+1

In addition: Professional cycling is for almost no one.

What do you think about trade school? Maybe become an electrician? It's best to go to school while you're still used to being poor...

My friend, you can do it.
From one college kid to another, you can man.

I'm currently in my hardest semester, 19 credit hours including 200 level ACC, ECON, and Business classes. I'm a sophmore trying to get into our "prestigious" business school, which i need a 3.0 to even be considered. Along with this i'm training for a ride across the country this summer and working 30hrs a week from 11-4 in the morning nearly every night.

my advice:
1. Join your cycling team.
a. They set up a schedule for when you can ride, and for me, i know i need to get my work done before i can so then i spend my time wisely
b. they hook you up, i broke a pedal and one of them gave me an old set of theirs.
2. Get a job.
a. like A, i know i need to go to work at 11 so i'll finish my work when i get outta class around 6, eat before work then go in and get back to sleep around 4 so i can wake up at 9 and do it all over again
b. This way, you'll have money to afford the bicycle things you want. My parents don't want me too do the trip this summer, so i've been on my own. It's made me appreciate my bike and all my equipment.
3. School blows. College doesnt
a. I still have fun, i finish my work and then go party with friends. it allows me to just relax and relieve the stress from my work

trust me bro, i feel you. cycling and college are ****ing crazy for me this year, if you need any help, suggestions, whatever feel free to PM me or shoot me a message on Facebook. I'm realitively new to cycling so you'd probably be helping me out in the process.

apologize for the spelling errors, i'm writing this between classes

Some options: (as others may have already indicated)

a. Scale back your hours
b. Financial Aid
c. Take the course that bore you or seem tough at a community college
that is approved by your college for transfer of its credits; classes may be easier
and also help boost GPA.
d. Shift a class/schedule to evening hours to allow for a relaxing ride during day.
e. Take a term off or be an exchange student and get some cycling in overseas.
f. Favoring P.E. ? What about Exercise Sports - Science; become a cycling coach/trainer.
g. Join military and choose MOS of something IT-related (stationed hopefully in a non-hostile
area), then go back to school on G.I. Bill. The military IT experience may help you focus on
completing that CIS degree.

+1

- If there is no college team or club...START ONE! Here's how: https://www.usacycling.org/forms/coll...ing_a_club.pdf. It may be a pain to jump through the hoops of starting a club, but it's probably no different than jumping through hoops to join a pro team.

- Colleges will more often than not PAY EXPENSES for races. Some guys that I race with also race for a local university. The university pays for AIRFARE, HOTEL, GAS, and ENTRY FEES for any collegiate race. If the race is close enough, they can take the university van. This is an intramural CLUB not even a full-on team.

- MANY of the guys you race at collegiate events are also PRO. The current USAC Collegiate Road champ is also on the Mountain Khakis pro team. Beat them at collegiate events and get noticed.

Further...

- Many of the racers that made the podium at Collegiate Track Nationals were also at Elite Track Nationals.

- Basically, if you rise to the top of collegiate, then you are IN THE GAME.

Last post, I promise:

Depending on your particular school, as a member of the cycling team/club

- You can be excused from classes or tests to travel for events.

- You can surely gain discounts at a local bike shop that will sponsor the team. There is nothing like discounts on bike gear. Free fittings.

- You can probably get free VO2 testing via the university sports science department. You can be their guinea pigs.

- You may get "Varsity Athlete" status which gives you priority in class scheduling. Athletes get first pick of classes, then honors students, then seniors, juniors...

- Athletic dorms with athletic cafeterias (meaning better quality food). At U of Alabama when I was there, athletes ate steak when I ate pizza in my cafeteria for the same price.

- Athletic gym with better equipment an no line, no wait. (less good-looking girls, though hahaha)

- Athletic Letter. This can be a big deal if you go to a big school. To get a Athletic "A Club" ring is a pretty big deal in the south.

Enough of holding this malcontents hand.
Put him to work at Wack Arnolds for a few months,he'll see the light.

Very true.

