If I could go back in time and give my eighteen-year-old self any advice, it would be to consider taking a gap year between high school graduation and starting college.
As a new college student at Angelo State in 1993, I experienced a level of freedom I hadn’t had in high school, and my attendance and grades suffered due to my lack of motivation and focus. I went to parties and stayed out late. Then I would sleep in and miss class. I was the opposite of who I had been in high school. From being an A-B student in high school, I was on academic probation within five semesters at ASU. I was wasting money. As much as I should have done better, I couldn’t get my head straight to snap out of the funk I found myself in. Eventually, I withdrew from the university and found myself working a full time administrative job. I spent my entire twenties out of college. But honestly, I don’t feel like that was out of the ordinary. Half of my friends finished getting their degrees, while the other half were on a similar path as me.
After I got married, I realized that I wanted to continue my studies. At the time, we were living in Austin and enrolled in Austin Community College as a 32-year old freshman. I took afternoon, evening, and online classes whenever I could fit them around my work schedule. I was finally making progress. ACC gave me the chance to gradually rebuild my GPA. I discovered that I actually enjoyed taking classes and challenging myself to be the student I was in high school—dedicated and eager to learn. I had found my motivation.
But life had other plans for me and my family. My mother’s lung cancer diagnosis prompted me to change course once again. Being there for her appointments, recovery, and treatments took priority and once again I pressed pause on my studies.