Thinking of quitting college

[BlueScreen]

I've been studying Psychology for two months now. I had my first exams a week ago. We had three exams and I've got the results of two exams back. Failed for both of them. One of these subjects are apparently so important that if you don't make this subject, you can't enter two other subjects. So, of the 60 study points I could have gotten in this year, I won't have 12. The minimum is 36 points in the first year. I already doubted that I'm the perfect college type of person and now I'm pretty sure I was right. I'd quit right away, if my father wasn't around. He doesn't give shit about Psychology, but he does want me to get a high academic degree. The thing I personally want most would be a simple job, a little appartment and some freedom, but my father wouldn't let me. I don't see myself having a highly educated function. I have no clue what to do. I feel trapped. What should I do?

I'd stick with it, but I'd also think about what you are interested in or want to learn. I failed two subjects in first year university, because I always had better things to do than sit in lectures or go through the motions for two hours in experiments. The year after I decided I'd make it a challenge rather than fold. I took 7 subjects in first semester, made a must attend at least 1 in 3 rule for lectures (attending all with 7 subjects would have been ridiculous). It was actually fun and different enough that I did well in all the subjects. Rather than going through the motions I had something to achieve or prove.

Once you have one degree it is easy to learn more. It also opens up many job options. Look at what you can do with a psychology degree. There's a pretty wide range of places and tasks. And it is useful knowledge. Having a degree also greatly improves your pay to work ratio, so you can work less and earn more .

 

[BlueScreen]

Agreed.

The reality is you need to learn to focus and study in Uni, so that you can easily learn and pick up new skills on your own later in life. Otherwise you are going to be stuck in low-skill jobs.

That notwithstanding, you still might find a change of major might be worthwhile. Remember that for psych, you will need at least a masters, preferably a PhD to practice in a decent position. And the field itself kind of sucks, unless you find a good niche.



You need to learn how to manage your time.

To start with, you need to learn to rely on a diary or electronic organizer, so that you have no excuse but to be aware of important dates (have warnings several days before..).

Secondly, you need to find a way to concentrate, but also break up such tasks into manageable pieces. You don't need to do it all in one go, in fact you shouldn't. You will have better recall if you do 30-60 minutes of it per day, rather than trying to do it all at the last minute.

edit -

Oh and I'd like to point out that in the big picture, spending an extra year and an extra thousand euros or whatever will make little difference in the big picture, so don't beat yourself up about it.
I will also like to point out a college secret - you are not restricted to just those subjects you wish to count towards a particular degree or major. You can enrol in any 'extra' subjects which you think you will enjoy, (for which you meet the prerequisites obviously). So you can perhaps use the extra time to study something that you may not have initially considered due to the restrictions of the major you initially chose.

Writing as an ENFP, not ADD, I'd say most of the common approaches to concentrating don't work. Breaking things down into little tasks and trying to be super-organised is probably the best way to make me totally distracted. Until recently, in my late 20s, I couldn't see the point to such methods no matter how they were put to me. It is party because of how I organise/prioritise my time and partly because of the interest routine removes from a task. One thing I know is like Kat last minute is in my comfort zone. Something about the urgency of it brings my brain to life and everything becomes crystal clear in the exam. Over time I've found the best thing to do if you know you are going to be last minute is assess the task early. This helps you panic a little more about a few points and also gives your brain time to figure out what is going to be a hang up and what will be a breeze. The end result is you hit the task with all the information you need to draw on, and let intuition do the rest.

I'd say the reason all at once is so comfortable is the way we process things. For me it is a picture that you are finding information to fill in parts of and make clearer. As you get enough information in certain parts you move down from the big picture overview toward specific details. As you move further down you find fundamentals which have no alternatives and ground other parts of the picture making maybes certainties. It is almost pointless doing A,B,C on tuesday, and D,E,F on thursday, because they are all linked and part of the same picture. You don't completely understand A,B,C without D,E, and F. You can do the process in parts though. It just ends up being a lot of brainstorming and little visible progress, then drawing on it all at the end. Just read and look at whatever interests you in the course. Wonder about why you don't get certain parts. Chat about it on TC . Just forget it is some chore or big thing. Forget being organised or orderly and follow your nose. Other option is set up challenges of some kind to raise the stakes and make you prioritise study over other things.

