Strube, I's like to share a couple other thoughts.
You said you don't want to waste the last 1.5 years by quitting now. No time spent doing anything is a waste. You've learned from that time...be it things you enjoyed and wanted to pursue...or things you didn't enjoy and wanted to avoid. Every experience we have is a positively vectored one and is never wasted (...even sitting here on Audioholics reading Alex's monkey jokes.
).
So A: Don't get down on yourself,
no matter what path you choose, you WILL chose a path.
The wonderful and heartfelt advice you've been given in this thread is from many who have been through your exact experience. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Pay heed to what these guys have wrenched from their experiences with education and burnout.
And B: The message from them is that you'll do fine,
no matter what path you choose, but that you'll find discipline to be a helpful partner in life.
Picking a life's ambition or making a decision about where you want to spend your time and effort in a career is a tough one, and ultimately, you are the only one who can decide what's right for you. Take some personal time away, as has been suggested, and get your mind straight about what it is that you want to do and accomplish in your time on the earth. A clear mind makes better decisions.
So C: If you can live with passion for your life's work, which will equate to success,
no matter what path you choose, you'll be in great shape.
And finally D: Never beat yourself up with self-doubt around this issue.
No matter which path you choose, in due time it will be yours to look back upon and probably agree, even with potential regrets, that you made the right decision at the time.
No matter which path you choose!
