Leaving Cal Poly

[KaosTheory]

As I finish my 4th quarter at Cal Poly, I have come to accept that it is my last. I am not happy in the direction I am going with my life at Cal Poly. I often find myself frustrated or bordering on depression. I don't want to start over, and I don't want to continue on the path I am currently on. I plan on moving back east, and finding a job in the drafting field, instead of Industrial Engineering, which I came to Cal Poly to persue last September.

I write this because I want to thank everybody, because even though I have not had a great experience at Cal Poly, it has been better because I knew I could come here (but didn't do often) and just throw around ideas with people, or put my opinion out there about various things at school, or whatever.

Because of work, I was never able to get into the on-campus activities I wished I could, nor could I do many things school related. I won't miss the 30 mile drive, each way, every day. I won't miss classes where I really had no business even being in them because I knew I couldn't pass them, no matter how hard I tried (which led to textbooks almost meeting their maker on an almost daily occurance). I won't miss the hours of homework, the exams, the quizzes, and the class schedule that was either too tightly pack or too stretched out.

I will, however, miss the people. I will miss the professors who did care, and tried to help their students. I will miss the students I have worked with in various classes, and how we helped each other on assignments, and how it made learning some stuff easier. I will miss the ducks, the scenery, and the quiet areas I could find to sleep when I had my long breaks.

They say college isn't for everybody, even if you're capable. I am capable, but I am also one of those people it isn't really for. So I choose to get out now and persue my dreams, even if it means making less money, and not having the biggest house or best car, because life is more than that, and that is what I am following.

Mike, a.k.a. KaosTheory

[Steven]

Originally Posted by KaosTheory

As I finish my 4th quarter at Cal Poly, I have come to accept that it is my last. I am not happy in the direction I am going with my life at Cal Poly. I often find myself frustrated or bordering on depression. I don't want to start over, and I don't want to continue on the path I am currently on. I plan on moving back east, and finding a job in the drafting field, instead of Industrial Engineering, which I came to Cal Poly to persue last September.

I write this because I want to thank everybody, because even though I have not had a great experience at Cal Poly, it has been better because I knew I could come here (but didn't do often) and just throw around ideas with people, or put my opinion out there about various things at school, or whatever.

Because of work, I was never able to get into the on-campus activities I wished I could, nor could I do many things school related. I won't miss the 30 mile drive, each way, every day. I won't miss classes where I really had no business even being in them because I knew I couldn't pass them, no matter how hard I tried (which led to textbooks almost meeting their maker on an almost daily occurance). I won't miss the hours of homework, the exams, the quizzes, and the class schedule that was either too tightly pack or too stretched out.

I will, however, miss the people. I will miss the professors who did care, and tried to help their students. I will miss the students I have worked with in various classes, and how we helped each other on assignments, and how it made learning some stuff easier. I will miss the ducks, the scenery, and the quiet areas I could find to sleep when I had my long breaks.

They say college isn't for everybody, even if you're capable. I am capable, but I am also one of those people it isn't really for. So I choose to get out now and persue my dreams, even if it means making less money, and not having the biggest house or best car, because life is more than that, and that is what I am following.

Mike, a.k.a. KaosTheory

If you have the capability to finish school, then I think you should do it. Isn't a few years of hard work worth the knowledge and money that you will gain?

[PandaMoOo]

Although I didn't know you Mike, you seem like a good man. I hope everything goes well with the future you choose, I am glad that you are one of the few who realize college is not for them; good luck with drafting.

[KaosTheory]

Steven,

No, it isn't when the work is in something you don't want to do. If I wanted to continue in Industrial Engineering, the work would be worth it, and I would continue. I'm already a sell-out for even coming back this quarter, but I ran into some problems that I needed to be able to stay on my parents health insurance, so I decided that I would give IE a chance, see if maybe it really was what I wanted to do, but it isn't. Hard work is not being frustrated to the point of sometimes wanting to throw yourself out of the fifth story of the library, or literally pack up and take off in the dark of night to start over new somewhere else.

