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1. 

   gibberade
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Sep '10
   Posts: 92

   Hello ERE community,

   As you may have read in my introduction post, I am an 18 year old student in my first year of university.
   It's not going so well. I'm living in a new city, have few friends, and am stressed out by school. I am living away from my family, aside from one sibling, who I live with.

   The loneliness of moving to a new city is not a problem. Not only can I handle it, I kinda relish it. Just my personality. (That said, I still have met a few nice friends that I DO hang out with. I'm not a total hermit).

   The stress of school is getting to me though. My courses are difficult and right now, overwhelming. My study habits have slipped and I found myself more interested in other things, like reading and websites that I'm interested in, like this one. Worse, I have a GPA target in order to qualify for my scholarship. Boo. I'm seriously worried that I'll fail a class. That's REALLY strange for me. I aced high school and as a result have my tuition paid for. I'm probably over-reacting though. Disastrous thinking.

   In order to do well in school, I know I have to spend a lot of time on it. I'm interested in most of my classes, but my interest dips when the challenges peak. If that makes sense. I.e. Tests, quizes, grades etc. suck all the fun out of learning. Worse, university feels like "big business" to me. It's not a place of learning; it's a damn for-profit corporation that just wants to process students through. University is NOT the atmosphere what I thought it would be, or what it is romantically portrayed as.

   Despite my initial angst, I'll probably stick with it for another 3 years and complete my economics degree. I guess it's just so unfeasible to switch paths now. Friends and family would be shocked. I myself would be quite uncomfortable with quitting.
   Oh well, it's not the worst. I'm still studying something I'm interested in, despite my distaste for this learning environment. After I finish, I'll get a job and start saving for my early retirement.

   What do you think? Any advice, suggestions or comments?
   Thanks.

   Posted 2 years ago #
2. 

   jacob
   

   Expert
   Joined: Jul '10
   Posts: 3,298

   I can't really give any advice because it took me 12 years longer than you to realize this.

   I can confirm that university is way harder than high school. In my second year, I gave up computer games and TV watching. I agree that the learning pace is too high and it is mostly about cramming in information and passing exams rather than increasing understanding. It's really hard to say what will be more valuable down the road: An education or a high GPA. I'd favor the education, but if I was more career oriented, I'd likely favor the GPA. A GPA doesn't really show how educated you are as much as your level of training.

   It's important to realize that the real world of for-profit corporations is not much different from the university. This is a large part of the reason why corporations prefer college students.

   Posted 2 years ago #
3. 

   AlexOliver
   

   Master
   Joined: Aug '10
   Posts: 461

   I take mostly literature courses, which seem to be heavily focused on discussion and essays rather than quizzes and exams.

   I think you have to look at your reasons for going to college--for you it seems to be to make money (because of the economics major)? If I had a free ride, I would definitely major in English or philosophy or something equally useless but stimulating.

   Posted 2 years ago #
4. 

   gibberade
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Sep '10
   Posts: 92

   Thanks Jacob and Alex.
   Jacob: That's a good point in that there's a tremendous difference between an education and a GPA. I prefer the former too. Even if I fail to reach the GPA for my scholarship, my parent's are footing the bill. So I'll be keeping that in mind from now on. Education before GPA. Do you have any tips on how I could put that into practice? I have a general idea - don't study by rote, but rather seek understanding, don't be overly focused on marks, but aim for critical thinking and independence of thought, etc.

   Alex: I'm not doing econ for the money. Not at all. I honestly, deep down, love the subject.

   Posted 2 years ago #
5. 

   jacob
   

   Expert
   Joined: Jul '10
   Posts: 3,298

   I GPA-stupidly signed up for things like nuclear physics and quantum field theory (these are some of the toughest courses) when I could have signed up for atomic or solid state instead which are generally considered easier. Essentially, I signed up for the stuff which interested me rather than signing up for easy grades. I also picked math as my minor (stupid) instead of computer science (easier).

   Eventually, you do get more respect from those in the know; but people looking at GPAs are generally not the ones in the know. So again, it depends on your intended destination/intentions.

   Otherwise, it's really an economic exercise: where do you best spend your limited resource of time and brainpower. It's fairly well known that it's way easier to go from 40% correct to 80% correct than it is to go from 80 to 90%. However, in terms of GPA, there's far more reward in doing the former. If you want to maximize your GPA, you must consider this kind of triage all the time. Never read any books outside the curriculum. If you want an education, you need to ignore this advice.

