"Failed" first two years of undergad. Confusion about future, any advice?

College Majors Business Major
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<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I specifically created a CC account for this.</p>

<p>Without going too into it, I graduated high school in 2010 with a 3.7 GPA, Honors Student, hard worker, and had multiple e/c's.
-Key Club President, Secretary, VP... Table Tennis Club... Student Council, Class Council.</p>

<p>Very sociable, very outgoing, still am. </p>

<p>Fall 2010 I began college, failed my first semester. Decided to start commuting, second sem was better... but still did not do well. I went in as an UG Business Management, but as a freshman that really does not matter.</p>

<p>Summer I took Microeconomics and Business Calc, earned a B in Micro and withdrew from Calc.</p>

<p>Fall 2011, attended a different college... failed. Spring 2012, community college, failed.</p>

<p>Now, I've essentially been given one more "shot" by my parents financially, and I know college is for me. The thing is, I have absolutely no idea as to what I want to do with my life.</p>

<p>For one, I scored a mediocre ~1100 on my SAT's. I have never been a real math/science person, but I worked hard in those courses in high school. Academically my interests include writing and history, but I didn't want to do anything like that with my future, it was just something I enjoyed. I loved my extracirriculars (Key Club, stuco, class council). More than anything I enjoyed working together as a team, and being able to think outside the box. Outside of school I enjoy working out, play video games occasionally but am really "growing up," and spending time with family/friends, and I've began to enjoy cooking healthy foods. Also, I'm pretty frikkin good at ping pong.</p>

<p>Without starting any more rambling text, my priorities since starting college have been
-Partying and drinking (Fall 2010)... ended that after... don't drink much anymore.
-Working out (Winter 2011-present)... went from 226 lbs to 155... fitness is a HUGE part of my life.
-Anything and everything that doesn't have to do with my future career/life.</p>

<p>NOW. I have one option, and I am a PA kid. My father is retiring to California next spring, and has advised I move in the fall to attend cc there. I narrowed down what I potentially would like to do, and it came down to a few things: Marketing, Health Admin, Supply Chain, MIS.</p>

<p>With that, is there any advice you would give me on approaching my future... </p>

<p>I know asking a forum of people won't sway me, but legitimate statements/opinions will give me more to think about. I've already blown two years of college away, I'm not wasting any more time.</p>

<p>Sorry about the rambling text</p>

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<p>Hmm, maybe the best thing to do before you go to college is address why you failed. Was it because you were burnt out from school? or maybe didnt have much interest in your classes? whatever it is, thats what you need to fix (at least thats my opinion).</p>

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<p>I completely agree. My first semester, I was able to realize that partying. Thus, I began commuting and decided to spend my free time getting in shape. However, that second semester I still didn’t try in my classes. I believe after my first semester, I had terrible priorities. I prioritized anything and everything over studying for my courses. Also, I had no path which killed me this past year. I don’t think I was burnt out from school… I hadn’t really done much in school, but I believe prioritizing served a major role.</p>

<p>Also, I realized that anytime I began reading (textbooks) and had all the tools to focus in the world, I became anxious and began looking around without even reading a page… being forced to re-read multiple times. I told my mother, she says it is a “lazy ass,” but I legitimately got through high school without reading even ten pages of any subject book with the exception of novels. I also tend to look around in general more than most people do, at any place, and lose focus easily. I realized this because when I’m looking around, most other people are focused on whatever they do, so they’re obviously not.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for your reply.</p>

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<p>I don’t think that school agrees with you, and I don’t think you should try again until you’re sure that you mentally ready for book learning. </p>

<p>You may have ADD so you should get it checked out. </p>

<p>You might try to go into something vocational that makes use of the great shape that you’re in. </p>

<p>Ask your parents to give you a rain check on that college stuff until you figure it all out. Otherwise, they’re taking a huge risk.</p>

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<p>At one point you say you have no idea what you want to do with your life … then you narrow it down to 4 fairly specific fields that sound a lot like what you’ve already tried. Why don’t you do what you love … something hands-on/project oriented in the health, nutrition, or physical fitness fields. There are many CC programs that would fit this, and you could then decide if you want to go on for more if you get your bearings. Personally, I think you’ll always do much better in a career (and be much happier) if it meshes with what you love doing in your own life. My daughter does very very well in hands-on production/creative classes, and struggles with textbook classes.</p>

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<p>I was actually speaking to my sister yesterday, she is going to be a senior in college this fall, and having academic issues she advised the following to me: </p>

<p>-Not to take any business courses, not even introductory, and to really take my general courses (Eng 101, basic science, algebra, etc.)… the general education courses. </p>

<p>I agree completely that school hasn’t agreed with me, but as a person I’ve wholly changed since my freshman year of college. The good thing about this community college is that classes don’t begin until late September. Although I am a native Pittsburgher so moving out/getting an apt/etc. would take time… although I do have an uncle in the Bay Area and my cousin is attending that CC as well, and they actually offered/want me to live with them lol. </p>

