I think about what could have been if I was ...Umm Dx earlier, sorry I'm all over the place.

I dropped out in year 11. two months of it anyway. But in general I was good (grades) in science, art and mechanics. I was terrible at math and I hated it because it was evidently a learning disability for me.

However, I feel like I could have BEEN if my condition was brought into the light earlier. I was finally Dx in 2015 but only found out the results a few months ago.. also, I don't know to do hugs.

[direkat]

I feel you. I dropped out right after my 11th year of high school. I got a perfect 4.0 but I worked my *** off for it, and I skipped a lot of school while dealing with my at-home crap that no one noticed I was being abused. So I ended up failing a year and it set me back so hard it just depressed me to the point of quitting. I could have done so much academically if someone had just noticed I had a problem and helped me get help :/ The education system really fails the mentally ill/abused.

[wildflowerchild25]

I did well grades wise but the only reason I graduated is because I attended an alternative high school for “emotionally disturbed” children. Seriously the best thing that ever happened to me. I hated regular high school and had too much anxiety going into it every day but the alternative school was perfect. No one was an outcast because we were all outcasts. I loved it. If I could continue being a teacher I would want to teach there.

Originally Posted by direkat

I feel you. I dropped out right after my 11th year of high school. I got a perfect 4.0 but I worked my *** off for it, and I skipped a lot of school while dealing with my at-home crap that no one noticed I was being abused. So I ended up failing a year and it set me back so hard it just depressed me to the point of quitting. I could have done so much academically if someone had just noticed I had a problem and helped me get help :/ The education system really fails the mentally ill/abused.

I was also a abused at school and home. Not having an escape as a kid really did push me to a life of crime, but never hurting anyone because I've never hit someone. I almost fell for heroin, like the rest of my partners in crime..

I did pretty well. I was kicked out of the house half way through grade 12 so I did classes in the morning and worked full time in the afternoon/evening. I was depressed and all over the place, but I made myself finish school.

[SorryShaped]

My grades were great in classes overall, but to this day I still don't understand chemical formulae. Highschool went ok, as far as grades ONLY, even with the month of hospitalization in my senior year. They did not catch bipolar! Fckrz! I crashed and stopped going to classes my second year of college. I went back several years later to a tech school and got an associates degree. I have more credits than so knew master's degree programs require. I've wasted my entire life to realize that none of that mattered because I wasn't happy doing it. What brings me happiness is helping others and I think I'll need to become a fitness instructor to pay for the ability to become a yoga instructor, which is my passion. I will not charge for my yoga classes. The other classes will pay for it. Now to figure out how to get around the student loans I had forgiven

I did mostly okay in school. In grade ten i was on the honor roll. That was my best year. My brother had disappeared that year and i knew something bad had happened to him so i numbed out that year and tried to be perfect to stop it from happening. I also tried hard in competitive gymnastics and had anorexia that year.

My last year of high school i quit gymnastics and got into partying and almost blew my chances of getting into university, my marks that year were so bad. That's the only year the universities look at. Luckily we have a terrific university with an open-door policy in a city i was attracted to and i was accepted there.

I got a university degree (just a bachelor of arts) by the skin of my teeth. My last year i partied too hard and then had an acute anxiety reaction when exams rolled around and it hit me how unprepared i was (and there was some family nonsense too). I had to defer an exam til August, so i did not graduate with my class, but i did graduate.

I wish i'd tried harder in high school, especially chemistry. I'm good at memorizing and i'm sure i would have done well. School is such a superb opportunity and i don't really feel i took advantage of it. I guess i was coping with too much family nonsense and beginning to struggle with mental illness.

I made it through to 9th grade. Tough childhood and teen yrs. Got my ged at 16. Went to college 2 different times. Did well. Halfway done with 2 degrees. Hope to go back.

Originally Posted by apfei

I did mostly okay in school. In grade ten i was on the honor roll. That was my best year. My brother had disappeared that year and i knew something bad had happened to him so i numbed out that year and tried to be perfect to stop it from happening. I also tried hard in competitive gymnastics and had anorexia that year.

