Should I go back to College?

[TheGodDamnMaster]

I only just started University in fall 2013 and I'm a 21 year old freshmen. I didn't want to go but minimum wage jobs aren't enough to let me move out of the house so there's no choice. I pretty much bombed the first semester and am now on academic probation because of it. I was lazy, depressed and complete social recluse. I even started seeing the university counselor which didn't help me at all.

Right now I'm on winter break and I'm working a minimum wage job at a movie theater. Today is the deadline for my decision on whether or not I want to go back to school.

The main reason I bombed is because I have very little discipline or desire to excel. I locked myself in my room and spent almost all day on the internet and playing games. I hate myself for it.

I did almost no classwork outside of class and only passed one class because the professor doesn't like to fail his students. I bombed math because I didn't take a math class for 3 years, I dropped out of my programming class because it was too difficult and I failed even PE because I stopped going towards the end of the semester because I couldn't get out of bed in the morning.

Now understandably, my father is VERY skeptical about me going back and wants an absolute guarantee that I won't mess up again. I feel like I have no choice in the matter because the world has nothing else to offer me, but at the same time my father stressed that money is really tight and he can't afford for me to fail another semester.

I'm not a student, I never have been. My study and work ethic has always been poor and I have a feeling that that won't change if I go back.

I don't even know what kind of career or major I want to pursue. I have no ambition at all.

At this point I'm horrified and don't know what to do anymore, I've even had suicidal thoughts because of the stress.

Should I go back? I really don't see many other opportunities...

Edited January 23, 2014 by WhatsStrength

[theadmiral]

I can't read the OP because of the text colour but judging by the topic title, my response would be "Follow your heart, chase your dreams."

[Detective Phelps]

You should go back, but only if you will work hard.

 

If you can't work hard, then don't go back, simple.

[Mr. Scratch]

f*ck, it's almost as if I wrote that.

[Polish_Trucker]

You should. You'll regret it if you don't when you're older.

[El Dildo]

You should. You'll regret it if you don't when you're older.

you don't know that.

 

plenty of people dropped out of or never went to college and don't regret it.

you'll never know where life takes you and a college degree isn't as important today as it was just 20 years ago.

[TheGodDamnMaster]

you'll never know where life takes you and a college degree isn't as important today as it was just 20 years ago.

I would think the opposite is true. What opportunities are available for college dropouts or people with just high school diplomas? Not many I would imagine.

 

I had tried joining the air force a few years back but I am indefinitely ineligible because of my depression and medication.

Edited January 23, 2014 by WhatsStrength

[GTA_stu]

Just go back. But this time don't fail. I think that's where you went wrong last time.

[El Dildo]

What opportunities are available for college dropouts or people with just high school diplomas? Not many I would imagine.

A LOT more than 20 years ago.

 

you don't need traditional 4 year university to be successful.

there are many trade schools ans community colleges that still host a variety of technical programs with guaranteed job placement. there are also many "alternative" secondary educations in the form of entrepreneurial internships at companies who just want to hire someone they can train to do a specific job.

 

you could also literally just follow your passion.

if someone wanted to be a professional photographer (for example), I would tell them that it's much more important to just get out there and do it than spend years and cash on a Bachelor's degree in photojournalism. just dive in. if you have an idea of what you want to do, you can usually just do it and if you're any good the opportunities will follow.

[Frank Brown]

 

You should. You'll regret it if you don't when you're older.

you don't know that.

 

plenty of people dropped out of or never went to college and don't regret it.

you'll never know where life takes you and a college degree isn't as important today as it was just 20 years ago.

 

 

I'm going to call bullsh*t on that, Diablo.

 

The majority of jobs today that pay well enough for you to support a family and yourself on seem to require a college education or at least a vocational degree. Sure, there are opportunities out there and maybe more jobs, but quantity isn't quality. So, there might be 100,000 Walmart jobs, but if they're only paying $7.75 an hour that's not good enough.

