Quitting College

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Yes, I'm a sap looking for somewhat serious help on an internet forum. Advice and input, really. Maybe I'm just being a wuss?</p>

<p>I'm going to be a junior this year. I go to a good school. I get decent grades. I'm involved on campus. And I'm tired of it. </p>

<p>I really don't think I want to go back to school this year. My plan was to graduate early this year with a degree in linguistics, take a year off, travel maybe (if I have the money) and see where I go. Maybe go to grad school in a few years. At least I'd have my B.A., and that's something, right?</p>

<p>But I just don't think I want to go back. I don't know what I want to do now, in the future, with the rest of my life, I don't know if linguistics is the route I want to take, and I don't want to take out another 16K in loans when I don't know what I want to do. I'm just not interested in anything anymore. I have no passion for it. For anything. Nothing sparks my interest, no subject they offer, no class I take, and I'm perfectly content to stay at home and babysit my nephew or do whatever. I've felt this way since I was a junior in high school, but I went to college anyway, hoping I'd find an answer, but in my first two years there, I came up with nothing. </p>

<p>My parents have never influenced my decisions, but they're the reason I was going to stick it out for another year and graduate, because my mom really wants to see me do it, but I don't think I can. I just don't want to. I know, I'm acting pretty childish here, but I just have no reason to go back, I don't think.</p>

<p>So that's the story. I'm lost as to whether or not I should stick it out, graduate with whatever degree I can this year and take a year off next year, or just not go back at all, for now.</p>

<p>I don't think me taking a year off now would result in me never going back, either. If I want to, I will. I just don't want to go right now, though. No, I have no plans as to what I'd start doing if I didn't go back, but I know that my parents would mind me leeching off them for awhile longer. They'd be disappointed, but they'd let me stay at their house.</p>

2

<p>Have you discussed this with your parents? I started to feel the same way at one point last semester. Ironically, it was because I was a linguistics major as well, but I hated it. I ended up dropping one class and opting to take a C+ in the other because I surely didn’t want to fail the final.</p>

<p>But hey, if you can graduate early this year and you’re getting decent grades, why not just wing it? It’s just one more year. I know it might be tough, but you’re sooooo close. Sooo close. What other things are you interested in? There has to be at least ONE thing. For me it was English, which is why I’m majoring in it instead of linguistics :)</p>

<p>I’m curious, if you don’t mind me asking: What made you want to major in linguistics? I did it because I want to pursue a degree in Speech Language Pathology and I thought it would fit when I apply to graduate to pursue a M.S. in SLP.</p>

3

<p>…Mush, that’s so similar to me, actually. My four year college plan was to graduate with a B.S. in Speech Language Pathology and B.A. Linguistics (haha), but since I want to get out now, I changed it to three years, and just picked one. Linguistics seems to be a broader field for someone with just an undergrad, and I don’t know if I actually want to do SLP for the rest of my life (I’m not as sure as I once was), so I chose the less specific one. I actually was debating changing it back to SLP, but that’s just more confusion to the mix, since I don’t know if I want to, and to do anything in the field, you need your Masters. </p>

<p>I do like linguistics, and I enjoy languages. I enjoyed it at first, and still do, but I just don’t know if it’s career worthy or anything. That’s why I went the SLP route, since it’s so related, and I thought I would love it. Now, not so much. </p>

<p>I’m not really interested in anything else such that I’d want to stay longer to do it. I like history, but I can read history books on my own, and I don’t think I want to make that my life. I don’t know. I’m just very confused about what I want, and I don’t want to spend all that money on something I’m so unsure of. I’m just, quite frankly, not interested in anything. At all. Nothing seems worth it. </p>

<p>I have discussed it with my parents, and they really want me to stay. Well, we didn’t discuss it in depth, because they get exasperated and say “You know how we feel!” and leave it at that.</p>

4

<p>When I was in something that was very much like your position a long time ago, I just started taking as many courses as I could so I could graduate ASAP and have the BA. As it happened, I found something that I was passionate about while I was finishing, and I slowed down and changed direction.</p>

<p>But I wasn’t in quite your position, because I wasn’t going to have to borrow 16K.</p>

<p>I don’t know what I would have done if I had been in your position back then. I was not good at standing up to my parents. (I’d done it in a few cases when I felt very strongly, but I didn’t do it often.) If I were in your position right now, though, and I thought I could get a job that would pay the bills and let me get started on paying my debt, I would probably withdraw for now, but be very careful about taking on responsibilities (like a car payment) that could end up being very burdensome if I decided I wanted to go back. (Commuting on public transit gives you time to read, anyway.)</p>

<p>That’s not to say that that’s what you should do. I don’t know what you should do. I don’t think you’re being childish, though.</p>

<p>I do know that when I started working, not just after-school or summer jobs, but day after day after day with no end in sight unless I found another day after day after day job, I had a much clearer idea of why education is important to me. I had a much clearer idea of why having credentials is important to me. And I had a much better idea of the difference between the two things.</p>

<p>But I also know that almost any BA will open doors for you that are closed to you now. How many such doors, especially right now, I don’t know. And I’m capable of being happy with a small paycheck and an entry-level job. I don’t know about you. So there’s something to be said for just steamrolling through and getting the credential.</p>

<p>Good luck figuring it out. I hope that whatever decision you make is something you can look back on 5 years now and be happy with. I realize that this post is probably of no use to you at all, and I hope you get better ones.</p>

5

<p>I’m kind of in your position right now so I don’t know what to tell you.</p>

<p>But you may need to transfer to a party school and major in business…that’s what I’m doing currently.</p>

6

<p>If you don’t know what you want to do by your junior year then, just personally, I wouldn’t take out all that much in loans. That’s a lot for one year, especially with interest and especially considering the other years too. You’re going to need to make sure there are jobs out there for you to pay that back.</p>

