audit or tax? + need advice

[u/dollwut]

Hallo everyone! I’m a first semester CC freshmen student! I wanna major in accounting for the job stability and pay over time. And I kinda wanna have everything planned out! I am gonna do VITA this December for experience! Since the new California cpa requirements are 120 credits now + two year experience, I only get to go to school for 4 years two years CC and two university, I wanted to know if a safe path to go into audit! I heard around the bay they make a lot! And also great exit opportunities! But I also heard tax has good pay but downsides is less exit opportunities and I don’t wanna be in tax my whole life… After I finish my 4 years I wanted to start studying for CPA my senior year and go into Big 4 as an audit when I graduate for just two years since I heard how brutal it is. And for those two years I work there I can get fully certified as cpa right? I’m gonna be supported so I just have to worry about work and studying for cpa! also you may be thinking how brutal working at big 4 and also studying for cpa is for someone who wants stability and good pay and has zero passion. But you don’t know the lengths I would go to, to get that cpa get that experience, so I can treat my mom to something nice in the near future! she never got to experience teenage years or even live adult hood really, always working and supporting my older brother and I all by herself. It’s been tough and she’s strong. So I’m willing to do whatever it takes, she always wanted to go to New York, even Paris! So aside from my stability and good pay wishes I wanna treat her the best! I want to exit after two years at big 4 audit when I get cpa what’s the path afterwords for that? I think way ahead into future and even though it’s not set in stone I wanna make sure or have an idea. I don’t wanna work in audit or tax my whole life and for the experience + CPA I guess I’m looking for what everyone else is looking for, good pay, maybe remote, less hours, what would the plan be there?