There is no substitute for a steady paycheck. Your body can tolerate so much abuse, so it's easy to fit in enough riding time to keep you in perpetual hurt while attending school full time.

I don't think everyone needs a college education, but everyone does need a marketable skill. If you leave school, you still need a useful skill.

You don't get nearly as much discretionary time and the hours are much longer in my experience. College gives you WAY more flexibility with your time than real life.

Sounds like you aren't the most academic person in the world. That's fine, as many people aren't and never go to college and do just fine. However you can't dismiss the benefits of a degree. You should take classes at a junior (community) college and get a basic degree. It'll help when one day you realize you want a better job than flipping burgers for min wage.

Cycling is a hobby for you. You aren't going to be a pro racer, and you know that. Hobbies require money; cycling is the most cash-intensive sport I've ever seen and can possibly imagine. So you need a job.

One day you'll realize what you want to do with your life and will pursue that. Until then, stay in school and get some sort of a degree. It'll help in the future. You'll always enjoy cycling and you'll get better as a rider the more you ride, but ultimately it is just a fun thing to do.

I'm 32. I'm in school. I race for my school. Life is good! I had the crap job. I was tired after work and didn't ride as much as I do as a student. Try to hang in there. I certainly am not inclined to take 16 hours. Do you have a cycling team at your school? If not, I bet you could make alot of progress in getting one.

If you leave school, you may be broke, financially frustrated for life, and more bad stuff. I say get loans (if you must), don't take 16 hrs, and enjoy what is there in front of you. School sucks, but I like it alot more than my construction job/past.

Good luck.

I am going to drop a class but not sure which one at the moment. I think I am going to drop either accounting or stastistics. Not sure.

i just finished both of those and i found statistics 100x's easier than accounting.

One more thought. It's very difficult, if not impossible, to survive on minimum wage. Never mind cycling - you'll be lucky if you have a roof over your head and food to eat. Minimum wage jobs serve a purpose in our society, but they are meant for people who are not the primary breadwinners in their household, such as teenagers living at home, or people with other sources of income, such as retirees. Basically, I just don't think the plan of making a living while flipping burgers is a viable option.

"I,ve often thought of becoming a golf club"
Caddyshack

according to merriam-webster, it ain't a word. i believe unmotivated is the word you're looking for

if you are unmotivated at the present, take a leave of absence & come back. lotsa people do it, even in the ivy leagues... for most, doing 40+hr/week of minimum wage job gets them perspective real soon. if there's deeper issues, then maybe seeing a psychologist would help.

In the meantime(after you quit college)can I have fries with that order?

HTFU and stay in school.

I agree 100%. At the risk of disclosing too much personal info, here is my attempt to help you.

I'm the last guy who should give you career advice. I'm 27 and have never actually had a career. I'm what most people would call a loser. Unlike you, I was super motivated for school. I got good grades and went on to grad school. Then, like you, I lost my motivation. I just fell out of love with what I was studying and decided to give a job a try. After all, I had a degree already. How bad could it be?

Unfortunately, my BS was in one of the liberal arts, so I wasn't qualified for much besides crappy sales jobs. I spent 1.5 years going from crappy job to crappy job until I finally got fed up. I packed up and went out west for 3 months of volunteer work. When that was over I applied for a year-long AmeriCorps program.

I'm not going to say AmeriCorps changed my life, but it gave me some time to sit back and think about my life. It sounds to me like this is exactly what you could use right now. If you do decide to return to school, you'll get a small scholarship (some schools match it) after you finish your term of service.

People are on the money when they say you need a marketable skill, and it really doesn't matter how you get it. I doubt you'll find a perfect dream job like being able to ride your bike all day, but you don't have to do something you completely hate, either. Try to find a happy place somewhere in the middle- doing a job you somewhat enjoy while making enough money to enjoy your time out of work, as well.

No worries. You'll figure it out.

+1000 Morgan Spurlock did a great TV show where he and his fiance tried to live on minimum wage for 30 days. They were both working 2 or 3 jobs, the fiance walked to work because they couldn't both afford to take the bus (let alone pay for car insurance or gas), they lived in a crap hole, had to go to work sick because they couldn't afford a day without pay, etc. Truly a miserable existence.

Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr. Work a standard forty-hour week and you gross $290. After taxes, you have even less in your pocket. Making that kind of money, a new set of tires will seem like a huge luxury...

But I have heard accounting has take home tests. Toughie.

Newsflash: you are worthless when it comes to a bicycle. You have no hope of making money at riding your bike.

However, with a degree, doors will open, and you will be able to de-"unmovitate" yourself and perhaps find something that will stir your passion and get your behind in gear.

You also sound mildly depressed... are you getting enough rest and decent nutrition? Hopefully the school dining-hall isn't tearing apart your insides.

decent nutrition?

Every other American student survived on cafeteria food supplemented with french fries and large doses of Natty Light.

My head hurts after reading this..... If flunking out now... It has nothing to do with living your dream. I'm guessing you will flunk out at racing when that gets hard as well.

Or buckle down and finish what you started. You have more time for riding now than you will once in the work force.

**** you and your elitist Natural Light beers. No need to be snooty because you fatcat rich kids drank the good stuff. We poor kids were relegated to Natty Ice.

Make friends with a music education major, it will make your life seem easier.

I'm taking 19 units, which is 11 classes. 4 of my classes are 3 units, and the remaining 7 units are all 1 unit classes which meet for 3 hours a week and require more work than all 4 of my 3 unit classes combined. Not to mention working two jobs on either side of going to classes.

And I have to find time to practice my instruments.

There, doesn't your schedule seem easier now?

Tried to audition for that $100,000 job at the Cleveland Orchestra but I only play the triangle.No reply yet.

Was not aware things could get worse than Natty Light.

+1.

Friend of mine dicked around for two years in college. His parents cut him off. He grew up real fast and paid his own way through school by bartending. Once he graduated he worked for two years and then started his own company.

do us a favor and drop out/don't attend and let the person who is not questioning themselves about education get in.

[QUOTE=YOJiMBO20;10317889]Make friends with a music education major QUOTE]

Just because you have a high unit load doesn't mean that there is anything exceptionally difficult about being a music education major.

No disrespect at all for music education, all I am saying is that not all units are created equal.


IMO what sucks about your schedule is all of those 1-unit classes sucking hours weekly. Crappy.

Adversity will make many achieve success.