Dropping Out Of College

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='Era Might' date='27 September 2009 - 08:38 PM' timestamp='1254105486' post='1973516']
Thanks to everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it.


The thing is, this decision is about living, not about "making a living." In terms of "making a living," staying in school is my best option. But in terms of actually living, I'm not sure I can endure school much longer.
[/quote]

I think Terra gave the best advice so far. Honestly, I don't believe school is for everyone, because some have a different purpose in life that schooling doesn't help. If I could quit school right now I would. But like Terra said, if you do decide to quit, do it smart and wait till the semester is over (at least unless you still have time to drop your classes officially).

Edited September 28, 2009 by goldenchild17

[Era Might]

[quote name='goldenchild17' date='27 September 2009 - 11:06 PM' timestamp='1254107198' post='1973529']
I think Terra gave the best advice so far. Honestly, I don't believe school is for everyone, because some have a different purpose in life that schooling doesn't help. If I could quit school right now I would. But like Terra said, if you do decide to quit, do it smart and wait till the semester is over (at least unless you still have time to drop your classes officially).
[/quote]
The deadline has passed to drop the classes and have them erased from my record, but I can still drop them without affecting my GPA. They will just show up as dropped classes.

[eagle_eye222001]

Stay in and finish. Find something to do make it bearable.

You'll be in my prayers.

[jkaands]

[quote name='Era Might' date='27 September 2009 - 09:38 PM' timestamp='1254105486' post='1973516']
Thanks to everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it.


The thing is, this decision is about living, not about "making a living." In terms of "making a living," staying in school is my best option. But in terms of actually living, I'm not sure I can endure school much longer.
[/quote]

Stay in and get your degree. If you don't, you will really regret it.

If you have completed your requirements for your major, take something else a little more practical, like science or business. What were you planning to do with English--teach? Take teaching courses. Change your direction IN college.

It will be much harder to return and complete your degree later. You'll be married with children, if you aren't already, and have to take night school. You may not be able to transfer or get credit for all of your previous course work. You may be limited in choosing your courses by the expense of those courses. It is also much much harder to study once you're 'out' of the milieu and have a dozen other things competing for your time.

It is well-documented that having a college degree means a lot in one's financial bottom line, and that 'almost' finishing isn't the same thing as finishing.

Everyone gets tired of school; of marriage; of child raising; of life. The key is to finish what you've started and to postpone today's inconvenience and fatigue for the good that is to come.

[Theoketos]

smell of elderberries it up and finish.

Offer it up.

You are more likely to get that janitor job with a degree then with not.

[Jaime]

[quote name='Era Might' date='27 September 2009 - 09:41 PM' timestamp='1254102087' post='1973500']
I certainly can't argue with that, and really that consideration is the only reason why I [i]haven't[/i] already dropped out. But I need a challenge right now in my life, and school is just...just killing my sense of being alive. Robert Frost is ringing in my ears right now:


[/quote]

You don't know if you can bear the next six months


But you need a challenge in your life?


Era, I say this with all due respect. Don't be an idiot. s[color="#000000"]u[/color]ck it up finish your degree and then do whatever you want. And let me tell you something, this cr[color="#000000"]a[/color]p about "Oh its just an English degree. I can't get a job I want with it." Is a load. What employers are interested in is whether or not you have the discipline to finish what you've started. I've got degrees in Theology and Psych. With that, I've done church work, overseen marketing for a corporate division responsible for a half a billion in sales each year and I've run non profits. Quitting this short of the goal line just tells any future employer that you are a quitter. Can you come back and finish later? yeah but you're 24 now. You started later and, let's be honest, you cut bait now and your chances are for coming back are pretty small. Now if you are fortunate to have a family business to fall back on, by all means quit and let your family take care of you. My guess is you probably don't.

Its 8 months dude. You can do that standing on your head. After that do whatever you want. But I'll tell you something, the people who blather on about "life experiences are more important than a degree" usually don't have the degree and are trying to make themselves feel better.. I've got tons of life experiences and I've got degrees. (BTW a lot of my life experiences were not related to my degrees)

Life experience gives you wisdom. College degrees gives you options. Also, the job market stinks to high heaven. ANYBODY who can squeak byfor 8 months studying and not having to look for a job is way better off.

[pat22]

smell of elderberries it up?

[missionseeker]

Era, I totally know how you feel. I am taking 11 classes and working almost 30 hours a week. And I have to wonder sometimes if it is even worth it. Usually, I think not. I am supposed to graduate in May. Not sure that I can. I am also pretty sure that if I don't, I can't afford to finish. I feel like if I had a minimum wage full time job, I'd be doing so much better living-wise than I am now. At least there is down time there. But... I guess I just have to keep on truckin' cuz in the end, that minimum wage job will not get me to Canada to visit very often. I agree that Terra gave some good advice. Perhaps you could switch schools and the classes actually would teach you something. Also, just to warn you, a long distance relationship can make these feelings worse. If I wasn't tied down by school and school payments, I could afford to see Jeff more. I could afford a phone plan that would allow me to call him more. Ect. Maybe you switch to a Spanish major.


