Expelled From College Roll Call!!!!

In the spirit of the high school dropout thread, share why you were expelled from college.

 

I got arrested and missed half of my finals because I was in jail. Because I missed half my finals my GPA dropped and I lost my scholarship. I couldn't afford college without a scholarship so my next completely uncalculated career move was to be in a hardcore punk band for nearly 10 years earning the opposite of "income." Then shortly after I got sick of that life and quit, I met my spouse-to-be. I went to trade school and became a heavy equipment mechanic. The blue-collar world is a much better fit for me and has treated me well. I value every one of those experiences and wouldn't trade places with anyone. Now I'm quite domesticated and I can almost fool people into thinking I'm "normal."

 

I attended an ultra conservative college. One day in history class, the discussion topic was "Warmongers Through History." My professor led the class along a timeline from Attila the Hun and onward. He mentioned Joan of Arc, Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Castro, Hussein, Bin Laden. Strangely, he never mentioned any war crazy Americans so I piped up and said "George Bush." It was as if time froze. The entire class turned and looked at me. The professor dismissed class a few minutes later but asked me to stay behind. He got in my face and said "Son what you've done is slight your own throat, and you're dying slowly." I laughed and recoiled at the same time before realizing he was serious. He told me to leave his classroom. I walked into the hall where half of the college baseball team was standing. A couple big guys in tight jeans cornered me and said "Man you don't question the President of the United States like that. God put him in office. He is a man of God." Again I laughed and said "guys, look. This is college. This is the time where you question EVERYTHING. That's what makes you grow. That's what makes you stronger". They walked off and I stood there in shock. I couldn't believe how warped these people were. So the next day I wore a t-shirt from my then- favorite anarchist punk band Against Me!. The shirt featured a pic of George W with the text "Hey George W. F*ck you and Your Daddy." I got a letter in the mail two days later that said I was expelled for "Not adhering to school policy." It was totally bogus. I tried to appeal but the appeals board wouldn't accept my case for appeal.



From there my story is similar to @DJB1 in that I joined some bands and toured for five years. I got a job teaching swim lessons to kids with special needs before deciding to return to school to major in Special Ed. this time I opted for a state institution rather than a private, faith-based college. I married the bass player in the band and now we have two kid and a house and all this adulting stuff is terrifying, plus parenthood is totally traumatic.

 

you go to a faith based college and think it's ok to wear that tee-shirt?

 

*went*

Oh did you go there too?

And yes, I did think it okay to wear the shirt because the then-president was not a Christ-like man, and the conservative fervor supporting him was misguided at best. Also, I was 19. Obviously I am no longer 19 and choose my battles more wisely these days.

 

I haven't really thought about it for a number of years. I was one of those kids that would have greatly benefitted from at least a couple of years in the military. I just wasn't mature enough for college. I just don't remember much of my first year in college. I remember bits and pieces from time to time, but nothing that could be called, "fond memories", although I suspect I enjoyed myself, overall. I do remember being summoned to the Dean's office and being asked to describe how all the furniture from the lobby of a dormitory could simply disappear. Next, the the question regarding theft of cable services came up. A missing ski boat belonging to one of the professors was mentioned, briefly, by a deputy sheriff. He also seemed inordinately interested in where several of my acquaintances could be found. I thought it was in poor form for him not to reveal in what capacity he was in attendance at the meeting between a college Dean and student. Still, I really didn't think any of our discussion amounted to much. Next, the Dean wanted to discuss my grades. Well, at that point I felt that there was just no reasoning with the man. I was invited to leave the campus that day. All in all, it was probably for the best. I took a sabbatical from higher learning for six months, and then began my studies to become a Paramedic. I didn't stop my training until I was as highly trained as was possible which took a couple of years. Again, I took a sabbatical from education for a year. Then I enrolled at a different college. This time, I was ready to go to school. I was on the Dean's List almost every quarter, involved in many extracurricular activities, and graduated in three years. What did I learn from all this, you might ask? I learned that a fair amount of the success and failure we experience in life depends, to a great extent, on timing.

