I'm 30 and I've been taking classes for about 3 years. I can only handle two classes at a time at the most and even then I withdraw from some of the those. I've managed to force myself into always finsihing atleast one each term. I just read a poll on this board and saw that many of you have degree's in 2-3 different things. I only have 30+ credits after all this time and I need 60. Just getting my AS degree seems so impossible to me. My major is in psychology but I'm begining to wonder if I'm just wasting my time. I'm only kidding myself to think I could ever make it that far. On the other hand, school is very important to me and I really enjoy being there and learning but why does it seem so difficult for me? I got my very first A in my entire life in college and it felt so good. Can you believe I have never had an A before? Luckily time and money aren't issues for me or I would have bailed a long time ago. I just started a few weeks ago on Adderall and Strattera so I'm hoping it will help me in school but I'm curious if any of you felt the same hopelessness but went on to get the degree you wanted. I may never even do anything with the degree. I just want to prove to myself that I can do it.

I guess we do it because we have no choice but to do or to give up. Since giving up is not an alternative we keep on trying.

Well you say that you are only halfway done with your degree... so be glad you are halfway done! It could be worse... you might have given up a long time ago and have nothing to show. Just keep going until you get your sheepskin.. The secret you need to know about college is that the ones who graduate are the ones who stay in college until they are completed.... it is just that simple.

Me :D

It's difficult, casinowife!

At times, I felt hopelessness, especially when I wasn't doing well academically (that was before I started Adderall). It's still difficult for me to get A's and it would be amazing if I got some, but I'm happy knowing I'm doing the best I can.

If you want this - keep persevering, casinowife!
you'll be done before you know it!

It was a major struggle and the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my entire life. It was so stressful, and I was so sleep deprived. I started to develop strange allergies. I had such horrible eczema that made my skin red, flaky, and painful to touch. I also became paranoid and was on the verge of psychosis. Deep, deep depression. I cried everyday....

How I made it through? I don't even know. Emotional support of friends and loved ones certainly helped. Words of encouragement. But my professors were glad to get rid of me! I was their trouble child. Yet, I worked my butt off! There was never any time for idling or play. I NEVER slacked off. Hopefully, they knew how hard I worked, and that I struggled because of my deficits. Hopefully, they knew that I was not lazy, crazy, or stupid.

I told myself everyday that I would get through it, no matter how hard it was. I had to proove to them that I was worth their time. I had to proove to my family that I was not a failure. I had to proove to myself that I could do it. That's what helped me get through it: pure will. 'Cause I had nothing else pushing me forward, that's for sure.

Ok......Thanks for letting me vent! :) I feel better now.

Seriously, if I didn't have my loved ones there to encourage me and hold me and pull me up now and then, I couldn't have made it. You have to vent and let it out. Make a friend in the same program who can help you keep motivated to study and can remind you of projects and due dates. That helped me quite a bit. Keep a calendar and look at it everyday.

Ask yourself, "WHY am I doing this?" Whatever the answer is, keep that as your motivation.

I was your age when I was in the depths of all that misery so if I made it, d***mn, anyone can! You can do it, girl! I can tell that you're smart, and you have the skills. Just keep up the hard work and keep that momentum going. If you keep that speed up, you won't notice the time passing by.

Pretty soon, you'll be crying your eyes out as they hand you that fake diploma, with the real one coming in the mail in 6 to 8 weeks. Then, still crying, you'll say, "I did it! Holy crap! I did it!" And you're family will come rushing over, saying, "We knew you could do it!", even though they were sure you'd be a failure forever. But, you won't care at that point because YOU ARE GRADUATING!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, you can do it, hon! Don't give up! :p

Ignorant people annoy me and I don't want to be one of them; that's motivation enough for me.

I'm 30 and I've been taking classes for about 3 years. I can only handle two classes at a time at the most and even then I withdraw from some of the those. I've managed to force myself into always finsihing atleast one each term. I just read a poll on this board and saw that many of you have degree's in 2-3 different things. I only have 30+ credits after all this time and I need 60. Just getting my AS degree seems so impossible to me. My major is in psychology but I'm begining to wonder if I'm just wasting my time. I'm only kidding myself to think I could ever make it that far. On the other hand, school is very important to me and I really enjoy being there and learning but why does it seem so difficult for me? I got my very first A in my entire life in college and it felt so good. Can you believe I have never had an A before? Luckily time and money aren't issues for me or I would have bailed a long time ago. I just started a few weeks ago on Adderall and Strattera so I'm hoping it will help me in school but I'm curious if any of you felt the same hopelessness but went on to get the degree you wanted. I may never even do anything with the degree. I just want to prove to myself that I can do it.Adderall and Strattera at the same time? I didn't know doctors prescribed them both at the same time to one person...

[QUOTE=Mystic_Oracle]Adderall and Strattera at the same time? I didn't know doctors prescribed them both at the same time to one person...[/

My doctor had me try Wellburtin first and that didn't work so then he gave me Adderall and Strattera. I thought it was strange that you can take both too but he assured me it's ok.

Ok......Thanks for letting me vent! :) I feel better now.

Seriously, if I didn't have my loved ones there to encourage me and hold me and pull me up now and then, I couldn't have made it. You have to vent and let it out. Make a friend in the same program who can help you keep motivated to study and can remind you of projects and due dates. That helped me quite a bit. Keep a calendar and look at it everyday.

Ask yourself, "WHY am I doing this?" Whatever the answer is, keep that as your motivation.