[El Dildo]

The majority of jobs today that pay well enough for you to support a family and yourself on seem to require a college education or at least a vocational degree. Sure, there are opportunities out there and maybe more jobs, but quantity isn't quality. So, there might be 100,000 Walmart jobs, but if they're only paying $7.75 an hour that's not good enough.

what you said is correct.

but what I said is not bullsh*t.

 

there are many people who never went to college and they don't regret it at all.

[Frank Brown]

 

The majority of jobs today that pay well enough for you to support a family and yourself on seem to require a college education or at least a vocational degree. Sure, there are opportunities out there and maybe more jobs, but quantity isn't quality. So, there might be 100,000 Walmart jobs, but if they're only paying $7.75 an hour that's not good enough.

what you said is correct.

but what I said is not bullsh*t.

 

there are many people who never went to college and they don't regret it at all.

 

 

I was calling bullsh*t on the importance of a college degree diminishing compared to twenty years ago.

[Ryan]

A university degree is a great asset to have, though by no means necessary. If you have no desire to be at university and do the work that's required of you, there's not much point in wasting your parents money to be there.

 

To be perfectly honest though, it just sounds like you just need to get off your ass and stop being lazy. Doesn't matter if it's university, college, or a job, you're not going to be able to sit at a computer all day and play games or sleep in because you don't want to get out of bed.

[Max]

 

The majority of jobs today that pay well enough for you to support a family and yourself on seem to require a college education or at least a vocational degree. Sure, there are opportunities out there and maybe more jobs, but quantity isn't quality. So, there might be 100,000 Walmart jobs, but if they're only paying $7.75 an hour that's not good enough.

what you said is correct.

but what I said is not bullsh*t.

 

there are many people who never went to college and they don't regret it at all.

 

Sure, and I'm sure there are at least as many who wish they had.

 

The fact of the matter is, none of us can make this judgement for you OP. But if you've already worked hard enough to get a place at University, and you've already identified what you did wrong in the previous term, there seems to be no reason not to go back for at least another semester and try to make the most of it and improve your experience.

 

If you throw everything into University life and still feel that its not for you, then drop out. Not now when you've only half-arsed it.

[A J]

Don't go back, listen to El Diablo, follow your heart, and if you make a career out of your passion, you won't need a certificate to say you have the relevant knowledge. Live without any regret, and if it goes wrong, you can always say to yourself atleast I tried.

[El Dildo]

I was calling bullsh*t on the importance of a college degree diminishing compared to twenty years ago.

 

but that's not bullsh*t either.

 

there are way more opportunities today for people who didn't attend college than there were when our parents had to make the same decision. it's a simple fact.

[Frank Brown]

 

I was calling bullsh*t on the importance of a college degree diminishing compared to twenty years ago.

 

but that's not bullsh*t either.

 

there are way more opportunities today for people who didn't attend college than there were when our parents had to make the same decision. it's a simple fact.

 

 

Sure, there may be more opportunities, but there are also more jobs that require a college degree. I'd honestly have to look-up the percentages of jobs that do/don't require degrees today compared to 20 years ago.

[Max]

I would actually question if there are more opportunities for non-graduates now than there were 20 years ago. Where are you getting this information?

 

I would say there are actually fewer opportunities for everyone, graduate or non-graduate in virtually all Western nations now. For example this study: http://www.equality-of-opportunity.org/files/mobility_trends.pdf states that Social Mobility in the U.S has been stagnant for nearly half a century. With access to jobs and employment opportunities being a measure of social mobility this suggests that things are at the least, no better than 20 years ago. If you take into account the ease of travel in the modern world, you realise that you are competing against a far broader pool of candidates for virtually all positions.

 

There is more competition, not more opportunity.

[Crazyeighties]

I only just started University in fall 2013 and I'm a 21 year old freshmen. I didn't want to go but minimum wage jobs aren't enough to let me move out of the house so there's no choice. I pretty much bombed the first semester and am now on academic probation because of it. I was lazy, depressed and complete social recluse. I even started seeing the university counselor which didn't help me at all.

