Thinking about dropping out

College Confidential Community
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<p>Not sure if this is the right place to put this, but here it goes.</p>

<p>I'm a freshman at UIUC, majoring in English and Political Science, planning on being an English teacher and maybe one day a lawyer. Or, at least, I was.</p>

<p>I can't quite describe what it is, but there's something about college that just isn't fitting me. My grades are OK (3.7 GPA first semester, getting all A's and a B for my current midterms), but the stress of things are getting to me. I'm starting to think that I'm not cut out for college.</p>

<p>I constantly pull all-nighters, even when I don't have to. I'm a chronic procrastinator. This hasn't affected my grades yet, but it has affected my health; I was 150 lbs entering college, and I now vacillate between 135 and 140, and I am 6'4''. I stayed up for three days straight a few days before spring break and started hallucinating, and now I'm terrified that my bad habits are going to start having some serious physical consequences.</p>

<p>School isn't the only thing that gets me down. I have leadership roles in two extracurriculars, and the clubs are suffering because of my inability to get my **** together.</p>

<p>Worst of all is my failure to make a really good friend. I have plenty of friends to hang out and party with, but I don't have any friends who I can just talk to and know they have my back. I had a few great friends like this in high school, and I try to talk to them as much as possible, but going to different schools is driving us apart.</p>

<p>I'm also going through some personal issues which I'd rather not talk about.</p>

<p>I think maybe I'm just having a hard time transitioning, but no one else I know seems to be having it as bad as I do.</p>

<p>Can anyone help me out and give me some advice about what I should do?</p>

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<p>My two cents…You actually seem to have assessed your “situation” well, in my opinion. You recognize that you are not taking care of your body, which is affecting your life both in school and activities. You have described this as a transitioning issue, with expectations not matching your reality.
You know life is about choices. You have an overview, now what do you like about it-what do you not like? What do you feel like you can realistically change now, what needs to be changed in the long term.
This may not be about dropping out of school…this may be more about shaping the kind of person you want to be. Does that make sense? -APOL</p>

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<p>I think you are very well in touch with the situation and that is a great place to begin reconstructing your life…most importantly-my first thought- you should seek out some professional at school/home who can provide you with much much more than any of us will do with a quick post…
that being said…here are some of my thoughts…
you sure do have a lot on your plate!! so much to organize and keep up with…no wonder some things are not being accomplished even to your own standards…you may want to re-examine what is really important to you…make a list of priorities and start to cross out the few at the bottom…and work your way up until you have a list that is made up of things that are most important to you/things you enjoy and then you may become less overwhelmed…
regarding true friends…I have heard this very same thing from a cpl of other college fresh/sophomores… not sure, but considering one the these kids I know very well…who has a very full schedule - similar to yours- is spread so thin that he tends to go from one activity/obligation/group/class to the next on his and has yet to really connect with any one person/group…wonder how many other students feel this way??? wonder if dorm selection plays a part in this??
so go find someone at school…at home…someone you can turn to right away and who can help you then find the right person to work this all through with…</p>

<p>best of luck!!</p>

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<p>Have you ever thought about finding a therapist and psychologist to talk to? I had some of the same issues that you have and it can definitely help to talk to someone professional.</p>