   I also think an education is more about how you behave than about what you know.

   Posted 2 years ago #
6. 

   S
   

   Journeyman
   Joined: Jul '10
   Posts: 288

   I hated college too, so I can't give you much positive advice. It felt like soul-sucking training to learn to follow orders and be a good cube-farm resident. Though there is a lot of information being tossed at the students, I wasn't feeling much of it stick beyond the test being crammed for. Even if it did stick, is the information as valuable as the tuition being charged when the same information is available on the internet or in a library? I think the *idea* of going to college is that you'll acquire knowledge which is much more valuable. Are you gaining knowledge or just working toward a piece of paper that makes it easier to work at a corporation? Eventually I decided it was a waste of time and quit. My family was briefly disappointed, but they still love me. Most of my friends are college grads and many are in grad school. They don't care if I graduated or not. Good friends and family will be with you whatever path you choose.

   I suppose the deciding factor of stay vs. leave is what your alternative is. I worked as a programmer during the whole time I tried out college, so I had a good job waiting for me. Do you have valuable skills you could turn into a job? Considered learning something more hands-on at trade school? Do you know someone doing something you love who would take you on as an "apprentice"? Perhaps you could stay in school and study something you'd like more? Lots of people change majors. Late teens / early 20s is a big transition period, so if you want to do something other than study economics at university it really is ok to change your mind.

   Posted 2 years ago #
7. 

   smileyriles
   

   Novice
   Joined: Oct '10
   Posts: 18

   gibberade, I fell into the same unsatisfying hole when I hit university. I am in my last year of a four year business degree. I just got to a point where I accepted university for what it is....a piece of paper, an excuse to explore other areas of life, and a stepping stone for other career-like things.

   I moved away from home for school and had few connections. This really bothered me. If you're looking to make some decent cash working part-time, want to meet other young people, and like socializing I highly suggest working in a restaurant serving or bar tending. I work at a red lobster here in Calgary and have gone through school quite comfortably. Before I found ERE my spending habits were quite wasteful. To give you an idea of what you can make:

   On any given Friday or Saturday night:

   Work from 5-11pm, 6 hours, minimum wage $8.80 an hour x 6 hours = $52.80. Add in $80-150 in tips and you're laughing. Walking away with $100-$200 a night. Can start funding your ERE nicely and meet other people in your same shoes.

   Just a thought.

   Posted 2 years ago #
8. 

   jacob
   

   Expert
   Joined: Jul '10
   Posts: 3,298

   One coping method is to consider job/education something separate from yourself, your ego if you will. Then it's just something you do for money. This is the professional approach.

   I'm really bad at being a professional. I probably have too much of myself invested in what I do.

   Posted 2 years ago #
9. 

   gibberade
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Sep '10
   Posts: 92

   Jacob: I want an education. I'm not going to join university's version of the rat race. I feel it's just a waste of my time otherwise. Life is too short to succumb for 4 years. That's how I see it at least. As you suggest, I likely going to enter an easier program (ie NOT honors economics, the most failed major at my university).

   S: Your comments are really helpful if I decide to drop out. I don't have too marketable of skills like computer programming, but I could get into the trades I guess. I'd rather not.

   SmileyRiles: Working a bar is a great idea. However you gotta be bilingual where I live, and I am only intermediate at French. Maybe I could move back home, where its only English, go to school and work.

   Posted 2 years ago #
10. 

    Zev
    

    Master
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 437

    Personally, I wish I would have started college around 25-27 instead of 18. I wanted to study economics--a subject I'm passionate about too--but was frozen out of the department because I messed about freshman year.

    My intellectual drive didn't really ramp up until my mid-20s, which was right after I finished school (I took a 1.5-year break mid-junior year). People often say it's hard to go back to school later, but the limber-ness of a 25-year-old mind and an 18-year-old one, to my mind, is the same. The main difference for me was that I had an answer to "why?" I would like to be in school by that age. In absence of a satisfactory "why?" answer, instead my college career involved a lot of "how?" answers--how to graduate with minimal effort. :(

    What kept me in school (and got me back in school) was social pressure to have an acceptable answer to, "Where did you go to school?" A regretful thing.

