[ebatts]

I was in community college trying to at least get my associates in liberal arts. My first semester of college, I got into an accident and wound up failing one of my courses because I missed the final exam. The next semester came and I had a full course load, including a foreign language. I did alright, not my best work ever, but I failed Spanish. So I started over in French I in the Fall. This time I did excellent. In the Spring I took Biology I and French II, along with ye other courses. I struggled with both Biology and French, but passed both. I found out that French III and IV were not offered at any of the community colleges near me, so I would have to start all over again in another language. Not only that, but the Biology course was so taxing on my brain that I really wasn't sure I could do it again. The textbook was the main problem: it was so technical that it was hard to comprehend. I really wanted to take the in-class version but because I work a full-time job right now, I couldn't. So I think I'm giving up. I feel so bad but I'm not sure what to do anymore. I want that degree, but is it really worth the effort?

[CastlesInTheAir]

Yes it is worth it to keep at it. Consider taking only one course next semester. Find a tutor or someone in your class to collaborate with. I've struggled as well and even took off this fall and spring semester to regroup mainly because of the episode I had in the fall but also to destress a little. I know I cant just dive in and take 3 to 4 courses so in the summer I am only taking one course.

I've had to retake a few courses but the good part is it is easier the second go around even though you feel kind of bad for having to retake it in the first place.

I don't think most people sail through college unless they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and never had to struggle with life stuff.

Everyone I know struggles in college, they work full time (as do I) and some are single parents.

NEVER GIVE UP! You will thank yourself when you graduate and finished something

Keep on keeping on

Get to it

Hugs

[ebatts]

I've got a lot going on at home and really can't afford it right now, but I will consider it as soon as I can. I'm just afraid of failure. When I got an F for Public Speaking, that was the first F I ever received as a final mark. I cried like a baby. Then I got an F in Spanish and I felt like I just couldn't do it. The stress that comes with education just doesn't seem worth it to me, but like I said, I will try. Thanks for the encouragement, tricia

[Perna]

I would try a few courses online that could transfer to your community college or where you could continue on for a 4-year degree at your leisure if you wanted? See if being able to work when it was convenient (or go to local classes) would be easier for your schedule:

http://dl.odu.edu/

[ebatts]

Most of my classes were online. I love distance learning, but the hybrid Biology was too much for me. I think part of my difficulty with French II was the professor. My French I prof. was so awesome and really spent a lot of time in each area. French II prof. was alright, but she moved way too fast through the material.

[Perna]

Yes, I had trouble with French too; the last course I was required to take in it (a remedial course) we had an actual French teacher but he was a grad student and lousy teacher and went way too fast with we remedial students and gave us all D's and F's, etc.; we had to complain to the department head and get him canned.

I eventually switched to Spanish and now don't know either of them :-) I went to Switzerland 6 years ago and felt "safer" in the French portions than the German (even though my husband and I took a quick continuing ed German course before we went) but had a heck of a time when I was alone trying to buy a brush in a beauty supply sort of store (everything was formal/in glass cases and you had to be "helped" by a clerk) and, again, in a camera store where all I wanted was a "throw away" camera; they didn't know that concept/slang, LOL.

I was not into studying; had had foreign language problems from high school, etc. I guess, if I could do it all again, I wish I could have been more realistic and researched what I wanted to study/do, what I wanted school for when I made my decisions. I was pretty naive about the "real" world and my ideas of what I was going to be/do when I graduated were wholly unrealistic. I had been a history major and run into trouble and decided to be a diplomat instead, no clue that I had to have had straight A's and be attending a different school, that I couldn't just switch from French to Spanish and get good grades in Spanish and that would cancel out the crummy French, etc.

What do you want with this degree at this time? If you just want "a" degree, I'd take easier or at least more interesting-to-me courses in the subject areas I had to choose from. I did not take biology in high school until my senior year and then, only to avoid physics! At one point I got a "D" in biology because I just wasn't into it. I only got a "C" in botany in college, same reason.

I would not give up on school but I would fall back and regroup; maybe take some courses you don't "have" to but are interested in, etc. to see if you can't find something that you don't know about that might inspire you and not require botany or French :-) as part of their curriculum.

