Giving Up on College

[Terminal7]

Today... Well for a while now,  I've been stressed out about the college admissions process. Honestly, it doesn't help that my GPA isn't amazing and my SAT Subject score  wasn't amazing. 

I only got an abysmal 1580 (Math 1, Physics, and US History; No prep). I was only put in the 21 or less percentile for each section, which only makes it embarrassing to not only me, but the program that I go to.

I also missed 2 Standard SATs(First for identification, second  for something wrong happening with the school)

All the deadlines are currently closing and I have no choice but to sit here and regret my actions and ignorance. I need a whole bunch of information that I can't get, and the amount that they ask for is on a tedious level.

It's killing me on the inside that so many people have high expectations of me that I can't even come close to reaching. The only thing I can worry about now is graduating and terrible senior stuff which is already keeping me low.

How did you guys fair with it? 

[Vallium]

I had a 3.1 in high school and decent SAT but I didnt get into the colleges of my choice.

For the best, I suppose. I now realize there are other things i can do than 6 years of college. A simpler plan would be best for me like a two year college and work in the field

[TheGreatFanatic]

I only think college would be important if someone needed a degree to get a job they want.

I find algebra and all of those things pointless and hard.

 

[Skullmiser]

In my senior year of Highschool, I took a college writing class, and one of the assignments was to write a college application essay to help explain the kind of person you were, accomplishments or role models were suggested subjects. I wrote mine on my Role Model Spock, which received a "C" grade, but got me accepted into a school that I didn't end up attending anyway.  I just could not become enthusiastic for anything in that or a few other classes until I started challenging myself to include Star Trek in all of my assignments. Casey Smythe, my teacher, late that year told me," No more Star Wars references," to which I, stunned, replied," Okay!"    

I heard that some students would intentionally flunk senior courses, so that they would avoid change in their lives, and spend another year in school.

My grades were remarkably average. I think state colleges are very easy to get into, and community colleges even easier. I was told I probably wouldn't get into a good school, and that I should do two years of community college, and then transfer to a major university, but I didn't do that. I just went to Nothern Arizona University for four years.  It wasn't very fulfilling, and now I have student loan debt, and no job that uses my Biology degree.

[jcstinks]

I did terribly on the SATs. Then I went on to community college, transferred to a four-year college, got a bachelor's degree, and went on for my master's.

There's nothing wrong with going to a state school, or starting out in a junior college.

[Terminal7]

3 minutes ago, TheGreatFanatic said:

I only think college would be important if someone needed a degree to get a job they want.

I wanted to go in for computer science, but I did so terribly on the AP exam it made me come close to hating it all together.

 

The only thing that I seem to be consistently good at is writing and I don't know how I'm supposed to be financially stable with that. 

[Vallium]

Community colleges take everyone

[Pignog]

you don't have to go to college right away or at all, although it is a good predictor of socio-economic mobility. many people take a year or two off after high school to work (i went this route). You'll save money, get job experience and develop some useful habits that freshman often lack -- like showing up to a place on time everyday. Some people don't go to college or university until later in life. I guess what I'm trying to say is that your life's not over.

We don't have the SAT in Canada and mostly use high school grades for admission, but after a few years these don't really matter and you can be accepted as a "mature student." Do you know if there's an equivalent in the US? Consider what WolfNight said too; community colleges usually have lower entry requirements, they're cheaper, you can upgrade your math abilities there, and you can transfer to a university as well.

[PastryOfApathy]

I never did SAT's since fuck that shit lol

Just see if your local universities have a transfer program. As in you get your associates in community college (which are cheaper and will take literally anyone, even if they honestly shouldn't) and once that's over you go into uni with your credits intact.

[KookyFox]

I absolutely suck at arithmetics, (my average in 12th grade was 9/20, and I passed the final exam of highschool with a miraculous 11/20 in maths), I have a slight case of dyscalculia which basically makes 90% of my calculations end up wrong, or end up making me forget what I'm doing in the middle of one. I did o.k in biology (15/20 12th grade average but a decieveing 12/20 at the exam ) and decently in physics (12/20 12th average [seeing how I can't get a result right it's good] but a decieving 11/20 at the exam).

Yet I'm studying at University as a Physics and Engineer Sciences major, it's tough, especially as my dyscalculia is doing worse especially with the very bad conditions of living I'm in now, but I try my best, and that's what matters to me

Then again I know our two systems are different, Universities here are public and free, and required to accept every application, only that they just make the first couple of semesters hard, so as to have only the best carrying on, and of course the most motivated.

