Should I give up on university

Post Reply New Topic

Just want to share my status and maybe receive some help.

I'm all alone because i dont have any friends at the university. Having problems like anxiety depression and autism made my life harder.

I have an associates degree so this is the second time i caught myself at a university for bachelors degree. I doubt it would be useful or time waster, im almost 26 now

Ive always wanted to be an entrepreneur in tech field but its more like a dream and has no guarantee. At this time i want to earn my own money asap

That sums up i guess, what do you think?

While I can't give you a yes or no answer, I would suggest sticking it out (are you getting all of the help you need to succeed at Uni? ) Most people with ASD and/or mental health issues or other disabilities do not. It can make a huge difference.

You might also consider online learning and not worry so much about making friends and socializing (which is a huge part of traditional university life) While I was getting my degree, It took everything I had just getting through the coursework and I took some classes more than once, but I made it.

Did you enroll in university to earn a degree or to make friends?  Your answer will point to your destiny, as you can have one or the other, but usually not both.

(Hint: Friends may come and go, but education stays with you.)

If there are no major obstacles, it is never a bad choice to improve yourself.
I don't know how to apply these principles properly in my life

No friends? Friends is not the purpose of university. It's a side effect. Ask yourself if you need the degree you are currently studying for your planned career. If the answer is yes you should never give up. If the answer is no you should waste no further time on it.

Especially since Coronavirus and 2008 recession, plenty of people with bachelor's degrees, working at minimum wage jobs or unemployed

Not having friends, I think, is not a good reason to dropout. Maybe after you dropout, you still won't have friends

However there are good reasons to dropout. For example, $$$.

It is better to run towards something than run away from something

What kind of occupational prospects do you have right now, that you won't have if you wait until you graduate?

University is not always a strategic financial method.

Some people, especially ones with extreme personalities, poor health, bad luck, or useless majors, get college degrees, but all their jobs don't require degrees

Some people have to pay for student loans until they are old

Some people dropout and earn a lot of money

There is something wrong with everything

Every situation is different

College is not all it's cracked up to be, but, all things equal, it is better to get rid degree than no degree

Hi there H.A.,

I have a deep sympathy for you. I hope it helps to hear from someone else with a similar past... I understand what you're going through, perhaps much more than most people.

I myself was an extremely promising child intellectually. But my executive function was always terrible. As is so often, the case with that kind of brain, I did exceptionally well in the early years of school, and then I crashed and burned in college.

Basically went from a 4.0 in high school to a 0.0 in my first year at university.

I then decided to attend community college for an associate's degree. But even there, I wasn't able to control my behavior. I failed out of community college twice.

Eventually, I went back. I was lucky to start dating a girl at the college, which obviously kept my interest, and kept me showing up.

A few years later, I was able to push through the remaining 2 years of a bachelor's degree, despite dealing with undiagnosed depression and crippling loneliness. Because there was simply no option left for me in my life. That was either the end of the road, or the beginning of a new path. I was living with my parents and I had no prospects for the future, despite all that "potential" I had. And no friends. Even through all of my college experiences, I still had no real friends.

Now, 10 years have gone by.

Now, I'm a Certified Public Accountant.
Now, I'm a homeowner with relative financial security.
Now, I've finally found a company whose values I resonate with, and I've become a successful traveling trainer for accountants. Teaching is a passion of mine and I am incredible at it.
Now, I've gained the respect and admiration of a great many people.

10 years really isn't such a long time. It is, but, it isn't. So much can change. And I never would have found my current job, which I really do enjoy very much, had I not gone back to school. (There's also a very good living to be made in the trades right now, electricians, HVAC, etc.) The argument that I used at the time, which I still believe in today, is that you simply must open as many doors to your future as possible. You cannot know which door leads to the best prizes. And getting a degree in a useful field is certainly one more door opened.

So, as a three-time college dropout due to awful executive function and undiagnosed depression and loneliness...

I believe in you.

-Dave

Inspirational

Depends on what your goals for completion are.

Could be worth completing if it opens up doors for employment options.

Could be worth abandoning if you have a rock solid entrepreneurial plan or job offer that attending university is standing in the way of.

Completing or not completing university doesn’t have such a black and white simple answer.. the answer is “it depends.”

Why did you begin this round? What’s the desired or intended outcome upon completion?

_________________
No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

26 isn't that old,
Step 1 - focus on yourself, don't compare your situation to your NT school/college friends
Step 2 - understand almost all NTs go through some level of self-doubt, loneliness and anxiety at university. Uni is designed to test your limits. Accept that what you are going through isn't unusual (yes the addition of autism is a challenge but this what I mean in step 1 -focus on yourself).
Step 3 - University is not a waste of time. A degree can open many doors that are not open to non-graduates. Keep at it, but take your time (there is no hurry)
Step 4 - If you are anxious to get real world experience then find a part time job. There's plenty of low level unskilled work in tech industry that will give you a foot in the door.

What are you studying at uni?

Oh cool, well if I get funding for one of the projects I'm working on then I'll get in touch as I'll need an extra 'techie person'!