My last year of high school i quit gymnastics and got into partying and almost blew my chances of getting into university, my marks that year were so bad. That's the only year the universities look at. Luckily we have a terrific university with an open-door policy in a city i was attracted to and i was accepted there.

I got a university degree (just a bachelor of arts) by the skin of my teeth. My last year i partied too hard and then had an acute anxiety reaction when exams rolled around and it hit me how unprepared i was (and there was some family nonsense too). I had to defer an exam til August, so i did not graduate with my class, but i did graduate.

I wish i'd tried harder in high school, especially chemistry. I'm good at memorizing and i'm sure i would have done well. School is such a superb opportunity and i don't really feel i took advantage of it. I guess i was coping with too much family nonsense and beginning to struggle with mental illness.

Just curious.. Do you have the anorexia under control? I just found out that I've got anemia.

No, anorexia is long ago in my past.

[rwwff]

Did quite well in school really, but kinda ran out of steam at the end of my BA, so quit while I was ahead and got a job.

[annielovesbacon]

I did well in high school despite having anorexia because one of the driving factors of my eating disorder was extreme perfectionist tendencies.

Now I am in college, I was DXed with BP2 my freshman year, each semester I've been in college my GPA has gotten lower and lower. Mostly because depression kicks my ***, when I'm manic I'm a great student But I am doing OK. And I have already gotten accepted into grad school so as long as my GPA stays high enough to stay in my program, I'll be OK.

[Pookyl]

I did well in school, undergrad uni, and a post grad uni course.
I wasn’t diagnosed with bipolar until I was in my 40’s.

My mother couldn’t tolerate anything but 100s or As (perfection), and she had a raging temper.

I couldn’t get those perfect grades when I was a kid.

I did have an A average in college.

What do you know, peace and not being subjected to all the rage attacks and I could actually function in college. It was so bad that I was suicidal when I was a kid. I think genetics + the severe abuse caused me to be bipolar.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I graduated with high academic honors in high school. In college my depression and anxiety defeated me and I dropped out. Then I went back and for my
Child development associate and now I'm a certified peer support specialist.

[Tucson]

I went to a private Jesuit high school. I did OK. I then went to college for an engineering degree. After the first year, I started skipping classes that were boring or easy. The challenging classes I did well in. I would skip a programming class, but at the same time, do a friends homework in that class. Unfortunately, many of my incomplete classes turned into “F” grades. I had most all of the Junior and Senior level engineering classes taken, including my Senior design project. However the other classes, particularity the Sophomore level classes like Physics III, I still had to complete. So I transferred over to the Mathematics department leaving behind all of those incomplete or failed courses. So I ended up with an easy B.S. in Mathematics degree, with a minor in Electrical Engineering. A big whoop. No big deal. I then went on to my different careers never using anything that I have learned from college.

There was one teacher in engineering that was awfully good and a hard instructor. I learned the most from him. I would show up to his class for his tests and frequently scored very high on the tests despite me having missed allot of relevant material in class. Those 4.0 type students would ask who received the highest grade on particular tests. When the teacher looked over at me, I just shook my head. I did not want anyone to know. He took me aside and told me I could be a straight “A” student if I would just show up for class. I did not listen to him. He did introduce me to his daughter though. I thought there may be something wrong with me behaving in this way. Later I was diagnosed BP which looking back made allot of sense to me.

Additional comment: I just remembered that I skipped my own graduation. At least I now know what is wrong with me.

Originally Posted by Pookyl

I did well in school, undergrad uni, and a post grad uni course.
I wasn’t diagnosed with bipolar until I was in my 40’s.

Me too, still young at heart though

[*Laurie*]

I was in high school between 1976 and 1981. I did wonderfully well in arts and communications classes. Did fine in modern dance class. Well in English. Most of the rest of it, I skipped classes. I was in an inner-city school and it was the 70's. No one did a thing when I skipped school. I had better ways to occupy my time than to sit in between 4 grey walls...hang out in the library, read, read, read...do art work, head downtown and observe people, write.