 

When it comes to inscription, it's all centralized on a shitty online platform here, and you MUST file for at least 5 applications in higher ed after high school, ordered by preference, the highest one accepted on the list becoming your new affectation.

[#00Buck]

If you don't have a 100% clear career chosen don't bother. 

Student loans will haunt you for the rest of your life. 

[Brazen]

Go to trade school?

[Luca]

I know it feels daunting, but believe me you have way more options than it seems. You can recoup from this and get back on your feet. Taking a few years off is not bad and nor uncommon or starting at the a community college. Figure out what you would like to do for sure, and if you can make a living doing it. Think about it twice even, but don't stress just yet.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Luca

[Terminal7]

3 minutes ago, Brazen said:

Go to trade school?

I considered this so many times It's not even funny.

[Lucyfish]

I did one semester of college, and then I realized that college in America is a complete fucking joke so I left.

[Barnectomy]

1 hour ago, Skullmiser said:

In my senior year of Highschool, I took a college writing class, and one of the assignments was to write a college application essay to help explain the kind of person you were, accomplishments or role models were suggested subjects. I wrote mine on my Role Model Spock, which received a "C" grade, but got me accepted into a school that I didn't end up attending anyway.  I just could not become enthusiastic for anything in that or a few other classes until I started challenging myself to include Star Trek in all of my assignments. Casey Smythe, my teacher, late that year told me," No more Star Wars references," to which I, stunned, replied," Okay!"    

I heard that some students would intentionally flunk senior courses, so that they would avoid change in their lives, and spend another year in school.

My grades were remarkably average. I think state colleges are very easy to get into, and community colleges even easier. I was told I probably wouldn't get into a good school, and that I should do two years of community college, and then transfer to a major university, but I didn't do that. I just went to Nothern Arizona University for four years.  It wasn't very fulfilling, and now I have student loan debt, and no job that uses my Biology degree.

At first I thought maybe it wasn't going to be one of those posts. Then my world came crashing down

[shadowsinhiding]

1 hour ago, Skullmiser said:

 I wrote mine on my Role Model Spock, I just could not become enthusiastic for anything in that or a few other classes until I started challenging myself to include Star Trek in all of my assignments.my teacher told me " No more Star Wars references," 

 

[AlastairSnowpaw]

College is most likely what you shouldn't do if you're trying to get a job or earn money. College will make being financially stable extremely hard and is not worth it. You don't go to college to make money, you get a job, get job experience and work your way up in those 4 years to make money. However if you want to learn more about certain subjects and further your education then you should try to go to college. Though you may wanna go to a community one first then transfer to a better one you like. However from the sounds of it you don't really like this and it would prolly be bad for you to go to college since it adds way more stress and you seem more money centered.

That being said SAT is a terrible measure of skill and it is meaning much less in applications for colleges, so don't worry about it.

I don't really think it's worth mentioning my process of my high school year since i was in such a radically different situation (in terms of stuff like mindset) from you it would be hard to apply your situation to. That being said i had an average GPA and a shitty SAT score but ended up going to a great university. SAT is becoming more and more irrelevant with college applications now a days, which is good cause it's really stupid.

Edited January 23, 2016 by AlastairSnowpaw

[DrGravitas]

No one experience can sum up all of college/university. For some, it might not be the best option, but for others it can unlock greater opportunities. Don't be discouraged just because one particular path seems closed to you. On the other hand, be careful not to dismiss an option just because you or someone else here has had a bad experience with it. For me, college was extremely valuable. But, my one of my siblings found it intractable.

Consider discussing your options with a school councilor, if you haven't already. They can help identify a reasonable path or perhaps even help you learn what you want to do to.

Edited January 23, 2016 by DrGravitas
I accidentally a word.

[willow]

are you required to take the ACT?

[Azure]

 

dont let the SAT get ya down or make you feel dumb, its just a test that becomes totally irrevelant forever the moment you get accepted to ANY college. if it makes you feel any better i got a 1580 back when it was out of 1600 and im a total moron. you can acquire knowledge anywhere, but its what you do with it that matters. maybe get a jobbyjob type thing, save some bucks, get some experience from life, travel a bit maybe. never understood why so many are so keen to piss their youth in perpetual toil so they can be rich when they are old. college can wait a year, ya know?

[GamingGal]

4 hours ago, Lucyfish said:

I did one semester of college, and then I realized that college in America is a complete fucking joke so I left.

This is pretty much my feeling on the subject.

