Thinking of giving up on college

[Tyrion101]

Everything is conspiring against my ever attaining a degree, even an associates. I'm struggling to work a part time job and do class, and do homework even with one class. I just can't do it. Also things keep popping up that require me to miss whole semesters, I'm 34 and will be 50 by the time I graduate at this rate. I can't give up the job, so I guess the class has to go. Trouble is I don't see any way to improve my current situation without some sort of degree. I don't want to work a job anymore that's never going to amount to anything. Yet that's all I'll get if I'm ever able to find anything it's just going to be the same but with more hours. I feel lost and hopeless. Can anyone help me?

 

[jedishrfu]

What degree are you shooting for?

Some undergrad degrees can be done online. and some graduate degrees support weekend classes.

 

[Tyrion101]

This class is not offered online at my school. The homework is, but I don't want to keep having to ask for extensions. Electrical engineering.

 

[jedishrfu]

WHat about some other school? and you still haven't said the degree.

 

[gleem]

Perhaps you are going in the wrong direction. What are your interests? What are your current commitments e.g.. family. ? What was your current plan?

 

[Tyrion101]

I'd have to go through all the prerequisites again, and it's just not worth it. I just know no matter where I go they're not going to accept the grades I did here because that's just my story. It won't matter that this school is transferable or not. Electrical engineering.

 

[jedishrfu]

Since you want to stay at the same school, then you must do something about the job. Are they paying for your courses?

 

[Evo]

Sounds like you've already given up. I don't know what you expect us tell you other than what has been suggested. Sounds like you had bad grades, so you'd need to start over, if that's even possible. There are many schools that offer online electrical engineering courses.

 

[Tyrion101]

Trouble is there isn't really anything here at this school that interests me, I chose EE because it sounded interesting and I'd be able to get a job with a lower degree. What's killing me is the pure amount of homework my professor is giving me. He said at one point he believes that homework should take 6 hours outside of class to do. It generally takes me an entire week of doing nothing else. Is this overkill for a trig class?

 

[gleem]

Is electrical engineering related to your current job or do you find it particularly interesting or does it just seem to you as a way to go?

 

[gleem]

A whole week for a trig assignment is way too much time. Perhaps math intensive subject are not your strength.

 

[Tyrion101]

Math is not my strength but I need it for EE, so I'm in a hard place. I wouldn't mind a language degree of some sort, but they don't offer that here. Besides I probably wouldn't get a decent job with it either. This is a community college and I had intended on getting what I needed to transfer to a better school. Why I'm worried about transferring anyplace is that when I first tried college I nearly failed out and just quit for a very long time. I'm worried they will see that, rather than the fact that until now (this go around) I've made A's or Bs in every class I've taken. I've actually got a GPA above 3 now, when I started back apparently they kept my old GPA, which was at 2. something.

 

[gleem]

Look, You need to believe in yourself. No confidence and you cannot take the first step. You have been out of school for a long time and you have lost some of the discipline for studying that you once had. You may have forgotten how to study. You need to get back into that groove sort of like getting into shape before you take up a specific sport.

 

[Tyrion101]

You're right about the confidence thing, I've never really had very much to begin with, how do I gain it with a subject that obviously isn't my best?

 

[gleem]

You gain confidence with success. So you go to your strengths or at least familiar subjects with which you feel comfortable.

 

[Almeisan]

Well, maybe you are setting yourself up for failure, doing a part-time job and a full-time study alongside whatever other responsibilities you are taking on.

I don't know what advice you are asking for, but if the study load is too great, the obvious next step is to give up on the part-time job. If when forced to decide between your degree and your job, you pick your job, why invest in the study you are doing anyway?

You say you have A's and B's and GPA is 3 (donno if that is high, if I translate to 1 to 10 scale it seems high), so what is the problem? You are studying parttime and forgetting stuff faster than you are learning new material, making it all take too long?

 

[Tyrion101]

My GPA before this class was a 3.2 or 3 I think it's out of 4 . I don't want a degree or job just because, I'd like to be interested in it. I'd also like to have a reasonable salary.

 

[gleem]

In any case you have to match your skills with your goals. Interest is an important element for success for most people. Have you considered an Associate degree or certification program in some electrical/electronic subfield.

