Wonderful... its like having a chance to go back in time and facepunch myself in the beginning.
#1. School Choices
Not knowing what you are doing in college is normal. It also is the biggest factor determining where the rest of your life will head.
YMMV, but I found someone that had a similar personality to me and who had a lifestyle I wanted (Thank god he was a mustachian) and asked what he did. I am an engineer and I love my job more than he does actually. I am a computer engineer. My degree is good for anything from making computer chips, creating graphics engines for games, to writing. A degree opens doors, but it doesn't decide what your job will be. Keep that in mind.
Your majors are widely different but they both sound STEM-ish. If your school has a defined program for engineering, take the gen-eds/core classes for it while you determine what you like and want to do. Those classes will transfer to other degrees really well because they will be higher math/science than pretty much anything else if you decide to go another direction.
Take an intro level programming course. Preferably one in a Computer Science/Engineering track (so you don't get Excel Programming for MBAs). This will let you know if you enjoy that kind of activity. Even if you don't, video games may still work (art design for example) but its a different path.
#2. School itself
I will not facepunch you for video games or even your car. I *am* assuming you need a car for your job/college, and I am hoping that the car is nearly paid off. These are important years and having some debt free fun is perfectly normal. But you should evaluate what you give up for things. Is this a subscription where you then are buying a $60 game a month to play with? Or something more MMO where its just the expense at this point? Whatever you do, realize that debt is like hanging an anvil from your neck... and at this point in your life, you are about to jump out of an airplane.
Are you doing what you can to try for financial aid/scholarships? You are on track to have 22k in debt after a 4 year degree. You don't need to prioritize paying off this debt, but it is 100% worth working to minimize it. At your age, I would have made more in the long term by quitting my job and focusing on better ways to avoid college debt than working where I was and just paying the tuition costs.
#3. Living at home
This is the biggest gift that your parents could give you short of life. I have friends who stayed at home for 3-5 years after college and had a 95% saving rate. Being debt free, stable, and able to make a large downpayment on a home while maxing taxing advantaged savings accounts... I still drool financially at the thought.
If you decide to leave, or your parents aren't thrilled with the idea of you being there for the next 5 years, immediately think roommate.
Its unlikely that it will be a good idea for you to buy a house at this junction. However, the idea is a great one post college.
- You do not know where life is going to take you. Moving is easy. Selling a house and moving isn't.
- You do not have enough money to afford a downpayment. Without 20% down on a home (and given your age and likely lack of a credit rating) you will have a very high payment
- You need to focus on school. If you lose your job, how do you pay for the house? Dropping out of school to cover other financial responsibilities happens. I know because it happened to me.
#4. Financially
You are very young and have a long life in front of you. *Save money and put it in an investment account*
Your low tax rate may make a Roth IRA a good idea.
Server can also read "money under the table and tips". Look into tax advantaged accounts (401k, Roth, HSA, etc) but know that you will butt heads with the tax man really really fast if you save more than you earn.
Cash earning jobs (I'm assuming a lot of your money is tips and available nightly) is easier to waste because it never felt like you really had it. Make a habit of taking the money you want to save, immediately putting it aside, and bringing it to the bank weekly.
Hmmm
I am sure there is more. I may be back.
Good luck!