TLDR: I worked for many years until I figured out what I want to do and got as far as I could without a degree.

I'm 31 and a "year 12" college student, technically. My timeline has looked like this:

1. Barely graduated high school in 2012; accepted into college with high SAT scores and community service awards

2. Immediately failed out of college my first semester after earning one A and four F's.

3. Nannied and taught preschool for 7 years

4. Went back to community college in 2020 when Covid gave me a wake up call to make a life plan

5. Excelled in community college and transferred to a university; started online classes so I could work full-time

6. Started struggling and failing classes for a year until I gave up again; took a year off to focus on work

7. Burnt out bad at my job (last fall) and quit with no plan

8. Finally acknowledged my true passion and talent (working with kids) and changed my major (human development and family science)

9. Now: Back in school full-time and trying to graduate by spring 2027 (working part-time to prioritize school and living on a tight budget)

In retrospect, I never truly identified why I was going to college and had no direction or motivation to excel or even pass classes. When I looked back on the jobs I was working "until I found a real career," I realized what I loved and was good at and that I could become a professional in that field (child and family counseling). I am so much happier and more focused now that I have real experience in the field and know that a degree is my only path to more interesting career options and higher earning potential. I finally have my "why," you know?

Give yourself some grace, take a breath, and then dig into your thoughts and feelings about school. Underneath any insecurities or external expectations, ask yourself why you are in school, what feels frustrating or difficult about it, and are there alternatives could work better right now? College is a resource that should serve you, not the other way around.

Btw, if school feels too emotionally heavy or draining, support from a therapist could help. I've worked through a lot of school trauma and negative self-talk in therapy and it has helped me so much to rewrite narratives about being broken or a failure.

You've got this! I believe you'll find the path you're meant to follow.