Especially considering the prices of homes, when you're talking a differential of double or triple...yeah, it just can't be done.
Yup. It just doesn't make sense. I do think I will need a lifetime supply of Advil for the headaches I'll have with the screaming kids though.
I'm a big believer that college isn't necessarily for everyone. Certain individuals might be better off going down a different path. But! Making blanket statements that college is overrated is ridiculous. I know it's silly to feel that way, but I'm exactly the same. I just think I'd have a hard time feeling good about myself. She feels the same way, though, which is a big part of us not wanting to have kids.
Some of the most successful people in this world have no post secondary education. A degree is not a ticket for a free ride IMO. Lots of hard work, some patience and a drop of luck.
Maybe college just isn't for you, it's not for everyone. Ever consider a trade? On another note about not giving up, I have dropped out three times of three different programs, I'm currently going back for a forth try.
Don't think that this is the end of the world. I will add my name to the list that have been removed from their first go-round at college. Get back on the horse ASAP. Hit up your local community college. Find a degree program you like, not something that looks neat, or will look good on a resume. Get that degree. Or just take the semester or so worth of classes that it'll take to get you eligible to re-apply to the college.
Three things come to mind that you should consider. 1. If you go back to school, and you ever drop below a 2.0 GPA again, I think you need to seriously reconsider how you're studying and how much time you're devoting to your work. I'm going to sound a little harsh here, but bear with me - regardless of who's "fault" the low GPA you mentioned is, you were the one creating that GPA. That should have been a warning light, right there. "Studying hard" is not enough - if you're aware that you're doing poorly, seek help from anyone you can - professors, TAs, fellow students, etc. Hell, I try to bar myself from TFW as much as I can when I'm studying for really intensive stuff. Sometimes you just have to shut everything out, buckle down and get the shit done. 2. If you decide to wait a few years before going back to school, you can use whatever job experience you accumulate during that period of time to explain your absence from school. If you decide to get back on the ball as soon as possible, you need to figure out who to - eloquently and carefully - word the description of your academic dismissal so that you acknowledge the mistakes you made and recognize that you'll have to work harder again. Don't, for one second, play the blame game in any essays, interviews or other attempts to go to another school. It's just going to come off poorly and will not earn you much consideration in the eyes of an employer or admissions officer. 3. If you're simply not interested in finishing college, there are an awful lot of service professions out there that pay pretty well and take care of you while you're becoming certified, trained, etc. Electricians, mechanics, technicians...there are tons of basic trade schools out there that can help you put together a certification or degree program. For starters, if you're so inclined, check out the local IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers). There's nothing bad or wrong about switching to a service profession too - those careers will always need employees, will pay you comparatively well - some get as high as $40-$50k a year - and you'll always be able to put food on your plate. Good luck, my friend, and remember - nothing's ever sealed in stone. You can change this up, but it's gonna take a lot of hard work, devotion, and blanking out past problems in order to focus on the future possibilities.
One of my coworkers never finished school... and now he's head editor for our station... I finished college and I can barely pay my bills... It's not the end of the world... I thought maybe you just killed a hooker....
Shoot 5 years ago I thought I was going to graduate college with a PHD in psychology, start my own practice and marry a Psychologist. How wrong was I.
I meant if I was doing nothing (constructive) at all, it wouldn't be like that if I was a house husband.
Thank you for your kind words, everyone. It means a lot to me that people care enough to read and offer advice/support. I've found a decent community college nearby. This way I can earn new credits and hopefully keep my current job. After a year or so I may be able to transfer back to the university. It may go well, it may not. All I know for sure is that I'm going to do whatever it takes to get my life back together.
Yeah, I agree. I'm a CPA and was deciding if I should do my Masters or Phd and decided not to...I can say that 90% of what I learnt in schoo, university etc has never been applied in my working life! I also shudder to think what the next generation will need in terms of paper qualifications to have a sustainable living or make "decent" money. In my country, one can literally forget about "climbing" the corporate ranks without a degree etc. The ironic thing is that I and my peers have seen less "qualified" people doing better work than the so-called "qualified people. Paladin, this is just a minor set-back...its not how many times a person falls but how many times he/she gets up and how quickly aa lesson is learnt.