Sir/Madam,

I have to disagree with you. Even with subsidized loans, once you fall below half-time, the interest start accruing @ 8% or more. Of course, you are not paying ridiculous 13%+ like you do on credit cards, but the interest adds up real quick. I took slightly more than half a year off after college, and got $50 added to my $8000 in student loans in just two months (after the grace period expired). A friend owed double the amount of her principal four years out of college due to little payment. And if you haven't heard, college loans companies are nastier than credit card companies. To encourage someone to take out more loans when future employment is yet certain is not responsible. Of course, this is BF after all...

OP: Talked to your parents about all this? Once you leave school, you've declared yourself all grown up and self-supporting. Problem is you can't support yourself with any job you're likely to get right off. What skill do you offer an employer right now that warrants paying you more than $10/hr? Run the numbers: rent, utilities, food, clothing, transportation, health care (!), fed/state taxes, etc. You can't get there from here.

You're pondering this like you have a choice. But you don't. Since the military's out, either stay in school or learn a trade. The only other alternatives are welfare or crime. Sorry to be so blunt, but now that you're an adult, there's no safety net.

The thought of seeking counseling at the school is a wise one. Use it.

Hey, in case you need a job during school, consider being a security guard for an office building. You work nights (4 to 8 hours) and can pretty much get paid while you study. This saved my butt while in school grade-wise and funding-wise.

If you think college is hard, just wait until you're diggin' ditches.

college now means more money (for bike stuff) later

School can be tough, but you can do it. Think of it like high school, you had to do it. First get motivated, second get a loan(parent plus). If you decide that college is not for you, then by all means look into some sort of trade school.

If you love cycling, look into a trade where you can eventually land a job in a sports related industry.

Something I was told:

You can either work hard while you are young, and live comfortably(relaxed and financial) for many many years.

Or you can live comfortably now(relaxed sense), and work hard for a majority of your life.

College. Plenty of time for riding later.

Yea, that just doesn't hold up. I've watched enough construction to know that it's not bad work.

I don't know why people villainize manual labor. It's what you were made to do.

Stay in school so you can get a decent paying job. If you pick the right career you can make as much or more money working part-time than you would working full-time at your minimum wage job. More money PLUS more time for riding -- what's not to like?

Manned the dispatch desk for our campus "security" force at night and it is true you can get a lot of study done while getting paid.

Be realistic. If you think college is hard, wait till you are a 46 year old ditch digger and no one wants a 46 year old ditch digger, when they can get a 20 year old ditch digger at %60 of your wages.

do whatever you have to, to fix you schedule and make things amendable to your situation. Do not give up. Do not throw away a chance that will serve you for the rest of your life. you can cycle later.

Let me set you straight. I have DONE enough construction to know that it aint no walk in the park. from the crap wages to frigged up economy. working out in the sun in 100 plus temps. or sub zero weather. whats not to like.
You know what they call a carpenter with a bad elbow?

Unemployed.

Construction is not hard work for one day, but when you do it everyday in freezing cold to boiling hot your body wears out.

Listen to ls01, he is speaking the truth.

Get a tutor for your challenging courses. I am on my last quarter to complete a B.S. biomedical engineering and am nowhere near the top tier in my class. However, I still made it, after perseverance! I decided to use my last 2 quarters and join the university's cycling team, even if I can't race =( . I'll try that when I have the funds to allow for. FINISH COLLEGE , you can do it!

You sound like an idiot.

OP: didn't read pages 3-4, but you mentioned going to see a psychologist/counselor. Good idea. They can be very helpful and talk to people daily in YOUR EXACT SITUATION. Life sucks now, and it will suck some later, but there will also be good times. The worst thing you can do is regret later what you choose now, so think about having a conversation with your "future self" before dropping out of school. It's sort of like in racing, when you want to quit, but don't want to have to sit at home later thinking "if only I'd pushed for another minute, I could have stayed with the pack on the climb". That feeling sucks.

Not exactly

Are you kidding? Who told you that you can't go to college AND ride a bike? Everyone has some free time that gets wasted on less important things. If bicycling is really important to you I bet you'd be doing it right now. It might even give you some help in the mental/emotional areas that you seem to be struggling with. There is evidence that bicycling improves grades.

If you give up now you're going to question that decision for a long time. Do what it takes to finish and finish well. You need a career to have a hobby and someday a family.