Semester Off- PLEASE HELP!

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>There is literally a week before I'm slated to return to my second year of college. and its not out of laziness that I dont wanna go but there are a multitude of things that have me comtemplating a semester off. Please give me your thoughts, this is really troubling me and is a big dilemma because I am the first person from a pretty poor family to even make it past one year of college and my brother who took a year off from college never went back and manages a fast food joint (not good) and my other brother took off, never returned, went to some phony technical school that landed him a 13.00/hr salary at some electronics warehouse which he seems very munch content with (not good).</p>

<p>Back to me, the financials arent looking too hot. I started off on full scholarship my first year. This year i'm about half way there and I dont have the single parent unit who is willing to go out of her way to take out a loan and invest in me. First semester I did ok with a 3.3 Anyways besides that I lost some of my scholarships bc of a partying and drinking habit that I picked up second semester which left me with just over a 2.0 (so not good). All of the work in the world didnt save me and while i was turning in the work, it didnt matter because i was downgraded because of lateness and absence that i incurred earlier and no one gave a hoot. So its not that I was a bad student, I actually sobered up and did the work but they didnt care bc of absence. I must also note I have enough free grants and scholarships to cover a full ride for a semester so financially it seems like a good idea. I can spend that single spring semester that I return raising my gpa so I can reapply and regain scholarships and a new fafsa in which im elgible for a $9,000 grant- all this a year from now.</p>

<p>On top of that, my housing confirmation for the fall semester mysteriously got lost and there is no guarantee I will have housing bc this is the same MD school that just recently said flat out no juniors or seniors can live on campus and even went so far to put seniors in a lottery for beds, puts 3 freshmans in rooms made for two and in the next 4 years plan on increasing their enrollment in the thousands to compete with College Park . So it seems that housing is out.</p>

<p>On top of that even with all this stuff, its the summer time and Ive had a really lax summer and if i go back i will get caught back up in the whole party scene as everyone is begging me to do now. Things have just been too relaxed even at my cushy law firm job that ive been working at for three years they just let me get away with stuff. Im looking for a real world experience and something to actually motivate me to do better and stuggle so that when i do return to school I will be about business, not partying oversleeping etc and slacking off. its only a semester, literally 3 months September to December to get myself together some money together, get some focus and drive and get on the right track and then return a changed student. Im also a polysci major very active in local politics and politics is my life and im thinking of using that time to work on a campaign and i can use that experience also when i get back to school. Work really hard that semester. </p>

<p>Or should I get loans and commute, just go part time, or at least take one easy A class to bring the gpa up a little bit but. </p>

<p>I know this is a bit much but I only ask this question because i dont have a family who know the first thing about college and/or could speak from experience. Or just not return to college because Im a slacker.</p>

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<p>you expect me to read all that?</p>

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<p>hmmmm maybe post this in the Parents Forum?</p>

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<p>BMOREYO - identifying the problem is half the battle - the other half is to stop being such a slacker that you admit to be - either grow up and get a handle on things or don't waste the schools/peoples time and energy and $$.</p>

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<p>No offense, Im not admitting to being a slacker at all. I figured thats what Id be labeled upon someone reading this. I realize my mistakes. I just partied hard for one semester. And im just considering taking a leave to focus, regroup and get it out of my system. I feel as though if I went back now then as you say i would be wasting school's/people's time, energy money as well as my own.</p>

<p>Thanks though</p>

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<p>BMOREYO - slacker = partier - you have to make the difficult decision to either get serious about an education or to 'get it out of your system' - that is growing up.</p>

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<p>dont be so harsh on the guy, i know he had a 2.0 or watever which is bad, but every1 parties in college dont act like he is alone. </p>

<p>bmore: learn to balance the partying, i recommend not taking a semester off cause you might get stuck in a rut outside of college and not be motivated to go back (if you can afford going full time). i wish you best of luck and hope you graduate.</p>

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<p>you just need to learn how to manage the partying and learning at the same time. It may be a blessing in dsguise that you are not getting housing; because usually commuters have a harder time going to parties and stuff, because they have to budget time for transportation and commuting (and if they drink, they need to find another way home so they don't drink and drive), or you'll have to figure out whose dorm you will sleep in after etc.</p>

<p>DEFNITELY DO NOT LEAVE for the semester, because from what i've read, you seem like the type of person who would not go back, and your family life seems to show that no one at home would push/encourage you to return to school.</p>

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<p>"BMOREYO - slacker = partier - you have to make the difficult decision to either get serious about an education or to 'get it out of your system' - that is growing up."</p>

<p>jeepmom, you should stop being such an ignorant cunnus. partying a lot hardly means that youre automatically a slacker.</p>