Barbara Dougherty

Barbara Dougherty reflects on her decision to drop out of college and her hopes of finding a new life plan.

I dropped out of college last year. I had completed two and a half years and my grades were alright, but my finances were complicated. In fact, money was a huge reason for my withdrawal from the expensive private Quaker school in the middle of “nowhere”, North Carolina. But I’d be lying if I said money was the only reason.

So now, I am going through what I like to call my “quarter-life crisis.” I’m living with my parents again and working at a job for less than I make babysitting. I am wondering with my hindsight 20/20 vision: why the heck I left behind my college experience. After all I had learned and all the time and energy I spent there. All the friends, all the homework, all the potential memories that could have been the rest of my college days are gone.

I hate that I’m already out of practice writing and speaking academically. I hate that I didn’t cherish every single moment of college while I was there. And I really, really hate that I didn’t finish what I started. The whole experience makes me feel flaky and undisciplined.

Whatever uncomfortable feelings I was going through, I realize I can’t change them by simply changing my surroundings. Now I’m taking things day by day, as I figure out a different plan for my life. A plan that may even include going back to school with a new outlook.