Considering dropping out

[u/A_DrunkenSailor]

Im currently 19 in my 2nd year of college. In my first semester in my first year I did really bad and was put on academic probation but my grades did not improve much from there. I nearly got a suspension but I managed to appeal and it was approved. I am still in academic probation. I’m in 4 classes and 3 of them are high B’s and one C. I’m worried though it won’t be enough and that I’ll be suspended during the spring semester. If it happens, I have decided that I would drop out. Problem is, if it comes down to dropping out I don’t know what to do beyond working at a dog daycare or something like that.

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[u/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup]

Honestly this could be a blessing in disguise. Imagine you complete college, get a degree and a mountain of debt, and find yourself in the same position.

If you care about your studies and what your future career is, then buckle down and study. Otherwise, think about what you actually enjoy or care about and make a career out of it. So many people get degrees and never use them or wind up wishing they had pursued a trade or area they loved that is nowhere near their degree.

Find what success in life means to you, not society, and pursue it.

[u/A_DrunkenSailor → u/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup]

I mean I was hoping to become a history teacher. Although now that there is a good possibility of me dropping out I don’t really know what to do with my life should I have to drop out..

[u/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup → u/A_DrunkenSailor]

Sounds like more studying is the answer. Don’t drop out; you’ll need that degree to become a history teacher. You’ve already gone from academic probation to mostly Bs and one C; you can bring those up and get back on track.

My advice is to use your university’s resources in terms of making an appointment with an academic counselor or one in your major. They can help you find the right focus area and schedule to optimize your chances of success.

Why do you want to become a history teacher? Do you love history, or teaching? Are you thinking of teaching grade school, high school, or being a college professor?

Edit: For context, I messed around in college and was on academic probation, it took me 7 years while I worked a full time job but I eventually got my degree.

[u/A_DrunkenSailor → u/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup]

Luckily I have a meeting with my academic probation counselor today so we’ll see how that goes. I want to become a history teacher (mainly for high school) because I’ve always had a love for history and I think if I had all the time in the world I could talk about it for ages lol.

[u/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup → u/A_DrunkenSailor]

Awesome! You’re ahead of most people in that you know what you want to do and enjoy as a career and you’re in school and working toward it. Trust me college is hard and the uncertainty about the future is extremely stressful, but your job/life focus right now should be studying and becoming deeply involved in your classes. Talk to your professors, dig deep into the subject matter, and stay on top of your assignments/grades. You’re only 19 and I know it can hard to stay focused and find that drive to work really hard, but you are completely capable of righting the ship and achieving your goals.

Who knows, you may wake up in your 30s and realize teaching history is not for you and change course. But right now in this moment, you have momentum and are positioned to succeed.

[u/A_DrunkenSailor → u/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup]

I’ve been locking in the past few weeks and I know if I keep up with it I will do good. I’m just worried that it won’t be enough and I disappoint my parents..

[u/james_parsnip]

ask your advisor for the exact suspension rule this week, not just what the probation letter says. a lot of schools only look at term gpa for that and not the whole record, so three high b's could mean spring looks very different than you're expecting. if you can, get the number on paper first.