Should I stay in college?
 

I fucked up my financial aid (TOPS, for anyone in Louisiana or otherwise familiar) and now I feel sort of screwed.

I'm waiting for my paperwork for my other financial aid to go through. Then they send me an award letter which I sign and send back.

-The paperwork (award letter) gets processed before the 11th (BIG maybe. They quoted '4-6 weeks' at me a few days ago.) and we pay $100 (which we pretty much don't have) for a deferment.

OR

-If that does not happen, we have to set up a payment plan (which also might(??) require that same paperwork. We have to pay a chunk of tuition up front. Guessing around $700 (which we definitely would have trouble with). I don't believe we could get this. I'd hate to ask my brother (in the military and already annoyed with helping us pay the occasional bill).

The reason for this is because my GPA got low last semester (just below a 2.5) and I've lost TOPS, which came with an automatic deferment, until I get it back up.

Between this and housing not getting back to us yet about a dorm room, I'm starting to wonder if I should should just drop out and find a job. College is putting us through so much financially and I'm really struggling.

My GPA is crap like this because for the past year, I've had less and less confidence in my ability to learn. The idea got into my head that I have ADHD and damn has this thought fucked with me so bad. I went to Counseling and Testing at the beginning of last semester and well.... they were no help at all.

Still figuring out how to tell my mom this. The 'I think I have ADHD' talk has been held back a while because I had nothing to really bring as 'proof'. What happened with Counseling and Testing really made me hesitant. I always wanted to go back but sort of put it off. The 'I doubt the direction of my life and two years of work and debt has been for nothing' talk can't be much better.

Crap I feel like I've fucked up everything. :(

Dropping out looks really good right now but then I loose TOPS permanently, I think.

I also had a rough quarter. Put me on academic probation.
 

There is a huge gulf in the unemployment rates of people with any kind of post-high school accreditation and those without. Best as I can tell that's only going to get worse.

Generally colleges will let you take classes part-time if you can get some kind of part-time employment. That'll help you with tuition and ease your course load.

Firstly find yourself a job and a place to live, if your 'rents will put you up, then fantastic.

You aren't falling behind because you shouldn't measure your life to others your age. I'm just starting school at 20 and there is nothing wrong about taking time to mature and find your place before heading to college. That said, if you are going into a high paying field, and you know you can pay back student loans, I advise you stay. Every single persons situation is different but from what I'm getting from you, I think you could use a little time off to figure things out.

Hey, I dropped out of college.

Long story short, don't fucking drop out of college.

I have to get behind the part-time idea. Some people just can't handle full-time college. I personally did not do well with it and my grades reflected that. If you need full-time, take 12 credits. That's just enough to count, but trust me in that it's a LOT easier than 18.

Also, ADHD is something you would have struggled with all your life. It doesn't just crop up. If you have to, drink caffeine and see if it helps you focus. Stimulants do that for ADHD. Also, I'd go to a professional for diagnosis. It's way too easy to read up on things and think you have them.

If it helps, though, here's a basic test. Be honest about this:
1) Do you just have trouble focusing?
2) Do you focus well on things that interest you?

ADHD isn't just trouble with focus. It's where you can only focus on things you care about or that capture your interest. If you just have trouble focusing, it's more likely you're just brain fried from stress.

Staying in college is not a guarantee of success. Just like dropping out... either way you choose, it's pretty much the same hardships with a variable degree of duration.

Really man, life is bets and choices... the best you can do is make your bets based on the max amount of information you can get, you know?

on that same note, you can't really get a decent outcome out of this either way, if you don't have a decent job at sight that you can build something upon or a decent career to follow trough if you finish college

I'd say stick it out, if you can.

Wondering about having ADD, ADHD, Aspbergers, Depression, whatever used to mess with me too. Until I met a doctor who said 'ok, let's say you have 'X'. So what?' That really struck me. I know some people find comfort in identifying whatever it is they are dealing with, but recognizing that we are just using these terms to identify things that people have been dealing with since forever and still can't really do a whole lot about was sort of relieving.

Obviously severe cases need some kind of treatment and I'm not knocking the benefits of a good doctor and better meds, but it helps me to realize that my character sheet is just balenced differently.

My advice is to not drop out if you can help it at all. If you have to take things slow that's fine. Just don't get stuck and do nothing or whatever disorder you suspect you are dealing with will just turn into depression. 'Doing nothing' includes working a crappy job that isn't going to get you out of your parent's basement.

I dropped out of college because I hated it so much I don't think I can express it in words. Actually, going to college is probably the single greatest regret I have in my short life.

I'm a lot happier now that I'm out of there, so you can take that for what it's worth.

Edit: Basically, if you're anything like me, and from your post it sounds like you are at least a little, you should get the fuck out of there. If you're not like me then I don't know do what these other guys are saying.

Yeah if you hate college with the wrath of a thousand fiery suns you should drop out of college.

If you're just freaking out over a shit semester, then like, stay in college.