Ask Me Help Desk - I am struggling in college

Hello, I am a first year college student at a community college and I find myself struggling. I breezed through my senior year in high school despite being sent out to live on my own halfway through the school year at 17 years old. I overcame many difficulties and setbacks just to get into school, but I finally did it, and now I feel like I am under a mountain of stress. I am a laid back kind of person, I don't worry about really anything at all, so this is a new feeling for me. I have hopes of becoming a science teacher someday, but that seems so distant and out of reach. I am taking four classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I work a part time job that keeps me up late on, of course, Monday and Wednesday nights. I know I am not passing and will probably not pass my first class of the day. I considered dropping it, by I have no clue the effect that will have on my academic record, so I decided to stick it out. This class's problem is the time at which it starts: 7 am. This means I have to leave my house at 6:15 to get there on time; not easy after finally getting home from work at 11:30+ the previous night. In my second class, the grade is based primarily on tests. Either sociology is not my subject, or I have lost my edge in test-taking skills, as I have very narrowly passed the 2 of 4 total exams so far. My third class is a science class which I naturally will pass with ease, and my 4th class is freshman composition, which has to be the hardest class I have ever taken. By the time we submit our rough drafts for an essay, the instructions for the next 2 papers are being explained, and I feel swamped. Trying to balance these classes, my job [in which I am almost literally fighting for a promotion I both need and deserve], coaching kids' soccer, somehow managing to pay for my car and associated costs, a girlfriend, and foreclosure on the horizon for the house I am currently staying at is taking a serious toll on me. I have considered taking a break from schooling, but this has been drilled into my mind as the "loser" approach, and doesn't seem like the right path to take. I don't know what to do. Please, please help with advice/suggestions. Thank you.

Hi, tmrd916!

For one thing, it sounds like your doing way too much in your life right now. What do you mean that you were sent out to live on your own at the age of 17? What happened, please? Are you still living with your parents? Do you really need the job that you have? If you don't really need the job right now, perhaps you could let it go for awhile so that you can concentrate on your studies.

You have goals for your life in mind, I'm sure that you can achieve them if you allow yourself the time to prepare for them with the classes that you're taking and working toward the degree that you'll need to fulfill your dream.

Just some initial thoughts from me...

Hopefully, others will also be along to address your question.

Thanks!

First you need to consider putting school first, It is what will keep you ahead for years to come. Most people who take that break, never go back.

Next so you may have to even change jobs ? Stop worring about a promotion, consider this a temp job for a few years till you get out of college, nothing more, nothing less.

Can you find a cheaper place to live, lots of community colleges, have small rooming houses for students, to save money.

Not sure of your locatoin but do you have to even have a car, most first year college students here in Atlanta don't, at leats not on campus.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

For one thing, it sounds like your doing way to much in your life right now. What do you mean that you were sent out to live on your own at the age of 17? What happened, please? Are you still living with your parents? Do you really need the job that you have? If you don't really need the job right now, perhaps you could let it go for awhile so that you can concentrate on your studies.

I have a stepfather who absolutely cannot stand to have me around, so he decided to send me to a property we were renting out at the time. I had to pay rent, help with bills, etc. full on unofficial emancipation. He and my mom have run into problems, so she currently lives with me and I pay no rent, but we may lose the house very soon, in which case I will definitely need my car, as it may end up being my room. I desperately need my job, I owe money for my car, I buy groceries, I pay insurance, and for my school books [I was able to weasel my way into free tuition]. With all this to pay for, 3-4 days a week at 8 dollars an hour is hardly sufficient. If worst comes to worst and I do have to search for a place to stay, it will not be sufficient. I am in the running for the mentioned promotion, and if I get it, it will push me to 35-40 hours a week at a higher rate. There are just so many things going on around me that are serving as distractions, but for the most part I cannot rid myself of them. I feel completely overwhelmed, my parents always told me that when I grew up, I would wish that I was back in high school. I didn't think that feeling would come after being only 5 months removed from high school.

When I first started college I was just like you I then quit my job and I am now living off financial aid and student loans... I know that I have to pay the loans back but my main focuse right now is getting out of school... loans can be deferred

I had the same struggle with going back to school. My grades started to fall, so I decided to live off the financial aid. I went from C's to A's in one term. You may also need to set up a time management schedule. Most Community Colleges offer a class to help with study techniques. At my college it is called Effective Learning. It really helped me, not because I did not already know how to study, but because it showed me many ways to study. Sometimes knowing more than one way can really help.

I am currently a student at UCB (transferred from a 2 community college, though I stayed like 4 years there) majoring in Astrophysics. I will be graduating in two months, but the problem is Im failing in one of my classes in which I need to graduate. I understand the difficulty in working and going to school because I work about 30 hrs a week, on top of that, I commute to school from San Francisco. I was around your age when I first entered community college, at the beginning it was easy (I wasn't working yet nor did I have a girlfriend at the time), eventually, everything just started to tumble, things got difficult, and it seemed like no matter how much I try to study, I was not remembering anything I read, nor did I understand the concepts to the subjects. So I started going to office hours, tutoring services at school, looking up related materials on line, this made things a bit easier. Eventually, I pulled through and made it to UCB, however, I now find myself in the same situation as before, struggling, and not understanding the materials,but this time around, I'm at a university (where they expect you to be on top of your game). Bottom line is this: do the best you can at your community college, if your are planning to transfer to a university, my advice is that you make sure that you understand the subjects that you are planning on studying and any other subjects that are relevant. DO NOT GIVE UP, I know it may seem so easy just to throw in the towel, but giving up does not accomplish anything. You just go to keep on trying, going against all odds. Best wishes to you.