SLO. My degree in physics came after constant failures as I spent most of my time outside class struggling (and failing, horribly) to complete classes I couldn't manage, and trying to learn to program in what little extra time there was. I tried to switch to CS and ME to no avail. However, by the time I realized it wasn't for me (after all the first couple years were general ed requirements) I had sunk so much time in to it I thought it was better to stick it out.
It wasn't. It took me an entire extra year just to get one class I needed to graduate (mind you they have plenty of money for a fancy gym and new buildings, but not for professors to teach classes). I only got out when I was 25 and a sad, bitter, angry shell of a person.
There's a happy ending, though. I left San Luis Obispo, started going to night classes at Ohlone College in the bay and later Santa Monica College, and finally built up enough of a skill set to work in ad operations, then support, then support engineering. I had thought I was too stupid to do anything, but I did well in my classes after Poly and professionally.
Since then I've tried to adopt a motto to enact change before life has the opportunity to do it for me. You are never secure, so don't pretend you are. I thought I was in a decent position in SM when I left for Ireland on a working holiday (it had always been a dream of mine to live abroad). I was terrified to leave a good job for a country with a crappy economy. Lo and behold my whole department was shut down a month after I left, and after a bit of networking in Ireland I ended up with a position better than I had at home. How long this will last I don't know, but I know that it won't be forever (nothing is) and I am always looking out for what's next, and trying to improve my skills (lately I've been in to brewing automation and getting better with Arduino).
That was long-winded, but I guess I also felt like I should point out the positive learning that came from it.
It wasn't. It took me an entire extra year just to get one class I needed to graduate (mind you they have plenty of money for a fancy gym and new buildings, but not for professors to teach classes). I only got out when I was 25 and a sad, bitter, angry shell of a person.
There's a happy ending, though. I left San Luis Obispo, started going to night classes at Ohlone College in the bay and later Santa Monica College, and finally built up enough of a skill set to work in ad operations, then support, then support engineering. I had thought I was too stupid to do anything, but I did well in my classes after Poly and professionally.
Since then I've tried to adopt a motto to enact change before life has the opportunity to do it for me. You are never secure, so don't pretend you are. I thought I was in a decent position in SM when I left for Ireland on a working holiday (it had always been a dream of mine to live abroad). I was terrified to leave a good job for a country with a crappy economy. Lo and behold my whole department was shut down a month after I left, and after a bit of networking in Ireland I ended up with a position better than I had at home. How long this will last I don't know, but I know that it won't be forever (nothing is) and I am always looking out for what's next, and trying to improve my skills (lately I've been in to brewing automation and getting better with Arduino).
That was long-winded, but I guess I also felt like I should point out the positive learning that came from it.
I still should have dropped out, though.