<p>What about trying some kind of volunteering or internship program? Something like Americorps might be interesting to you- plus they have education awards that can go towards paying back loans.</p>

7

<p>Working 45+ hours at a dead end job is worse. College is less time consuming and more fun. I don’t want to go back, mostly because the people in my major are really ignorant and have a narrow perspective, and there’s a lot of biased profs. The reason I don’t want to go back a purely because college didn’t meet my expectations as a means to express and share ideas and Learn to see things differently. </p>

<p>A year off is a good idea. Do something different. Get a job that makes you realize how much work sucks, which will motivate you to go to school. A lot of my friends aren’t in school because they don’t want to study anything, so they’re just enjoying themselves.bthen again, I think most people tend to get frustrated with their major a couple of years into it.</p>

8

<p>I used to work at a university, and I often had re-entry students come into my office to lament that they didn’t stay in college when they had a chance. Before you know it, life passes by quickly and you are married with kids, wondering, “If only I’d…” Yes, you might have to take out 16K more in loans, but if you leave now, you will still owe 32K (assuming you took out 16K each frosh and soph year) and not have a college degree to show for it. You have already made a substantial financial investment in yourself, and it would be a bummer to throw it away. BTW, my brother also took out student loans and then quit college in his junior year; he is kicking himself for having to make large student loan payments each month, while still making a pretty low salary (because he only has a high school diploma). Just my 2 cents. Good luck!</p>

9

<p>I was thinking whether you should take a year off after graduation instead… a degree should give you more opportunities, even if it’s a sucky one. Go :)</p>

10

<p>Thanks so much for the input everyone.</p>

<p>The thing of it is… I just don’t care. I don’t care that I won’t have as good of a job, or opportunities, I don’t care that I have loans to pay back, I don’t care I’d be dropped from health insurance, I just don’t care. I should, and I know I should, and I used to, but I just don’t anymore. </p>

<p>Honestly, if I took a year off, I’d do nothing. I probably wouldn’t get a job, I wouldn’t study, I’d do nothing, which is exactly what I want to do. I have some money I could use to start paying off my loans, but it wouldn’t last long. </p>

<p>God, I sound like a spoiled brat, and honestly, given my upbringing, I should be the farthest thing from it. I just don’t want to do anything, especially go back. </p>

<p>I want to gut it out and just get the stupid B.A., but right now, I don’t care, and I haven’t for a while.</p>

11

<p>QuittingCollege, I would strongly suggest you stick it out. We all feel like quitting at times, whether it be school, career, relationships…whatever. As some of the others said, you have already made a substantial investment into the process. You will regret not finishing. Just delve into this year and get through it, try to network, find out if you can help any of your professors with their research, volunteer at something. Good luck! Hope by this time next year you will have your degree and a job to boot!</p>

12

<p>

</p>

<p>Wrong. Volunteer? What kind of selfish, high-IQ, low-GPA narcissistic liberal artist like the OP is going to run out and volunteer at something? Never gonna happen, not even worth mentioning. What’s next? Are you going to suggest he join a bowling league or join some club at school full of losers?</p>

13

<p>Are you my daughter? Get the degree, be done with it, THEN do “nothing”, if that feels right. Remember what you did this summer. Does that feel right? Did I tell you what I did this summer? Love you!</p>

14

<p>The comments to the OP had been unfair.</p>

<p>But I suggest to the OP that you can try volunteering — start by running for the student council, and/or the people with learning disabilities around you. Why people who have LDs try so hard to work on their dreams of academic achievement and still stick it out in college, whereas many people elsewhere who have the abilitiy to stay on in college quit and drop out, like maybe Alicia Keys or Tiger Woods? (Sorry, not referring to anybody here on CC) (Btw, read my assumption here: I think people who choose to apply to a college and attend it, despite their immense talents, should just stay on in college as they chose to do college in the first place with their ability to read, write and think consistently.)</p>

<p>I’m just a soon-to-be freshman though.</p>

15

<p>Sarah Silverman dropped out of college, and she’s doing okay for herself.</p>

16

<p>She isn’t even funny…</p>

17

<p>

</p>

<p>I don’t think so. They only “unfair” comments are Whistle, and does anyone seriously listen to that kid? </p>

<p>Ruenn, I do volunteer, during school and outside of it. I volunteer with cognitively disabled persons, and in the summer, at the animal shelter, among other things that come up from other organizations. I plan on continuing that at least, should I drop out.</p>

18

<p>You have been in school for over 15 years. It’s one or two more years. Chances are you will not go back to school in the future if you leave now, epsecially with your attitude. Also, regardless of the degree, I think you are better off being a college graduate than a high school graduate. Like some mentioned, why not a business degree? You think you will get more satisfaction in life out of sitting at home babysitting?
One thing to look into is taking a semester or year off, just to take a break if you need to. Many colleges would find that acceptable and would be glad to grant you a leave of absence for a while. Still, taking that much time away from school will make it harder to go back, and I don’t recommend it unless you really need the time away.</p>

19

<p>Very good. Keep on volunteering and do what you love. You truly have an altruistic reason on pursuing your dreams :D</p>

20

<p>Please do not be offended at this suggestion, but I suggest you see a career counselor/therapist. They can really help you out. My freshmen year of college, my parents were pushing me to do pre-med and I was incredibly miserable. I too felt like quitting college. </p>

<p>Also, have you considered studying abroad? If you want to travel, that would be one way to allow you to finish your degree while technically changing it up. </p>

<p>Personally, I think you should apply to study abroad spring semester, with your emphasis in linguistics it should be easy for you to find a good study abroad program. That way, instead of sticking it out the whole year, you only have to stick it out for one semester.</p>