<p>Hi, everyone. Perhaps this isn't the most appropriate subforum but I've received sound advice here in the past so I hope you all don't mind. I want to keep this post as brief as possible without it becoming a reflection of myself but I cannot always refrain. </p>
<p>I graduated high school in 2012 without a clue of what I'd be doing the upcoming fall. I had not written a college essay or received any letters of recommendation; I did not even apply to a school. </p>
<p>I decided to attend a community college and my performance has been questionable to say the least (I'm enrolled in the engineering program). I made the decision to take summer courses in an attempt to boost my GPA. In hindsight I made this decision rather lightly; these courses are each condensed into eight weeks and I'm working full time on top of that. In the back of my mind, I know that there are students in my classes working just as much as me, perhaps even more, who are able to maintain high averages but my time management is complete and utter ****. I was holding a high average in one of these courses but I decided not to go to class for a week and a half and I'm likely on the verge of academic withdrawal. The other one I have performed poorly in all semester and my final is tomorrow - I plan on scoring as high as possible but should I fail it, I may fail the course. </p>
<p>As for the rest of the school year I did alright, a combination of As and Cs, primarily B's, though I did fail a composition class because of a final paper and I am currently retaking it.</p>
<p>I'm absolutely ashamed of myself. I vividly remember draining my bank account in May to pay for my summer classes and my Dad handing me a thousand dollar check to help split the cost. None of my failures have been due to a lack of capability, it's always because of time management and procrastination. I was quite an introvert throughout high school and now that I've begun to have my first memorable summer, my schoolwork has suffered consequently. </p>
<p>My plan was to go back to this school in the fall, and because of my grades, I don't think I have any other options. I wish I could just wipe the slate and start fresh; see I'm a bit of a perfectionist and when I make one minor slip up I give up on what I am working on entirely. </p>
<p>Part of me wants to pack up and go to a college to start fresh. I don't think I'd get accepted, though, and I'm also not sure if I'm ready to leave home yet. I think a major reason why I have yet to succeed is because I have no direction or drive. I'm still not sure what I want out of school. It seems like everyone else has a major or a job they are dead set on. I feel as though I'm here for the ride; I really enjoy learning new material but I still haven't found a purpose. </p>
<p>If anyone could offer some advice I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks for reading.</p>
<p>Go back and do well…very well. Don’t miss assignments. Show that you CAN do college work.</p>
<p>Re: “starting over”…any college you apply to will require transcripts from ALL colleges you have attended…including this current CC. </p>
<p>Go and talk to an advisor at the CC. See what kinds of articulation agreements they have with four year schools once you have completed your CC work. These schools will accept you…if you do well!</p>
<p>And you might want to really look at your courses! Is engineering really your forte?</p>
<p>Thanks, Thumper. I am quite strong with math and science but I’m not sure if engineering is what I’d like to pursue. I have a wide array of interests, many of them unrelated.</p>
<p>I think that at this point in time, you might want to just take one class at a time and find a part time job as well. If you find that you still can’ t focus on your schoolwork that way, you might want to take off some time and work. It takes a lot of focus and continuous motivation to get through school, and you just might not have it right now.</p>
<p>Another option might be to talk to the counselors at your CC about two-year programs that are designed to lead straight to a job, rather than to transfer to a four-year school.</p>
<p>Perhaps college might be easier for you if your commitment was shorter.</p>
<p>Or you can take some time off and just work. Frequently students right out of HS need a look at the real world before they are ready to get right back to the books.</p>
<p>Edit: I just saw that CPT said something similar.</p>
<p>Along the lines of what Marian said, maybe think about taking courses that are more hands-on and “real world,” like xray technician certification or EMT. These aren’t necessarily easier, but may grab your attention better. </p>
<p>Another idea would be to just take a few classes that sound fun and interesting (and easy) to you in order to salvage your GPA. And make a strict rule for yourself that you absolutely DO NOT ever miss a class.</p>
<p>A shorter 2-year + certification may also lead to a better-paying job, that can help you save so you can have shorter work hours while attending school in the future. Time management is an important skill–professionally and personally. There are coaches out there that can help give you some tips, ask at your student services office at the CC–should be staff to help with this.</p>
<p>I would suggest getting a job for a while. You can take a course or two while you work. Not everyone is ready for college right away. Maybe you could consider a certification program like EMT or electrician. Or not.</p>
<p>My brother went into the military because he wasn’t ready for college. He found things he was good at and knew what he wanted to study when he got out. The military is a risky option, though. Work for a while might be better.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t mind taking a year off school to better find out what I’d like to be doing in the future. The thing is, my parents do not really approve of me working whatsoever. I’ve been at the same job for two years throughout high school and whenever I hint that my grades are not so stellar, they always like to claim that I’m working too much. Maybe it’s just the job that I’m at, but it seems as though they’d prefer that I just quit work and focus all my studies on school. I am the oldest of four, my two younger sisters are top of their school. One, who is a junior, is receiving letters from prestigious colleges almost weekly. Then there is my younger brother who is a lazy genius and I can already tell my parents are trying to make sure that he doesn’t end up like me. </p>