I was your age when I was in the depths of all that misery so if I made it, d***mn, anyone can! You can do it, girl! I can tell that you're smart, and you have the skills. Just keep up the hard work and keep that momentum going. If you keep that speed up, you won't notice the time passing by.

Pretty soon, you'll be crying your eyes out as they hand you that fake diploma, with the real one coming in the mail in 6 to 8 weeks. Then, still crying, you'll say, "I did it! Holy crap! I did it!" And you're family will come rushing over, saying, "We knew you could do it!", even though they were sure you'd be a failure forever. But, you won't care at that point because YOU ARE GRADUATING!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, you can do it, hon! Don't give up! :p
Thanks! I wish I could make a friend in school but girls just aren't very nice to me. Maybe my shyness is misunderstood as *****yness (lol...is that even a word?) My husband helps me a lot by letting me teach him what I learned each day. I had a teacher that said a good way to be sure you really know and understand the assignment is when you leave class, you can go home and are able to teach it to someone else. My son is in 3rd grade and he's another reason I keep trying. He thinks it's so cool that I have homework too so we sit and do it together. He asks how I do on my tests and all that. So it's something we can share and I'm setting an example as well. My biggest reason that keeps me from giving up is because I never thought I was smart enough to graduate college and I want to prove myself wrong. Thank you so much for the words of encouragment and support.

Thanks! I wish I could make a friend in school but girls just aren't very nice to me. Maybe my shyness is misunderstood as *****yness (lol...is that even a word?) My husband helps me a lot by letting me teach him what I learned each day. I had a teacher that said a good way to be sure you really know and understand the assignment is when you leave class, you can go home and are able to teach it to someone else. My son is in 3rd grade and he's another reason I keep trying. He thinks it's so cool that I have homework too so we sit and do it together. He asks how I do on my tests and all that. So it's something we can share and I'm setting an example as well. My biggest reason that keeps me from giving up is because I never thought I was smart enough to graduate college and I want to prove myself wrong. Thank you so much for the words of encouragment and support.

O' this is an easy one...I look at my kids and ask myself "If I quit, what will my kids learn?"

I know my kids well and know with out a doubt that I will be teaching my son that dreams never come true and I'll be teaching my daughter that anything that doesn't come easily isn't really worth having.

I flunked out my first time around right after high school. So, this time around I've decided not to set a speed record on getting my degree but am rather satisfied with proceeding at my own pace to assure my success. Its not about how fast you can acheive your goal, its about reaching your goal.

Besides, my son thinks it would be cool to have a graduation celebration together (should I add that he is only in the 5th grade? :faint: )

Good luck and keep stepping towards the finish line. :D

I guess we do it because we have no choice but to do or to give up. Since giving up is not an alternative we keep on trying.
Me :D
wow, ha! yeah. that about summs it up.
i am in my fourth year, i wont be graduating though, because i have taken all this extra stuff on, another major and i want to do honours, and my university has a co-op program, so i alternate school terms with work in my feild..
anyway, as far as how i do it? i really have no idea. most of the time i dont even really know whats going on, where i am, or how i got here!
i have had a couple.. i guess nervous breakdowns, where i get medical leave, go away, have lots of extra time.. doctors notes!! when things get really terrible and i am about to loose my sh*t, i go and cry in the doctors office (before i got diagnosed..although i guess i still do it..)
i know that sounds terrible, but i am not pretending, and i don't know what else to do.
bananaslip, you are really lucky to have a strong support system. my family is all weird and distant, and i never really feel like i can ask people for help... i just feel bad about myself.
its the worst when other things are happening at the same time as school, like the year before last, i found out my mom had been shot at by robbers on a highway in guatemala (she's ok), my best friend who was living on my couch because she had just broken up with her boyfriend had a psychotic episode and was locked up in a mental institution in isolation for two weeks, my dad was separating from his wife and asking me to give him emotional support (even though he has been 'emotionally unavailable' my whole life and we did not really have an emotional connection) and this was all during the week of MIDTERMS!!! i had five exams and major papers, no joke!
needless to say... i lost my poop. i was hysterical, the doctors gave me sedatives and i left town for a while to visit a friend.
last year something else happened too, but its a little more personal. but i ended up getting all my papers/grades deffered till the summer.
the university is suprisingly accomodating to personal trauma. although sometimes i wonder if it is getting like a crutch to have personal trauma in my life. of course, the ADD diagnoses explains a lot of that. now i just have ADD truama... hah!
and i have started taking dexidrine, (the adderall didnt do anything to me at all. ) and that seems to help quite a bit, also, i have a friend who sits with me once a week to plan a schedule, write down the details of what i should be doing every day.. actually, that is the most useful thing. i dont always (or usually) get it done, but at least i have some sense of whats going on, where i am at.

giving up is just not an option... in fact, i can't even hold the thought in my mind, it doesn't work. my brain just rejects it... but then, i LOVE learing, i love what i am studying. it really helps to be passionate about what you are studying. thats kind of the heart of the matter isnt it? as long as its interesting, you blow everyone else out of the water!

anyway, just hold on tight! thats my advice.

Speedo if you get near the Washington Momument during Christmas please take a look at the Christmas tree from New Mexico and let me know how it looks :)
Thanks
Johna

I can only handle two classes at a time at the most and even then I withdraw from some of the those. I've managed to force myself into always finsihing atleast one each term.

Hey 1 class per term was how I did my masters degree - it was all I could focus on. It worked, so it took a little longer. All the other comments are good. Don't give up, do what you can. Hang in there.