College Leave of Absence

[63dot]

The moral, I left college and went back when it felt right. Lucky for me it felt right in my 20's and I didn't waste too much time dicking around. Maybe that's what it will be for you but my issue was not being lazy, that is a trait I simply do not possess. Hopefully you grow out of that because it won't really be useful in the years to come.

Good luck.

+1

My story is almost identical to this one. Not everybody has to go to school at 17 or 18 and promptly finish in four years. There are so many options besides that path.

College isn't high school so there's no race to finish and get out along with your peers because you are on your own and you write your own ticket. It's a fun, but also sometimes hard part of being an adult.

I was torn between music and school so I did both but at different times. I got about a couple of years of school out of the way only because I felt I needed that but was always wondering "what if" on the music side. I did manage to get a minor radio hit and later play a lot of live gigs. This culminated in seeing my favorite band live and after all that I went and finished a couple of degrees. When that was done, and when I found out that it's not always that much about college being related to work, or to life, I returned to music. I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy school until I gave music a try and I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy music until I got the school out of the way. I always felt jealous of those who did one or the other and had no doubt which way to go, but after it's all said and done I did both even though many in both my lives doubted it very much and were often no support.

Time is on your side and you are young and maybe finish up a semester, even with bad grades, and return to that after you have given music a fair try. When you get some music, or a lot of music, out of your system you can always return to school if you like because those completed units are not going to go anywhere.

There's nothing worse than giving both half a shot and being 30 or 40 wondering what life would have been like if you did one or the other. We are in a free country so by all means do both.

I hope this helps.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I understand what your trying to say. How many years did you takena break for?
I mean I am lazy but I wasnt this lazy where to the point where I barely study. Before it was like 3 hours but now its like 30 minutes. I think I am going to leave for home now. And thanks for your advice.

I was out for 4 years.

...

now is the easiest time you wil have to dedicate for school. It will only get harder the older you get ...

Exactly. I don't totally regret my decision except that it was so much harder. To have to work full time in the profession I am still in and go to school was never easy. A lot was lost during that time, a lot.

Im not dropping as i said im taking a break. During my break at home i will try to explore, get advice, and the like.
Well, not failing 2 classes only 1 but the other very close. I spoke with an advisor today and she dropped thefailing one and added a mini half semester course.

She added a class when you clearly have zero desire to be there? She's the last advisor you should be using then unless you did not tell her that you're just not interested in college right now. Essentially she is giving you a way to start fresh but it seems as though you're not trying to avoid the failing grade so much as you're not ready for college. Are you required to carry a certain number of hours? If not, get out of that mini semester since you know you're leaving at the end.

Also, when you go home I thought you were going to work. It does kind of sound like you're going home to dick around and try to find yourself. If that is the case I think you need a solid soul-searching plan.

 

[Tomorrow]

You think I've been doing nothing during my high school years? Since there's a sudden drop in productivity between college and high school I MAY not be college material, but don't tell me for sure that I am not.

I'm glad you mentioned this. When I was in high school, I was an honors student - straight-A's, had my choice of colleges, etc. I went on to school in an honors program, lived in the honors dorm with a bunch of other kids like me. I ran with a group of guys, eight of us total, all of us incoming freshmen and the "cream of the crop," academically speaking. Within three semesters, seven had either flunked out or dropped out. I transferred to a different school where I promptly failed four of my five classes in my first semester. It took me a year and a half to get my act together and decide that college was important enough to work for it.

Long story short, just because my friends and I were aces in high school didn't mean we were ready to be successful in college. I'm the only one of that group who finished school, but I'm not the only one who's successful today.

You put such definiteness in your answer why choose "you ARE" instead of "you may".

If you read my original reply, I actually did qualify my statements - I even said it could just be that you're not ready for college yet. It's not a personal attack, it's an evaluation of how you described your situation; in other words, exactly what you asked for.

Also, why delve the knife deeper, are you that inhumane?

Do you want me to give you sound advice, or tell you what you want to hear?

Here's a good suggestion, and food for thought: prove me wrong.

Stay in school. Pull your head out of your rear end, do some very serious soul-searching, and decide that going to college and succeeding is what you really want, and that you're willing to put in the effort and discipline it takes to get it done - and then do it. I mean that sincerely. Think of it as tough love, if it helps. But in all honestly, coddling and telling you that everything's going to be okay is not going to help you through this.

I'm telling you this because it happened to me, and to many others I know. It can be done, if you're willing to work at it - but even if you're not, there's nothing to hang your head in shame over. You just have to decide how important it is to you.

