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From discussion between 4.0 GPA student and instructor of class in which student is getting a C and then meets with instructor to ask for suggestions on ways to improve grade:

Instructor comments that the reasons I am having trouble are that I :

1) am so extremely detail-oriented I can't see the big picture
2) seem to have a lot of trouble with "transference" (adapting ideas from one situation to a different one)
3) am having difficulty seeing the gray areas in between the black and white

Hmmm... (sarcasm here) does that sound much like AS to anyone???

Oh yeah, I also can't seem to differentiate the important points from the not-so-important ones in all the information that is given to me.

I don't know whether to be amused or upset, so I am choosing to be numb.

We are going to try to use this class as a way for me to improve on these traits, but the instructor said that may or may not happen (he said twice, "let's see how the next exam turns out"). I said that I already had gotten better with those traits in the past few years, and was willing to try to to improve some more.

I told him what I was doing to study for the class, and he told me that was really good, and then gave me some tips to simplify my study habits. Next exam is Friday, March 4. Stay tuned.

Have you tried commenting to him on your mental makeup?

He will not want to do all the accommodtion, but I would have tried to do some.

Thanks, Philologos. He knows I have an Asperger DX. The thing is, this new university (I had to leave the one I was attending when I first signed up for this forum in 2009) has already, in my opinion, bent over backwards to help me, encourage me, and keep me in school. They have really gone above and beyond the call of duty, and for that I am grateful. However, I personally believe that there is such a thing as having too many accommodations.

By "too many accommodations," I mean...let me think here...sort of like a paraplegic trying to get through a firefighting school, or someone who had their foot amputated trying to become a ballerina. I hope that's getting across what I'm trying to say. It's possible to have so many accommodations that it defeats the whole purpose of the school or class.

If I am truly not cut out for my chosen career, I want to know about it *now*, before I put any more time, effort, and money into it. (I'm in my mid-40s, so things like time, effort, and money have different meanings than they would for most traditional-aged students.)

However, if this is something that can be successfully worked through, I will know that I am where I'm meant to be and that I am just going to have to work harder than most folks to achieve my goals. And I'm totally fine with that.

Anyway, the point of my OP is that I think I am VERY soon going to find out once and for all whether A) there is still room for more growth, or B) I've already progressed pretty much far as I'm going to get.

Either way, I just have to do the coursework to the best of my ability, see what happens, and then go from there.

So...stay tuned for the next exciting (?) episode, same Aspie-time, same Aspie-channel.

Took the exam today. For once, no test anxiety. I did my absolute best, and whatever happens, happens.

Well, the grades finally got posted online (we're in the middle of spring break right now). In spite of getting tips from the instructor, trying (unsuccessfully) to work with the school to find additional help in the class, and preparing well for the second exam, I didn't do any better on it than I did on the first exam. On top of that, last week I had a huge, scary, and potentially dangerous meltdown at home alone due to something that happened in my other class, in which I am getting a solid A.

Honestly, I feel that I have put about enough time, effort, and money into trying to get an education. I have done nothing but struggle ever since I finished my associate's degrees (A.A. and A.S.) at the community college. Those of you who have read my posts from when I was at my first uni know what I have gone through in the past two years. I've beaten my head against the wall and stayed in school far longer than I should have because I truly believed all the sayings about "never give up," "quitters never win and winners never quit," "you can do anything you set your mind to if you just believe it enough and work hard enough at it," etc. I purchased lots of books on those topics and totally bought into everything they said.

The reality is, even in a good economy, there are extremely few jobs in this area in the environmental field, especially when it comes to water issues. The odds of a placebound (meaning unable to relocate), nearly-fifty-years-old Aspie getting a job in my field would be slim and none even if I were able to finish my bachelor's degree. Besides, the biology dept. at the university I am now attending is becoming even more heavily oriented toward the medical professions, and half of the courses I'm supposed to take for the environmental component of my "Biology--environmental concentration" degree have recently been discontinued to make room for more nursing/pre-med/physical therapy courses.

Surprisingly, I am no longer bitter, sad, depressed, or negative about any of it at this point. I gave it my best shot and kept going far beyond the point where a sensible person would have read the writing on the wall. I can rest easy in the knowledge that I have truly given this endeavor everything I had to give.

It's time to quit worrying so much about what I'm going to be when I grow up and start focusing on simply *being*. I think perhaps that might be the path to success for me. I have a summer job lined up at a local nature center with some friends who have hired me before and who very much want me back. I have lots of volunteer organizations that I want to reconnect with. I always found it ironic that while I was trying to get my bachelor's degree in order to make a career out of making the world a better place, the time I had to spend in class, studying, doing homework, and dealing with panic attacks/meltdowns/shutdowns kept me from doing things to make the world a better place!

I feel very much at peace with my decision, and I really don't care anymore what other people are going to think. I am tired of being an approval addict and tired of living in fear. I know in my heart that I am doing the right thing, and I am looking forward to the opportunities the future will bring.