Lost and Found

Dear Counselor:

I recently found out that I lost my Bright Futures Scholarship due to my low GPA. I'm losing interest in continuing my education at a University. College isn't for everyone and I'm interested in attending a culinary school and ready start my life. My parents won't hear of it, they say to get a degree and then go to culinary school. I'm losing hope and drive. What should I do?

Lost Student
_____________________________________

Dear Student,

Let's face it, the college years could single-handedly be one of the most confusing times in any young person's life. For the first time, you are fully responsible for getting to class, doing assignments, feeding, clothing, bathing yourself, juggling activities, maybe even a part time job, paying bills, dating, scheduling ... need I say more? You're instantly expected (and desire) to be treated like a full-fledged adult yet you completely lack the instruction manual, time management and life skills necessary to be successful. It's perfectly and completely normal to feel "lost" because right now you are beginning to "find" your true self for the first time.

Your parents may be right to a certain extent but not necessarily for the [restrictive] reasons you may think. Going through the college "process" is invaluable. For example, I could not recite one poem that was taught to me in English Lit, however, I can tell you a million things that I learned from living with a bad roommate! I vaguely remember how much I despised this one math class but I can vividly recall all of the precious, long lasting friendships developed, exhilarating football games attended, fun parties and crazy road trips.

I left home and went to college convinced that I was going to be a [famous] television reporter. The summer after my freshman year, I began interning at a television station near my hometown. Every day, it was not only my job to get everyone coffee but to call police stations, listen to police scanners and harass local hospitals looking for the next big story. I quickly realized that I disliked almost everything about news reporting especially after I sat with a film crew in 100plus degree heat for several hours with no food, water or bathroom. Oh, I forgot to mention that we were shooting live within a whiffs shot of a rotting, dead body that had been stuffed into a trunk and thrown into a canal.

For the first (and only) time in my life, I quit something without fulfilling my commitment. I didn't quit because it was too hard or because I was weak. I quit because my whole heart was not into the internship. It became very clear that any service that I would be providing to that station would be a disservice because I lacked conviction for the job at hand.

Listen, school isn't for everyone. However, it seems like "culinary school" is a desperate attempt to cover up a symptom to a much bigger problem. There is nothing wrong with quitting as long as you are doing it for the right reasons and not running away from the issue at hand.

My firm advice: When you don't know where you are going, the best place is to stay where you are at!

Hang in there,

The Counselor