Anyone else drop out?

I dropped out of college not once but twice. I had a 3.7 gpa in high school so it's not like I wasn't smart enough either. I was just very sick, very entitled and very naive too.
Dropping out the second time is the biggest regret of my life and that includes a suicide attempt. I left less than 4 years ago and it's next to impossible to get the job I want without a BA.
People, no matter how bad it gets, consider the long-term consequences of your decisions. That's all I can say.

I have also dropped out twice. Once from college, and once from university. The first time was me being overwhelmed and making a quick decision to leave after getting a year done. The second time was mental health related and I got a medical withdrawal letter so I didn't have to pay the university loans since I didn't even last a semester.

I have contacted my old college prof and she is totally fine with me coming back to school to finish the program. She said she'd write me a note so I didn't have to reapply, and would start off in the 2nd year. (The program is a 2 year one so I would finish quite quickly). I will be going back to school not this September, but next September. Until then I am working part-time and slowly paying off my student loans from my first dropping out.

To anyone who has dropped out, don't waste time regretting your decisions. There is no shame in going back later to finish, or deciding that school is not the path for you.

I dropped out of 4 yr college also. 3 times. After the last time, I decided to try doing a community college. I finally got my associate's degree in May. I graduated high school in 2001. It is never too late! There is always the possibility to get there if we keep trying, don't give up!

It's a real challenge not to regret the past. I had to stick it out for two more years and I'd be done. Plus, my parents were paying!
Instead, it's dead end job to dead end job, but at least I can focus on improving my health. That remains my top current priority.
I also fear I'm getting too old for college. I'll be 28 in September. I know this is silly to people without social anxiety, but I would feel weird sitting next to those 20 year olds.
I've considered an online degree but I don't have the discipline, and besides I don't like the stigma.
I do want to finish school because the jobs I want require that.

I'm am 34. And just got an associate's. There is nothing wrong with that. I promise you, there are a lot of "non-traditional" students these days. By that, I mean going back to school older. I also have severe anxiety. I dropped out because of my mental health. Each time, I got a medical withdrawal. Also, when I dropped out of 4 year college the last time, I was a senior. I was nearly done. I just couldn't do it. I was going to end up attempting sui again if I didn't withdraw...

I totally understand where you are coming from Retnick. I wonder if a 2 yr college may be easier, like it was for me. The classes are smaller, and the professors are available more to each student. Also, colleges have an office for students with disabilities (OSD). Different schools call it different things tho. Students can get accommodations to help them in class or with exams. And it includess mental illness, like severe anxiety. They just need documentation from a doctor (psych), and can figure out with you what you would need. I had a hard time taking exams in the classroom with the rest of the class, because i would obsess over the other stidents finishing and was I going too slow, or too fast, why am I already done, etc. With the accommodations, I was able to take exams by myself in the OSD. You can check on all of that before even applying to go back. Checking on it doesn't mean you are going back, just looking into it...

Thanks for your input. I didn't mention that I already have an associate's degree, though it's effectively useless because it's in General Studies.
I really would like a BA. The job market for professionals these days is not friendly to people without a 4 year degree.

Congratulations on getting your aa though. I know that must have been a long and arduous journey. In my opinion, it's something the typical 22-year-old college graduate will never understand, because it came easily for them.

I don't, but almost. Because my parents force me to study the field that I don't want to. It's a miracle that I able to graduate on time, through I think about suicide all the time.

I don't think it worth it. In the end, I work on the field that totally different with my degree, the field that I actually really like. I feel like I'm wasting time and so much money for that 4 years college.

I dropped out of education many times. I guess because of mental illness/lack of purpose. I have been on 6 different schools/programs after the age of 18. And then quit for 10 years or so.

I do not think anyone could have told me something back then that would have fixed it. I think one of the reasons is that I always was at a very low academic level and I absolutely wasn't able to motivate myself to work hard to learn stuff that would give me a basic degree and then a basic job. And without motivation, I am nothing. And I am still that way. Things have been going very smoothly now. I just finished my last credit for my BSc at age 34, cum laude. I am sure I will be able to finish my MSc. And then I am sure I can get recommendations for a nice PhD spot.

But if things suddenly don't go well, and I have to take second or third pickings compared to my peers right now, I'd be disappointed and I may give up entirely again.

I'm 52 and going back to college for an AA degree. I dropped out of a lot of schools because I was in the military and moved a lot. It cost me around $50 to get all my transcripts, and some of them are really old. My daughter is attending part-time and working part-time so she can move out and not have student debt.

I still have anxiety about turning assignments in, whether it's good or not. I seem to be doing okay.

I can't believe so few people have responded to this thread.
This is extremely depressing, and makes me feel like an even bigger failure than before.

I dropped out of school in 2015 and went back in January. I did my last 3 years of school online, tried to go back to an actual school and lasted about a month. When I went back to school in January it was also online. I really suggest looking into online further. Fear of not having enough self-discipline is a really common one, and it is difficult at first, but it is also easy to get into a routine. After that routine is set up, it becomes a lot less difficult and pretty much like second nature. I personally think the pros outweigh the cons by far.

As for the stigma, that can be pretty much completely avoided by going to a large school with an online program rather than one of the schools who are entirely online. For example, I go to Penn State. When I get that degree its going to say "The Pennsylvania State University" not, "The Pennsylvania State University - Online". 99% of the professors I have had are teaching courses online and at a Penn State campus as well, so the quality of the education is no different. It is definitely something to look further into.

I just think with big decisions like these, we are always going to have 100 more reasons why now is not the right time to go back to school vs why it is the right time. Not at all saying your reasons aren't valid because they 100% are. I just think it is worth the chance. If anything, start small. Take an online course through your local community college and see how that goes. And if you have any questions about taking classes online, feel free to message me!

I have messed up a lot in my life. There isn't much to show for my 39 years. My student career is quite depressing, when I think about it. I've dropped out a lot too, and it is embarrassing. My transcripts make me look indecisive. In a way my dropouts were good decisions, because the two community college programs, I attempted were a very poor fit. I also had to leave halfway through my degree, but for a very different reason, a lack of funds. My plan is to return to university, sometime in the future to finish my degree, even though it won't help with my job. For me it is about the accomplishment. Universities are more flexible, especially to adult learners, so it is never too late to go back.

Shortly after I left university, I found work in a skilled trade, and discovered that I loved it, and was really good at it. I'm returning to school in September. The program I enrolled in is closely related to what I am doing now, so I know, what I am getting myself into this time. I plan to complete this four semester program.

You're not a failure! Lots of people drop out of school because of stress. If you need to improve your mental health situation, do that first before going back. The only reason I can do it now is because I'm on a good med regime and I do a lot of therapy.

Thanks for the support guys.

I've decided to re-enroll come springtime. I have approximately two years left. I haven't applied anywhere yet but I'm going to try in-state to keep the costs low.

Pastelcarly - I was looking into online for a while but decided it wasn't for me. I really need to be in a physical environment in order to be more motivated. I wish you good luck with your degree.

As for me, third time's the charm, right? Haha. No, seriously, I'm a completely different person now. Hopefully I'll look back some day and see how my previous failures were necessary for growth.