I still don't know how to do math past multiplication and a little bit of division.

I went to community college for some years. Did great in writing classes, art classes, psychology classes, anthro. And I really enjoyed studying ancient history and the history of the U.S.

Mostly, I'm pretty well self-educated.

[hopeless2015]

Straight c student "some college^ community college, didn't even finish my associates degree. 47 years old dx at 44,

[Wander]

High School was tough for me due to raging moods, being suicidal often and slowly going out of control. Still, I managed to get good enough grades to get into university yet my grades in no way reflected my intelligence. At University things got worse and I struggled to pass some units. Half way through I dropped out due to what was thought to be depression. I just couldn’t cope anymore. Seventeen years later I got back into university and it has taken me five years to do 1.5 years of the course due to multiple hospitalisations. It is so frustrating but I intend to finish my degree this time. I’m doing it for me. Maybe I will be well enough to work full time and use the degree but I don’t really know right now.

[scatterbrained04]

I did pretty well in school despite severe depression in my teen years. I took many honors and advanced placement courses and had mostly As and a few Bs. Had the same types of grades getting my associates degree too. My first quarter working towards my bachelors, I crashed into a horrible mixed episode and flunked everything and never went back. That's when I got diagnosed.

I also dropped out.

was I good in school?

no. I didn't get any certificates or anything like that- and that for me is always a big shame, and something I will always look back on

but, I enjoyed my short time I was their

I liked history (a lot), and have fond (and not so fond), memories of the other teachers

I was also pretty naughty at school, but all in fun-

once I remember sneaking in to the geography class during lunch to steal the cd we were learning from (with actual intent to study it), but later on in the same day, I hid it, and refused to tell anyone where it was- I'd thrown it in the bin

another time I through my homework in the fish pond, and still yet another time, I through stones at the science teacher for making me use a bunsen burner

oh

the other thing I hated was math, so I'd always make myself bleed terrible before math class, the teacher would see the blood and send me to the nurse.

score!

I think my biggist school regret is tearing up everything I did have (work related), in to tiny tiny peaces

it was mania that made me do it. it was.

I know.... blame the mania, blame the mania... but seriously, we were in english class, and our english teacher rebecca was trying to correct something I'd written

well i'd been really high all day (knocking food to the floor, singing really loud at random moments, making boing noises with my voice, giggling at anything and everything), and rebecca turned to me and goes... this peace of work is not good enough

and I'm like, well, nothing I do is ****ing good enough, and tore everything up in to peaces... every bit of work I ever owned- not just english, everything.

and that was ashame really.. because one thing I was doing in geography class about the rainforests was actually almost complete and looked good, even my geography teacher liked it.

through away my possible only chance at getting an award.

biggist regret

[Miss Laura]

I did ok at school. I have had problems with learning since I was in Primary 1 through to Primary 7 (5-12 years). I got extra help in English and Maths. I had trouble with handwriting, spelling, reading and Maths in general.

I improved a lot in English and by the time I went to high school I was in the top class which I was thrilled about. Maths though I just can't seem to do I think I have Dyscalculia. I stayed until the end in high school walking away with my best grade being in Singing. My lowest grade was in Maths.

I had fun at high school especially my final year... we as a collective have sussed out I was manic in 6th year. I worked part time in a supermarket, was a volunteer with a local children's charity, worked in a local primary school for 1 afternoon a week, worked in the behavioural and learning bases, took 2 kids for paired reading, worked on the year book committee, achieved my Bronze Duke Of Edinburgh Award, sang in the choir and attended anything school related plus on top of all this attend 4 full days at school and revise for my exams PHEW!!!

[greentires4me]

Failed grade 4,7, & 12. But still managed to go onto college and get on the honour roll both schools with both two different schools.