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It sounds like adult-onset mental illness to me, probably the beginning stages. I have both a sister and a cousin (through marriage) that were "normal" and successful until mental illness around 19-22. In females, initial onset of severe mental illness is typically in late teens/early 20's. With my sister, it started her junior year of college, but unfortunately, our family missed all the early signs, since we weren't aware of mental illness then. She started out being slightly paranoid (I can say that in retrospect, although at the time I thought it was normal college drama)--she would sometimes say her friends were copying her work, or trying to steal her research, or after her boyfriend. Since she's always been "normal" up to that point, we honestly all thought she just had a bad group of friends who were trying to get her to do their homework for them or something.
Then like this girl, she disappeared for a few days. Even THEN, we thought maybe she was just overly stressed. My mom paid for her to move off campus into her own apartment so she could have peace and quiet. Again, we thought these were all fixable problems. We even suspected drug use for a while...Until she had a complete mental break around age 21.
My cousin through marriage had a similar story. Typical growing up, and quite high achieving. Went to college, had a mental breakdown, had to drop out. Eventually after getting on medication, she was able to finish with a different degree (a less taxing degree). She went from engineering to early childhood ed, and now she's a teacher's assistant--she can't handle the grind of an actual teaching job.
With boys, mental illness intial onset usually happens earlier, in the teens.
Crazy?
If you read her article you come away with a different point of view.
She's not crazy, and she knows why she did what she did. Does a fine job of explaining it, too.
I expect her to do very well in the future. We may never see her name in the news again, but she may become more balanced and happier than most of us.
a college degree has value for some folk and some career paths where the credentials and education are required. STEM like the degree she was working on
But that's not always the case. Witness the numbers of low paying liberal arts degree opportunities or the many folk with such degrees who aren't working in their degree field. Doesn't apply to this student
for others, it turns out to not be so needed to getting along in life, including being happy and making a living.
True but that depends on the will and determination of the person which is separate from a college degree in my opinion
You cite a high percentage of folk who don't graduate from college ... not all of them turn out to be losers and or economic failures just because they didn't graduate. Nor do you present any evidence that they go on to lead unhappy, unproductive lives. Not arguing that she's going to be a failure. Sheesh, I have a community college degree and am doing pretty damn good for myself. In my experience in about 20 years or so, the opportunities seem to expand for those with college degrees; especially if they have put in the work to grow their careers.
While the manner in which the OP's subject cut her ties to school was perhaps a bit extreme, what you cannot know is her personal situation ... perhaps family finances or pressures ... which made such a decision her preferred choice.Again, that is my argument. 58% percent graduate and it takes an average of 6 years!!
As well, I know a fair number of college drop-outs who have achieved a lifetime of happiness, good health, and financial success consistent with their needs and wants. , Me too
There's a lot of snobbery about having that college degree. For many, it's an expensive ticket to nowhere.
Perhaps. But it sure helps get through a lot of doors with the right connections or some old-fashioned hard work
My other argument is even for successful people who didn't go to college who may have to hire help in some aspect of their businesses or lives. Are they going to hire a college educated accountant? If they need someone to design a widget for the business, will it be a college educated engineer?
I myself am asking my children go to 'college'. Whether it be a trade school, community college or a four year university. I think it adds to their ability to find something interesting to do with their lives.
I don't think I'm judging or being hard on this student, I just said she may regret not finishing in 20 years. But I do think she'll find her way after living the bohemian lifestyle after a couple of years. My own son now 23 didn't go straight away to college which was good for him because after a couple of years or working dead-end jobs he now is focused on making more long-term decisions about his future.
Happens a lot, many times instead of dropping out they just protest (Missouri, Harvard, etc). Happens a lot when you're the big fish in a little shallow pond. Your whole life you've been told you're practically a genius, people trip over themselves to praise you and tell you how smart you are. You get into the best schools. Once there, you're surrounded by people as smart and many are just way smarter than you. You struggle to keep up, what seemed easy at your low expectation high school becomes difficult at the high expectation college. Some can adjust, many do not.
Its a good reason why Gap years should be encouraged. A year off between high school and college can give kids some time to relax from academic competition and get some non-school experience, no teachers breathing down your neck, no detention threats, no popularity contests.
I probably wouldn't have phrased it as a race issue, but now that you mention it, it seems to me that Asian families do place a greater value on education than black families.
This was beyond stupid - and she knew it, which is why she changed the phone/bank and avoided her mother.
This wasn't some kid from the hood who had no idea what college was going to be like and had no idea what to expect. I hope she finds her way to some help.
I'm not going to pass judgment. I've seen the pressure for Absolute Perfection that some kids experience from an early age and it's heartbreaking. Hopefully she will be able to find herself and refocus in a healthier way. Good grades alone guarantee absolutely nothing.
She probably should have taken a gap year before starting college. Also, perhaps, gone to a smaller college, since she seems immature and emotionally needy (in terms of needing personal relationships with her professors, and constant praise). Sooner or later, she will have to go grow up and face reality.
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She blew off an Ivy League education. Was she right to do it?
, Me too
