I am dropping out of college this semester. You think I am unintelligent, don't you?

College Life
41

<p>pmvd,</p>

<p>do not drop out.</p>

<p>Change schools, housing arrangements, whatever. DO NOT DROP OUT</p>

<p>You will not like menial service sector jobs given your temperament, which is somewhat like mine. Service sector jobs are becoming an even greater portion of the economy, and manual labor employment usually requires a technical degree or apprenticeship. People will always comment on why you look sad, miserable or tired in the service sector. They especially want the “professional smile.” You can do a perfect job, and they will still btch about how you didn’t smile. “My job is to check your damn groceries as quickly and accurately as possible, and send you on your way, not to give you a damn smile, and if i wanted to do that I would’ve worked at a hotel or something,” is what i feel like telling those morons. Plus I work 35 hours a week, go to school full time, stress over life too much, and put up with neurotic Californian’s everywhere but my room, so of course I’m going to feel and look tired. David Foster Wallace wrote a great essay on the topic of the professional smile BTW.</p>

<p>Get your degree and work in a library or something.</p>

<p>And EECool is an idiot, but he is right about that when you get a job, it is really not that hard to just say “hi” to your boss and coworkers, and tell your boss “I felt really great taking care of x situation yesterday (even if it sucked)” and “do you have anything special you would like me to take care of” and so on. Often this may get you a task you like, and in my case, i get to stock milk in a freezer all by myself and not get annoyed by anyone.</p>

<p>Just get your degree. People w/ degrees have considerably more leisure time than those who do not, along with a myriad of other measurable beneficial outcomes. That is a statistical fact. If you drop out, you will have to put up with more of the juvenile nonsense you hate, and because you have to. I am sure their is a difference between a college educated workplace, and one that is not. People mature through their life you know.</p>

<p>Please don’t do it. Plus it appears you are doing well, even if you don’t believe it.
Son of a gun I hope you aren’t a ■■■■■ because I really care. </p>

<p>Just grow some thick skin, and if anyone gives you problems just say, “hi, I have to go do something right now, so i have to go.” They can’t annoy you later on about a response like that. i think that addresses one of your other posts, as well as this one, sort of.</p>

42

<p>“Get your degree and work in a library or something.”</p>

<p>I have at least 4 librarian friends. They are natural introverts, and one of them also is shy. They have, however, excellent social skills, are interested in other people, and are pleasant to be around. Their hobbies include participating in book groups, dancing, yoga, doing theater improv, playing bagpipes in a group, doing political activism, being active with their spiritual organizations, and participating in community theater – as an actor. All of them also are married, apparently happily. </p>

<p>While the OP’s professional options will be better if he finishes college, his options still will be very limited unless he bothers to improve his social skills.</p>

43

<p>Yes, my sister is a librarian and it is really a very service-oriented field (as well as being insanely competitive as far as actually getting a job.)</p>

44

<p>Way to kill an easily believable example, although I somewhat dispute your claim. I have encountered librarians (@ college) who are quite odd, hard to communicate with, and probably have other issues. Most of the librarians I have encountered can and do severely neglect their appearance and attire. At a lot of jobs, you will get reamed for not shaving after a couple of days (or even a day). </p>

<p>I also added “or something.” There’s research assistant, technical writers and so on.</p>

<p>There is however, no disputing pmvd needs to and can probably finish his/her college education.</p>

<p>The info in the 3rd to last paragraph of my initial post (last) on this thread is probably the most compelling.</p>

45

<p>The most socially inept professions I’ve come across are computer guys (anything from programming to networking) and engineers. Often they’re fairly social with one another because of the their common interests, but clueless with the rest of the world. (Not every single person in these professions, obviously, but a higher proportion of them compared to, say, teachers or dentists. Dentists must be very gregarious, to continue asking you questions as they have their hands in your mouth.)</p>

46

<p>No, I disagree, OP should just finish school.</p>

<p>What if OP quits school, and then loses insurance? Psychological treatment is expensive, and the hardest to get insurance to cover.</p>

47

<p>Look, you can always drop out of school so there is no need to do it right now. School can be good for one thing which you seem to need in your life. Structure. Get up, go to class, do homework, eat and get up and do it all over again. If you quit school you will have no structure in your life and will most likely feel worse than you already do.Keep the structure until you have another structured plan.</p>

48

<p>“The OP is either a ■■■■■ or a truly disturbed individual.”</p>

<p>There ARE other possibilities in between. I could easily see S who has Asperger’s writing posts with a similar style and tone (except he probably does not care quite as much about what other’s think). Perseverative behaviors such as getting stuck on the same issue and not being able to let go (which may seen trollish in others but are pretty typical for individuals on the spectrum); executive function issues that prevent him from seeing the world through anyone else’s perspective other than his own; blaming others; anger management issues; rigid/judgmental/black and white views of the world…the list goes on. Been there, done that.</p>

<p>Which does not make one “disturbed” per se. Far from it in S’s case. But then he was also diagnosed when quite young (before even starting school) and we have been working on developing social skills, empathy, seeing other’s points of view, flexibility, etc, all his life. He is a very different person today from when he was much younger - practically “normal” even! :wink: There is hope. Maybe check into other kinds of therapy like CBT which are geared towards changing behaviors?</p>

49

<p>It’s your life,do whatever please you. I don’t care about what you want to do because you have already made up your mind.</p>