<p>I’m not sure how my parents would react if I told them I was going to take a year off. I’d definitely have to get a different job and get some other things going in my life alongside it. As much as I love the comfort and atmosphere of my home I fear I would have to move out. Perhaps I’m too sensitive to my parents feelings but I know that they love me so much and they’ve always been incredibly encouraging and supportive, it just seems that their perspective is always a little one sided in favor of getting an education. </p>
<p>The only downside with this is that when I decide to return to school, I return to my low GPA and poor transcript as well. Although I will be better equipped to improve it. Thanks for the replies, everyone.</p>
<p>You may want to be evaluated for depression. Depression can cause a lack of motivation to change and a loss of excitement about the future, and both of these come through in your post.</p>
<p>The fact that you didn’t even apply to college or ask for letters of recommendation during your senior year raises another concern for me. It sounds as if you’ve been dealing with this apathy for a while now, and if I were your parent, I’d insist that you be evaluated for depression before making any decisions about the future.</p>
<p>Plenty of people recover from bad grades and bad chapters in their lives and go on to become productive people, but I think you need to figure out why you’re feeling unmotivated first.</p>
<p>You need to have good enough grades to either/or
a) finish a 2 year program
b) transfer to a 4 year school.</p>
<p>But – if you go to a 4 year school, courses will transfer in, but typically the grades do not. That means that your GPA resets and you have a fresh start.</p>
<p>At your age, you have many options. Sounds like you are well aware of your situation and therefore can face it and make decisions.</p>
<p>Massmom, I was evaluated and diagnosed with depression in middle school. Why and how is a long story but I am no longer in that state of mind and I’m sorry if my OP asserts otherwise. I love every minute of life, but I understand the inherit absurdity and unfairness of it as well. I’m just having trouble honing in on my true passion, I have many interests - philosophy, mathematics, writing, economics, earth science… the list goes on. Ideally I’d like to study geology and or climatology but I am just lost in the process right now. As I type this I feel as though most of my fears stem from my parent’s approval. I only wish I was able to maintain the enthusiasm I hold this very minute throughout the entire semester. I feel as if I lost sight of everything because I was preoccupied with a few petty things</p>
<p>For some of us, it takes a while longer to figure it out. My little bro (no longer little now) is a late bloomer. After high school, he lived at home and attended community college while working part time. He didn’t do very well, hovered around a C average most of the time. My parents thought he will never get a college degree and complained to me about him (not to him I don’t think). They let him lived at home with free room and food while he worked part time for his expenses.</p>
<p>After several years of drifting, he finally took enough classes and got a little bit better grade C+/B- to transfer to a local state college while still living at home. Several more years went by and he finally got a bachelor degree in accounting, still not with very good grades.</p>
<p>Fast forward many years, he works as an accountant now in a good firm making 6 figures with a lovely wife and beautiful children.</p>
<p>Hang in there. Work part time/go to school part time, work full time, go to school full time, there are many choices as long as you can handle your expenses (my parents helped my brother for many years). You will eventually figure it out.</p>
<p>I know a guy who was not sure if he’d manage to graduate from HS (his teachers weren’t either). He went on to graduate college with honors, graduate from law school and now runs a successful Law firm, is a part time judge and also a real estate developer earning 5 figures every month, owns several apartment buildings, houses and other investments. He has a gorgeous home in one of the most desirable areas of the world and is pretty happy and successful by all standards.</p>
<p>BusyMei made an excellent post. I went to college with a bunch of guys who smoked a lot of pot and drank 4-5 nights a week. Some of these guys turned into successful attorneys and businessmen. Keep plugging away and you will be OK. Try to invest your energy into forming strong relationships. That is the key to happiness.</p>
<p>Even though for years my brother seems lost in life, he never stopped, never gave up. He kept plugging away, always going to school and working.</p>
<p>OP, you have posted before, right? Didn’t do so well in CC the first semester? Trying to refresh the memory :)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Volunteer somewhere. You sound very self-involved, which is not a terrible thing but there is a time when introspection and perfection get in the way of success.</p></li>
<li><p>If your gpa does not put you on probation, why would you quit? To my ears, you sound like you have always been looking for the door, and any reason is a good enough reason. Do you want to be that guy? Success isn’t about perfection, it’s about perseverance. If you really don’t want to be here, it’s fine to say so and just work. But don’t hedge.</p></li>
<li><p>Maybe you should go and work full time. There’s nothing wrong with that, and it might help you clarify your goals. it’s very common to not have a clue what you’d like to do ---- a year of work at least makes money. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Discard the magical thinking! Make some decisions (stay/go, work/don’t, engineering/undeclared) and then keep at it. Trust that it will work out over time if you put some effort in.</p>
<p>I’ve seen figures showing that something like 85% of kids never finish community college. They have a terribly low graduation rate.</p>
<p>I wish time management was your only issue. Your real issue is commitment. You stopped going to classes for a week and a half. Did you ever stop going to work or hanging with friends or whatever else for that long?</p>
<p>You want advice. Set some goals, make a plan, run your plan by advisors or mentors, make adjustments if they recommend any then pursue it with passion. If you have to quit your job, go out of state or whatever, do it.</p>