HELP Going back to college? Should I even try?

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I was'nt diagnosed untill a couple of years ago. As a result I have never had any "accomidations". Also I managed to get a Bach of Fine Arts degree without ever having opened an Algebra book in my LIFE. (I found out I have discalcula)

So I didnt do so great in High School, and did a lot better in college. I managed to get in without taking the test.

A couple of years ago I tried studing the books on Masters Admissions. I scored horribly at the practice tests. And I had a hard time.

I have gone back to school three times. Once at a trade school, and twice at my old college trying to learn art education, then studio art. All three timjes was a disaSter either because of my problems.

I can't make the cut to get in and once in I go down in flames because of my social problems.

The thing is the ONLY job I have ever enjoyed was as an after school art teacher at local community centers. Thing is it doesnt pay well. I couldnt accept any promotions to full time because that involved office work and dealing with numbers.

I need discipline right now. I'm free to work on my art but I don't, besides that doesnt help me feel better about being a member of socirty. Locking myself up in my studio isnt as healthy of a goal as being a teacher.

I taught English in Taiwan for a while. I'd like to maybe do something like that again. Maybe study a language ahead of time . But though I pick up languages when I go backpacking ( Chinese, Spanish, Indonesian) I have failed horribly at studying.

Ideally being an art teacher in another country would be great.

I do OK (as bearable as any asperger) working the job but not getting the grades.

I'm 35 I'm not married, my parents are gone I have no children and maybe enough money to do SOMETHING.My future doesnt look too optimistic. Best investment would be a further degree. If I don't do this what CAN I do?

Like I said right now I NEED the discipline of school. ( I'm too old for the army and nows not a good time anyway )

Thanks
Dave

You taught English in Taiwan? That's something I always wanted to do, but in Japan. Sadly that dream was crushed a long time ago. In the end, I'm not sure I could've done it. For someone with no social skills to stand in front of a bunch of people who cant understand what I'm saying... that would be too hard.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, went to college and graduated but I hate my job so now I'm looking into going back to school. It's not an easy thing to do when you're older. But as I see it, there's always room to learn more. So if you dont know what to do with yourself, school is something that will at least get you somewhere.

The same thing has happened to me but I haven't even gotten my bachelor's yet. Right now I am working at a newspaper inserting ads part time and trying to freelance my programming it is working pretty well. I can program at my own pace and don't have to worry about making money at it.

i had decent undergrad grades but poor test scores when faced with grad school.
but i had a sense i would do well in grad school. i was unaware of my aspie self
at the time (but knew i was different).

what got me in (and through) was a sympathetic advisor. he got me in the program
(when i would have normally been rejected) and was my advocate when i was in.
there was a good amount of discipline in not wanting to let him down (and i didn't).

so my suggestion: while it may not be easy, go seek out a sympathetic faculty
member. you have to decide how much of your situation you want to share,
and don't want to come across as a charity case. just someone who is different
and would nevertheless do well if given some consideration.

fg

I did horribly the first time I went to college. I didn't really even understand why I was there, my Grandmother enrolled me and picked my classes. I wanted to be an Art Therapist at that time it was rather new and invloved I think eight years of schooling total. I flunked out the first semeter as I was to terrified to leave my dorm room. My roomate was 19 years of boy crazy hormones which was further horror and frustration. I finally got a AA in Commercial/Graphic Art which I have never used.

Now I am going back after being encouraged by my current Psychologist (who correctly diagnosed me at the age of 41). I have been urgered over the years to take up programming by several types professionals due to an affinity with computers and evidently what was considered during the pre Aspie period an overly analytical personality. I discovered after being gifted a Mac Performa at the age of 29 (the first time I truly understood something and was happy besides being on a farm with the livestock).

I am EXTREMELY excited I cannot wait to start. I wonder if that's what it is for teenage NT's going off to college. Of course I will still be working 40 hours a week too.

I am concerned about the disabilities form I need to fill out. My Psychologist said put in what you think you might need from time to time and what you might need every day and the best way the will understand it is to say my needs would be very similar to a student with ADD which they (the staff) will be more familiar with. I have no IDEA what to ask for. What am I allowed to ask for? Do I tell them I might need more time completing projects or extra explanations due to concentration issues. Sometimes I have to reapeat back what I am told to understand it completely, sort of like rhetorical learning.

I am determined to do this, I NEED to do this. I just don't seem to get what I am "ALLOWED". Do you actually get to ask for and get things?

I don't know if this is an option for you but i have found I do much better at smaller specialized schools. Maybe look at an art school instead of a school with an art program.

If you are 35, you should probably assess what you are interested in (even have a PASSING interest in), what you could conceivably do, and what you enjoy most. If you are single with no kids, you can live on kraft dinner and noone is the wiser. On the other hand, if you want to go somewhere in a career, best to figure out a career track that you can enter now and move up in through the next 30 years. More degrees is always nice. If you can't find anything tolerable that doesn't require a degree, I would say go for it. On the other hand, degrees are so common now that you have to question the value of more education. I have a degree like you, also can't do much with it, and have 2 options: risk more time/money on school in search of a superior job opportunity, or cut my losses now and just take what I can get. I realize I am nothing special in most jobs or to most employers, so I will settle for what I can get and will let me enjoy myself on my time off.

I think higher education is always good, but especially to people who ALREADY have a degree and are going nowhere, be sure about what you want out of your next degree and what the cost is.