    Posted 2 years ago #
11. 

    rePete
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 278

    I started liking college a lot more when I did the exact opposite of procrastinating. Essentially, I earned my free time. Granted my field of engineering might be a lot easier to know when I can solve a type of problem, rather than know when I mastered a concept in economics.

    However, doing as much as possible up front allows a lot more passive thinking while you are doing different activities. For example, I solved a lot of problems in my sleep and while swimming. Ideally though, I'd rather detach my thoughts more.

    Best of luck with your pursuit!

    Posted 2 years ago #
12. 

    George the original one
    

    Expert
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 1,941

    Two tales to tell that may be of help...

    1) I had to back down on the credit hours and change majors from EE to English in order to get my BS General Studies degree in 6 years. The problem I had with EE was we didn't get to try out or apply all the things we were learning, it was just one big knowledge cramming session. In English, I could cruise through paying only half attention and getting to daydream and experiment and I could still work in EE as a technical writer.

    2) A talented girlfriend took the honors route and graduated with a BS Math in 4 or 5 years. She became a Marshall Scholar and went to Cambridge, but flunked out there. Regrouping, she then went into medicine (despite fainting at the sight of blood and when her dog was given a shot!) and came out of that as a psychiatrist over a decade after getting her BS.

    So now that you have some experience with college, I'd say stay in there, but get it to a level that works for you. Don't buy the line that it has to be done in 4 years as most people actually take longer. Employers don't look at how long it takes you to graduate (unless you do so faster than normal).

    Posted 2 years ago #
13. 

    dabble
    

    Novice
    Joined: Oct '10
    Posts: 7

    Hi Gibberade, I am just going to throw a suggestion out there: take any opportunity you can to have direct contact with your professors or TAs, especially any that seem more interesting or approachable. If there are office hours, turn up for them. If you can't think of questions to ask about the course you're taking, just ask them all about their research or research interests -- most academics are really happy if someone shows interest in their research. Chances are a lot of them are as cynical as you about the grading system etc (though they may not admit it to a "customer") but like you, they love the subject. Some of them might be shy, or have terrible social skills, but most will probably be thrilled to be approached by someone showing interest in their subject (and not just asking for a higher grade on a quiz.)

    As a teacher and as a student I think that often the best learning comes from conversations. And some of my own fondest memories from my undergrad years are of the few times I had a chance to chat with a friendly professor. (I went to a big government university where we were mostly taking classes in giant lecture halls, especially in the first two years.)

    Hang in there!
    d

    Posted 2 years ago #
14. 

    Melissa
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 41

    Having changed my major so many times I can hardly count I feel your pain in how long it can take. I'm finally going to get my BS this fall and have my advisors breathing down my neck to apply for the masters program (one of whom I know just wants a cheap research assistant, but thats another story). All I can say is the journey has been the best part. I've taken my time and taken the classes that interested me. While I think this will make me a great home school mom in a few years when I can quit work it didn't significantly add to my employability. I'm fortunate to have an employer that works with my school schedule do I can get my 40 hours/wk (to keep my benefits). After 200+hrs of classwork, (including a few masters level because that was the only level offered for the subject) and a measly 2.5 GPA I feel much more prepared than the average 4 year graduate.
    All I can recommend is that you do whats right for you, If that means getting your degree in 4 years and moving on to higher pay than so me it. If it means learning what you really want to learn and actually improving your mind than your going to have to answer the question "so when is it that your going to graduate?" a LOT :)
    If I had it to do all over I might have put a little more effort into gaining FI earlier, then going back to school (and not getting married straight out of HS - BOY what a mistake!).

    Posted 2 years ago #
15. 

    csdx
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 46

    If you want to get an education and good grades at the same time, you might try taking the easy classes for credit hours/grades and auditing (basically just sitting in) on the harder but interesting ones. I especially loved sitting in on some of the evening grad classes, not to mention my TA was in a class as well, so I actually got to know him better.

    I'll admit probably works best if you're able to pick things up fairly quickly, or are good at learning via lecture. You won't have the time to do the workload those classes normally require. Though I enjoyed hanging around in the labs after hours and in the late night study groups just for the other people (and free pizza sometimes).

    Posted 2 years ago #
16. 

    Marius
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 258

    Hi Gibberade!

    What made me develop discipline and good studying habits during my first year, was that I went to college with my best friend who was a smart and balanced guy. We attended classes together, shared notes, figured things out together. It helped a lot during the first years.
    Maybe one or more people in your class who are friendly and take things serious enough can become such persons for you.