Unless the field you want to get into REQUIRES a degree, like a science or math field, then don't bother. Honestly. My girlfriend is a nursing major, and that requires a degree, so I'm totally supportive (if not a bit on edge) of her going to school. On the other hand, I want to be a writer. My main interest in degrees would be in English or Journalism. Neither really need a degree to get into the field. Sure, it might help, but I figure in this instance it shows better if you have a very well put together portfolio to show instead of a piece of paper. No one can teach you to be good at something like that, you know?

That and college screwed me over. I took a few years off after high school, which means I can't use my high school GPA now to calculate my eligibility for scholarships and grants. The colleges and government still say I'm qualified as a dependent even though my parents don't claim me on their taxes and I've been paving my way the past four years, which means my loan amount I can receive has plummeted. I tried going to a good university, but it was so expensive I could only afford two classes a semester. I tried going to a community college and convincing them I'm independent, but they threw a lot of paperwork at me and demanded I contact my parents (who don't want to be involved in the matter). On top of that, I owed the loans back to the previous university, so they wouldn't give me my transcripts, which was an issue cause the community college required them, so there was nothing I could do until I paid back the $1500, so I stopped trying. It wasn't worth the hassle anymore. That and I got so smacked in the face when I went. Three fourths of the professors didn't seem to give a damn about the classes they were teaching. I even had one who knew less about the class than we did (and she was at the university!). I would go to these classes and become so disgusted with the fact that I was paying about $1000+ per class to sit around and listen to someone tell me something I could just have easily learned via Google. It was pointless to me.

So, now here I am paying back the loans for those few credits I got with no degree to show for it. But, honestly? I'm happier with my little normal person job. I make hella good money, about $600 a week, and I didn't need a degree. The money is letting me pay off these loans and live comfortably while trying to figure out a way to break into the writing world, mainly editing my book to publish eventually. My point is: you don't need a degree from some fancy schmancy school to be successful. You might not even need a degree at all. Just focus on what's BEST for YOU at the moment and take it day at the time. And if you aren't sure what you want to do as a career than DO NOT waste that money. It'll just come back to haunt you.

[Kinare]

Biggest regret of my life was going to school. Pressure from parents and society in general made me think I had to get a super awesome amazing job that you can only get from schooling. Problem was, I had NO idea what I wanted to be until I was 21. I had vague ideas, but nothing solid so I could start properly planning. At 21 I had decided on becoming a vet tech, but I was foolish about the path I chose to get there and the few classes I managed to get done before running out of money are non-transferable because it was a technical school, so I literally wasted 3 months of my time and $20k in student loans (just from that 3 months, I have about $5k more from the before and after attempts).

I still want to be a vet tech some day, but I will never be able to crawl from beneath the student loans to pay for the courses needed to get certified. A couple years ago I had to stop paying every single one of my bills just to keep up with the big student loan payment because if I had let that go it would come back on my parents who co-signed and it's not fair for me to let their credit get destroyed because I made a terrible choice. They did help me pay it when I couldn't, but they can't afford to completely take it over.

After that failure, I had some good long thinks that lead me to taking care of older people. When I turned 18 my neighbor's wife needed assistance, so I helped her (I eventually left because I got a job in retail for min wage and my neighbor was only giving me $5/hr to take care of his wife and do a shitton of yard work). She was extremely dependent on others to do the most basics things (totally paralyzed), so I got to see what it would be like to do all of the things you might dread doing when considering this as a career choice, plus some. I might not have considered this as a career had I not had that experience because the thought of some of the things you have to do for people is very much a deal breaker for a lot of folks and it's definitely not fun. I don't make much more than minimum wage, but it is livable as long as I stay full time, even with the student loan payment. I still have not started paying back any of my other debtors because now I have to pay for utilities/rent/internet/phone/car insurance, but at the very least I'm able to cover my living expenses, so someone without a $220/m student loan payment will be able to do just fine. I did need certification for my job, but it only cost about $2k (course and exam cost combined) and was only 2 weeks long. All other certification (CPR and first-aid) is paid for by the company I work for. Soon I will qualify for health insurance as well, so definitely not too shabby.

[Taikugemu]

Debt? Pfft.

[laughs in "free" higher education language]

[GamingGal]

The few GOOD classes I had, I quite enjoyed. I had one professor, an English professor, who delighted me to no end. He legitimately loved what he did and he put forth new ideas and fostered imagination. Sometimes me and a few other students would sit with him in his office and just bounce ideas and thoughts off each other about the world. Although, he did confide to me that, due to the way the college was treating professors in efforts to moneygrub and become a university, he was being paid poorly. So poorly that, despite having two bachelors and a masters, he could make more as a manager at Home Depot >.> Another reason why I despite college now.

