HappyCamper

Sorry for the vague subject line, but I didn't know how else to put it. 2 weeks ago Saturday, I graduated high school, one of the biggest steps I've taken towards becoming a productive adult. The entire last quarter of my senior year, I slacked and failed a class, and for D's and C's for the rest of them. i'm not feeling motivated at all to do anything school related.

Tomorrow is my orientation for the local community branch of Purdue University. My original plan was to take some classes there for a year or two, and then transfer up to the big school. It's cheaper, and I have quite the emotional roots here. I've lived in this town for 10 years of my life, longer than anywhere else. I have no omtivation, and my mother even suggested that I take a year off from school, get a good financial backing, and then start school next year. I'm already younger than my whole class because I started early, not that that matters anyway. I don't know what I should do. Freshman orientation for Purdue is tomorrow. Part of me wants to go, schedule my classes and continue on for another 4 years of school, and part of me wants to take a year off.

With all of the friends that I've made here, i doubt this would even be a problem, but...I don't want people to look down upon me for choosing to take a year off. I'm not a badass, I DO have feelings, and I do care what people think about me. I'm seriously considering taking a year off. I don't want to waste my/my parents' money on a year of college and find out that I'm not at ALL motivated to exceed in my classes. Any suggestions anyone?

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Devlyn81

I thought similar things when i graduated. I had a good job. and a girlfriend still in school I figured I'd wait a year til she graduated then When she left for school I would too. you know keep it going as long as possible til we went our own ways.
And 4 years later im just now getting back into school. taking remedial Algebra cause i cant remember half of what i thought i knew. My point: It's harder to get back into the swing of things after taking time off. I'd go tomarrow and get registered. if you want time off dont take so many classes.

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Crazy_J

Quote: Originally Posted by HappyCamper Sorry for the vague subject line, but I didn't know how else to put it. 2 weeks ago Saturday, I graduated high school, one of the biggest steps I've taken towards becoming a productive adult. The entire last quarter of my senior year, I slacked and failed a class, and for D's and C's for the rest of them. i'm not feeling motivated at all to do anything school related. Tomorrow is my orientation for the local community branch of Purdue University. My original plan was to take some classes there for a year or two, and then transfer up to the big school. It's cheaper, and I have quite the emotional roots here. I've lived in this town for 10 years of my life, longer than anywhere else. I have no omtivation, and my mother even suggested that I take a year off from school, get a good financial backing, and then start school next year. I'm already younger than my whole class because I started early, not that that matters anyway. I don't know what I should do. Freshman orientation for Purdue is tomorrow. Part of me wants to go, schedule my classes and continue on for another 4 years of school, and part of me wants to take a year off. With all of the friends that I've made here, i doubt this would even be a problem, but...I don't want people to look down upon me for choosing to take a year off. I'm not a badass, I DO have feelings, and I do care what people think about me. I'm seriously considering taking a year off. I don't want to waste my/my parents' money on a year of college and find out that I'm not at ALL motivated to exceed in my classes. Any suggestions anyone?

My advice is to schedule classes tomorrow. I know a lot of people who thought they would take a year off before going to college. 3 years later, they are still working in the factory. The choice is yours.

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ZENNZZO

My advice to you is to stay in school, even a short break will turn into a longer break. Take a light sceduale if you must, but don't get out of the routine altogether. It only gets harder as you go along.

HappyCamper

I CAN take less courses and just turn a 4 year degree into a 5 year degree, right?

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Dakas

my dad took a year off from college before he went to grad school for money reasons.

he says it's good for people to work the night shift at k-mart and the day shift at a steel mill. helps you feel just how much you don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.

i'm with these guys, stay in school. it's been 2 weeks since i graduated, and i already can't remember my differential equations

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Devlyn81

Yes you can! Thats the beauty of college. you can take as long as you like or need to. Theres no pressure about getting everything done in 4 years So if you want to talk it slow go for it.

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HappyCamper

I don't know how few classes to take. I just wanna be successful, do something right for a change.

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Devlyn81

Right now im taking 2 classes. its every Tue and Thur. from 9-4. these are summer classes so there twice as long as normal classes. but i get everythign i need to know in half the time. And as far as being successful and doing something right. Your just graduated. So your successful. and your looking at going to college. Thats doing something right. Your right where you should be. dont get sidetract. And if you need help. just ask. someone here will always answer your questions not matter how obscure they may be.

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TheOutcast

My suggestion: knock your math classes out first: they're the only ones that require you to build on previous knowledge really hardcore.. time off = you're going to forget a lot of it...

I just graduated this weekend too, and yeah.. I'm off to college to do graphics comm. or somethin.. least thats what I'm there for initially.. only 1 required math class for me..

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DuckWarrior

ABSOLUTEY go to school!
Any TRUE friend would support you in creating a better life for yourself
This wont effect just the next few years, this will enhance your whole life!
The difference in someone having a degree and one who doesnt is roughly $30K/year and over a Million over a career.
The numbers for people "returning" to college after taking a "break" tand finishing thier degree is about 40%.
Yea, even if you have to dial it back, do what is best for Camper, not whats best for what wont be important to you in 7 years, what your friends think.

