My Reality Check

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Recommended: Consequences of dropping out of college

My Reality Check

Two things didn't mix well in my life. One was being a full time student and the other an athlete.

It was great not having parents around telling you to do your homework or to go to class, of which I never did. I had a choice, which was more important, playing lacrosse or studying. Like any first year college student I picked lacrosse. At that point I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. Who at that age would know either?

My worst nightmare came true in the summer of 1989. I was academically dismissed from the university. I thought to myself "no way, this could never happen to me, I played lacrosse, had a girlfriend, and I was popular, how could this have happened". The worst part of the whole experience was the car ride home from the post office. The feeling of emptiness overwhelmed me, I felt as if I had nothing inside my body. I thought, "what am I going to do?" Then I had to face my parents, boy was I scared. What was I going to tell them? Sorry mom and dad but I wasted your money; I had no excuses so I told them the truth.

What happened after that changed my life forever.

It was either the military or go to a community college and try to redeem myself. I wanted to do neither, but I had to choose. The military was off my list and going to a community college sounded o.k.

So I registered and the rest of that summer I had to deal with the fact that I had not accomplished anything in the past year and this was wake up call an...

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