    What also helped a lot was fear of failure. I didn't think I had much chance to make it, but was afraid my future would suck if I didn't get my degree. This helped get my ass in gear. I went all in and... it worked!

    You're getting a free ride! We all have some competitive advantages in life and I think it would be a shame not to use them.

    When you find yourself goofing off too much or considering dropping out, look here. And here.

    As a fourtysomething, let me tell you, four years is NOTHING. :)

    Good luck!

    Posted 2 years ago #
17. 

    AlexOliver
    

    Master
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 461

    @Marius: Correlation does not imply causation. What the cartoon doesn't tell you is that you're just as likely to end up working in fast food with or without a degree.

    "But with a degree you'll make x% more per year!"

    100% of $0 is still $0.

    Posted 2 years ago #
18. 

    Marius
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 258

    @AlexOliver

    Some degrees lead more to fastfood jobs than others. Choose wisely. ;-)

    With my links I wanted to say dropping out doesn't necessarily lead to a more pleasant life (you'll have to work anyway, but will have less choice in jobs and on average salaries tend to be lower - probably because less qualifications usually means more replaceable).

    I've studied law and hated all five years of it. But it got me access to great jobs that didn't even have much to do with law. I currently hold a high income position in a high job security environment and I could not have had that job without my degree. (people who know about my ER plans think I'm out of my mind to give up that job)
    College also had many non-financial beneficial effects on my later life.
    I do have some regrets about certain of my decisions, but zero about not dropping out.

    Please don't think that I look down on dropouts. I don't and in different circumstances might well have dropped out myself. And many friends and some family members gave up on college, yet I appreciate them and love them to death.
    But I don't think most kids who drop out realize all the implications of their choice at the time they make it.

    Posted 2 years ago #
19. 

    Concojones
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 117

    Gibberade,

    Isn't that a luxury problem you're having? You're learning things that interest you! If I'm reading you correctly, your doubt is about to what extent to do the grunt study work that translates to GPA.

    When I'm interested in something, I want to find out all about it, understand all the subtleties. For me, that basically already guarantees a good GPA. Any extra grunt work I do is just optional, icing on the GPA cake.

    It could be, though, that studying is less competitive and more relaxed in my country. What also helped is that I learn much faster than average.

    P.S. I relate to Jacob saying he's too invested in what he does. It's called "intrinsic motivation" and it can be a handicap but a super asset if you find your 'thing'.

    Posted 2 years ago #
20. 

    Don Emanuel
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 90

    @gibberade

    I had the same romantic feeling before college, the first year was acceptable, just standard computer science, math and physics. After the second year finished I thought, this is not that hard, boy was I in for a shock. Workload just tripled out of nowhere, most of weekends and nights were "lost" during the semester, cramming and hunting software bugs late at night.

    I felt my life was controlled by someone rather then myself, I quitted college with no regrets. I work daily with CS graduates, the difference in skill is minimal. What I notice is - they obey more to the rules of career progress & stuff.

    My genuine curiosity in CS got me to build crazy stuff and websites in my spare time, the end result is.. I out-earn almost anyone in my department.

    Just food for though, take care.

    Posted 2 years ago #
21. 

    S
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 288

    Related to what @concojones said, do you enjoy the classes in your major, but not like the required core classes? Maybe you love studying economics, but can't stand writing papers for Literature or get bored doing proofs for Math. I could understand this being a tough choice between spending time on things you're not interested in just for the GPA or concentrating on what you like and enjoying the extracurricular opportunities of college. I've done a fair amount of interviewing, and beyond the first job, no one cares what your GPA was but sometimes who you know can be a big help.

    @Marius As I posted above, I quit school and I'm doing well. I regard leaving as a good choice. I felt like I was wasting my time and saw a lot of opportunities outside of university. Those who completed college think everyone should and those who didn't or just skipped it entirely don't think it's so important.

    Posted 2 years ago #
22. 

    gibberade
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Sep '10
    Posts: 92

    Thanks for all the support everyone. Your anecdotes and advice is very helpful.
    Maybe it's just a bad phase I'm in right now with school. Maybe things will pick up and get better. We'll see.
    S, you're correct. I'm taking a physics class right now - big mistake. I'm struggling and don't find it enjoyable at all. I used to like science quite a lot. Now, not so much. I do like my economics classes and my math class though.
    I would have no problem quiting school, but I guess the problem is I don't have another opportunity waiting for me like you guys. The skilled trades don't interest me a whole lot either.