 

[Tyrion101]

I dunno, my real interest is in language interpretation, this community college only offers what seems to be mostly vocational type job degrees. I had hoped to combine my love of language and EE somehow.

 

[Tyrion101]

I just reread what you wrote, and I'm working for an AS in EE.

 

[Almeisan]

Wait, you don't like EE/don't want a job in EE?

A full-time study should take about 40 hours a week, less for better students and less for better students.
If you are spending 60 hours a week in total studying, something is wrong.

 

[Tyrion101]

I want a job in EE, I'm just saying that I'd rather have one as some sort of interpreter.

 

[gleem]

Combining EE and language to me seems a stretch. However a language especially Arabic and Far Eastern languages are very important today especially in business and social programs. How are you with people? Do any social sciences seem attractive how about health care?

 

[Tyrion101]

I spent my childhood in hospitals and prefer avoiding them, I seem to do ok with those I've communicated with, and do not know about actual interpretation I've never been in a situation to do it. I'm going to Italy next year, and may get a chance to try it out with who's going with me. My language interests tend to be Asian in origin, though circumstance seems to bring me back to European ones. I've not looked into social sciences, or how I could combine them and language.

 

[russ_watters]

I'm not understanding the math here: you have one class plus six hours of homework and a part time job...so, what are you doing for the other 50 waking-hours each week instead of taking 4 more classes?

 

[symbolipoint]

I dunno, my real interest is in language interpretation, this community college only offers what seems to be mostly vocational type job degrees. I had hoped to combine my love of language and EE somehow.

I want a job in EE, I'm just saying that I'd rather have one as some sort of interpreter.

I spent my childhood in hospitals and prefer avoiding them, I seem to do ok with those I've communicated with, and do not know about actual interpretation I've never been in a situation to do it. I'm going to Italy next year, and may get a chance to try it out with who's going with me. My language interests tend to be Asian in origin, though circumstance seems to bring me back to European ones. I've not looked into social sciences, or how I could combine them and language.

I'm not understanding the math here: you have one class plus six hours of homework and a part time job...so, what are you doing for the other 50 waking-hours each week instead of taking 4 more classes?

So up to now you are avoiding what could be your very important and strong interest. Have you thought honestly about change in major field? LANGUAGES or some one or two languages for either (a) Interpretation, (b) Translation, (c) Teaching the target language or languages, or (d) Teaching English As A Second Language? Would you be much much better dealing in a language than in getting nowhere chasing electrical engineering? language study although hard, is usually easier to get grades of "A". Do you believe you may have better talent in learning (and studying) languages and culture? ESL and TESOL are still very big and important field(s).

 

[Tyrion101]

I've been told that unless I'm interested in teaching there isn't much of a job opportunity for someone like me. I'm not interested in teaching, so I got to find something else. I'd love to be an interpreter but if it's not going to pay the bills then why would I do it? I enjoy language, and culture learning but as I said before unless I can find some way of paying the bills with it that doesn't involve a classroom, (or a hospital) then I'd just rather do something else.

 

[symbolipoint]

I've been told that unless I'm interested in teaching there isn't much of a job opportunity for someone like me. I'm not interested in teaching, so I got to find something else. I'd love to be an interpreter but if it's not going to pay the bills then why would I do it? I enjoy language, and culture learning but as I said before unless I can find some way of paying the bills with it that doesn't involve a classroom, (or a hospital) then I'd just rather do something else.

You wanted to combine scientific or engineering education with languages. WRITER! Software documentation, translation to or from human languages; instruction or user manuals. TECHNICIAN? Assisting communication between workers and employees where some at the company or site come from a different language background. RETAIL WORKER(probably not your interest)! Customers in consumer electronics retail shops often have different language background than the English language and people who are fluent in their languages are very valuable.

 

[Tyrion101]

I have been intentionally saying interpretation which is between two individuals who do not speak the same language, translation is what you describe, I'd rather work with humans than a dictionary. I am not a writer.

 

[dipole]

For someone who feels like he's out of options, you sure are picky when it comes to reasonable suggestions. Ever consider your attitude is part of the problem?