With dates remember a few really critical ones and make the internet your friend if they have them on there. Not to put down lecturers, but I always learnt more reading on the subject than going to lectures. Lectures tend to give out very little conceptual information over a very long period of time. The slides full of details are difficult to absorb or remember and normally induce sleep. Count your contact hours and think how much work you can do and how much you can learn in that time, you'll get the picture.

 

[Queen Kat]

Well, I go to nearly all of my lectures. That helps me, because if I hear things I remember them better than when I read things. And it's not that much of a big deal if you start daydreaming away, because uring lectures you don't keep stuck in one page. You just wake up again and fill in the information gap later. This is also one of my problem: if one of the teachers says something that makes me think and doesn't provide any interesting information in the sentence after that, my imagination runs wild. It can be cool when my imagination runs wild, two days ago for example I finally made up a good name for one of the characters in my NaNostory because he reminded me of an organ the teacher spoke of (and then I wondered how to re-spell it and which language I'd use). But on the other hand, it can keep me unconscious of the other things the lecturer says for (usually) 5 to 15 minutes. That way I also missed the deadline that made me fail Experimental Psychology (and when I looked back at the slides which th teacher put online after class, I couldn't find the deadline anywhere). To make sure that I won't forget any dates, I put a little chalk board next to my computer, but that doesn't help against things like these.

 

[BlueScreen]

Well, I go to nearly all of my lectures. That helps me, because if I hear things I remember them better than when I read things. And it's not that much of a big deal if you start daydreaming away, because uring lectures you don't keep stuck in one page. You just wake up again and fill in the information gap later. This is also one of my problem: if one of the teachers says something that makes me think and doesn't provide any interesting information in the sentence after that, my imagination runs wild. It can be cool when my imagination runs wild, two days ago for example I finally made up a good name for one of the characters in my NaNostory because he reminded me of an organ the teacher spoke of (and then I wondered how to re-spell it and which language I'd use). But on the other hand, it can keep me unconscious of the other things the lecturer says for (usually) 5 to 15 minutes. That way I also missed the deadline that made me fail Experimental Psychology (and when I looked back at the slides which th teacher put online after class, I couldn't find the deadline anywhere). To make sure that I won't forget any dates, I put a little chalk board next to my computer, but that doesn't help against things like these.

You're probably better with remembering spoken things than me. Still one advantage of having things on paper is you see them, then daydream, and they are still there when you come back to reality. Makes it all less rushed.

Maybe mention to the teacher that you don't remember deadlines easily or miss them often when they are said once and don't want to be disadvantaged by it. Ask if she can mention them more than once in class like at the end or else put them on the net with the other stuff. Another option is to chat to other students in the class and ask what's due occasionally. I used that method. People laugh and say "you're so disorganised" or "you forgot again?", but it worked.

 

[Athenian200]

I don't think that you should quit college. I can almost guarantee that you'll regret it later in life. As impossible as it may seem, it's better to get as much tutoring as you can, and get a 2 year degree in 6 years, than to drop out altogether.

Things have changed... the majority of jobs available require more education than they once did. You can try changing your major, if you think that will help, just make sure that you get SOME kind of degree. It's very important. They WILL look for that little piece of paper.

 

[Amethyst]

You know what, I want to quit college too...it's overrated.

 

[Chloe]

You just need a time to adjust to college system. First, even if u repeat a y its nothing unusual in college. At least in croatia but the system is the same everywhere in europe so...
when i first got to college - i was all As student in HS and in college i refused all but As LOL (we can retake exams if u r not happy with grade but its very dorky)... then i got lazy etc and failed a yr. then i made huge drama over losing one yr, thought my life has come to an end lol.
now few yrs later, after dropping out of medicine and losing ALL credits (130+, 1yr=60) bc i needed to restart with psychology - i see how naive i was. 1yr is nothing, just do your best... and how it tutns it will be good
its imp to like what ure studying. i know like it, of course i am whining i didnt switch sooner.

