Hello all, I am in desperate need of help with an incredibly difficult situation. This post will be long.
Background: I am a 22 y/o currently attending Pasadena City College. Back in 2014 after graduation from high school, I attended UC Riverside. There, I spent 3 years, switching majors around 5 times due to mental illnesses and lack of focus. This essentially put me behind my peers by a wide amount. It wasn’t until mid 2016 that I got a job doing accounting for a company that I wanted to pursue accounting as my major. However, in UCR, business/accounting was considered another “school” with different classes and requirements, so I couldn’t just switch over. Add this to my already overloaded amount of units for General Ed classes. I applied to transfer out of UCR for 3 cal states (LA, Fullerton, and Pomona). However, I got rejected by all. When I asked why, I was told that it was probably because I was missing the CSU “Golden Four”.
So come late 2017, I decided to go to a community college. I spent 2 and a half (currently on my third semester) pursuing accounting classes and the like. During my first semester of PCC, I applied for the same 3 cal states (LA, Fullerton, and Pomona). This time, I applied with my “transferrable” UCR units and the planned courses I was going to take in PCC which included the CSU “Golden Four".
Situation: Now it is 2018, I just received my rejection letters from the same 3 cal states. Fullerton told me it was because of my GPA. I am assuming they only calculated my UCR GPA (which is low) since I did not finish my first semester of PCC yet when I applied. The other cal states did not mention why. I will try to ask them why and what were their methods of calculating was. I feel lost and disappointed because I am essentially wasting more time and opportunities at school rather than working full time. My parents are disappointed in me as well, I feel like such a failure and a disgrace.
Anyways, I have several questions:
- Will my UCR units (I have 3 years worth of GE’s) and GPA always affect me in terms of dragging me down?
- Should I apply for Spring 2019 with hopes of them considering my PCC GPA?
- Will a community college AA do anything to help me? Or will I just be wasting more time?
- What do you think should be my immediate and next steps?
Thank you.
Are you even consulting with a Counselor? Both mental health and academic advisors?
You’re making plans without knowing the next steps. Ask for help in your plans so that your don’t “waste” time. Bring copies of all of your transcripts to the academic advisors.
What you and your parents need to realize is that this isn’t a race. There is no deadline for when you need to graduate. You are only 22 and you now know that you needed to take some time to figure things out. Don’t stress yourself.
Also, discuss other possible college targets with the counselor at PCC
I am outside of CA so I’m not going to try to give advice thats too specific. If I make any suggestions that are incorrect, I hope others will step in. First, I want to assure you that at age 22, you have not done anything irrevocably damaging to your life or your future. Its hard to know this when things seem bleak. But I swear, at your age, doors can still open for you. It may be a different route then others take, but please, please never think you are a failure or a disgrace. In fact, I know many people who would have crumbled and not taking all the steps you are to improve your situation. It doesn’t seem like it now, but you can be proud of yourself.
You say that you want accounting and that you found a job where you could pursue that. Can you get an associates degree in something related at CC and then take a break from school for a bit and work? Save some money, get some focus and some self-esteem, rest a bit and then look at 4 year colleges with programs for non-traditional students? I know they are out there, but I don’t know anything specifically about CA.
Whatever you decide. Good luck and don’t give up on yourself!
Thanks for the responses.
@“aunt bea” Yes I have consulting with a counselor on multiple occasions. (both mental and academy) I will definitely seek out more guidance since I now know why I got denied entry for those colleges now. GPA was the problem, because when I applied only UCR transferable units were counted and not my PCC grades since I haven’t finished those courses. My next step would be finishing PCC courses with a high GPA so my chances are increased next time around. I will definitely need time to figure things out.
@gallentjill Thank you for the life advice. It was incredibly helpful to read especially right now when things seem so messy and out of reach. I won’t be giving up on myself any time soon.
@hopelesslife–just chiming in here because our oldest son (who unfortunately passed away last month), had majored in accounting, just passed all of his CPA exams, and was working for a large national accounting firm as an audit associate. I was interested to note that at his firm, a reputable one where he was very happy, a number of the associates and managers had gotten their degrees online and had had non-traditional paths to their accounting careers (if I remember correctly, one of his seniors had worked as a landscaper while she got her accounting degree).
Also, my son frequently commented to me how many accounting jobs there are, and how many job offers at companies he regularly got recruited for, so it is definitely a good skill to have in terms of employability.
So, there are many paths to a good career and a satisfying life, and as another poster said, there’s no reason that you have to have everything figured out by age 22. You are not a failure, don’t give up on yourself. You will get there.
@WFUparent1 Hi, I’m sorry to hear about your loss. Thank you for the time to respond. May I ask where and how they received their degrees online? (may a website if possible). And thank you for the encouragement, it gives me hope.
If you’re serious about getting a fresh start you could join the military (reserves if you only want to give up 6 mos). Do that, go back to CC and get a 4.0, and you’ll have a shot at places like Cornell, Penn, Vanderbilt, USC etc. Schools tend to be forgiving of military vets and tend to disregard academic histories before service from the work you do after.
Source: Me, decided to push the life reset button at 25 after some failed attempts at school, joined AF reserves, 9 months later I was back in school and thriving, and 2 yrs after that I was admitted to Stanford, Yale, Penn, Columbia and many many others. It can be done…how bad do you want it to happen is the question.