Anonymous
Post 01/29/2014 16:28     Subject: Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
Heck yes its worth it, college is your admission ticket to great opportunities. Not every employer wants your GPA, but they want to know you attended. Work ethic is what is huge.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2014 21:58     Subject: Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
Does your school have a counseling or mental health center? Many colleges do and many allow students to take a medical leave of absence for mental health reasons. You should look into this.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2014 21:53     Subject: Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
I've sat in on a number of grad school reviews and yes, people in your situation can continue in college and get in to graduate school. This kind of situation happens more often than you think - depression and other mental illnesses often develop in college and situations come up like death of parents, illness, etc., and people get poor grades for awhile until they get things under control. The admissions committee is usually pretty forgiving for health-related issues and deaths in the immediate family, however, they will want to see that the issue was temporary and it has been resolved. Furthermore, you need another way to show them you are an outstanding candidate. My advice? Take time off from school, get healthy, then return to work or school when you are ready. Get outstanding grades when you return, and maybe look for an internship or job in a related field. Get some good recommendations from professors or employers, and you will be fine.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2014 07:55     Subject: Re:Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
Anonymous wrote:These "My _________ had a 2.0 but went to the Ivy league, became President of the US, etc" responses reminds me of those using Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerburg as examples of how someone can be a college dropout yet still be successful. Frankly, I find it laughable.

The reality is that the VAST MAJORITY of dropouts don't A)come from their backgrounds (they would be fine b/c of the family's wealth) and B)do NOT achieve anywhere near their levels of success. The VAST MAJORITY of school dropouts spend the rest of their lives in near-poverty regretting their decisions.

That said, were your Ivy league, CEO, super successful hubbies and brothers a Stanford graduate part of the time (in their own heads)? It sounds like OP has serious mental issues and anxiety that must be tended to before he takes on the additional stress of school.

Either way, OP's received good advice on both sides. It's up to him to weigh things, realizing none of us know his full story.

Best of luck OP. Due to your self-awareness and ability to function despite your illness and stresses of college, I am certain you will do well in life whatever you choose.


Unfortunately when mental illness is in a family it usually does not just hit one family member. Most families that have experience with mental illness don't have just 1 or 2 stories, they have many. I have only shared a few. So you might find it laughable that VAST MAJORITY in your opinion don't turn out to be successful, I doubt you know the VAST MAJORITY of poeple. The VAST MAJORITY of people go to colleges that you have never heard of and community colleges, muddle though their 20's, suffer from poverty, illness, family issues and are successful eventually. The VAST MAJORITY of people are not doctors, lawyers and indian chiefs. Many people have good jobs and live happy lives with low GPA's and mental illness.

The VAST MAJORITY of DCUM posters take Prozac when their children's GPS dip below a 3.5. So.... yes, I think if you talk to the VAST MAJORITY of people (not on DCUM) they were not super successful at school but were able to be successful in life.

On the other hand, those who are told they can not be successful, should drop out and give up on themselves ususally don't become successful.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2014 00:42     Subject: Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No employer is ever going to ask to see your transcript so it doesn't matter if you graduate with a 2.0 or 4.0 as long as you graduate. My brother had a 2.0 in college (his issue was frat parties) and even had to come home one term after getting a 1.5 but he's now the CFO at a Fortune 500 company.

He did get an MBA at an IVY after spending 10 years in the workforce, he clearly did well in school the second time. So my advice to OP would be to keep working on your mental health with your doctors and keep going to school even if it's just one or two classes each term.


While this is true for the most part, there are many employers that require a certain undergraduate GPA and DO require transcripts. My profession is one that does.

It would be worth knowing what career field OP is planning to go into. Even with that information, it would be hard to tell. Within my own profession, while most do require a transcript, few care about GPA. However, I have seen certain companies required a min. GPA within my profession.


