hey everyone! i dropped out of school completely towards the end of 8th grade, but after that i never really got a “proper” education. i won’t get into details about my situation, but i’m finally getting my life somewhat together. problem is: i don’t know how the fuck college works.
i got this GED prep book and i’m actually doing amazing at it (except for math..), but i’m starting to wonder if getting my GED before going to college is really a good route to go down. is there a way i can combine high school with college? like a dual-enrollment type situation? do you already have to be enrolled in high school to apply for dual enrollment? i am so confused about all of this! i just want to get college done with fast, mostly because i’m so academically behind my peers.
any alternatives, explanations, advice, or anything at all would be greatly appreciated! even if it seems like basic knowledge, i could benefit from it. thank you! 🙂
EDIT: thank you guys so much for all the advice and the support. :’) not gonna lie i cried a little because i’ve never gotten so much support about this and have always felt extremely isolated and inadequate about it. i’m definitely gonna work extra hard at my GED studies now and try out all the awesome advice!
p.s. if it means anything, i live in florida!
You can’t go to many colleges without a GED or diploma. Some community colleges and trade schools allow you attend without a diploma or GED, but you’ll have to look for them and will likely have to take a placement test (if you’re bad at math you probably won’t do good). Work on that, and then continue your GED and then you should go to college.
I don’t know much about it, but assuming you are in the US, you might want to look at the adult GED programs. Sometimes they are offered by community colleges, sometimes it’s other organizations. It really just depends on where you live and how they do things. You can probably find out about all your local programs if you ask at the library, often they have resources all pulled together. They might also know about free study groups and other free programs.
People getting adult GEDs come from all sorts of backgrounds, so don’t be worried that you will be at any sort of disadvantage.
You should 100% get your GED. Also, consider using https://www.khanacademy.org to study math and other topics. It’s an amazing resource
I don’t have any logistical advice, but I did want to say it’s awesome how you’re working towards an education. I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to get discouraged. Keep working and it will pay off. Best of luck
I’m scrolling through the comments and haven’t seen anyone advise you to talk to the college you’re interested in. That would be my first step. I almost wasted a year getting my GED when all I needed to do was take placement tests for my program. My school gave me study materials for the tests I would need to take, so then I went in and passed the tests and was enrolled in my program. But each college may be different so I would say go in and ask to speak to someone who can help you.
Go to a community college and take a placement test. See where you are. Start taking classes accommodatingly. Take them seriously. Learn what you want to study. Learn how to study. Focus on growing academically and take things one semester at a time.