 

Right now I'm on winter break and I'm working a minimum wage job at a movie theater. Today is the deadline for my decision on whether or not I want to go back to school.

 

The main reason I bombed is because I have very little discipline or desire to excel. I locked myself in my room and spent almost all day on the internet and playing games. I hate myself for it.

 

I did almost no classwork outside of class and only passed one class because the professor doesn't like to fail his students. I bombed math because I didn't take a math class for 3 years, I dropped out of my programming class because it was too difficult and I failed even PE because I stopped going towards the end of the semester because I couldn't get out of bed in the morning.

 

Now understandably, my father is VERY skeptical about me going back and wants an absolute guarantee that I won't mess up again. I feel like I have no choice in the matter because the world has nothing else to offer me, but at the same time my father stressed that money is really tight and he can't afford for me to fail another semester.

 

I'm not a student, I never have been. My study and work ethic has always been poor and I have a feeling that that won't change if I go back.

 

I don't even know what kind of career or major I want to pursue. I have no ambition at all.

 

At this point I'm horrified and don't know what to do anymore, I've even had suicidal thoughts because of the stress.

 

Should I go back? I really don't see many other opportunities...

Go back I had to drop out for health reasons it sucks because I had a full ride scholarship don't drop out

[Panz]

Generally, we've been pushing for more and more education over the years. We're nearly at the point where a college Bachelor's Degree will be the minimum requirement for any decent career...To get one of the higher-paying jobs will require a graduate degree, and then who knows where we'll go from there.

 

I say, with the future of education looking the way it does, go back to school. I have a friend who graduated high school but didn't even start college until he was 22, going on 23 years old. You might feel old now, but imagine yourself thinking these thoughts 20 years from now. And if you're questioning whether or not you should do this at this point, and if you feel like you're not getting to where you want to be with what you have now in life, then it seems like you already have your answer.

 

It's a commitment, but if you keep your eye on the prize, it should be worth it in the end. Take some classes, find an interest, and pursue it. There's no use in sitting on your ass all day hoping for things to magically change when you very well have the ability to change them for yourself.

 

El_diablo did mention that there are more job opportunities for those who don't get an education these days and that not everyone who doesn't end up going to college is miserable. Well, there's some truth in that, but I wouldn't rely on it. You might find a decent-paying job, but you'd have to work non-stop to keep up with a desirable lifestyle in most cases. And would you even enjoy it? Plus, what's the likelihood that you'll find a job you love if you haven't already? Seriously, go take some classes. You don't need to know what your dream career or major is yet. Just explore some subjects, and something will hopefully click.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Panz

[tokyocean]

Do you live in the United States? Have you ever considered community college? I don't know if you're referring to to a four-year school when you're saying "college." Community college might be the better option for you just so you get a feel of what classes are like again. It's also usually much more affordable than attending a four-year school as well.

 

Whatever you choose, make sure you find something that motivates you to attend your classes and to excel in them. It doesn't have to be a thought about the future. It could be more in the present. Maybe it's a friend or a group of friends at school whom you look forward to socializing with. I know this seems corny, but just look for a group of people who share the same interests that you have.

 

To be honest with you, I've been pretty lousy about my classes. It's as if I lost the same drive I had last semester. There are times when I lose the amount of respect or esteem I have for myself. There are times when I feel as if I'm an unattractive dork with no social skills. There are times when I just feel like I should just become a hermit and stay inside the house to play video games. I want to be productive, but it's hard to find that drive when I can't see anything great for myself in the future.

[Lee Everett]

I say, go to college if you are there for the education. That is the important thing. No degree can ever tell you how smart or determined you are.

 

With that said, a degree CAN net you a job (depending on which career path you want to follow). So what do you like to do? Decide that and then try and get an education on that subject. There are jobs that need them, there are jobs that really don't.

