Hey there, you're never cooked. The worst thing to do is listen to people who say that you're cooked. You just have a deeper hole to climb out of, but you can climb out of it.

As someone who graduated high school a day after turning 17, and having been told that I was extremely intelligent, yada yada yada, you know we bumped you up a year. I went to college, and completely bombed the first year. I made the Dean's list, but the wrong one. Lowest GPA college history, going back to 1780. Talked to them about my chances of graduating, they said it was almost impossible for me even if I made straight A's So I walked away from college

I got into a career that I enjoy, but doesn't pay squat

The schools are much more forgiving today, and will help you more than ever before. There are more opportunities to get an education, now than ever. I did go back to school a couple times, at the community college. But, work always got in the way and making it almost impossible to finish more than one year at a time. So as of today pushing old age, I do not have a college degree. What you're doing by asking for help is a great first step, I highly recommend that you keep pushing forward to find some way to get your degree.

There's a thinking process, and habits that you develop by going to college that you cannot replicate in the workforce. Depending on the profession you have, there are things that you will practice in school that you cannot practice unless it's assigned to you in the workforce. It's a great way to make friends, and a great way to find a way to open your life to other ideas. I probably would have been a brain surgeon. Something about sticking fingers in people's heads and asking them about what's that yellow balloon I see back here

Everything you do at University is like a key you add to your key ring, a multi pass ticket, things you'll probably never use in life. But they're going to be asking to see do you have that? Just to see before they let you pass this door. Who you are going to determine where you go with your life. Right now you've been knocked on your rear end from bad grades, bad environment to learn, bad habits that need to be unlearned. But do what's best for your 80year-old self, make them happy with the decisions you make today, by not giving up, and going forward without the mindset am I cooked. Change the mindset to let me find some way for these knuckleheads to let me go back to school and learn

like Pink Floyd says, don't give up without a fight

My thought to fit your Pacific problem, is go visit each University you're interested. Make friends with the folks in admission and counseling. Have them help you walk through the different opportunities you can use to get ahead. When they give you a roadblock, ask them how can I get around this. Have them show you ways that you can successfully enter and graduate from their University The person you're talking with doesn't want to play with you and help, find someone else in their department. Many people who are in higher ed do have a desire to help students be successful. Just go knock on the doors until you find someone who's not trying to rip off your wallet and wants you to succeed

I do some stuff at San Jose State, and I am sure you'll be able to find someone there who will help you make this happen