In my situation, is school worth continuing?

College Life
#1

<p>I've previously attended the University of Georgia, but dropped out after two and a half years. I attempted 91 semester hours, but only finished 52 of them with a 2.89 GPA as a Cognitive Science major. My grades were either good or really bad - One semester I'd have a 3.85, and the next I'd have a 1.63. I failed Generative Syntax and Symbolic Logic because I stopped going after the withdraw deadline - I retook Symbolic Logic for an A. I also had a judicial snafu when I 'sexually harassed' a professor.</p>

<p>Needless to say, I was having problems outside of school. Despite financial aid and the HOPE scholarship, I had to work nearly full time to stay afloat, and everything else suffered. After losing HOPE for withdrawing from too many classes, I ran out of money, left school completely, and moved in with my mom. My mom kicked me out after a week because she couldn't support me, and since then I've been across the country as a vagrant. I settled in Salt Lake City, Utah for a month or so while working a temp job and living in a homeless shelter. I then left SLC after reading about a program in Los Angeles. I've been here in LA since May of last year, living rent free and working as a seasonal work, and I recently started school again at Los Angeles City College. I took a 5 hour accelerated chemistry course (chem 060) over the winter session and made an A, so I technically have a 4.0 GPA.</p>

<p>It's spring now and I was taking 13 semester hours before I withdrew from my Calc II course (despite technically having an A), and now I'm enrolled in 8 hours - English II and Chem 101. Despite having more security than when I was living on my own, I'm still technically homeless - It's very hard to study and concentrate on school with such things hanging over my head. I get free medication and therapy, but I still feel like I'm falling back into my old pattern of withdrawing from classes..</p>

<p>I was planning to transfer to UC for Neuroscience (or the closest thing offered), but I feel like I'm being a bit too hopeful. I know that the UCs are tougher on transfers who've previously been to 4 year universities, and I know that they'd be extra tough on those with a history of excessive withdrawals. The only thing that I feel would save my transfer application would be an explanation of all my extenuating circumstances (and perhaps my hispanic last name). At the same time, even if I were to get into a school like UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, or UC Riverside for Neuroscience, actually making use of the degree by going to a graduate or professional school would be a different story.</p>

<p>I'm starting to think that I should be considering other options.. Perhaps I should start thinking about two-year, career oriented programs? Nursing? IT? Software engineering? Maybe I should forget about school altogether and start thinking about how to be successful in a more creative or off-the-wall field as a college dropout? Art? Writing? Online poker? Organized crime?</p>

<p>All I know for sure is that I'm homeless with no support from family and friends, school is emotionally demanding, normal jobs make me want to throw myself off a bridge, and I'm too aware of it all for counseling or therapy to work. </p>

<p>What I need from you guys is a fresh perspective, especially on my chances with the UCs.</p>

#2

<p>you can forget about the UCs</p>

#3

<p>Ultimately, I'm just a high school senior, so what do I know?</p>

<p>But if I were you, I would say I have two good choices. </p>

<p>1) You obviously have a large amount of free time. More so than people taking the 'normal' route in life (school --> college --> work --> family). Use your extra time to your advantage. Specialize in something, anything, become the best, and use it for monetary gain. What that something is, I don't know.</p>

<p>2) Do what you can to get an entry-level business oriented job, and prove yourself. Work your way up the social and economic ladder. A degree would certainly help with this path.</p>

<p>Once again, what do I know? But good luck either way~!</p>

#4

<p>"I'm falling back into my old pattern of withdrawing from classes.."</p>

<p>Hmm. I can't empathize with you. Seriously, who the heck has "patterns" of withdrawing from classes? I understand, your life's tough. Guess what, I worked a full-time job in middle school amidst family problems and I still got by. What you need is motivation, which is something you clearly can't conjure up when it comes to school. Go find yourself a dark room, and do some self-evaluating to get a sense of what you need to do.</p>

#5

<p>Wow, that is a pretty large helping of tough love zenbadabing</p>

<p>idiomatic, I don't really know what you want us to say. I feel like you are leaving something out. Why do you withdraw from classes so much? Why would stop going after the drop deadline? I don't understand your inconsistency and I don't understand why your grades are all over the place. A 3.85 to a sub 2 is ridiculous. How serious of a drug/alcohol problem did you have?</p>

<p>To be honest, I think it would be very hard for you to get into a UC right now. Maybe a 2year program might be good for you, if you actually go to class.</p>

#6

<p>"Go find yourself a dark room, and do some self-evaluating to get a sense of what you need to do.'</p>

<p>That's been my entire life up until now. One of my problems may be that I self-evaluate just a little too much. </p>

<p>As for drugs and alcohol, I'm stone cold sober -- minus prescriptions (wellbutrin, trazodone).</p>

<p>Also, my guess is that the UCs would be more willing to look past my UGA academic record if I were applying from a homeless shelter -- not to mention coming out of a CCC with a 4.0 GPA. The more liberal the campus, the better my chances. UCLA comes to mind first, since it already has a reputation for accepting students with outstanding extenuating circumstances and otherwise questionable credentials. However, most are considered questionable because of grades and test scores that don't reflect the intellect of a typical UC student. In my case, out of high school, I would have been above average for accepted applicants at any given UC campus. All of this is just the opinion that I've pieced together by e-mailing people at UCLA and UCSB -- I know that it's a best-case scenario.</p>

<p>I'm not worried about not belonging at a UC. I'm more worried about not belonging in the more readily available, common-sense work and academic environments (grunt jobs, clerical work, IT, other 2 year programs and tech careers, CSUs, etcetera). The only way I see to avoid both would be to shirk societal expectations by working outside of the 'system', or working within it at a low level with sardonically creative activities on the side.. For some reason, I'm thinking of Charles Bukowski.</p>

#7

<p>I don't think being at a a homeless shelter would give colleges a reason to look past your georgia grades...</p>

#8

<p>u sound like one of those guys who is TOO smart.</p>

#9

<p>Maybe you could post this in the parents forum and get some more experienced responses.</p>

#10

<p>You worked a full time job in middle school dude, get over yourself.</p>

#11

<p>UC Merced might have an opening.</p>

#12

<p>wait, you sexually harrassed a professor? most schools would probably be nervous about that. they tend to be pretty protective of their professors...</p>

#13