    Posted 2 years ago #
23. 

    Zev
    

    Master
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 437

    @gibberade Perhaps you could start looking into summer internships in the economics field to keep yourself motivated. If at some point you feel the will to continue in school contracting again, perhaps this and other internships will provide an opportunity to take extended leave from school while also pursuing your interest.

    Posted 2 years ago #
24. 

    Marius
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 258

    (I realize I'm being a bit of a bore and a sourpuss. I'll try to lighten up and be more succinct)

    @S "As I posted above, I quit school and I'm doing well."

    That's great. :) Steve Jobs and Bill Gates also dropped out and are doing well too.

    I suppose it all depends on WHY you drop out. If you want to spend the rest of your life as an entrepreneur, have a realistic business idea and what it takes to exploit it, then you probably have a very good reason not to go to college.
    Or if you're a star programmer and think you can stay in IT forever or until you're FI. (the best programmer I know dropped out and is doing fine, he's a genius and I don't think anyone cares if he has a piece of paper to prove it)

    But someone who just drops out because he's bored may simply not realize that in the real world the point of college is not to spend four years doing stuff you're passionate about, but to obtain keys that open doors that otherwise would remain closed and would limit your options. I admit that if obtaining those keys requires heavy loans, then it may not be worth it, but in my country and in Gibberade's case it doesn't.

    "Those who completed college think everyone should and those who didn't or just skipped it entirely don't think it's so important."

    I agree.

    But I know some people without higher education who have regrets, and - no disrespect intended - it's my impression that those who tell kids that they don't need to go to college are NEARLY ALWAYS those who didn't complete college themselves.

    Some of those who give that advice are succesful entrepreneurs.

    But I know cases where less nice motives seem to be involved. One of the dropouts I know tells kids to get a higher education... but not higher than what he achieved "because that's useless". (I think he's just jealous and frustrated)
    His wife is an artist and she has literally said that she wouldn't be able to tolerate that her child would later become more succesful than herself as an artist. I wouldn't take career advice from these two... They have many qualities that I admire, but this is what I consider their dark side.

    College isn't right for everyone and only a minority can handle it. But don't think twice before dropping out, think a hundred times. Later, circumstances may not allow a second try.

    Posted 2 years ago #
25. 

    S
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 288

    @Marius I have pretty much the same opinion as you. Going to college is a good default choice. What I dislike is that it's often presented as the *only* way to have a good life when there are plenty of other useful things a young person can do depending on their talents. I view it like giving blanket advice that everyone should buy a house. That is correct for many people but there are other options for housing yourself with different advantages based on your personal situation.

    Unlike the people you mention, I don't think going to college is useless at all even though I personally didn't like it. Academics have contributed a huge amount to human knowledge. I appreciate that architects and engineers get a lot of practice designing before actually producing something that gets made. The amount of studying required to have a good understanding of law seems monumental. Of course there are many examples where college is useful.

    I might be a bit of a sourpuss too. I know you're just trying to help gibberade out. I think for him staying in school probably is the right choice.

    Posted 2 years ago #
26. 

    AlexOliver
    

    Master
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 461

    "Going to college is a good default choice. "

    Unless you'd have to go into five figure debt to do it.

    Posted 2 years ago #
27. 

    Maus
    

    Master
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 504

    I suppose the first thing to realize is that the scholarship is a recruitment and retention tool offered by the university for its purposes and not necessarily for yours. Don't make the money the reason why you remain in a program you are not passionate about.

    I can empathize with the OP's problem. I started university with a scholarship to study chemistry at a world-class institution. But with professors more interested in research, and teaching conducted by brilliant grad students who barely spoke English, I got lost pretty quickly. Of course, I considered Bs and Cs to be tantamount to failure when in fact they simply meant I was an average student amongst a group of peers who had all been elite at an earlier stage. I knew I had to change majors when my advisor insisted that non-science courses should be taken on a pass/not-pass basis. Of course, those courses in history and rhetoric were the ones I excelled in and had no difficulty acing.

    If you want to get into an elite law school or business school, your GPA is going to be a factor. But I can honestly say that no employer or prospective employer has asked me what my grades were. They wanted to know what I'd studied and why to see if my interests alligned with theirs. I didn't get into Harvard or Yale or Stanford, but I did go to a top-tier law school, where I graduated in the bottom half of the class. Were my employment options limited? To a degree, but not as catastrophically as certain elements of society might want you to thin. I think pursuing grades to the detriment of an education is a road to folly.

