I’m 23 and have always been terrible at school since middle school to high school. (Passed them both by the skin of my teeth) I went to community college and had most of my Gen Ed’s completed, then transferred to an Undergraduate University. My first semester I took about 4-5 classes while trying to work part-time and that failed terribly. I basically failed all my classes (calc and java especially) except econ which was a simple copy and paste class. I am thinking about returning to school at 23 while all my friends graduated and have or are in process of getting jobs that require a degree. Currently I am going for Information Systems as a major (which I did before when I failed out of my first semester). However, the requirements seem a bit difficult for me, being completely honest.
Do you guys have any advice, possibly other majors that you think are easier? Or other plans such as the military?
Summation would be, an individual terrible at school for the most part and looking to readmit to an undergraduate university at a late age. Interest is in Information systems however the major requirements are pushing me away. Advice?
Maybe you need to be assessed for school problems? You have a documented history of not doing well in school settings.
You may have an organizational disability that doesn’t work well with the typical studying methods.
You can ask you local CC, where you plan to attend, if they can assess you. Also, if you have a local “Workability” program in your area, you may qualify to use their services like: notetakers and access to graphic organizers that will help you organize your thoughts and studying methods.
Oh, and 23 is not old. It doesn’t matter where you start, as long as you finish.
Why continue with a 4 year? Look into manufacturing technology – cnc programming/operation and such. You’ll make more money than your degreed friends and have no debt. Good luck.
It could be ADHD. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference it makes with medicine. It also sounds like you might be working a little more than part-time. I would cut back on the classes during the semester and go year round. That’s what I did.
At 17 I graduated and enrolled at CC, by the time I dropped out at 19 I had a 1.105 GPA (no joke). I came back at 21 with a vengeance, retook the classes I failed, brought myself up to a 3.8+. I don’t think the military is worth joining, your education is not worth your life.
What in IS is pushing you away? If you respond, tag me or I won’t see
I will second the idea of talking to an educational psychologist – The most severe learning disabilities are diagnosed in elementary school, but the big second wave comes in middle school. Kids start to struggle when the workload increases and they move from class to class. You should investigate why you slumped in middle school and never recovered.
If you decide to try college again, know your limits! Maybe you want take fewer classes and work fewer hours.
There are a number of alternatives to traditional college these days:
Certificate programs -- look at the "continuing education" portion of your local community college or state university for certificate programs targeted at a particular industry or career. You don't have to take general education to earn one, just the classes that lead to a job.
Coding boot camps -- this seems to be a somewhat shady industry with a lot of people who start and don't finish, so be careful. But again, the focus is on "what do you need to know to hold a job" not general education
Online college -- Dip your toes back in the water with ASU Global Freshman Academy -- you only pay for classes if you take and pass the final. Other than that, it's free and you can see how you deal with academic demands these days. Western Governor's University is a path to finishing a degree on line.