<p>Anyway, yeah I’ve tried explaining that, but there’s seemingly no understanding by my mother. She always replies with: “Someone who reads for nine hours and doesn’t understand has it, not you.” However, someone who has it CAN’T read for nine hours. I will try to bring it up with my father, he’s typically much more understanding with these things, especially when he knows I’m serious.</p>

<p>I’m not into drugs, I maybe “go out” once a month, and had a pretty good upbringing and financially have been blessed and privileged. The thing is, there’s so much potential and desire in me that I don’t want to waste. </p>

<p>Vocational school may not be an option, I want a career I love, but I also want a well-paying career. </p>

<p>Looking into everything & definitely taking your advice. Thanks a lot for the reply.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reply.</p>

<p>Yeah, I am very interested in health/nutrition, which is why Health Admin came up (although it’s really not related AT ALL). However, I’m also extremely outgoing and still interested in overall business. Also, most of the people I know in nutrition are not doing very well financially right now. Most friends in exercise science are stuck with jobs as personal trainers and phys ed teachers. Those are great fields to be in, if you want them, but I definitely don’t want either to be the only thing I do. I’m looking into personal training, but a compound strength trainer I’m currently training with actually has his bachelor’s in economics from PSU and received certification separately. He doesn’t even work with economics and began his own training business since that’s what he loves, but I’m not sure about myself.</p>

<p>I took a marketing class and definitely didn’t hate it. It’s just that, from all the courses (or most of them) I didn’t care enough about since I was too immature to actually learn, and was focused on everything but my academics. Thus, I’m in this juxtaposition.</p>

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<p>Then maybe physical therapy … it’s a long road but financially stable and I think you could specialize in sports injuries.</p>

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<p>Take a year off and work something physically exhausting. It will make you realize you don’t wanna do that for the rest of your life. When you decide you wanna go back, use that extra time away to decide what you wanna do regarding your major.</p>

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<p>Actually did that. Worked as a bus boy at a restaurant for a month and a half. Some of the people I worked with… college drop-outs, 28-year-olds barely making over minimum. Hated it, proved to me that I NEED an education. Actually potentially what really helped me get my priorities straight.</p>

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<p>I think what I’m going to do is take my parents up on the offer, and take general education courses. That will give me more time to think about what I want to do, while also getting some degree requirements done. Thanks for the replies.</p>

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<p>I agree that you should do your gen ed courses first and maybe visit around some of the depts you’re interested in and talk to majors. I think physical therapy requires a lot of science and math, it’s not just moving body parts around. Maybe you should look into personal training. You can get a certificate in it and, at the very least, you can make a decent living to pay for college when you decide what you want to study.</p>

<p>Many kids who are very bright and/or have borderline ADD can get by in HS without much work. You should get an evaluation and see. If you do have ADD, maybe a med could help you focus or you could get some accommodations. You can accommodate yourself by sitting in the front of the class, taperecording the lectures and highlighting notes and books. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>That is the plan! Financially I am supported for the next two years granted I do well, so that’s not the biggest pressing issue. My concern coming into the fall will be my education only, and potentially increasing my overall fitness, but financially I am blessed that it’s not going to be a major concern.</p>

<p>I worked hard in high school, trust me, I don’t want to make it seem like I was a kid that put in no work. I was a horrendous student from kindergarten-the 3rd quarter of the 8th grade. Fourth quarter of the 8th grade, I made the honor roll, and entering my freshman year I took my schoolwork much more seriously, and I believe had a 3.8 or 3.9 after freshman year. However, yeah, it’s definitely more noticeable now and this is no longer high school and coursework is 10 times as rigorous. Some students I believed were good students in high school even dropped out. Different world, thanks a lot.</p>

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<p>You story sounds very similar to mine. It’s uncanny. I had difficulty studying and got tested for ADD, but turned out to not have it (even though some people think I have ADD). You’re what 19 or 20? Relax, you don’t have to know exactly what you want to do. At least you completed two years of college and didn’t get rejected from business school. Just keep on doing your schoolwork. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Just turned 20. Definitely will. Actually, I failed my first two years. That is why I created this thread. Along with the potential of “starting new” in California, I also just asked for reinstatement at my former university, Duquesne. I may be attending there if the reinstatement does work, although unlikely. I am definitely going to get the ADD checked out, although I am unsure as to how I succeeded with it in high school. Although, unlike many students I enjoy essays/papers, because I have time to write them, and can spend maybe 45 min- an hour working on them, whereas tests involve loads of studying that I seemingly can’t seem to nail down. Thanks for the reply & wishes.</p>

1 Like
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<p>You might also go to your school’s career center, if you haven’t, so they can help you with your options.</p>