But, yeah, college was great when I found the few good classes and people who wanted to be there. Otherwise it was for the birds.

[Hewge]

Eeyy good for you, buddy!

[Spot]

Good for you! Who needs college?

Edited January 23, 2016 by Mr. Fox

[AlastairSnowpaw]

18 hours ago, Rhíulchabán said:

All these college horror stories, sheesh... I never knew people hated it so much.  I am quite enjoying college so far and finding it to be an enriching experience (not to mention, I need it to get the job I've always wanted, so there's that).

I loved college and has been the biggest growth in my life as a person and it was some amazing years. But college is forced on way too many people who shouldn't go and really can't go because they can't realistically afford it.

[M]

5 minutes ago, AlastairSnowpaw said:

I loved college and has been the biggest growth in my life as a person and it was some amazing years. But college is forced on way too many people who shouldn't go and really can't go because they can't realistically afford it.

College is the biggest factor of delusional freedom. Good, you got a degree which the market is already over-saturated with, and now you're fucked working somewhere to pay off that debt slavery.

Land of the free? $1.2T in student debt. :^)

 

[AlastairSnowpaw]

Just now, M said:

College is the biggest factor of delusional freedom. Good, you got a degree which the market is already over-saturated with, and now you're fucked working somewhere to pay off that debt slavery.

Land of the free? $1.2T in student debt. :^)

 

yea that's why you shouldn't go to college to try and get money. i personally went to better myself as a person. I also am in a very fortunate position since my mom is a professor at the university i went to so I ended up with 0 debt because of that.

[Alexxx-Returns]

I came out of school at 18 with very average grades. And most people who apply for med school have the highest grade in almost every subject (and they do like 12 GCSEs ad I only did 9, and they do 4 A levels and I only did 3) so it was laughable that I was trying to compete with them for a place in the first place. I re-sat exams at school and went on to study biology a year later at 19, and I didn't even get into med school on my first try applying. So I spent the next academic year making myself a better candidate and overall person by working and gaining a little experience in health care. And I saved some money up (well, whatever didn't get spent on giant dragon plushie a anyhow).

and now I'm 23, and probably the least academically qualified person who ever went to med school. So my point is, if you really want it, you'll find a way even if it takes longer than it takes most.

[AshleyAshes]

11 minutes ago, AlastairSnowpaw said:

yea that's why you shouldn't go to college to try and get money. i personally went to better myself as a person. I also am in a very fortunate position since my mom is a professor at the university i went to so I ended up with 0 debt because of that.

Getting to go for free might give you a somewhat skewed view the value of a post secondary education...

[AlastairSnowpaw]

Just now, AshleyAshes said:

Getting to go for free might give you a somewhat skewed view the value of a post secondary education...

yea which is why i didn't post my experience at first, cause i'm in a very different situation than most, also most of the time i have been saying he shouldn't go and that college is a poor choice for most people.

[evan]

On 1/22/2016 at 4:21 PM, Terminal7 said:

Today... Well for a while now,  I've been stressed out about the college admissions process. Honestly, it doesn't help that my GPA isn't amazing and my SAT Subject score  wasn't amazing. 

I only got an abysmal 1580 (Math 1, Physics, and US History; No prep). I was only put in the 21 or less percentile for each section, which only makes it embarrassing to not only me, but the program that I go to.

I also missed 2 Standard SATs(First for identification, second  for something wrong happening with the school)

All the deadlines are currently closing and I have no choice but to sit here and regret my actions and ignorance. I need a whole bunch of information that I can't get, and the amount that they ask for is on a tedious level.

It's killing me on the inside that so many people have high expectations of me that I can't even come close to reaching. The only thing I can worry about now is graduating and terrible senior stuff which is already keeping me low.

How did you guys fair with it? 

I would say that testing and that section of your life is really kind of the hardest part of the process. When I was auditioning for schools I dropped several auditions out of fear and got waitlisted and eventually rejected for the only one I felt I really needed to succeed at, and the one that people were pushing me to make. I felt almost exactly how you did, and thought I was doomed to be a permanently unworthy candidate for higher education. What I realized is that generally even those sorts of things cannot control whether or not your future will turn out well as much as how you use that information and how much you learn to stay focused on the goals that you intend to follow through on. You need to determine what you know you want to hold on to, and remind yourself that within the fear of failing to meet expectations, the more important goal is to meet your own.

 

I won't answer whether college is fitting for you, that's not my place. however applications, in my opinion, deserve the above information for consideration.