[ebatts]

Haha. Perna I'm totally on the page where I don't like studying, but I did it anyway because I knew I had to pass. Good thing was with taking online courses, most of the tests were open book I loved science in high school. I want to take chem but it requires another math course that I was told I didn't have to take. -shrug- An associates would be good enough for me, because then I could use it later when I decide what I actually want to do. I think I want to be an IT, but I'm losing motivation because I can't learn it fast enough. I think part of the problem is that I just want to be done already. I have ADD so bad that I can't stay focused.

[Perna]

So, transfer to an online IT school/program instead of just the general stuff? I use to love working on school courses and getting jobs in fields related (they hire you because you are in school for relevant subjects so you look like you care and they often will pick up some of the costs :-)

http://www.umuc.edu/undergrad/ugprograms/dmst.cfm

[ebatts]

I've considered that, but I do so much better when I'm in a classroom. I'm a visual and tactile learner I probably couldn't tell you half of the things I learned while taking online courses lol

[Perna]

Most practical IT things require doing real-world projects, whether online or for the classroom. The projects are part of the "materials" you have to buy for the courses, just like the books. When I took astronomy online, I had to buy really cool software that figured out where I was physically located (or actually, my computer was :-) and showed me that sky in real time and I had to go out and observe certain things and discuss them (phases of the moon, for example) and photograph/draw them, etc.

[ebatts]

I started taking notes from a Network Fundamentals book, and I was doing alright, but I just lost interest after a while. I don't know what it is. I feel like I have no drive to do anything, but I want to get this education thing over with so I can get on with my life.

[CastlesInTheAir]

Oh ugh...I took networking as a minimester class....it was the most boring class I have taken. I had to read three chapters a week and had to take a 100 question timed exam every week. There were never any assignments or projects it was just reading and tests. I passed but I know I could not tell you this moment half of what I learned.

[CastlesInTheAir]

Originally Posted by ebatts

I've considered that, but I do so much better when I'm in a classroom. I'm a visual and tactile learner I probably couldn't tell you half of the things I learned while taking online courses lol

That's weird I'm the complete the opposite. So far I've done better online than in person. The other thing is sometimes the instructor can set the course up half *** or be dis organized and make it boring or vice versa. I've taken classes that I thought was going to be boring and ended up intrigued because of the instructor.

[ebatts]

Courses in which I'm not able to get up and do things bore me easily and I stop paying attention and find other things to do, like text or draw. Ironically, I wind up doing well even if I barely study. I really don't get it.


I change my mind on a dime about what I want to do with my life because it seems like the goals are so far away. I can't make "plans." I have to do things on a whim, when I'm interested, it has to happen at that moment.
Example: I want to get ice cream one minute, but if it takes too long for someone to get ready (say, more that five minutes), I become uninterested.
ADD controls me and even if I take pills, somehow I can't keep myself motivated.

[Satoshi Nakamoto]

I honestly felt some remorse for you when I figured you were pursing a Bachelors+ degree. Regardless, I definitely know how it feels to start over... I'm a computer science major pursuing my bachelors, my first two years of college I programmed mainly in java, transferred schools and the frikken new uni I went to programmed explicitly in python, so me being awesome, I hoped over to explore the world of python, not so bad, learn it over the summer, only to check online to see none of my credits transferred. I almost ragequit, but now I have 2 programming languages (plus many more I picked up on my own) under my belt to show my potential employer. Use it towards your advantage man, I mean hell you'll know one more language than someone else, that's major brownie points.

[ebatts]

I hear you, Satoshi. I actually have been trying to learn a little programming on my own. Granted I may never be a programmer, but it is good knowledge.

[Nammu]

Do consider taking less of a load while you are working if the grade is important. Two reasons. It would be easer to take a classroom class while working and you could devote more time to the study. I've forgotten the actual numbers but per credit you are supposed to spend about 3-4 hours a week studying. So if you have 2 classes of 4-5 credits thats 12-20 hours of study time on top of your full time work. When I went to the U of M back in the days when a student could actually work and pay for a 4 year degree I had a job that allowed me to study at work about 3-4 hours. That and my great memory back then got me though, but if you have ADD, you are going to need that time for retention.
Don't just give up. It hard when you just want it all over with all ready, but even a bit at a time will get you there, give it up and you won't get there at all. People with college degree make a lot more money in the long run, so stick with it. If you have any idea at all of which 4 year you want to switch to get together with a counselor and do some long range class planing to make sure all the classes you take will transfer to there. There are some classes that are more trasferable than others, the counselors should have a list. Best of luck.