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Old 12-26-2013, 12:56 AM
 
10 posts, read 14,025 times
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Hi, I'm a twenty-six year old female and I'm a freshman at a community college and my major is Human Services. I went to school for massage therapy and I wasn't hired because I have no experience. I am employed as a mental health sitter aka patient observer per diem at a hospital right noe and I have been working there for three years. I am horrible with math and I have all the symptoms of Dyscalculia. I have a horrible memory too. I am living with my parents and I suck in the real world but I'm succeeding in school so far I have had three semesters and I have a 4.0 GPA. The thing is as soon as I take my math classes I'm worried I'll fail and then my GPA will drop. I can retake the class twice and I can get financial aid but if I fail for the third time then I will have to pay $800. This has not happened yet but I am very paranoid. Also I know that people in the human service industry do not make a lot of money and so I'm worried I won't be able to buy a house someday. I have a boyfriend and he is highly intelligent but he didn't go to college. His hours will be but down to part time soon. Luckily he has been at the same job for 10 years. I want to help people and I horrible at math I ruled out nursing, cna, psychiatrist. I was thinking if become a Neuropsychogist but they need to take calculus. :/ I'm scared because I'm getting older and everyone is making me think 26 is old!! :O It isn't my fault I don't have a career yet. I'm worried that when I graduate I won't be able to find a job. So should I stay within human services? What skills do I need to learn? How can I become organized and improve my memory? My IQ is only 97 and having poor math skills limits my career choices. Also my short and long term memory is bad. My professor said if I keep telling myself that then it won't ever improve. I live in Central Massachusetts near Worcester and I researched at potential careers I would want and most are 1-3 hours away and more. I drive but I am petrified of driving on 290 and city driving. I have a hearing in February to get SSDI but I was told Dyscalculia wouldn't get me it. (I also have depression). So what should I do?
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Old 12-26-2013, 01:17 AM
 
35,095 posts, read 51,059,480 times
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Learn better grammar and spelling (Dyslexia).
Go to a real doctor and be tested for Dyslexia and any other ailment you may think you have.
Don't stress about failing a class you have not taken yet.
I am dyslexic and I went to college, took math classes and passed with a 3.98 GPA overall so don't use that as an excuse to fail.
Get a tutor for the math classes.
I don't understand though how it isn't your fault you do not have a career path by the age of 26 though, whose fault is it?
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Old 12-26-2013, 01:34 AM
 
10 posts, read 14,025 times
Reputation: 18
Default I don't think so

Wow! First of all I just finished taking English 101 which is a college level English course. It is 3:30 am and I don't feel like using commas and all that crap when I'm online and depressed. So I do not in any sense have Dyslexia. Second hmm....well the economy sucks so yeah it isn't my fault that I don't have a career. Also I have a learning disability with math and processing information so that is why I didn't do well in the past with fast food jobs. Yeah I will get tutoring for math that is obvious. If you're going to be rude don't bother responding to people's posts.
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Old 12-26-2013, 04:08 AM
 
Location: near bears but at least no snakes
26,648 posts, read 28,516,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lostsoul26 View Post
Wow! First of all I just finished taking English 101 which is a college level English course. It is 3:30 am and I don't feel like using commas and all that crap when I'm online and depressed. So I do not in any sense have Dyslexia. Second hmm....well the economy sucks so yeah it isn't my fault that I don't have a career. Also I have a learning disability with math and processing information so that is why I didn't do well in the past with fast food jobs. Yeah I will get tutoring for math that is obvious. If you're going to be rude don't bother responding to people's posts.
You asked a lot of questions and you should be able to hear the answers without being offended. I have to agree with the last poster that your post was difficult to read, especially since it is all one long paragraph. You said you passed a college level English course so you should be able to do better than that at making yourself understood.


Dyscalculia. I looked it up and it is a math disability, just as dyslexia is a reading disability. If I were in school now, I would probably be diagnosed with the same thing. I barely passed high school algebra and avoided anything to do with math. I don't know about you, but a tutor would have been no help at all to me. Thank goodness I was mostly able to avoid math in college--and believe me, I know what you mean when you say you have this condition. I do sympathize with you.

