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Edit avatar · 03:12 PM

Hey Jack,

I'm sorry to hear that your college experience wasn't what you expected it to be. That definitely sounds tough! And it sounds like you're in a bit of a predicament right now. Like Kate said, be careful about running straight back to college if you're not sure how it'll work. But while I'd be careful about jumping right back into it, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of college just yet. If you can pinpoint the areas that were making you miserable and set a plan in place to make sure things go differently this time, college could work out for you.

May I ask what it was about college that was making you miserable? Was it a lack of friends? Was it your classes? Your professors? The campus itself? How did you make the decision to attend college at the end of your senior year in high school? Did you do it because you felt obligated to do it or because you wanted to? Did you take the time to carefully research schools and choose according to what you felt was the best fit for you, or did you make the decision on a whim or based on where your friends were going? Were you ready to go to college, or would you have benefited from some time off? These are some questions to ask yourself.

College has the potential to be a great experience or a terrible one. I myself almost fell into the trap of going where my friends were going. It wasn't until I decided to take a gap year and was hospitalized for my depression that I realized that I needed to approach things differently. Now I'm applying to a different set of schools that meet my needs -- away from the influence of my friends. I don't think I realized what a big decision college was. Your decision hinges on more than just where your friends are going or your proximity to home. It hinges on your colleges' selection of majors, the campus, the professors, the counseling (or disability, if you have an LD like I do) services.

I realize now that if I had ended up following my friends, I would have been miserable. Upon closer observation, the schools I was looking at didn't have a good selection of majors for me, the best housing situations, or even the best counseling services. Not to mention, I wouldn't have been challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone, and as a result, it's likely that college would have turned out to be a bigger version of high school, which I certainly don't want.

College should be a PERSONALIZED decision. That's what I've learned so far this year. It's not something that you need to rush into. In fact, don't. Take your time, take some time off if you need to, and make an educated (no pun intended!) decision. Go on tours. Talk to people on campus. Ask questions. (That's also a mistake I made while touring colleges the first time around -- I was much too timid to speak up and ask questions!) Sometimes the question is not what you can offer to the college, but what the college can offer to you. Make them sell themselves a little! Why should you want THEM?

Remember that the college experience is also what you make of it. Make sure you utilize your college's resources, like learning centers and counseling services if you're struggling with personal or academic issues.

These are some things to think about in addition to the questions Rachael asked you about work. Maybe you could make a pros and cons list for each. The bottom line is: I wouldn't jumping into anything without having some a specific plan in place. Where do you see yourself in the next several years? What do you want out of life? What are the steps to getting there?

I hope this helps! Good luck!!

All the best,
Kylie