[i_like_black]

Hey there.

Age-appropriate? In tertiary education? What a hoot.
I started my tertiary career a year early. I thought I would be surrounded by mostly 18 year olds.
WRONG.
Most of my class were in their 20s, some older (by a lot), a fair few 18 - 19, and two or three of us 16 - 17.

The thing is, when it comes to education, age is a meaningless number. The numbers that matter are on your GPA. Nobody cares if you're a year behind. Nobody cares if you have a disability. Sure, you care, but guess what? You're not the one grading your papers.

I have to agree with Kate*. If you're finding this many excuses, then you need to question why you want to go to college. Is it because everyone else is doing it? Is it because it's what's "expected" of you? Because neither of those reasons is going to give you the motivation to make it through 3+ years of full-time study. And to be honest, if you struggled in high-school, a bridging programme to prepare you for the intensity of tertiary education is probably not a bad idea. They take about a semester, so it's a good way to continue your education whilst meeting new people who are AT college and getting a feel for the environment.

So what if you were in Special Ed. You graduated high-school, right? Beyond that, if you need accommodations, that's between you and your education provider. If you think it's going to stop you, you're probably right. What comes through most to me from your post is that you're looking for reasons why you CAN'T do it.

Heck with that attitude, you may as well go apply for social security or whatever it is.

My suggestion to you is start looking at reasons why you CAN do it. Forget about your age because the reality is, you're the only one that cares about that. Start working on getting in to your preferred schools. Collect the stuff you need. Set smaller goals. If you're sitting at home getting bored, that's your problem. Join a gym. Or a hobby club. Go for walks. Get intimate with your city's public transport. Go to the library. Take quizzes online. Complaining of boredom doesn't make you not bored.

Oh, and you're 18. Stop expected Mummy and Daddy to solve all your problems. This is the real world. Getting into college is YOUR responsibility.

And, if you feel like college is not for you (it often isn't for people, no shame in that), then start applying for jobs - which you should be doing anyway. Part-time work looks good on your CV, gives you extra cash, and keeps you from getting too bored.