[quote name='Terra Firma' date='27 September 2009 - 09:19 PM' timestamp='1254104387' post='1973512']
Quit, if that's what you think is right. If you're going to do it, though, be smart about it. I would recommend not quitting in the middle of the semester. All you've done so far this semester, should you decide to take it up again later, you'd have to redo. Plus, if you quit mid-semester it looks bad on your academic record, and you have to go through a lot of explanations if you decide to pick it up again. I would also recommend researching how long your credits are good for finishing the degree. Your prof should be able to help you find out that sort of stuff.

My husband stopped short of getting his degree. He has since worked very hard in his family's business, and now makes a comfortable living, more than enough to provide for himself and a family. He is very like you in terms of self-education, and over the years has accumulated a deep knowledge of history, along with a sizeable library. It is quite possible, with enough work and ingenuity, to be successful doing exactly what you would like to do. I say, go for it. If you find your way would be smoother with the degree, then come back to it when you know what you want to do with it.
[/quote]


[quote name='goldenchild17' date='27 September 2009 - 10:06 PM' timestamp='1254107198' post='1973529']
I think Terra gave the best advice so far. Honestly, I don't believe school is for everyone, because some have a different purpose in life that schooling doesn't help. If I could quit school right now I would. But like Terra said, if you do decide to quit, do it smart and wait till the semester is over (at least unless you still have time to drop your classes officially).
[/quote]


SERIOUSLY, GUYS???? A NEGATIVE POINT FOR THESE????? That is just dumb.

Edited September 28, 2009 by missionseeker

[littleflower+JMJ]

Era, you have got to be kidding me. I really think you should finish. Really its a shame to not finish and to reject an opportunity to finish your education when its available to you now. I think you are only looking at the now and not the future. You are also going by emotions/feelings and those come and go like the wind. You don't know what the future holds or what God has in store for you and right now it looks like the choice would be to finish. I would understand if you had a family business or a health issue, or a family obligation that requires you to not complete it but right now you have time, your age and everything in your favor to finish quickly. Its not that much longer. Nine hours is incredibly small amount. You can be a janitor if you want but be one with a degree.

[Era Might]

One option is to just drop my senior thesis project, which is really taking up a lot of my time. I love what I'm researching, but it's hard to be excited about it when my other classes weigh me down, first with time, and then with the toil of having to do assignments that I don't care about. By the time I finish with those other classes, I just have no interest to really work on my research project as I would like. I can cruise in my other classes, just by turning in the assignments, because I just need to do what the professors expect. But in my senior thesis, I'm working for myself, and cruising through this project is not an option, because the project is not about a professor's assignment, it's about my interests. I think I could become a robot for 8 months to finish my other classes, as long as I don't have the senior thesis reminding me what real interest is. My professor friend that I mentioned is also my thesis advisor, so I'll discuss this with him tomorrow.

[Apotheoun]

I dropped out of college in the 1980s, and then worked in insurance for more than 15 years.

Here is my advice, take it or leave it . . . finish your degree.

[Jaime]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='28 September 2009 - 12:16 AM' timestamp='1254111415' post='1973572']
I dropped out of college in the 1980s, and then worked in insurance for more than 15 years.

Here is my advice, take it or leave it . . . finish your degree.
[/quote]

Seriously Era you've been around here for a loooong time. when Apotheoun and I fall on the SAME SIDE of an issue, you've got to take it seriously!

For reals

[missionseeker]

[quote name='hot stuff' date='27 September 2009 - 11:19 PM' timestamp='1254111582' post='1973574']
Seriously Era you've been around here for a loooong time. when Apotheoun and I fall on the SAME SIDE of an issue, you've got to take it seriously!

For reals
[/quote]


my first thought at that was Lol...

[Hassan]

[quote name='hot stuff' date='28 September 2009 - 12:19 AM' timestamp='1254111582' post='1973574']
when Apotheoun, [size="4"]Hassan[/size] and I fall on the SAME SIDE of an issue, you've got to take it seriously!

For reals
[/quote]



I thought you long post on this page just hit the ball out of the park.

Era, I know the feeling. I go to UNC, it's a pretty good school in acadamics but it also has a great social life on the campus. I've got TWO YEARS left and I promise you there's nothing I'd rather do right now than just stop going to class and go join the peace corps or something.

But I'll tell you something I also have in the back of my mind. I'm one generation away from working as a sharecropper in tobacco fields under that lovely North Carolina sun. I've struggled to find the motivation to work and not just chill with people and joke around on Franklin St. What helped me was when my parents met me recently, bought me dinner and gave me $20 my grandfather gave me for "snacks". At UNC $20 is nothing, the town/school is fairly wealthy and most kids here spend that on coffee on any given day. But for my grandfather $20 is a huge amount of money and he'd never have had the slightest opportunity to go to any college, much less a pretty good school located in a town like Chapel Hill. He was educated in a small, small school made for sharecropper's kids. He never had the chance to go past high school.

I don't know about your family background but if it's anything like mine your going to school is a great opportunity, made at great family sacrifice, and a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Even if you can't do it for yourself do it for your family.

[Hassan]

[quote name='Era Might' date='27 September 2009 - 10:38 PM' timestamp='1254105486' post='1973516']

The thing is, this decision is about living, not about "making a living." In terms of "making a living," staying in school is my best option. But in terms of actually living, I'm not sure I can endure school much longer.
[/quote]


You won't be doing much "living" working at BurgerKing.