I鈥檓 a senior who鈥檚 21 years old. I will be 22 in July. I today found out I have to retake two college classes. And it sucks because I see on social media where some of my classmates that I graduated with in high school graduated college this spring. They got their bachelors and are moving on. I feel left behind because now I have to wait until the fall. I just hate the thought of being the last person to do something. It鈥檚 the worst feeling.聽 I have to wait 7 months. I have never been good in school! I have always struggled. But it seems so easy for others. I hate the feeling.
This stuff is SO insignificant in the context of the rest of your life. It took me like 5 or 6 years and 3 different colleges (1 of them twice) to get my degree. It was a waste of money, and has had no impact on where I am now in life; which is actually in a pretty good place. That said, I completely understand how this seems like the be all end all of your world right now. Just realize that that is because of your age, and that will virtually vanish as you progress through life and gain perspective. I also completely understand that all of that probably won鈥檛 make you feel any better right now.
Truth 馃憜
I started college at 16, and completed my first degree at 39. Don鈥檛 feel bad, the timeline works differently for different people.
Once you鈥檝e got a job in your chosen career, 99% of situations don鈥檛 give any shit about what happened before that.
Exactly. I was in the same boat as OP because my GPA was trash. I probably missed some opportunities because of it when trying to land my first job. But after I got one in my field, I was never asked for my GPA again, or even evidence that I went to college. Employers only want to know what you did in your last job, and only default to grades or diplomas if you have no relevant work history.
One of the worst things we do as a culture is setting arbitrary milestones and then shaming ourselves or others for missing them.
Are you expecting to graduate? You鈥檙e better off than many who didn鈥檛 finish at all. You stumbled, you鈥檙e moving forward. You鈥檙e going to be fine.
In 10 years you won鈥檛 even thing about this.
Just like I don鈥檛 remember which of my friends got their drivers license a few months ago before me.
It seems like a high deal now because you鈥檙e in the middle of it, but as someone鈥檚 few decades out, it鈥檚 not going to matter at all. Now that you鈥檙e an adult you鈥檙e going to meet people of all different ages and different places in their lives.
And most of it end up being because of things out of their control:
They have a physical illness or injury that slows down an aspect of their life.
They suddenly have to care for a parent, or sibling or child.
Jobs are suddenly available or not available, you might have to move cities, or across countries.
Everyone is doing things at their own pace. There is no reason to compare your journey against anyone else, because there are so many factors that got you where you are, and so many that will get your where you鈥檙e going, comparisons are worthless.
In my late forties and I couldn鈥檛 tell you what year I graduated. I know I fucked up so bad freshman year I had to switch from an Ivy League to an okay school with zero credit to my name, and lost a whole year, I know I got to 90% done with three different minors I ended up hating and dropping. I know I鈥檓 successful and happy in my career.
It doesn鈥檛 matter a bit.
Also, you鈥檙e struggling BUT doing it. That鈥檚 way more impressive than cruising through college.deleted by creator
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Same, except I also changed my major twice more and bombed out of two semesters. Employers give zero fucks. I was just discussing earlier how none of them even verify my education and I work in a pretty technical field requiring specialized education.
Your old classmates who flunked during the last two years probably didn鈥檛 post about it on social media. It鈥檚 not reflective of reality, just all curation.
Trust me, you鈥檙e doing fine. My bachelor took five years to finish, and plenty of people I鈥檝e talked to have had similar situations.
Dude (Dudess?). You are so young. This doesn鈥檛 matter in a long run.
Literally does not matter. There鈥檚 always going to be someone smarter, harder-working, or more privileged than you. The sooner you accept that and take ownership of your own experience without comparing yourself to others, the better off you鈥檒l be.
I took 7 1/2 years. Everyone moves at different speeds. Comparison is the thief of joy.
No
Colleges in fact often conspire to try to delay your graduation to fleece you. Don鈥檛 take it as a personal failing
No one knows when you entered college. You could have taken a year off between hs and college. No one will know that you had to retake classes either. You鈥檙e over thinking it. You鈥檙e not the last person to do it, you don鈥檛 know where everywhere else is at.
Don鈥檛 compare yourself with others - comparison is the thief of joy. And those people who have graduated are probably trying to get jobs right now. Have you seen the current job market? It鈥檚 fucking insane. I don鈥檛 know that it鈥檒l be any better in 7 months but I wouldn鈥檛 want to be looking for a job right now. Enjoy your reprieve.