 

You say you work in a movie theater right? In 5 - 10 years, do you look at yourself still working there? Time waits for no man.. No matter what anyone here says, whether or not they tell you to go back, or to drop. It's your life, and ultimately you have control over it.

 

One thing I can say though - is don't go into college and put yourself in a whole lot of debt if you're not going to stick it through the end.

[Tyler]

If you want my personal take on it I would suggest taking community college courses and taking a job while doing that, to keep active and slowly assimilate with a routine in a social place. Once you can rely on yourself for a commitment of a higher degree, go to your parents and tell them how much you want to go to college and finish out a Bachelor's in what you want to do. Gradual increase of risk means that you can drop out a year from now and not have wasted thousands of dollars and hours of your time hating your mistakes.

[El Dildo]

You might find a decent-paying job, but you'd have to work non-stop to keep up with a desirable lifestyle in most cases.

I'm actually a college graduate, but I'm afraid that this statement is completely ambiguous and without merit.

 

skipping college does not automatically resign one to a life of 'non-stop' work.

and there's no such thing as a desirable lifestyle to keep up with. what you consider to be desirable for one person could be completely different from what is desirable for another.

 

you've only got one life to live.

live it the way that makes you happy, not the way other people think you're supposed to live it. college is not for everyone and especially nowadays it is not the magical access-gate that it used to be during our parents generation.

[DeafMetal]

First, I just wanna say that a good job does not require a degree. You're not stuck at minimum wage without one. That's a huge myth. Anyone who tells you so either went to college a LONG time ago or isn't old enough to actually know any of it first-hand. What you need to succeed is dedication and confidence. If you don't have the drive to succeed, then you won't. You could have three dozen pHds and be a complete socioeconomic failure.

 

If you are stuck at a minimum wage job, then it is because you want to be stuck at a minimum wage job, NOT because you lack X or Y. Drawing from my own experience: one of my friends has been working at the mall for 4 years now. He started at minimum wage and worked practically everyday, holidays included. Today, he's happy to say that... he still works for minimum wage, everyday, holidays included. It's not because he's stuck there. It's because he conformed. I told him about good jobs a sh*tload of times but he wouldn't listen to me. I even offered him to hook him up with my job when I quit a really sweet gig I had, but he refused to actually lift a finger. And that's just me, who knows how many other jobs he got offered elsewhere. Yet he constantly bitches about his job. He's in a prison of his own creation.

 

Not to yank my own horn, but: on my second formal job, which I got after I quit my first because it was going nowhere, I started at $10.75/h doing factory work. Within 3 months of working hard and getting to know people there, I got promoted to $12/h doing something a tad bit less intensive, and basically second to the line leader. Six months in, I got offered a position in the office basically spending most of my time f*cking around on a computer, according to the ones working there, for $14/h (though I had to quit before that due to school). You have no huge responsibilities right now, I assume, so try to hunt down a job that has some upwards mobility to it. Don't conform. Network, work hard, and be confident and you'll succeed.

 

In regards to college: it has a higher chance to ruin you than helping you. There are two main issues with college: pricing and the fact that not all degrees are created equal. Colleges in the US are first and foremost a business. They are an educational institution second. Colleges will charge for the stupidest sh*t, and obscene prices at that. If you are not careful, they will screw you over like any other big business would.

 

Take for example, a Bachelors Philosophy major vs a Bachelors Computer Science major. A Philosophy major is gonna be met with a harsh job market when he gets out into the real world; his degree will be borderline useless. A Computer Science major will be met with a lot less sh*t from the job market, as his degree is one of the most sought-after by employers in today's job market. Yet, they both end up paying the same amount of money for the degree. The University knows that fully well but it doesn't give a f*ck. It got its money.

 

That Philosophy major will likely end up working the same jobs someone without a degree would for a couple of years, if he's lucky to find a job that would take his degree or any college degree (as there are some that do that) as he gets deeper into the market. Except that he'd have $30k+interest in student loans to pay off that he can't walk away from on top of that. Maybe he earns 20% more than someone who didn't go to college -- he's also paying off an extra big-time loan.

