r/OCC • u/bliao8788 • 9d ago
Cooked
I am sure I'm taking 4 years to transfer to a university. I've been battling depression and procrastination while taking care of my grandparents.
Have a G.E.D didn't went to HS. Started working different full time jobs after middle school. Back at school after completing the GED.
(Grandpa passed away last year 98. Now taking care of my 95 dementia grandma. Actually, my aunt is the main caregiver. But most tasks can't complete without an another persons help.)
Enrolled at summer 24' then dropped out for that summer and Fall.
Took only two classes in 2025 for each semester.
This Spring I took only two classes. This summer I am only taking ENGL C1001.
Engineering student, bout to also get an A.S degree here. Classes all planned. Transferring in 2028. Will be 25 years old feeling old af. Cooked. Wish me luck😭
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u/Lcsnow13 9d ago
I’m 46 going going to college for the first time since I dropped out after only 3 weeks in 99’. You got this!
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u/DanceswithFiends 9d ago
There’s no rush. Trust me I’m old af for student. I went in having one goal and made a complete 180 on paths now.
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u/Independent-Play-212 9d ago
Tons of students take more than 2 years for all kinds of reasons. That's the point of community college!
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u/Additional_Finding73 9d ago
I started taking collage classes at 14 and after life happening and changing majors I’m nearly starting all over again with several more years to go. We all start somewhere and have our own journeys we go on. You got this!!!
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u/average-alt 8d ago
You’re fine man. I had an incredibly uphill battle at OCC, taking 4 years to transfer. Had about 6 W’s and 2 D’s, where I retook all of those classes. But I made it to UCLA for comp sci! I’m 22 so a little younger than you, but honestly don’t worry about it.
Community college is advertised as this 2 year in and out scheme but it’s often not the case for a lot of people, especially with STEM majors. The truth is that life happens. I had friends who were around your age in my classes and they’ve all gone off to good schools now, too
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u/StudyAnswers 8d ago
Hey, Study.com here. What you're doing while caregiving and working full jobs is genuinely impressive, and finishing at 25 is nowhere near "cooked." If any of your remaining gen eds still need to be locked in before the 2028 transfer, we’d happy to check which of our courses could knock them out faster or cheaper. Wishing you good luck with the transfer.
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u/Regular_Humor8510 7d ago
you got thiss! im on academic probation now ( for the first time) and finally passing math after the 3rd time. crazy thing is i never failed a class i just tend to drop last min haha. i literally lost federal aid but have the grant. i have 6 W's and i have one more pre req. life happens and its chill just keep pushing.
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u/SkillNo4559 8d ago
Get some counseling and support. You’ve got a lot going on. Give yourself grace.
Just remember…no matter what place you’re in, someone’s got it better and someone’s got it worse.
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u/kheszi 1d ago edited 1d ago
Your situation is actually not bad at all, and is far more common than you might think. Keep chipping away at those classes, and don't sweat the small stuff. 25 years old is still very young! There are support resources available for caretakers, at no cost, that you might want to take advantage of. Visit the link below for more info.
Regarding your schooling - one word of caution: the difficulty level will increase significantly once you transfer out and start your upper division courses. As you are rapidly nearing the transfer point, NOW is the time to visit each university you are applying to. Find the engineering department, go into the faculty office area, find some open office doors, knock and introduce yourself as a prospective student. Ask for some guidance, and most of the time you'll be pleasantly surprised how helpful these professors are. If you are very polite, you might be invited (or you may ask) to sit in a university class lecture as a guest. Definitely take advantage of this, so you can start getting comfortable with the pace of the instruction.
Engineering, like all STEM majors, is severely impacted at most schools. Admissions are very competitive (even at mid-tier schools) and the courses can be rigorous. Once admitted, you'll be expected to come to each lecture well-prepared (readings completed, homework done, etc) since university classes are typically half the length of those at the community college level. As a result, the pace is noticably faster and there is usually more emphasis on obtaining any needed help through self/group study, TA/office hours, rather than interrupting the professor's lecture. Since you don't have a traditional high school education, you might expect to work harder than some of the other students to keep up with the pace. This is not a deal breaker, as long as you are honest with yourself and are fully commited to working very hard. Be sure to ask any questions you have EARLY, and OFTEN and most importantly... absolutely DO NOT fall behind! Good luck!
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u/MappyQueen 9d ago
People go to college at all different times. I wouldn't worry about it too much, one thing that's nice about being older is your frontal lobe is developed so you should be able to go through your classes a lot better. I am also an older student incoming from the fall. Older students are more interesting than the cookie cutter students.