learn something for your future. What are some things you like to go on the computer? Graphics design, programming? Networking? Electronics? Web development? mess with them all and see what you like the most, then master it! Took me 23 years to decide what I wanted to do with my life (network engineer).
Free training in any subject is out there to be had. Once you decide let us know I can point you in the right direction for free training.

I was playing 4-6 hours per day when I was 11-14 and 6-12 hours per day when I was 15-20. Playing video games got me into computers. Unlike your indecisive personality, I knew what I wanted to do since I was 11. Work with computers. By my estimates, I've spent over 25,000 hours playing video games.

I'm not sure what I would have done with my life if I didn't get into gaming/computers. I was a "D" student in school. College was a breeze because I got to do what I loved. I probably never would have gone to college if I didn't have my love for computers, as I was generally a failure in school.

You know all those other people who didn't "waste" their free time on the computer... Yeah, they go out to bars every night, have no savings, are divorced, and job hop. They may get out more than me, but I do not envy their life. I've only had a job with benefits for 3 years now, and my 401k is larger than most 50 year olds that I know.

At least in my case, I would not have "thanked" you.

Personally, I was the one the maintained the family computer anyway. I was the admin. If someone needed something, they came to me and I set it up for them.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

I got a good hobby for you, learn to hide your gaming habbit from your parents. Play in windowed mode or something and minimise it when they poke their head around the corner. Or tell them your designing computer games and you have to test them extensively.

 

[Dogsnake]

Get a girlfriend. She will cost way more than a computer or camp, stretch your mind and emotions like nothing else and prepare you for the wonder and mystery of relating to all the women you will meet later in life.

 

[ltrazaklt]

well, the whole Gaming killing brains cells is as debatable as the effects of TV on brain cells. I think it depends on what your watching, (Jersey Shore Vs PBS comes to mind 😉) .. there are things like puzzle games that can actually help Develop brain cells ..things like Axel & Pixel ..or even Posit Science series which uses a combination of things including 'video game' style activites and has been shown to improve brain power and help Alzeheimers patients. Thats one of things I like about PCs , is they are really only limited by your own imagination. Everything from the 'Folding' at home stuff, to the 'citizen planet-hunter' stuff. You might want to think about wether you like the Hardware Aspect or Software aspect of PCs..this could lead to everything from Electrical Engineering to Programming/Coding .. maybe you could even go into security and help fight the hackers (or at least be a 'white hat' one) .. networking ; Encryption ; Video and Picture scanning and transfer ..prolly a Huge Project you could do is take all your family Photos and videos and transfer them to the PC, and organize and make back up copies of them.
Researching is a whole other area , everything from Family Ancestry to history ..(there the case of the Jr High kid who watched 'Jaws' with his Dad, and the part where the Capt of boat tells why he hates sharks so much, and tells a brief story of the USS Indianapolis (which was sunk in WWII, and several hundred men were actually eaten by sharks as they floated in the water) ..this actually led the kid to doing even more research, upon finding out the Capt of the Ship, was held to blame for the loss of the ship and the crew..and spent 20 years trying to clear his name..some 20 or 30 years after the Capt died in disgraced, this young kid did enough research to actually find the evidence that CLEARED the Capt of wrong-doing) ..sorry for the long story on that, but just trying to setup an example of what can be done other than gaming.
and while I agree with DogSnake on many points there 😉 ..I would remind that it's not like the old days.. and these days 1/5 marriages actually start by having met online.

 

[yasir siddiqui]

If you are starts playing games then you don't want any other hobbies or activities it is my experience 😉

 

[mtech23]

I was playing 4-6 hours per day when I was 11-14 and 6-12 hours per day when I was 15-20. Playing video games got me into computers. Unlike your indecisive personality, I knew what I wanted to do since I was 11. Work with computers. By my estimates, I've spent over 25,000 hours playing video games.

I'm not sure what I would have done with my life if I didn't get into gaming/computers. I was a "D" student in school. College was a breeze because I got to do what I loved. I probably never would have gone to college if I didn't have my love for computers, as I was generally a failure in school.

You know all those other people who didn't "waste" their free time on the computer... Yeah, they go out to bars every night, have no savings, are divorced, and job hop. They may get out more than me, but I do not envy their life. I've only had a job with benefits for 3 years now, and my 401k is larger than most 50 year olds that I know.

At least in my case, I would not have "thanked" you.

Personally, I was the one the maintained the family computer anyway. I was the admin. If someone needed something, they came to me and I set it up for them.

Off the subject but may I ask what it is you do now?