School + Depression= Disaster

[CourtD]

Here is my life in a nutshell-

 

I struggle with mild depression (causes serious lack of motivation all the time)

My parents pay for my college education and other things

I have been slowly getting burned out with school for over a year now

I'm not enjoying it like I should be and my grades are slipping

Finally I can't take it anymore- I want to drop out

 

I keep trying to consider all my other options- work full time, travel, get the beach body I've never had time for, learn to cook, learn anything really..

 

So what do I do?

 

I'm only 20 years old.. please help

[mhowe]

Stay in school.

Education is not to be "enjoyed"....that's a bonus. It is to prepare you to get a full time job, where you can pay your bills and live independently.

 

You sound bored. Not depressed.

And entitled.

 

How did you make it to 20 without knowing how to cook? Or do you mean going to culinary school and learning to be a chef?

[Furbys]

I agree with mhowe.

 

Do you still live at home? Do your parents still cook, clean for you?

 

You need to stay in education as it will help you for when you get a full time job. Its rare for people to enjoy education.

 

Also you can still learn to cook, improve your body. Your not at school all day so you have the time to do that also.

[pl3asehelp]

Hate to break it to you buddy, but as you grow up spending time doing fun things is thexception, not the rule. You need to financilally support and feed yourself. Anything else is a luxury you probably can't afford right now.

[happyfrank]

Give yourself some time whenever you can...Talk to your parents and plan vacation for next year.

 

Create some small goals every year... Just don't drop out. You will have good career and can get personal trainer later on in life..

[martymoose]

I was in the same place a few years ago...I dropped out at got help for the depression/cutting/suicidal thoughts. once i got my feet on the ground I started working full time. I do not regret dropping out because I was EXTREMELY suicidal at the time and I needed medical help but if you think you can pull your self together and stick it out you should. it is only a couple of years that will make the rest of your life a little better...having a degree is a great thing. you need to step back and look at your priorities. exercise and getting healthy really helped me tackle the depression. try a quick morning yoga routine before class. make goals. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[SooSad33]

Are you on something for your depression? How about some counselling? I am doing both.

I finished my schooling.. you can to- Keep going. That you NEED.

So, keep trudging okay. You CAN do this.. BUT- do look into some help.. if you're not getting it.

 

At your age, I was already seeing a therapist etc.

 

tc

[sleepingdonut]

If you can find anything else to do, I'd say go ahead and drop out. Your transcripts are a permanent record. No sense in continually stamping C's and D's on them that can't ever be removed.

[blueidealist24]

Well, if you can find a decent job, I'd say it would be fine to drop out but if you're unemployed or work at a low-paying job you had better stay in school, no matter how boring it is.

[Snny]

Stay in school.

Education is not to be "enjoyed"....that's a bonus. It is to prepare you to get a full time job, where you can pay your bills and live independently.

 

You sound bored. Not depressed.

And entitled.

Hate to say it, but I agree with this. I wished my parents could afford my college tuition. My sister is swimming in over $50K debt of student loans, has to pay $550 per month on top of extra $500 for rent. My student loan debt increased to $70K on top of a master's degree in teaching, and I will be expected to pay more than my sister when I am done with grad school because interest rate is higher. Just watched Fox News this morning and the median of individuals living with their parents is over 20% because repayment of college student loans are a B that post grads can barely afford to live on their own.

 

When you get out of college, you have NO debt to repay. You are lucky. You are not in my or thousands of other college students' financial situation. So please be a little bit more grateful here.

 

If you want travel, then go join the military. Then there's the Peacecorps or English teaching in Asia, but you must have a bachelor's degree to qualify.

 

The real world is going to eat you alive if you are uneducated and not ready. You need to take whatever opportunity college gives you- especially if it's "free" to you.

[blueidealist24]

Snny has a good suggestion of finishing your bachelor's degree, if that's what you're going for, then getting the opportunity to travel by teaching English. If you'd rather do it in Europe than Asia I think it requires an additional certification, but as far as I know, that additional certification isn't too difficult to get. It might be costly but it seems you don't have financial problems.. which is a big plus, as Snny said.

[Snny]

Unfortunately you have to have a master's degree to teach in Europe. They take their education very seriously and want the best of the best teachers with high qualifications. I looked and applied, and it is very competitive to get a teaching job there. Asia will take anyone who can speak English fluently, has a bachelor's degree and they pay as well as a doctor (plus the amount of respect you gain for being a teacher there than here). All they care about is that you are teaching their children to speak a business language skill vital to their economy while Europe cares about the content. However keep in mind...

 

-Japan has encountered earthquakes, a Tsunami, and Mt. Fuji is expected to erupt in a year or so. Women are treated like second class citizens- I've heard from both friends teaching in Japan that it's not uncommon for a woman to be grouped/molested in public because it's difficult to enforce and it's why Japan has "women only" train times to prevent it (Hell, they even have these signs posted at subway stations). There are establishments that you won't have access to because you are NOT Japanese... meaning be prepared to face open discrimination (Proof from a Japanese website). It can also be competitive to get placed there through. Only two friends of mine got in with JET, 5 didn't make their cut. However, one of those 5 got in one of the schools the other 2 friends were working in because they were superior at their jobs and built very strong connections with the heads (which is funny because that one guy only had an associates degree in General Studies... yet the Japanese school STILL wanted him based on personal recommendations given by the friends).

 

-South Korea is under panic with North Korea, but they pay their teachers extremely well. I have friends over there who are happy despite of the fear.

 

-Thailand has one of the world's largest human trafficking.

 

-Don't get me started with the Philippines. My fiance doesn't even want to go back and live there permanently.

 

-China is VERY cheap to live, but their air quality and sanitation concerns are a major problem.

 

Basically, if you wanna teach overseas, do your research and understand what you're getting yourself into. Not everyone can handle culture shock or being lonely for a year in a county where hardly anyone speaks your language. Backing out of their teaching contract is expensive because you would owe the school for the expensive plane ticket they paid to fly you there and then have to pay for an additional ticket to fly home. They don't play games with their contracts.

 

If I could teach English anywhere, I'd go to New Zealand. They have the highest literacy rate in the world and a very structured education system.