I've been studying Psychology for two months now. I had my first exams a week ago. We had three exams and I've got the results of two exams back. Failed for both of them. One of these subjects are apparently so important that if you don't make this subject, you can't enter two other subjects. So, of the 60 study points I could have gotten in this year, I won't have 12. The minimum is 36 points in the first year. I already doubted that I'm the perfect college type of person and now I'm pretty sure I was right. I'd quit right away, if my father wasn't around. He doesn't give shit about Psychology, but he does want me to get a high academic degree. The thing I personally want most would be a simple job, a little appartment and some freedom, but my father wouldn't let me. I don't see myself having a highly educated function. I have no clue what to do. I feel trapped. What should I do?

 

[Chloe]

Try something else if psych aint working for ya.

NO such thing as trying something else in Europe. If u try something else u need to wait a year, go for it, and if u dont like it wait another yr to go for somethine else or back to what you werr doing at the first place...

happened to me
1st yr medicine -> switched to math next yr, after a month wanted to go back to medicine, but needed to wait another yr for paperwork and go back to 1st yr medicine, for paperwork again, despite having apmost all credits from 1st yr medicine

so only for trying something new i got "punished" by spending 3yrs on 1st yr.
now i switched to psych and more than 2yrs of credits just go to waste

tough system for us Ps

 

[Queen Kat]

The subject itself is working for me, but deadlines and high schoolish assignments aren't. Today I told a woman that I failed for two of the three subjects in the first semester and only got myself 5 of the 13 study points (we have four semesters and 60 study points in the first year). She was shocked and asked me if I'm still able to succeed in the first year. Well, I'm trying it for one more semester and I hope I get my medication quickly and hopefully this will help me succeed anyway. The only way to keep me from failing now is by staying fucking positive and optimistic. If I start stressing about everything I'll gain 50 pounds by the end of the year, like three years ago. Just make sure my parents don't know anything. Tell them there must be something wrong with the administration.

 

[Rail Tracer]

I'm no expert when it comes to ADD. As a whole, I find lectures boring, even more so when it comes to math. I'm not sure how many days I wanted to dose off in my math courses.

But there are a couple of ways you can try to stay as attentive as much as possible.
1: Try to get a seat at the front of the classroom.
2: Write down your professors lecture, if the professor writes his/her lecture on a board...even better. Write, write, and write . Don't stop.
3: See if your professor allows his/her students to do audio recording(some professors have an issue with this,) if you have forgotten something, just play back the recording.
4: If your professor likes engaging the students (asking questions to the students to see if they understand something,) you can try to participate.
5: Read your notes again after class sometime just to refresh your mind.

For issues like forgetting certain assignments, similarly you can try to
1: Write down dates the second your professor announces them.
2: keep a printed calender... the closer it is to where you usually are in your room, the better. (Sort of like having an alarm clock far away from the bed so that it forces you to get up.) Say... right next to the bed so that when you wake up, it is right there for you to see. Update them the day your professors announces changes.

As for books, you can try to
1: Read a paragraph, (or more.)
2: Write a summary of what you just read
3: continue reading.

I'm not that great with books either. When it comes to books that don't fascinate me (which is a lot) the words I read tend to just go in and back out.

 

[Queen Kat]

Lectures are no problem. I like them and I understand and remember most things the teachers tell us, or at least the big line and some interesting details. They even put all of the sheets online. It's the assignments and their deadlines that kill me. I'm bad at wrting high schoolish papers and I'm not aware of the deadlines.


And it turns out the waiting list is 9 months.

 

[Mole]

The Love of Writing

I was struck when you told us you love writing. So why not, when you wake up every morning, write for half an hour.

It doesn't matter what you write. Don't think, just write. Just write nonsense if you can't write anything else. But write. Keep on writing for half an hour every morning on waking. Write down your complaints. Write down your hates and your loves. Write down your difficulties and successes. Write for the sake of writing.

And write as if you can't stop.

 

[Queen Kat]

I spend a big part for my spare time writing. It just takes a long time before I finish anything.

 

[Chunes]

You should quit.

Screw your dad. He can't keep you from getting a simple job and moving out on your own. I was in your situation after kicking around schools for 8 years with nothing to show for it. Screw college. It's overrated credentialism is all it is.

I often wonder if it will ever get to the point where a PHD will be the new high school diploma, or people will come to their fucking senses and realize it's absurd to spend half your life in school. Seeing as most people are products of schooling, I'm not expecting the rational option.

 

[Usehername]

You should quit.

Screw your dad. He can't keep you from getting a simple job and moving out on your own. I was in your situation after kicking around schools for 8 years with nothing to show for it. Screw college. It's overrated credentialism is all it is.