 

[GrandPhrase]

+1

My story is almost identical to this one. Not everybody has to go to school at 17 or 18 and promptly finish in four years. There are so many options besides that path.

College isn't high school so there's no race to finish and get out along with your peers because you are on your own and you write your own ticket. It's a fun, but also sometimes hard part of being an adult.

I was torn between music and school so I did both but at different times. I got about a couple of years of school out of the way only because I felt I needed that but was always wondering "what if" on the music side. I did manage to get a minor radio hit and later play a lot of live gigs. This culminated in seeing my favorite band live and after all that I went and finished a couple of degrees. When that was done, and when I found out that it's not always that much about college being related to work, or to life, I returned to music. I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy school until I gave music a try and I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy music until I got the school out of the way. I always felt jealous of those who did one or the other and had no doubt which way to go, but after it's all said and done I did both even though many in both my lives doubted it very much and were often no support.

Time is on your side and you are young and maybe finish up a semester, even with bad grades, and return to that after you have given music a fair try. When you get some music, or a lot of music, out of your system you can always return to school if you like because those completed units are not going to go anywhere.

There's nothing worse than giving both half a shot and being 30 or 40 wondering what life would have been like if you did one or the other. We are in a free country so by all means do both.

I hope this helps.

I honestly feel like crying in your arms (no homo) cuz that post made me cry. I feel like you are someone I can really relate to and may be having a similar dilemma as you had. It really helped a lot and removed some heavy load off my mind and shoulders.

People like you are just.. (Beautiful) no homo

 

[GrandPhrase]

I'm glad you mentioned this. When I was in high school, I was an honors student - straight-A's, had my choice of colleges, etc. I went on to school in an honors program, lived in the honors dorm with a bunch of other kids like me. I ran with a group of guys, eight of us total, all of us incoming freshmen and the "cream of the crop," academically speaking. Within three semesters, seven had either flunked out or dropped out. I transferred to a different school where I promptly failed four of my five classes in my first semester. It took me a year and a half to get my act together and decide that college was important enough to work for it.

Long story short, just because my friends and I were aces in high school didn't mean we were ready to be successful in college. I'm the only one of that group who finished school, but I'm not the only one who's successful today.



If you read my original reply, I actually did qualify my statements - I even said it could just be that you're not ready for college yet. It's not a personal attack, it's an evaluation of how you described your situation; in other words, exactly what you asked for.



Do you want me to give you sound advice, or tell you what you want to hear?

Here's a good suggestion, and food for thought: prove me wrong.

Stay in school. Pull your head out of your rear end, do some very serious soul-searching, and decide that going to college and succeeding is what you really want, and that you're willing to put in the effort and discipline it takes to get it done - and then do it. I mean that sincerely. Think of it as tough love, if it helps. But in all honestly, coddling and telling you that everything's going to be okay is not going to help you through this.

I'm telling you this because it happened to me, and to many others I know. It can be done, if you're willing to work at it - but even if you're not, there's nothing to hang your head in shame over. You just have to decide how important it is to you.

I'm sorry, I don't want to argue with you. I apologize for being overly sentimental and trying to reject some sincere honesty, only being irate at what I don't want to hear. I know you're trying to help and putting some "genuine" into me, and part of that is trying to toughen me up. I didn't mean to filter out and hear only what I chose, but I guess it just happened.

Thanks for the anecdote - maybe college isn't for me who knows? But I guess only well-used time (not just time) will tell.

 

[63dot]

I honestly feel like crying in your arms (no homo) cuz that post made me cry. I feel like you are someone I can really relate to and may be having a similar dilemma as you had. It really helped a lot and removed some heavy load off my mind and shoulders.

People like you are just.. (Beautiful) no homo

I am so glad I was help today. Being the crazy guy here who started the political forums more than ten years ago (under different name with 8,000+ posts) I found there were tons of people I probably pissed off to no end. At least something like music has fans from all points of faith, politics, philosophies. I believe everybody is an artist and some (maybe not that many) are called to do it full on, and whether that translates to a job can be icing on the cake. In my lost years as a rock musician, I got to meet a few famous people in the business and got to hear about the pros and cons of the music business. We often hear about the glory side of it, but when it's all said and done it's a job first and if you are lucky, something that can help release the creative force in you.

Good luck on your quest.

 

[Leet Apple]

I'd say toughen through it, then take next semester off and get your head in the right place