 

I didn't actually fail out but I got out of college with a low 2.something GPA. I think there's a lot of good for some kids to take some time after high school and figure things out, there's just too many kids now who think college is a granted right and don't have a clue about personal responsibility.

 

My first attempt was dismal. W's, D's, C's, maybe a B here and there. My goal was military after high school. I knew I needed the discipline. I'd excelled in high school ROTC. My parents wouldn't let me do military (though I come from a military family). I wasn't ready for college. After getting out and experiencing things for a couple years and traveling around the country I had a lot more focus and a better idea of what I wanted to do. Since I've returned to college it's all A's with the occasional B.

 

https://youtu.be/HzXI_ApY4dY

 

I wish I had been ready for college when I graduated from high school. I've spent a lot of effort trying to make up for lost time because of that. I just don't think you can ever make up for wasted time. I can't apologize for that, so I don't even try. Regrets, if you don't have any, you better get you some!!

 

Where in Sou. Ga are you? My first round of college was in Sou. Ga.

 

Subbed for stories and intresting tips to pickup from life

21, senior @ Clemson University (GO TIGERS), in the military already, and about to become a 2nd Lt. I applaud everyone who has used their twist of fate and turned it into something positive. I'll be lurking on

 

My story is similar to Dave's above minus the band part... I couldn't carry a tune with a dump truck.
Arrested and jailed, suspended and then expelled. Did a short community college run then it was off to the working world.
Once I was blessed enough to get clean I eventually found my way to Home Depot. Sixteen and a half years later I'm still there. Worked my way up from mixing paint to running Pro for all of Metro Philly. I've been fortunate to say the least.

 

I'm the "Thrilla from Ocilla", MadDaddy. Some of us need an epiphany to straighten ourselves out. Nobody can do it for us. Whoever said, "You can't change overnight", was full of excrement. You can change within one minute. I know, because I did it. I never looked back. The strength to do it comes from within you. If you're human, you have that strength. You do, however, need to be strong enough to tell some of your friends to go to hell, if they don't support your decision, and mean it. That strength is a wonderful thing.

 

I'd have to say that you made much of your own fortune, HomerTaco. Philly is a tough city. It's not called, "Killadelphia", for nothing. You have guts.

 

I knew I lacked the focus to attend college when I reached that point in life, so I opted to enlist in the army instead. I served four years, got my act together along the way, and enrolled in college once I finished my enlistment. My MGIB benefits covered college expenses, I worked part-time to cover my modest living expenses, and I put 100% into my courses. That wound up being 8 years of hard work and dedication while I watched my friends having fun.

Fifteen years later...I have a great career, my family is taken care of (healthcare, college savings, retirement savings, etc), and I have the financial means to have fun. Meanwhile my friends that I watched having all that fun back in the day are struggling to find jobs, struggling to provide for their families, and they will probably continue living that lifestyle. They are all good guys and I wish they would have made better choices along the way, but I guess they always thought they could start "tomorrow".

My point is that it pays to consider your future, set yourself goals, and stay focused when easier paths present themself. If you do those things you'll thank yourself for it later.

 

I dare not say. Lmao. Happened twice. Suspension not expelled.

 

Amen about setting goals for the future. Getting a solid idea on the Big Picture and then breaking up those monumental tasks into "steps" has been key for me. In Philosophy class I often talked about the concepts of "Past Me," "Current Me," and "Future Me." When Current Me is hung up on making up for Past Me, it can't focus on making life any better for Future Me, which is where the focus should be. When I do mess up, I sigh, have a laugh, say "oh man Future Me is gonna be so pissed a Current Me," then I give it another go.

 

That type of foresight is invaluable, especially when you're young. Just out of curiosity, dmharvey79, who was able to convince you that, "it pays to consider your future, self goals, and stay focused when easier paths present themself along the way. If you do those things you'll thank yourself for it later".

 

In psychology class, they call that schizophrenia.