Hello,
Apologies in advance for my bad english…
it took me a long time to write this, but I’m very desperate and I need advices from more experienced people.
I’m 22 years old and I’m from France. Depression is hitting me hard for the past days.
I had a terrible high school experience, because I got harassed,bullied during high school and this because of my sexuality. It affected 60% of my behaviors during high school. I had low-mid grades but most importantly it affected my professor reviews because I wasn’t behaving properly in class.
Constantly trying to prove myself during class, trying to make people laugh because I was deeply hurt and excluded inside. (Not only because of that, it’s also about personal behaviors).
But luckily all my professors saw skills and capabilities through me. I have excellent communication skills, language skills. Unfortunately I wasn’t expecting that not being serious in high school will affect me that much in the future.
I graduated from high school with pretty good scores, not in science oriented subjects but still good.
Got into law school in 2019; Covid happened, lost a lot of family members during this pandemic period. Then I have decided to freeze school in 2021 after failing my second year of high school. Freezing because I started to do a world tour, lived in different countries for at least 4 months. This taught me things that school never taught me before, so I am very grateful
To that. But here I am now back in my old student room at my parents house, seeing my friends having Master degrees and me having no diploma. Not even an undergraduate degree. It hurts a lot.
Of course I’m willing to start study again, but is 22 years old late?
And I want to become an engineer, but all universities are asking for high school transcripts and proof of scientific skills.
What can I do? How can I pursue my dream to study to become an engineer? Is it over? Should I take another type of EXAM to attend a university in another country or something?
I really hope to find an answer here, because depression is hitting me hard and I’m loosing hope.
Kind regards
In the US, you would apply to and attend a 4 year state college near home and start, or if they would not take you, you would start at a community college and then transfer. But you live in france. I dont know what your options are there, but you can probably get better advice there than on here.
@myos1634 Options/ideas for OP?
I am sorry for your high school experience but glad that some of your teachers saw through your class clown act and recognized your abilities.
You are still very young. I understand that it is painful to compare yourself with others who are the same age. I went back to school in my 30’s 
It sounds like engineering may not be the best path for you. What did you mean when you wrote that you got into law school in 2019? In France, do you do law as an undergrad?
I don’t know much about education in France. Can you clarify: you did not finish high school? You wrote " after failing my second year of high school." Was this a typo and you meant second year of college? I assume it is a typo…
Do you think you could write about your travels in an application? Did your experiences give you and more ideas of what you might want from school?
In the US, one thing students can do when they have failed, is take a few classes to prove they can function academically. My own kid did that and then got into their college of choice.
Also, in the US, when a person is depressed, they can get help, support and accommodations like extra time on papers. I don’t know how that works in France.
I think it would help to see a therapist, if you haven’t already, to help your depression and help you make plans. Believe me you are not alone in this situation and I know quite a few young people who have not only done fine but thrived. Please don’t feel you are trapped in your current situation.
If you can, take some classes to prove yourself. If you think school is not for you, that is okay too. Explore other trainings- if you like working with your hands, for instance. But it sounds like you want to go to school. Try to access help in doing that and succeeding. I wish I knew more about the educational system in France and wish you luck!
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First of all,
Thank you!
Traveling through out the world made me realize that I love the engineering field and that I want to study that.
Law school can be attended as soon as you finish high school, same for medical school. They are not graduate degrees in France.
I’ve failed my second year of LAW SCHOOL. (2020/2021) but got my first year (2019-2020)
It sounds like your academic strengths were not in science, but more in humanities, verbal. Do you agree?
Do you feel you failed due to depression? I am so sorry.
Do you have help for your depression? That comes first and foremost.
Is there a path back to school for you? In the US, again, getting proper help/treatment, and taking some classes to prove potential for success, can often result in getting back into school. You passed first year, so clearly you are capable.
I am curious how your travels convinced you that engineering would be a good course to pursue…
You sound, to me, like an interesting person who has suffered from prejudice. I hope you find an environment and path that supports and validates you. You deserve it.
OP, you are still a young person. Never regret the decision you made to travel. Traveling is an amazing and invaluable education in itself. You will never be sorry you saw the world. Trust me on that.
Don’t compare yourself to others. You are you, and not anyone else.
I’m not familiar with the system of higher education in France, but I am sure that there must be paths for adults to return to higher education. Perhaps visit your local library, community job center, or a nearby college to ask about next steps. I hope @MYOS1634 has information to share. She is very helpful.