On the positive side, you know your strengths and weakness, but you need to take stock of what you can or cannot do. Professions such a psychiatrist or neuropsychologist are probably out of the question. If you investigate the amount of education and the types of classes that are required, I think you would rule them out.

You like to help people. That means you belong in one of the helping professions so you were on the right track in trying massage therapy. I don't know the requirements but do you have a certification or license? Will the school you attended help you with placement? As you know, it is a strenuous job but if you are up to it, that could be the answer. You can't assume that you will find work near where you presently live though, you might have to relocate to a part of the state where there are opportunities.

Massage Therapist Job Overview | Best Jobs | US News Careers

Maybe a more realistic type of job would be something in human services. Here is a random Google listing of human service jobs. Examples of Human Services Job Titles
All of these jobs listed can be learned at a community college. Here is the information from a two year program that ends with a certification. Human Services - Academics (No math ).

Since you are already at a community college, isn't there a career counselor or an adviser? Make an appointment to meet with someone, tell them the situation, and let them help you.

You need to be realistic. The math disability puts you at a disadvantage, as it did to me. As for your memory, it can't be that bad or you wouldn't be passing your classes. Anyway, if you are depressed, that would affect your memory and concentration so you may not really have such a bad memory after all.

You probably will not get SSDI or SSI and it wouldn't give you a very good quality of life anyway. It would give you very low money and poor self esteem, no chance to help others and be useful, and probably a rather sad life.

But if you met with a counselor or adviser, a lot of your problems might get solved. It's too much to figure out all of this on your own and it's confusing. A good counselor or adviser could get you on the right path and then probably the other problems, like depression, would take care of themselves.

Take one step at a time as it is too overwhelming to worry about fear of driving on the highway, inability to do math, salaries and whether or not you can buy a house. First step=get help deciding on your career path. Most community colleges are excellent at this.

And lastly, no, human service jobs won't make you rich but you need to work at something that you are cut out for or you will not be happy. I think there are opportunities out there and personally, I think there will be great opportunities for working with the elderly if that interests you. The baby boomers are retiring and aging and so there should be a huge need for people like you who enjoy helping people.

You might have to relocate to a less expensive part of the country. Many people do. If you stay around here you might have to do human services and maybe a second job. Maybe you could combine your degree in human services with the massage therapy if you worked in a hospital or elderly client setting. There are lots of possibilities even with a two year degree (a four year degree is often a waste of time, then they want you to get a master's.) See an advisor or counselor to figure out what you should be studying and aiming for.
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Old 12-26-2013, 06:14 AM
 
5,774 posts, read 5,070,768 times
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This is my opinion, but since you asked for advice....

I think you are working hard to better yourself, and so you should be commended. You are making the right decisions so far about going to school, and your worry about your grades indicates that you care deeply about your own achievement and your future. These are all positive strengths that you should cherish and be proud of.

From here, you need to build on those strengths and stay focused. There is nothing wrong with your field of profession.

My two suggestions, aside from getting the right diagnosis mentioned above, are...

1) As much as it may hurt, please find a boyfriend who is better educated and willing to build on his career. Someone who is "smart" but has no schooling just won't cut it, unless you are willing to accept the financial constraints that come with his reality. Working part time and getting his hours cut are not solid foundations for you two to build your lives on, period. You must make the right life decision here, and you can find love in the right decisions too. Sorry but this is the hard truth.

2) Only have children when you are BOTH financially sound and stable (and you find the right man who can financially hold up his end of the bargain). You may never get there, but so what? Plenty of people live fulfilling lives without kids. Focus on bettering yourself before you bring anyone else into this world, and don't let your biological urges drive your actions (and then condemn you and your kids to a life of poverty). Good life choices are the keys to a life of success.