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TheOutcast

Quote: Originally Posted by DuckWarrior ... not whats best for what wont be important to you in 7 years, what your friends think.

I'm definetly going to have to agree with you there... I'm already feeling that whole "damn, where'd the friends go" vibe.. I know one's moving to new york, one's moved off to another part of the state.. and the rest I just don't see anymore, for one reason or another..

...They always told me its like a fresh start, but it's gonna take some time to get used to.

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Devlyn81

Quote: Originally Posted by TheOutcast My suggestion: knock your math classes out first: they're the only ones that require you to build on previous knowledge really hardcore.. time off = you're going to forget a lot of it...

Yeah. I'm trying to do polynomials homework for class tomarrow. I used to know it. But I've long since forgotten. Wish i'd had this advise.

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HappyCamper

Well, then....I guess I'm going to go in tomorrow (er, today) and register for a coupla classes then. Just going to take my time...

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nev_payne

To original post: Yeh tell me about it im stuck in the same predicerment as you were. During the 1st 2 terms of college i was doing really well and work was in on time things could only get beter. Well they did socially, my new friends grew in numbers and charater.

I was called a wisecracker by one of them (something that ive never been called before), and another sees me as a very trustworthy listener whos always there to fall back on (yes shes a girl ). My work has slumpped badly tho. Assignments are done in the last 3 hours before the deadline, usually of poor quality and lacking.

Again my motivation left me for some hunk that it obviously doesnt see me as, and i cant for some wierd reason see a way out of this. I have ambitions and plans, but where i am at present its a horrible notion that im not going to get there. I look around me and see my classmates typing away merrily at 100 words a second, producing VBA coding i wouldnt even begin to comprehend, yet if i try it my mind goes blank, and nothing is put on paper. Its like there's a giant wall blocking my thoughts from getting to the keyboard or out of my mouth.

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lpdodger

Glad to hear that you decided to go and register. I graduated in 02, and took a year off, not because I "wanted to," but because I never felt like actually going to the campus. Hell, I could've registered online but I didn't feel like doing that either. After the year, trying to get back into "school mode" has been hell. That entire year of going to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning, and then having to shift back to the getting up in the morning thing? Bleh. My advice to anyone is not take any time off, only the summer semester, and that's it.

You can go slow...just take say, two classes in your first semester to see how slow/fast you want to go.

FunkyFresh

Taking fewer classes might give you the advantage you need to "be successful", as you put it. I dropped out of Linear Algebra the first time I took it; I was taking three other tough classes at the time and I would've failed Linear and suffered in the rest if I hadn't cut back. Instead, I did well that semester, went back and took Linear by itself, and got an A. (That teacher was tough -- 2/3 of the class dropped out, and the high grade on the midterm was 60%).

Also, don't worry too much about what you major in. My dad majored in Geology but ended up in Purchasing for the last 25 years (now a Corporate Purchasing Manager for a major semiconductor company). Programmers in my IT department have degrees in everthing from English to Business. On the other hand, a friend of mine was so scared of picking the wrong major that she took a year off to think about it -- now one year has turned into four.

By the way, the year he was retiring, one of my professors offered us these tips for "How to Improve a Whole Letter Grade", based on the fact that a lot of grading is subjective, and the final grade often has a some room for the instructor's discretion:

1. Sit up front. The first day of class, a professor looks at the classroom and sees "A" students in the front row, "B" in the second, etc.
2. Find an excuse to introduce yourself to the professor within the first 3 classes. It's harder to give a bad grade to a real person than to a simple name on a paper.
3. If you're having a hard time understanding something (or even if you understand it but don't test well), see the prof in his/her office hours. In most cases, a professor will give a better final grade to a student who's struggling but perceived as "really trying" than one who's struggling but invisible.
4. Look the part of an "A" student. Don't wear a hat or sunglasses, and don't eat or chew gum during class.

Sure, some of those are suck-up tips, but hey, your work should be graded in the best light possible and not suffer because a professor is uptight about someone munching on M&M's during class.

Jonny English

5. Always make sure you ask one good question per class that you know the tutor can answer - pandering to their ego guarantees a high grade. The rest of the class will hate you for being a suck up, but you'll get that A

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Rob

Definately go to school and get it out of the way first. I spent two years in college right out of high school, progressing from an "A" student my freshman semester to dropping one class, withdrawing from two others, and failing the only class I had at the end of my sophomore year (long story involving an Algebra teacher's 16 year old daughter, a logic/philosophy teacher that reminded you of **** Vitale on downers, and a great history professor being woke up at 3 a.m. the morning of your final because of all of your "friends"......).

Took some time off, joined the Navy, spent five years of my life saying "Why the f*ck didn't I stay in college?" (wouldn't trade the experience now for anything), and immediately went back after leaving the Navy to graduate Magna Cum Laude taking three years worth of classes within two years.

I've got a great job, great income, and I'm happy at where I'm at.

Besides, just seeing Duck Warrior's avatar is enough to scare me into going back to school.

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Arkangyl

The only reasons I can think NOT to go to school would be that you need money to actually attend school OR you plan on doing a sort of alt. study, intern / journeyman thing; then again thats really educational too aint it>