[ SECRET POST #2006 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2006 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 06 pages, 135 secrets from Secret Submission Post #287.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 1 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 1 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I dropped out of HS and got my GED six years ago because I had to help support my family after my father died. I'm tired of working in retail and want to DO something with my life, and for that reason I've been thinking about starting community college. After months spent thinking about it and researching, I realized that I want to pursue a career either as a psychologist (clinical therapist?) or physical therapist.

My main concern is that I'm just not smart enough to succeed. Me being out of school for 6 years non withstanding, I've always been a poor student, mainly because I always had so much on my shoulders and put my education second to everything else. I'm not a good critical thinker, I'm terribly awkward and inarticulate, and I've pretty much spent these last few years working simple, monotonous jobs that a trained monkey could handle. I'm freaking out because I'm unsure if I could even handle a college curriculum, let alone the kind required to achieve a degree in the fields I'm interested in (at this point).

I'm just not smart, and I'm beginning to think that maybe college won't be for me.

Advice/Suggestions/ETC would be greatly appreciated.

[(Anonymous)]

*notwithstanding

[(Anonymous)]

As a warning, you need more than just a degree in Psychology to be a trained psychologist. Grad school and a licensing course are mandatory in most areas.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, I know. You need to get a Master's/Doctorate to be a physical therapist, as well.

[(Anonymous)]

Based on the post you wrote, if your Community College is anything like mine, you will find that you are very smart. What I mean is, you expressed yourself very well here, far better than most of the people I go to school with. There is a very very low bar at many community colleges. (Much of what you do at first will be a rehash of High School, and there will be people twice and three times your age in the same classes, so there's no reason to feel bad about it.) I've met people in English 103 (critical thinking and composition) who were practically illiterate but just kept at it and advanced by the skin of their teeth.

In general, community college is different from childhood schooling. No one is making you do anything, and if you fail you can try again as many times as you need. And believe me, there is no shame in having to work hard to keep up. In my school, the phrase, "I'm taking Beginning Algebra for the fifth time" is a badge of honor. It says that you're tenacious and willing to keep going. So long as you try, you shouldn't think badly of yourself at all.

Lots of people just going back to school feel a lot like you do. I've noticed the ones that are most scared tend to do the best of anyone.

Finally, never let anyone tell you that you are not smart. You are intelligent as hell, and I can tell that just from your writing style. Just keep trying and not giving up, and that will help more than anything.

[(Anonymous)]

Also, don't let the idea of a "college curriculum" scare you. The syllabus you get on the first day is always scary as fuck, but I assure you that by the end of the semester, the teacher will have skipped a bunch of the chapters you were supposed to go over, one of your papers will be cut, and your lowest scores on tests will be dropped.

Ease your way in. Don't start with a full 12-unit coarse load if you can help it. Try only one or two classes in that first semester. If you have to have a full coarse-load, (for medical coverage reasons, for example) make sure only one or two are very serious, and fill up the rest of the units with fun stuff like dance and art. In those classes so long as you show up and try, you will pass.

[(Anonymous)]

This!

Also, if your community college has a class to teach you public speech, or maybe acting, consider taking one (like anon above me said, go easy on the number of classes!). Learning to express yourself to other people through body language and losing anxiety when talking face to face will help you if you want to go into something like psychotherapy.

Art and dance, like anon above me said, are very good for this too; not necessary for the learning to express yourself verbally, but at least for relaxing and expressing parts of yourself you normally can't (art) and for loosening up in front of others (dance). It'll also help you wind down from the serious activities of the day. Do not underestimate how much things like those can refill your motivation!

And who knows, you might even find a class you really like and find something that catches your attention even more than Psychology. It's not a guarantee, but I've seen it happen.

Anyway, tl;dr: If you can go to community college, totally go for it!

[oroburos69]

College isn't hard? Decent writing skills can get you through it. And, uh, maybe it's just that I'm Canadian, but I've never, ever found university to be anything like in the movies or on TV. It's dull, not particularly educational, and expensive, but you get a shiny ticket to a better life at the end...Maybe.

Basically, it's not hard. Reeaally really not hard, in fact. So don't feel too dumb for it.

[(Anonymous)]

My college experience was completely different. Not only did I have a lot of fun (both in and outside of class), but I learned so many amazing things. I changed my major four times because I kept on taking courses that were so freaking awesome and couldn't decide on a single thing to study. In the end I ended up double majoring in Theater and English and minoring in Art, Sociology, Japanese, and Computer science (<- I was an undergrad for 7 years, lol). I also took a ton of classes that weren't necessary to my degree just for the heck of it.

It was SEVERELY expensive, though, even with financial aid, and had my grandparents not cleared off most of my student loans I would've probably been in debt forever.

That's one thing I sincerely hate about the cost of higher education. If you don't have the cash and if you don't want to be drowning in student loans for the rest of your life, you simply can't just take on a whole bunch of random classes to experience new things. I was lucky my grandparents helped me out. A lot of my friends didn't even have the opportunity to do what I did (that is, sample) because either they/their parents couldn't afford it or their financial aid limited the number of courses it covered. Fucking shame.

[(Anonymous)]

I used to be a high school dropout, but then years later, I attended a community college and earned an Associate of Arts degree. At first, I felt scared about going to a community college because I didn't feel smart enough. I was scared that I would fail. But to my relief, there were academic resources available in case I needed help: one-on-one tutoring, writing center, math tutoring center, counseling services (sometimes my personal life stressed me to the point where I felt it interfered with my school work, so the counselors were helpful with managing my stress).

So yeah, I totally understand your worries because I've felt the same things you're feeling now. I do hope you go to college because you will succeed as long as you manage your time well (GET A PLANNER, my friend), keep yourself organized, complete the homework ahead of time, seek out academic resources (writing center, etc.), and speak with the school counselors whenever you feel stressed.