<p>.</p>

50

<p>I agree with the idea that your posting here indicates that you question your decision on some level. Your self-awareness of your issue (which I deem serious) is somewhat novel to me in my limited experience in watching others deal with psychological problems.</p>

<p>As much as I feel hesitant in showing a lack of sympathy, I feel that you are weak to consciously drop out of college and give up on what is, to me, indisputably the most rational choice.</p>

<p>The philosophizing you mentioned was likely more a parochial brooding of rationalizations. Accept your present state, attain the motivation to change it, and do it. </p>

<p>If that is truly impossible given your will, then simply ignore your state and get through college uncomfortably, unless your state elevates to a point of danger to yourself or others.</p>

51

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/684530-group-classmates-give-me-dirty-looks-talk-about-me-should-i-talk-my-dean.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/684530-group-classmates-give-me-dirty-looks-talk-about-me-should-i-talk-my-dean.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/656571-did-you-feel-like-failure-after-you-were-rejected-your-first-choice-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/656571-did-you-feel-like-failure-after-you-were-rejected-your-first-choice-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/666974-do-you-feel-like-people-dont-appreciate-your-academic-intelligence.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/666974-do-you-feel-like-people-dont-appreciate-your-academic-intelligence.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/651190-does-my-roommate-need-professional-help.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/651190-does-my-roommate-need-professional-help.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/669188-i-am-socially-crippled-am-i-better-off-dropping-out-college.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/669188-i-am-socially-crippled-am-i-better-off-dropping-out-college.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/662002-whats-point-talking-psychologist.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/662002-whats-point-talking-psychologist.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/660720-major-least-smirked.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/660720-major-least-smirked.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/661355-do-people-often-misunderestimate-your-level-intelligence.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/661355-do-people-often-misunderestimate-your-level-intelligence.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/669153-possible-get-accepted-grad-school-without-letters-recommendation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/669153-possible-get-accepted-grad-school-without-letters-recommendation.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And there are a few more but I don’t have the patience to post any more of them.</p>

<p>What makes be lean towards this person being a ■■■■■ is the “Does my roommate need professional help?” thread because the OP pretends to be his roommate on the thread. I doubt that someone with AS would pretend to place themselves in another person’s shoes.</p>

52

<p>^ I don’t think he’s a ■■■■■. I just don’t think he has AS. He’s far too detailed and consistent to be a ■■■■■. Most ■■■■■■ have a tint of humor, satire, and hyperbole throughout their posts.
People with AS are able to manipulate and pretend, but only to a certain extent. As a person with AS myself, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to pull that roommate thread off that well or even be motivated to do so.</p>

53

<p>“I doubt that someone with AS would pretend to place themselves in another person’s shoes.” </p>

<p>I would not consider describing one’s own personal experiences anonymously as putting themselves in another person’s shoes. I think you are taking that phrase far too literally. Also, I believe this was one of his first posts and he deliberately chose to distance himself from the experience. “Normal” people do this all the time. </p>

<p>At the same time, I could see my S doing something like this. But I am not saying that the OP has AS just that he may have executive function disorder issues. There are many conditions involving executive function besides AS. And the label does not matter as much as identifying the behaviors and symptoms, and getting the right sort of treatment or therapy or supports to deal with those.</p>

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<p>scansmom, please just don’t go by the title of the thread–“does my roommate need professional help?” Go back and read that particular thread. The OP not only asks the question but pretends to BE the roommate asking the question. He describes specific events based on the perspective of another person. Read that thread and you will understand better my point. I’m leaning more towards–■■■■■. Watch how the OP is going to respond to the posts here. He will highlight one statement and reply to that one statement. The OP picks and chooses individual sentences of posts and will base the response on an individual sentence rather than on the overall point that a poster is trying to convey. IMO, this is a ■■■■■ who is enjoying having people get sucked into the pmvd internet persona.</p>

55

<p>PMVD, </p>

<p>I find it paradoxical that your post here seeking opinions and advice, only to refuse to consider all ideas offered to you. Is there a reason you do this?</p>

<p>You are so unhappy with how you are but any change must come from within and you are the only person capable of changing you.</p>

<p>out of curiosity, what will you do with all your time once you are not in college and College Confidential is not relevant to you–I assume you will not be spending your time posting here any more.</p>

56

<p>PMVD: stop posting and drop out please, you’ll be opening a spot up for someone to transfer in next year who will actually enjoy their college years at whatever “top 30” college you’re at.</p>

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<p>^ Actually, that’s a good idea. There are people out there who would appreciate that spot far more than he will and have more fun. If you’re not going to try to change your situation, just drop out pmvd. Drop out then find a job like data entry or library page. Since your family is well-to-do, it’s not like you have to take whatever you can get to financially support yourself at the moment. So drop out and look for those type of jobs.</p>

<p>If you don’t drop out, or refuse to listen to some of the people here, it’ll just be the same crap all over again. You’ll continue to have that same, stagnant, “failing” life. As I said before, if you refuse to listen, do yourself a favor and drop out.</p>

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<p>Good luck finding a good manual labor job to pay off a mortgage in the US. Right now, any labor job that CAN be outsourced WILL be outsourced if not already.</p>

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<p>or you could be that one in a million billionares who dropped out of college :p</p>

60

<p>^^ No. He’ll return to CC and make posts that he’s far too stupid to clean and he’s not good enough to wash dishes.
He is also fearful that you will give him dirty looks.</p>