Good luck and take care!
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Old 12-26-2013, 06:28 AM
 
35,095 posts, read 51,059,480 times
Reputation: 62662
Quote:
Originally Posted by lostsoul26 View Post
Wow! First of all I just finished taking English 101 which is a college level English course. It is 3:30 am and I don't feel like using commas and all that crap when I'm online and depressed. So I do not in any sense have Dyslexia. Second hmm....well the economy sucks so yeah it isn't my fault that I don't have a career. Also I have a learning disability with math and processing information so that is why I didn't do well in the past with fast food jobs. Yeah I will get tutoring for math that is obvious. If you're going to be rude don't bother responding to people's posts.


I have a learning disability and dyslexia and I have had some sort of salaried job since I was 15 years old. I am now 53 and own my own business, so again: QUIT using it as an excuse to fail.

Why blame the economy? Didn't you graduate high school about the age of 18 and you are now 26 in your first year of college? What have you been doing the last 8 years that you have not already chosen a career path?

As far as being rude, eh I'm not being rude I am simply stating things without all the fluffy frou-frou candy coated words people like to read and hear because it makes them feel good.

YOU posted on a public forum which is open to anyone to post.
YOU asked for opinions and advice.
YOU should be prepared to read things you don't really want to read and if you don't want to read these things DO NOT post on a public forum.
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Old 12-26-2013, 08:32 AM
 
613 posts, read 939,645 times
Reputation: 1312
Quote:
Originally Posted by CSD610 View Post
As far as being rude, eh I'm not being rude I am simply stating things without all the fluffy frou-frou candy coated words people like to read and hear because it makes them feel good.

YOU posted on a public forum which is open to anyone to post.
YOU asked for opinions and advice.
YOU should be prepared to read things you don't really want to read and if you don't want to read these things DO NOT post on a public forum.
+1. I thought of throwing out some encouragement or a bit of advice to the OP, but after the response you got, not so much......
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Old 12-26-2013, 09:05 AM
 
23,211 posts, read 18,375,992 times
Reputation: 10723
Make sure you don't let yourself be defined by whatever ailment they decide to toss at you.

Not for nothing, but I don't subscribe to many of these learning disabilities. I believe that over 20% of public school students in MA qualify for some sort of special ed., with various "disabilities" that have ZERO scientific basis behind their diagnosis (junk science). I'm not totally discounting ADHD, dyslexia and those things, but many of the symptoms can indicate underlying medical issues (so can your bad memory) that need to be addressed by the right person. They could even be the result of the wrong diet. I even believe depression to be mostly a bunch of bs ("chemical imbalance" my sorry a$$). Our whole health care system is a sham, just make sure you keep in mind that these "professionals" (aka legalized drug pushers) we trust our lives with often cause more harm than good.

Have you had these issues from birth? If not or if they seem to get worse rather than better, then I would certainly explore other options. If you are getting a 4.0, you cannot be totally stupid (chances are, you are not even close to stupid). I'm not a doctor, but you deserve better (and owe it to yourself to get there). Best of luck.
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Old 12-26-2013, 10:15 AM
 
10 posts, read 14,025 times
Reputation: 18
I was so emotional last night I didn't think about separating the paragraphs. I am trying to edit it now but I can't find that function.
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Old 12-26-2013, 10:40 AM
 
10 posts, read 14,025 times
Reputation: 18
Sorry for being rude CSD1016 but I was taken aback by you asking whose fault it was? I know I am writing on a public forum but I will always stand up for myself. You don't know me at all and you act like I haven't tried my best in life at trying to find work and wasting time. I haven't wasted time. I would always look for work (I have a per diem job now). I figured you would understand what it is like to struggle finding a job.

I did graduate high school I stayed back in elemtary school for speech problems (because I had a lot of ear infections). So I graduated high school in 2006 and graduated massage school in 2009 and been working at the same job since 2010 for 3 years after January 1st it will be four years. Whoo hoo.

When I tell people things they want to hear I try my best to be sensitive to other peoples feelings. That's the differenece between me and most people. Anyway I do apologize I didn't mean to be offend anyone.
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