I'm curious what you do that required a certain GPA? I've worked on the hill, for several lobbying firms and a non profit and we didn't ask to see anyone's grades or transcripts when hiring. My DH is in finance and has never had a company ask for grades or transcripts. Neither of us have an advanced degree just your basic bachelors from state schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2014 16:36     Subject: Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
Anonymous wrote:No employer is ever going to ask to see your transcript so it doesn't matter if you graduate with a 2.0 or 4.0 as long as you graduate. My brother had a 2.0 in college (his issue was frat parties) and even had to come home one term after getting a 1.5 but he's now the CFO at a Fortune 500 company.

He did get an MBA at an IVY after spending 10 years in the workforce, he clearly did well in school the second time. So my advice to OP would be to keep working on your mental health with your doctors and keep going to school even if it's just one or two classes each term.


While this is true for the most part, there are many employers that require a certain undergraduate GPA and DO require transcripts. My profession is one that does.

It would be worth knowing what career field OP is planning to go into. Even with that information, it would be hard to tell. Within my own profession, while most do require a transcript, few care about GPA. However, I have seen certain companies required a min. GPA within my profession.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2014 16:32     Subject: Re:Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
These "My _________ had a 2.0 but went to the Ivy league, became President of the US, etc" responses reminds me of those using Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerburg as examples of how someone can be a college dropout yet still be successful. Frankly, I find it laughable.

The reality is that the VAST MAJORITY of dropouts don't A)come from their backgrounds (they would be fine b/c of the family's wealth) and B)do NOT achieve anywhere near their levels of success. The VAST MAJORITY of school dropouts spend the rest of their lives in near-poverty regretting their decisions.

That said, were your Ivy league, CEO, super successful hubbies and brothers a Stanford graduate part of the time (in their own heads)? It sounds like OP has serious mental issues and anxiety that must be tended to before he takes on the additional stress of school.

Either way, OP's received good advice on both sides. It's up to him to weigh things, realizing none of us know his full story.

Best of luck OP. Due to your self-awareness and ability to function despite your illness and stresses of college, I am certain you will do well in life whatever you choose.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2014 15:15     Subject: Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
No employer is ever going to ask to see your transcript so it doesn't matter if you graduate with a 2.0 or 4.0 as long as you graduate. My brother had a 2.0 in college (his issue was frat parties) and even had to come home one term after getting a 1.5 but he's now the CFO at a Fortune 500 company.

He did get an MBA at an IVY after spending 10 years in the workforce, he clearly did well in school the second time. So my advice to OP would be to keep working on your mental health with your doctors and keep going to school even if it's just one or two classes each term.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2014 12:26     Subject: Re:Have a 2.0 Is college worth it ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Don't stop going to school. You are mot likely asking advice from people who don't even understand junior college.

1) make sure you follow up with your doctor.
2) continue working
3) take classes ... Even if it is 1 or 2 at a time
4) go to see the counselor at you college for advice


Good luck, there are lots of people that have mental illness that are not lost causes.


Going to school is obviously not working for OP right now. Therefore, he needs to do something differently.

I think the advice has been very thoughtful and spot on.


I disagree ... My H had a 2.0 in college for various reasons, then he got a 4.0 in graduate school and is an expert at his field.

Most people on this site never had to deal with failure and are not actually qualified to give advise.

On a previous thread advise given to a mother who's son had a 3.0 was that college was not for everybody and he could do heating and air conditioning, really?

The OP is not a failure and can graduate from college, giving up is not the answer.


Okay, the advice to the mother of the child with the 3.0 was ridiculous. I will give you that. (By the way, which thread was that. I'd love to read it for a Sunday morning laugh.)

But I must ask: Did you H have a 2.0 at the age of 21 and several failed classes? Was he struggling with mental illness?





He suffered from severe anxiety and procrastination is a symptom of anxiety, it also feeds the anxiety. He graduated with a 2.0 and it took 6 years to graduate so... I am guessing he started when he was 18 and graduated at 23.

My brother who had sever anxiety gave up his full scholarship at Duke ... Dropped out, moved to a smaller college and graduated when he was 28, went to law school and graduated #1 in his class.

I think it is a much dire situation to find yourself at 28 with 60 more credits to go... That is too much. It is harder to start again when you stop. Even if it is only 1 class just do it.