I often wonder if it will ever get to the point where a PHD will be the new high school diploma, or people will come to their fucking senses and realize it's absurd to spend half your life in school. Seeing as most people are products of schooling, I'm not expecting the rational option.

I firmly disagree with this speaking specifically about Queen Kat's situation given what I know about her (not generally about university not being for some people).

Kat, can you take a more manageable courseload next term? There's something to be said for building a time management/self-discipline skillset, and I would highly encourage you to start with a load that you find manageable. Can you handle two classes with focus, instead of five?

It's like weight training, truly. You're intelligent and able even with the diagnosis, but you're also trying to bench 300 lbs when you haven't taken the time to train up and develop.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I probably got to this thread way too late, but here is my $.02. I think you are mostly on the right path though you may not totally realize it. It sounds like what you really want to be career wise is a writer. So I'd suggest you'd look into what you'd need to do after college to make that happen. Maybe in the meantime you could practice writing short stories and see if you could get one published in a magazine or something like that. I say short stories, because it is important to try over and over and get feedback after you write. The more you do this the better a writer you'll become.

Also I'd stay in Psychology. You seem to like the subject and it will make you a better writer. It will probably give you a lot of ideas to fuel your writing, so keep with it. Also it never hurts to have a degree, so stick with Psychology until you get your degree. If you miss some important details in class don't sweat it. Just find someone in class and say afterward, "I totally zoned out. What assignments did he give and when are they due?" Also I think just waiting until the last minute to do assignments is a good idea. No point in wasting time on something that you don't particularly enjoy anyway especially if doing it the last minute gets better results.

Overall I'd say treat your hobby likes it's your career and treat your school like its a hobby. Try to develop skills and techniques that will turn your natural talents into making you a professional writer. And do what you can to enjoy your schoolwork, but don't invest too much time into the stuff that stresses you out. You'll enjoy life more and you'll find things in general turn out better when you allow yourself to enjoy life more.

 

[Queen Kat]

Well, I already use the things I've learned in my stories. For example, my favorite villain turned evil after getting severe brain injury as a baby. This villain has a (genetically) identical twin and they grew up apart from each other, so I also show the way the villain would have become without this brain injury. I don't know why, but I like using brain damage in stories.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Well, I already use the things I've learned in my stories. For example, my favorite villain turned evil after getting severe brain injury as a baby. This villain has a (genetically) identical twin and they grew up apart from each other, so I also show the way the villain would have become without this brain injury. I don't know why, but I like using brain damage in stories.

Yeah that stuff is good. And in general just learn as much as you can about the things you are interested in. Good writing really comes not from studying other authors, but by studying other things that you are interested in. That means you have interesting content to put into the story that a typical person might not already understand, but they'd find it interesting to learn about. Like if you know a lot about the effects of brain injury then a story about that is really good material.

 

[Queen Kat]

Well, I'm at an author's forum as well and the other authors are soooo tiresome, because they want me to read the stuff other people wrote to give myself inspiration. In that case I sometimes seem to copy things I like from the things I've read, so in that case I don't really read too much. Besides, I don't like the writings of other people on that forum and they all studied famous writers. When I read the stories I've written in the past, I like them all. Guess why I don't really like spending time there. That something I noticed with myself: When I like something or I think something is interesting in some kind of way, you can find them in my stories too. If you look good enough, you can find paralels with my favorite TV shows as well. It's a bit embarrassing as well, especially when something I've made up suddenly appears in one of these shows as well. Someone should psychoanalyse my stories once.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Well, I'm at an author's forum as well and the other authors are soooo tiresome, because they want me to read the stuff other people wrote to give myself inspiration. In that case I sometimes seem to copy things I like from the things I've read, so in that case I don't really read too much. Besides, I don't like the writings of other people on that forum and they all studied famous writers. When I read the stories I've written in the past, I like them all. Guess why I don't really like spending time there. That something I noticed with myself: When I like something or I think something is interesting in some kind of way, you can find them in my stories too. If you look good enough, you can find paralels with my favorite TV shows as well. It's a bit embarrassing as well, especially when something I've made up suddenly appears in one of these shows as well. Someone should psychoanalyse my stories once.

Sounds like you are on the right track to me.