 

That's capitalism, baby. Supply and demand. Businesses demand people who are skilled in certain areas based on how much money they can earn from them. There's a lot of demand for Computer Science majors, and not that many Computer Science majors, so you end up with a pretty good job market and good-paying jobs for them. There's a very small demand for Philosophy majors and a large pool of applicants; you end up with a harsh job market and lesser-paying jobs.

 

If you really want to go to college, then you need to learn how to play the system. Minimize your loans, maximize your potential profits on the large investment you're going to make. First and foremost, find something you'd want to major in that will actually get you a decent job right out of college; i.e., something with a decent job market. If you're gonna be spending $40k on something, make it pay back. RESEARCH! Second, try to borrow as little money as you can. Head to a community college, get an associates degree. That's half of your college education right there at a small fraction of the alternative of going straight four years in a large university (for me, it was one university class = one cc semester in terms of tuition). Cut as many costs as you can while you're in college: pirate those f*ckin' textbooks, try getting internships that would get you college credit, etc.

 

At the end of the day, if you wanna be successful at college, you're gonna need to be a businessman on top of whatever you're majoring in. Either way, good luck, and have some confidence in yourself, man, that's really all you need.

[Purple9]

no

[Danz.]

Dude, go for it.

[Finn 7 five 11]

I say yes, do something you lazy bum. You need to give yourself a desire to succeed, you need to want to be rich and successful, otherwise you won't be doesn't matter what you do.

I highly recommend watching some motivational sh*t, you need to change your outlook on life. Yes I am going to post a little bit of Schwarzenegger material, but also some other stuff, watch a few of them ASAP and see how you feel, if you came here for advice but couldn't be bothered to watch 20 minutes of video, then you probably couldn't be bothered to succeed, couldn't be bothered to do anything, and you won't end up anywhere. At least not at this point.
Also I recommend watching films like the Recent Nolan Batman's 1st to third, the Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith, and Rocky Balboa, the first one. All great movies, the latter option isn't for everyone, but the first two are great, motivational films. You need to suck this sh*t up like a squeegee.

See El_Diablo makes a point about not requiring a degree to go somewhere, but in that case, you need to have a drive to push yourself past all the other people without degrees to get into a position where you can actually earn some money without a degree, and judging by your current attitude, you do not have that, college is a good idea. Seriously watch this sh*t, you obviously can't motivate yourself, so someone else has to do it for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuOnCQhxq4E

Eric Thomas, a bum who had the desire to succeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HutvJgpjDgU

A compilation of clips from various places.

Edited January 24, 2014 by •¿F¡ññ4L¡ƒ£?•

[Raavi]

With that attitude, next semester won't be any different, if anything it will be even worse. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, if you continue to be a lazy good for nothing c*nt, things won't change for the better and you'll likely end up working some piss poor conveyor belt job with the only progress being a pat on the back from your sad excuse for a boss. Slowly but surely you'll waste away in your 1 bedroom shoebox flat, thinking "If only I listened to the voices of reason on gtaforums.."

 

Want advise? I'll give you some. Either get your sh*t together or don't bother going back to college. Because if you do decide to go back and continue on doing what you have being doing this past semester, you'll not be only wasting your own time and your parent's hard earned money but also the University's.

 

A lot of kids whom do have the ambition and the drive but don't have the means would kill for the opportunities you are casually pissing on.

 

If I was your father I'd kicked your lazy ass out long ago.

 

On a lighter note, just think of it like this. The future will happen regardless of what you decide to do now, so why not to push through and try to secure the best possible future for yourself.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Raavi

[TheGodDamnMaster]

Well I spoke to my folks and I've decided to go back. A few stipulations of course.

 

-Laptop and game systems stay home

-Mandatory attendance to 3 student achievement center conferences

-Group therapy offered by the university

-I'm now paying for a portion of the tuition

-Grades to be shared with my father every week

 

There's still some healing to go in the relationship with my father, but he feels this will work out.