<p>We get it, we don’t have answers, yet. You need a less traditional resource, a different sort of forum. You need to tap into the communities that live by these goals, see what they know. Look at Naropa. I think you are confused, but see what thoughts that school yields. It has something for “visitors.”</p>
<p>Most colleges do not exist in a financial vacuum. They need a way to ensure continued success- that’s not “existing.” It’s the money to continue operations and, short of something underwritten by some organization, that means students who commit and stay through the programs, bring enough value to the group that the “whole” is satisfied and the stream of new attendees continues. This is much different than running a lower school or alternative hs.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice and understanding, I’ll check it out. Know I’ll find something somewhere, lol, even if I have to go to cc for a little while. Thanks very much for the other suggestions, everyone else who posted.</p>
<p>Students who are 100% dedicated to the life of the mind tend to attend 4 year liberal arts colleges. That’s why we suggested these.
You may want to check out Landmark College in Maine, too.</p>
People REALLy dedicated to the life of the mind aren’t attending two year programs unless they are at a community college for financial reasons. Just because you want a particular environment to exist doesn’t mean it will. And as I’ve said before, but you chose not to address, your previous college attendance and accrued credits may be an obstacle to admission as a freshman in a two-year program, which is what you seem to desire. There’s a purpose to higher education, and it’s not to hang out and be nurtured while you get on your feet. If education is your primary goal, enroll in the best school you can get into (and afford) and a seek a communal living environment, either on or off campus, to satisfy your other needs. If pulling your life together is your primary goal, I don’t think college is the place to do it. Instead, a low-pressure job, a communal housing set-up, and maybe some night classes to satisfy your desire to learn would be the best options for now. You’re young and have plenty of time to get through your goals sequentially, so not finding your ideal “all-in-one” solution is not a big deal. Given your medical history, you must have a regular therapist–what does he or she recommend for your next step?</p>
<p>Not sure if this is maybe just a really elaborate ■■■■■, but why are you so specifically interested in only two-year programs? Especially if you’re hoping to teach on the postgraduate level, a certificate or AA isn’t likely to be enough. You may want to research what is actually required of your desired career. You seem to be looking more for the climate or “feel” of a school when you might be better off prioritizing your academic and professional goals and looking for programs that match. </p>
<p>I also have severe mental health issues, which include a panic disorder that seriously affected my academic performance in high school. You seem to have a belief that a program exists that in and of itself will nurture and fix you and stand you on your feet and i wouldn’t count on it. My school is the best environment possible for me but it can be very anxiety-provoking because it is an academic institution. I cope with it but I imagine it would be very difficult if I thought of it primarily as a place for my psychological healing (or a place to “hang”) rather than as an academically intensive college meant for my education. Coping is a lot of work and it sounds like your therapist is on board but remember that there’s no place or college that can fix your problems. </p>
<p>This isn’t meant to insult you, but I don’t think you’re coming at this from a realistic and grounded place. You seem to spend a lot of time talking about your personal attributes and capabilities and wanting to live in a poetic fantasy but not seriously considering the position you’re actually in. My advice would be to first consider your financial position and what you can realistically afford. Then I would consider what your goals are and what you need to do to achieve them. Then find programs that are compatible with both of those things and to which you have a reasonable chance of being accepted. Like someone else said, more community college might help. Good luck.</p>
<p>I actually think OP needs a writing retreat or a residential workshop that could be renewable for a 2nd year. You don’t need a degree to teach creative writing, but you do need the creds- that starts with publishing. And, there’s the hurdle. Many people write, not many garner an outside audience. If OP gets to that point, something very different than writing for pleasure, there are also visiting writer positions at many beautiful colleges.</p>
<p>I have a very similar story, except I racked up > 135 units with a 2.6, hen dropped out and stopped attending for 4 years. Now, at the ripe old age of 30, I pulled my GPA up and am attending a UC that I am super excited to attend. Plus, with some classes not transferring, my GPA has been pulled up to well above a 3.0 and I am a very competitive student.</p>
<p>The one piece of advice I can give you is to stop limiting yourself. You talk about how oh are weak and need the school to be a very specific way. Unfortunately, that is not college. College is a place to be pushed. College is a place to find your strength, not depend on an institution to fix your problems. I am not being critical: I learned this thru trial and tribulations. College is much more than being able to write theses: it is about becoming an independent, strong, and self-reliant human beings ready to take on the world. </p>
<p>Bottom line: if you think your success depends solely on finding the “perfect school”, you will not succeed. Success comes from you. Good luck: it can be done!</p>
<p>Oh and the greatest life lesson I have learned is to deal with reality instead of trying to change reality. What you want is unfortunately not something you have yet earned. A 2.3 GPA will not get you into any great college. Put your nose to the grindstone, accept that you need to put in an extraordinary amount of effort, and learn to follow instructions. College prepares you for life, not coddle you because you think you are weak.</p>
<p>I agree with BrownParent and MommaJ. If you are serious about becoming an academic, “teaching creative writing,” you must accept the disciplines of academia. Correct spelling to page length requirements to formatting to decorum to class management all matter. An academic, even a creative writing professor, works in a structured organization and succeeds as part of a team (often, a very difficult team). In addition, unless you are independently wealthy, keep in mind that creative writing instructors (including professors) must teach several classes, referred to as “teaching load” and assume administrative responsibilities, such as undergraduate or graduate advising. Only the well published professors receive lighter loads. Utopia remains lovely for fiction, but your career choice and the work required to achieve it is not fiction.</p>