And really, looking at this quarter, I am doubting my capability (even though if some things had went a little differently in my life, I may have done a lot better, but hindsight and what-if's are useless), but I'm failing classes for the first time in my life, I have had weeks where between school and work, I didn't even really have time to sleep at night (maybe a few hours), and I got to the point of not caring. It helped me see, however, I was happy when I was doing the drafting-related courses at RCC, because I was in control. I may have had guidelines and restrictions and the such, but I had to create the object, or reverse-engineer it, as the case may be. But I was happy seeing my ideas come to life, even if 2-D on a computer monitor, because it was my work, my effort, and the only thing I had to learn was how to use the program, which I would then control.

Another thing I mention, but do not go deeply into detail is that I plan on moving back east. I'm not happy, and haven't been happy, being in California for a long time. I used to visit my family in New York every year for a while, and every year I wished I could stay. Last time I was there, I made the promise to myself that the next time I went, I would not be coming back to California. I haven't been back yet, and miss it every day.

Panda,

Thank you, and good luck in all that you persue. It isn't often that people understand why someone would quit college because "it isn't for them".

I'll still be around here for a while, I just won't be attending Cal Poly anymore. I'll just offer up my experiences to people, if they want help, and just see whats going on.

Mike

[zoedragon]

Some majors are a lot tougher than others. I was horribly indecisive when it came to choosing a major, so I ended up picking something I thought might be easy in comparison to other majors. Cal Poly is outstanding in the engineering field, which can be translated into meaning it's "tougher" or more challenging. Getting in is an achievement in itself, so don't beat yourself up about not doing as well as you'd hoped. There are scores of prospectives who never even made it in. You did, and that counts for something.

You're actually lucky in that you found something you love doing, drafting. I didn't find out what I loved until AFTER I graduated. So really, you didn't waste your time here at CPP at all. You got something really valuable out of it (finding the kind of work you enjoy), and you also realized how much you love your east coast roots.

Good luck in your endeavors!

[Keng]

Failing a course doesn't mean much, just do a poll here on a board ask who never failed a class heh, you would be suprised.

[Admin]

Mike, good luck on your new adventure. Attending college is not a necessary path in order to succeed in the work field. Heck, it doesn't even guarantee you a job or a specific annual income. If you know what you desire and want to pursue, you shouldn't have a problem seeking your short-term and long-term goals in life.

[zoedragon]

This is true, I've been seeing plenty of job openings that say "degree or equivalent experience". If you've got the know-how, a lot of places won't even care about a degree.

[CSS_overseer]

Nothing will stand in your way with confidence and pacing yourself. Sometimes, life is rough and you just have to put extra hours into it while disregarding the failures. As long as you get there, you are a winner. Dejected feelings can sometimes be analogous to all the misses that one feels. As long as you feel that assumption of what you are interested in studying, keep at it no matter what. Otherwise, jet and run away from it as far you can. I wish you the best of luck.

[Ketcham82]

You really sound depressed. I used to feel like that towards engineering. So I switched my major on my first month at Cal Poly. So far it's been the best decision I've done in my life so far. It's hard, just like everything else, to get around (to find it gratifying) when you have no passion in what you pursue. You have to have passion for everything you do in your life. Otherwise you'll end up bored and depressed with little hopes to move on.

But just like I tell everyone else, do the things you fear doing the most. Good luck man and I hope you find what you're looking for.

[KaosTheory]

Thank you everybody.

Yes, it is almost like I was depressed having to go to class everyday, which was in part due to the fact I wasn't enjoying it, and also due to the fact I injured my knee in August, and the whole process of me trying to find out what was wrong and what needed to be done was a giant run-around process. In addition, I was working way too much.

And yes, I do miss the east coast, and it is time for me to move on.