Anyone else who didn't graduate at 22 ?

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I started university after I graduated high school when I was about 18 and a half. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, so I did what I thought would be fun and started studying film. At the time I felt like I had to go to university to prove I was smart. I also had been fed the notion that you should look for a job that you enjoy and find fun, which is great if you can get it, but I've since realised that it is much smarter to look for a job in which you can see yourself being relatively comfortable, where your skills and temperament align with the tasks required of you and which will provide you a stable source of income. I've also come to realise that just because you can study something at university to get into a particular industry doesn't mean it's the best path to get you there. If I ever pursue higher education again (which is likely), I'll be looking for the cheapest option to give me the skills I need for whatever job I'm aiming to get, not the most prestigious option.

I lasted at university 1 and a half years before I ended up dropping out. My grades were bad because I had no sense of routine, left all the assignments to the last minute (often without handing in anything), and I was (am) struggling with depression.

Don't assume that everyone has succeeded in their life goals. In fact, don't even say that everyone's accomplished their life goals but you. That's patently untrue, but words are powerful, and if you keep telling yourself that everyone but you has succeeded in life, you'll continue to buy into that false notion.

Also, comparing yourself to others is fine sometimes, but there comes a point where you need to focus on yourself, and your own life goals. What are you doing to upskill and get a better job, or figure out what job you want to get? If the answer is nothing then you can't really complain about others being more accomplished than you.

^
Honestly, it sounds a bit ridiculous to claim at 22 that one has achieved their goals and landed their "dream job", I think that would be extremely rare

At least around these parts, only a genius would get a "dream job" right out of University and it would still be only the start of their journey.

^^^Have you thought about enrolling in a community college with accommodations?

I went to uni as a mature student twice. 1st time, when i was about 25. i went as an art student.

I dropped out due to a number of reasons. Due to the way the strange government of the island that i live on works.
I had to pay back the money that i was given to live off when went to art college, before i would be eligible
to go apply to uni again.

The second time i went to a performing arts college to do a BA in sound technology (sound engineering in pro recording studios etc.). I successfully finished the degree in 2004.

What was interesting is that from the secondary school i went to, it was unheard of for their students to go to uni to do a degree. People who went to the "normal" or non-private schools generally did not go to uni. but instead where expected to do the run of the mill "normal" jobs. Reserving the better jobs for the privileged.

When i graduated and people found out, i got quiet a lot of jealousy from both the people from the wealthy backgrounds (who thought that it was wrong that a person from a normal background went to the prestigious performing arts college when not many of the rich kids had), but I also got a lot of jealousy from people who went to the normal school i went to, as some of the people didn't like the fact that i dare break normal standards. so they also gave me a lot of grief.

One guy who used to be one of my best friends went so far as to spreading vicious slander about me to all the people who he had got in with in the entertainment industry in London, so as to sabotage my career as well as put several
sociopaths on my case to ruin me in the industry. Jealousy can do crazy things to a person, even make a man kill one of his friends...

But alas i have survived, but perhaps not been as successful as i would have hoped.

As for dream jobs, i think that from the college i went to, and the people on the course i was on.
Only a small amount of people get to do their dream jobs.

Some are lucky just to fall into a job.
Others, who come from super wealthy backgrounds have rich parents to buy them a studio to work in etc.
Others, perhaps have to compromise.

In this particular area, i think that the competition is even higher than many areas, so perhaps more rare for people to get their ideal job.

And if that dream job is to produce records, then getting that dream job may take even longer than normal.
As people who want to be record producers in big recording studios often have to follow a certain career path, which often follows a particular job progression. In fact, it is common for people never to make it to record producer level, but instead maybe eventually be promoted to assistant sound engineer after years of working as studio dogs body.

Doing 12 hour days, for very little pay.

Not a life i could do with my particular health problems. Hey, perhaps if i had better health, didn't get anxiety,
wasn't so cheeky and wasn't so tough. I could work 12 hour days for next to nothing and follow this traditional career path, and eventually make it to pro sound engineer.

But in general, these types of sound engineers usually get picked up as teenagers when they are young enough to
do these things without a problems with ego or pay etc. and then slowly mature through experience.

I was too old even before i went to uni.
But alas, all is not lost. The music industry has changed a great lot in the last 30 years, and now big recording studios are a lot less common and less essential.

With the quality, drop in price and availability of pro recording studio equipment, it is now a great deal more common for people to record music in their own project studios. Some times this music is for release, some times it is for fun, and some times for getting signed to media (TV, computer games, film).

While these markets are still extremely competitive and rare to make money on.
I feel that pursuing a life and pursuits that you love is still more rewarding than a life working in a job that you absolutely hate with people you absolutely hate, where your health made worse and where your bullied from the minute you walk through the door to the minute that you walk out.

So.. yep. my ethos is to follow your heart. like a beatnik on their spiritual path.
may never be a rich man materially but will be a lot happier than being stuck in a job that you hate with people that you hate that makes you unwell, as been there many times.

Well, all is not lost. to be honest, getting a qualification in a music related area didn't do me many favours
and in hindsight, i believe i would have been better off staying at home and saving up for equipment, and a few well chosen books.

When it comes to learning to play a musical instrument, then it is possible for almost everyone, to do this from home.
Even with the challenges you have.

In this day and age, musical instruments are highly affordable. And instruction is also affordable, and in some cases free (through you tube and other websites).

There are also loads of great ways to learn where you pay a very small amount, such as lick library
or even computer game based, such as rocksmith 2014.

All you need is an instrument and some will.
I believe even for someone with psychosis, it is possible to learn. As long as the psychosis is relatively undercontrol with medication.

For example i presently teach a friend of mine who suffers from a psychotic illness martial arts, however he is on meds now and his illness is fairly much under control.

rock school

rocksmith game

lick library

learn piano through a game

now, even if you were completely physically disabled, there may still be options for you.
Perhaps less, but still some.
Hope that helps.

I went to college, but never officially graduated. I was short accounting and, I think, calculus. I just couldn't get myself to understand them no matter how hard I tried.

It took me an extra year or two to finish high-school. I was too easily distracted.

I did end up with a decent job until my ADD and anxiety caught up with me, so they eliminated my position and created a new one which was basically the same thing, then told me I wasn't qualified.

But I'm not bitter. *expletives*

There are many talented people with psychosis.

It doesn’t prevent people from being creative.

I finished my American Chemical Society (ACS) accredited Bachelors degree in chemistry at the age of 25. I had three minors: physics, math and history. I also had a partial degree in nuclear engineering that I gave up on when I transferred to a different university, nothing from that program transferred over. Yep, that sucked to find out. (I had enough hours that it would have likely qualified as a fourth minor otherwise.) I graduated with my Masters in chemistry at the age of 27 and finished my PhD in chemistry at the age of 35. I could have done my PhD in 3 to 4 years but I picked the wrong advisor who cost me a lot of time and money. It was a long road to walk along. One of my graduate school friends did not start college until he was 35 and finished with his PhD in chemistry when he was 50. He also got married at 47 and had a son by age 49. Everyone has a different path in life. Choose the one that best fits your skills and happiness.

I started college at 17.
I didn’t stop after 4 years with my B. A.