Colorado Technical University

Wanna help me make a major life decision?

Well. I suppose I should begin by giving myself a bit of an introduction. I'm Ben. I'm about to be a senior in high school. Sorta. I'm a middle-class Asian-American. I was adopted from Korea by white people when I was a baby. I have hand deformities. I like tacos, music, and people. I play the guitar, drums, and trombone. I'm not sure what to do with my life. In fact, I'm so desperate for answers, I'm turning to the good people of the Internets for help. I'm in grave danger of not graduating on time. Last year, my junior year, I decided that I would do the IB Full Diploma program. It was, hands down, the worst decision of my high school career. I failed four classes. Needless to say, I'm not sticking with it. Depending on my ability to regain those lost credits, I may or may not graduate high school next year. But when/if I graduate from high school: college. My parents have me in the MET (Michigan Education Trust). If you know what that is, great. If you don't, let's just say that as long as I go to a school in Michigan, I'm financially set. But because I've messed up high school so badly, I don't know if I'll be able to get into college. Even if I do, I'm probably going to continue to be a monotonous source of failure and disappointment. So what to do, right? Two of my friends and I have been talking recently of just saying "to hell with college" and go traveling the world, country-hopping. Why not? I'm not going to reach my childhood aspirations of becoming a famous and successful musician anyway. As Tyler Durden once said, "We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't." It might just be the way I've grown up, but the cynical realism is hitting me like a train. So why not just say "screw it all?" We're only provided so many years to live, so why not use them to go out and explore the rest of this huge and beautiful Earth instead of staying here, rotting, enslaved to a white collar and a desk? Maybe I could go teach English to a bunch of children in some village in a foreign country. I don't know, guys. Give me your opinions. Or just write me off as a rambling seventeen year-old that doesn't know what he's talking about. All this my-life-sucks, I-don't-wanna-go-to-college, I-feel-trapped-here bullsh*t is probably just a result of my stereotypical teenage angst. I just don't know what to do right now. I'm scared and confused. Please help me.

Public Comments

1. I didn't read your description but some people believe in love and friends, i believe in making ends, some people believe in God and Yalla, i believe in making Dolla! Holy crap i re-read your thing. Don't sweat the IB thing its impossible. I actually ran away from a whole country to escape IB it was quite hectic but i ended up faking my business and management IA ahahah i found an excuse to go back to my hometown though thankfully. Yeah just live the life you love and love the life you live.
2. Grow a pair and take advantage of the opportunities placed before you. I didnt say go to college. I said take advantage of opportunities, so now think, what is it that i have now that i wont have ever again in my life. Now do that.
3. Hm. Why don't you let fate decide? I did the exact same thing you did my junior year, and though i only ended up failing one class, my GPA looked horrendous next to my freshman and sophomore years. That, combined with the fact that I only took 3 IB classes my senior year made me think I'd never get into a college. I ended up getting accepted to both of the colleges I applied to, some of the best in the state...community college is cheaper though..story of my life. Anyways. My thing is, do your absolute best senior year, and apply to college anyways! The worst they can do is say no. And if they do, you've got plans with your friends. If they don't, then you're set! And remember: even if you don't get in this year, there's always next year. And the next and the next. You have the rest of your life; just do what feels right and you'll be good. Hope I helped. :)
4. College is gonna be your only route to success. I don't think traveling around the world will work, you actually need to have money to travel. Go to college in your state or community college somewhere else. Once your done like 1 year of community college i think you can transfer to a better university.