    Posted 2 years ago #
28. 

    Frugal Vegan Mom
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 31

    Hi Gibb,

    I can totally empathize with you. I graduated from college in 2005. I was excellent at math and science (and everything else) in high school, but school was HARD for me when I did my engineering degree. I was really off-balance and probably depressed for a good portion of those 5 1/2 years. (Ha, btw, physics was my WORST class!)

    For me though, I didn't know any other way. Going to college and getting a job was just what you did. I never thought of dropping out, I was getting my degree and getting a job in engineering, even though I had no idea what that really meant or how my classes applied.

    If I'd had some other passion, I probably would've pursued it, but I didn't, so a "good paying" major seemed like the best route.

    Don't know what to tell you. If there's any way you can take a break for a year to explore other options and still come back and have a scholarship opportunity, go for it.

    Feel free to mail me, I can really, really relate to your position!

    K

    http://www.frugalveganmom.wordpress.com

    Posted 2 years ago #
29. 

    EU_US
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Oct '10
    Posts: 38

    Gibberade,

    I am new to this forum, but came across this thread.
    Don't drop out school. This for 2 reasons: one is the money you already spent (unless you got grants/sholarships) and secondly because having a degree most likely would help you to get a better job, quicker and be promoted. Well in some places like gov agencies you don't need a degree to get promoted.
    College is very different than high school, more study, less fun etc. I have two engineering degrees. The first one I got in Europe and all I can tell you is that it was much harder then in the US. I had to attend school 6 days per week/ 8 hours per day. I wasn't working because it was really hard to keep up with the school and tests were very different than here. The second degree, IT, I got here in the US and it was easy in some ways, but stressful in others. I went to school full time taking all kind of courses (like oposite in structure) that my teachers were amazed I could do it. But I wanted to finish up my school as soon as possible and get a job and I did it. Even I was full time I had a day off of a shool per week when I was delivering phone books. I needed a flexible job and this worked great for me. I was making a few hundreds $ per week which was fine with me since I didn't have bills to pay.
    The best job idea though is to get an intership. It will help you a lot and if the employer likes you, it would hire you when you graduate. I got an intership for a large international medical company getting paid pretty good money and I could have continue to work for them as supervisor, but I chose a gov agency over because of their great benefits. I had lots of fun as intern and I wasn't working hard at all, I was doing software testing and a little design too.
    There are other few oportunies for you as student: work in a store ( I perosnally hate to work in a bar/restaurant), Mistery shopper: it's flexible, but it might take some time to make money.
    Good luck to you!

    Posted 2 years ago #
30. 

    jerry
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 36

    I spent 2 years teaching math and cs at a small college in the 70's and I saw a lot of students go through what you are going through. If the things that challenge you most in your major are the least enjoyable, you probably should look for a new major. I think that it is a mistake for most people to pick a major in their freshman year if they can avoid it. Sample what the school has to offer and find out what you really like.
    A recipe for an unhappy life is picking a career based on what other people expect of you.
    jerry

    Posted 2 years ago #
31. 

    firefighter
    

    Novice
    Joined: Aug '10
    Posts: 18

    you said you were not into the "skilled trades"

    reconsider... to a degree.

    stay in school, but
    find 10 hours a week and pursue something you're
    interested in that's "blue-collar",
    hands-on, practical; whether it pays a wage or not.

    you're 18 years old, you need to spend some time
    away from the books, too.

    Posted 2 years ago #
32. 

    Kevin M
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jul '10
    Posts: 211

    I'd strongly discourage quitting now, especially with others footing the tuition bill for you. If you quit and end up going back what are the chances that would happen a second time? If your course load is truly too hard, drop a class or 2 and make it up later. Also, you don't really have a better alternative lined up.

    Also, this probably sounds lame, but a little stress can be good for you. Personal example - I'm trying to grow my CPA client list but it requires doing things that are uncomfortable to me - networking, marketing, calling attention to myself. I'm like Jacob, I think the work should speak for itself, but sometimes a little promotion is necessary. The end goal for me is to hopefully run my own company in a few years and work when I want to work. A little stress now, nice reward later (hopefully).

    Posted 2 years ago #

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