Please clarify. You got into law school in 2019 but froze school in 2021 after failing your second year of high school?
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Based on what I know of university in France that will be the most economical pathway to becoming an engineer, but I understand there may be hurdles to being admitted if there were previous academic concerns. Start with taking some general course at a college and prove you can do college level work.
If you are trying to enroll in an American university for engineering, it will be more costly and you will still need to document your academic abilities.
Where are you living now? Will your family be helping to pay for college?
@thumper1 OP clarified the failure was second year of law school, not high school.
@compmom I read that later. But it was confusing.
To the OP. I don’t know if career counselors are a thing in France…or not. But if they are, perhaps some time with a career counselor will help you. They can identify your likes and strengths….and dislikes and weaknesses. And help you identify careers that align with your likes and strengths. Some also can give you direction on how to achieve your goals.
There’s a way, even perhaps for Engineering.
What bac did you get? (Série). What were your top 3 scores?
Is there an IUT in your town?
Would you be willing to move? Able financially to live on your own in another town?
If not, are “BTS industriel” programs offered in a school nearby?
Stay away from anything “hors parcoursup” - these are temptint but worthless because they’re not recognized anywhere (anyone with just a bac and no felony conviction can open such a program, even if theyv have zero skills in the subject taught). “Hors Parcoursup” is essentially a scam.
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I am also not familiar with the education system in France. I do have two observations and one wild idea that might or might not be worth anything.
First of all, 22 is not old at all. Many students get a late start. It is very normal for different people to mature and become strong students at different times in their lives. I know a number of people who have been very successful in their lives, and pretty nearly none of them (or us) took the fastest path from youth to being successful. They nearly always had a few failures or wrong turns before finding just the right thing for them.
With regard to engineering, there is a very considerable overlap between engineering skills and mathematical skills. How did you do with math? Regardless of whether you did well in classes, do you feel that you have some ability in math?
If you were in the US, as others have said, the obvious thing to do would be to start off at a community college. If you do very well at a community college that would allow you to transfer to a good university for a bachelor’s degree. I do not know whether they have anything similar in France. I do know that students from France get a break on tuition at universities in Quebec. Quebec does have something called a CEGEP, which at least to me appears to be somewhat similar to a community college. If you have something similar in France it might be worth considering. If not, then it might be worth taking a look to see whether or not you would qualify to attend a CEGEP in Quebec. Again you would need to do very well, very likely for two years, before you would qualify to start at a university. Here is an English language description of CEGEPs. There is of course a French language description also available (just pull down the menu under “English” on the upper right to find French).
https://www.cegepsquebec.ca/en/
Hello! Thank you!
I got a BAC ES, with 11,97 out of 20. My top scores were in writing oriented subjects.
Philosophy 17/20
History 16/20
English and Spanish respectively 19/20 and 20/20
French : 17/20
Sciences : 11/20
Maths : 6/20
This year on parcoursup I’ve applied to economy / finance and law just in case again. Do you think I can transfer to another major whenever the school year starts? But what is the engineering major in France I really don’t know the name.
I am also willing to move to another country, city.
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I suspect that with those scores in math, you would need remedial high school math before you could even consider engineering. Khan academy is free.
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That is very true. Beside of this, after getting an undergraduate degree in France can I apply to US schools for graduate degrees ? Are they looking at your undergraduate grades + your high school grades for graduate degrees or just undergraduate grades ?
I think, travelling aroudn the world and living in different cities / countries gave me a life time experience that I couldn’t have in school for sure. But, it still tortures me. And when I say torture it’s the exact word. Going through LinkedIn and seeing all of my former classmates having wonderful master degrees, criminal law, intellectual property law. I mean and I’m here without degree because I froze school.
I feel like 22 is late, or at least in France I feel like it’s a shame. I have to go through this first I think…
Maybe going back to France is also scaring me… because I’ve been traumatized my whole life by the social pressure…
I’m sorry that things have been difficult for you, but I don’t think 22 is too old to begin your undergraduate studies. Not everyone is ready to take it on right after high school. From an economic perspective school in France will be the cheapest - American universities (even public ones) are much more expensive. If you do well in your undergraduate coursework you might have the opportunity to study here (one of my close friends from France did that - she got her Masters at UNC after doing undergraduate work in Grenoble). American Universities only consider undergraduate coursework for graduate programs - they won’t be looking at your HS grades.
I am also from Grenoble !