Lost on the trail of life

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Trying to start fresh, what to do?
I recently graduated high school, I'll just give you my record</p>

<p>9th/10th/11th-
Straight A's in most difficult classes, no good teacher relationships, no focus,
participated in many activities, didn't excel in any</p>

<p>Got accepted to the University of Pittsburgh Honors College, 1550 SAT, around 700's on subject tests, no AP</p>

<p>12th-
Skipped 40 days of school (out of 180) B's and C's, quit all activities</p>

<p>Started looking at my future and fear being ill prepared and having a college career like the one I did in the first three years of high school, one with no energy or focus, just getting by obsessing about grades and working for a couple of lines of text on a resume, whatever people say is required for the next step</p>

<p>I would greatly appreciate advice on how to proceed, I was thinking about doing shadow studies and trying to find what I want to do/look at my skills and personality to find a career and volunteering for a year and studying, working to be prepared for whatever that is, then going to college after a year of gap</p>

<p>I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for career exploration, my skills and personality generally fit science
Also for volunteering I was thinking Americorps, any suggestions or opinions on the program are appreciated
Do you guys have a real focus? How did you find it?</p>

2

<p>So in a nutshell, you worked hard and earned good grades for 3 years, then got lazy and skipped 40 days of school your senior year, and now you dread the fact that you will have to work hard in college? You should feel lucky your offer of admission to Univ of Pitt. wasn’t rescinded. If you still feel the need to skip classes and quit all activities, maybe you should take a gap year. </p>

<p>College is so much more than “obsessing about grades and working for a couple of lines of text on a resume”. The discipline you gain by mastering difficult subjects in college translates into life long skills that will serve you well in whatever adult career you eventually choose. You will enter college as a teenager, but graduate an adult…if you stick with the program and graduate. Don’t be tempted to slack off, 10 years from now you will thank yourself for following through and graduating.</p>

3

<p>^+1 to UCLA Band Mom.</p>

4

<p>I feel that they’re being too harsh. There’s more to life than school, and it’s not like college is the only way to proceed in life after high shool. If you were honestly unhappy during your three years of pleasuring The Man, then maybe you should reassess what you want to do.</p>

<p>Working hard is a good thing, but not at the expense of your happiness.</p>