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[xDarkz]

I was a college student studying to become a male Nurse, but unfortunately, I didn't get in for this fall. It naturally wrecked my world because I've spent three long years studying for classes and taking progressively harder exams. I had everything set, and besides a few B's on my record, I managed to achieve pretty decent grades. I was still apparently not good enough to compete in a pool of 900 applicants and was rejected.

Fortunately, there were alternatives. I intended to take classes to become a Certified Nursing Assistant and I was set on doing that, as it would give me not only experience, but points on any future applications. Problem? Many if not all of the CNA programs offered at community colleges had already had their deadlines for the Fall 2012 cohort. Their deadlines being a day after our rejection letters for nursing schools, so who would have known...

I now haven't got a clue about what to do with my life. I've tried retaking the classes I got B's in to get A's but some of them are core and very hard to get into. I've taken all my prereqs and haven't got a thing to do for the Fall semester. I feel unaccomplished and pretty sad about the whole thing, I really don't want to spend an entire semester doing nothing, I want to advance my career ... and start getting out there as soon as possible. My parents are expecting me to complete the whole four year college experience thing and start getting out there, but that's not possible. Being the first one in my family to make it into college, I feel disheartened and incredibly stressed by this whole situation.

If I sign up for the CNA program, I'd have to wait a semester before taking classes and that would delay my becoming of a nurse by yet another year, due to deadlines and what not. My last fall back point involves retaking two of the easier to get into classes, and just go off from there... It's just one big hassle after another because this is the last year I will be getting financial aid and I feel that student loans will overwelm me.

I feel like an absolute and complete failure during times like these and I'm not sure if that's normal. I wanted to complete college in four years and I wanted to get out there and start helping my parents with their financial situation. Everything is becoming so complex and I haven't got a single person to ask what the proper course of action is. I've tried googling CNA classes, RN programs in San Diego, etc, etc, but I become incredibly sad and discouraged when I see that deadlines have already passed or the price is too high.

What should/can I do, and is it normal in any respect to feel this way?

[lordcooper]

It isn't particularly abnormal to feel disappointed, but it's unwarranted IMO.  You come across as being quite a caring individual and probably shouldn't be so hard on yourself.  I'd say your best bet is to take the CNA classes next semester and use the time until then in a way that will benefit you in some way.

Voluntary work looks ace on a resumé and is an all round cool thing to do.  If that doesn't appeal to you, maybe it would be a good idea to use this time to pursue a hobby or learn a new skill.  Try your hand at programming, pick up a musical instrument, start writing a novel, work out and get a sexy sixpack, or simply pack a few changes of clothing and see a little of whatever country you happen to live in.  Or maybe you could take a short course in complementary therapies in the meantime.

You haven't failed, just suffered a slight setback.

[Tuplis]

If I sign up for the CNA program, I'd have to wait a semester before taking classes and that would delay my becoming of a nurse by yet another year, due to deadlines and what not.

Yet another year, eh? How old are you? One year doesn't really matter career-wise - you'll get fed up with your job in the 40-50 years you'll doing it anyway.

It's completely normal to feel disappointed in this situation, though. The best you can do is make sure you'll get in next year. The sooner you can accept that you can't do the #1 thing you'd want to for a year, the sooner you figure out what #2 is.

[LordBucket]

Check your private messages.

[xDarkz]

Thank you for your replies. I turn twenty-one in a two weeks and I've just been overwhelmed and feeling unaccomplished. I'm not sure of myself and I've begun having doubts about what it is I really want to do, after receiving my rejection letter. My grades are decent, but they are far from being the best. I'm saturated with feelings of not being able to fix that and I've actually been moping around for  most of the summer. I'm feeling unaccomplished because I haven't done anything with my life. I'm three years into college and I'm not any closer to a degree because it's been placed on halt when I didn't get admitted.

It might not make much sense, but because there are so many alternatives, so many options to look into, that I'm drowning up to my neck. There might be plenty of alternatives, but they all require me to wait at least a semester, maybe even a year. Next year I will be twenty-two, and I probably still won't have accomplished much more.

I'm starting to resent the politics of the real world. It's overlapping deadlines, criterion, maxed capacity, and strict guidelines. If you don't sign up for X, you won't be able to get into Y, but X's deadline has already passed, and without X, Y is not doable.

I know I'm only twenty-one, maybe it's some pre-midlife crisis, I really don't know, nor do I know whether it's normal or not. I'm just so... sick of it all lately. It's gotten to the point where I don't want to wake up because I have to face the reality of things......

[King DZA]

Everyone has those days. Hell, I developed my mindset of not giving a fuck because, without it, just about everything and everyone everywhere pisses me off to some degree. You just have to keep yourself motivated and remember that, although this may be an unfortunate time in your life, it isn't the end of it. Find solace in the certainty of knowing that regardless of how long it takes or what stands in your way, the pursuit of your goals will be unwavering.

That's what I do, at least. And seeing as I've yet to say "fuck everything" and go on a citywide rampage, it must work to some extent.

[Tuplis]

I'm sorry to sidetrack but I need to ask something about your educational system. (I'm from Finland so I don't know anything about your system)

College aims for the bachelor's degree, right? How is it that you could study 3 out of 4 years and not get in for the fall semester? Do you have to get admitted every semester?

Do you have a job on the side? I used to work as a security guard while studying and it certainly gave me extra motivation to study harder if only to get out that bs. Plus it puts extra pressure on the schedule so there's less procrastination.

[Seriyu]

Heya! I'd just like to take a step in, and say I'm 24, and still haven't managed to net a job, or college stuff, for a variety of reasons, most of them not terribly good, in my opinion, honestly. You... really shouldn't feel too bad about yourself. Happens to everyone sometimes, like people before said. No shame in it!

Now I don't have advice on the college half of this, because again, haven't been into college yet, and have a very tenuous idea of how it works. But I'd like to throw in advice, you seem like someone that's interested in working, I have a friend like that, and while I don't fully understand this, I can respect it. Even if you somehow can't find anything to do to push your career forward, which I doubt will happen, by the way, don't be afraid to just set it aside for that amount of free time.

Look at it as a chunk of free time, use it. There is nothing wrong with taking time out to do something you enjoy, doubly so if there's nothing else occupying the time otherwise, and there's nothing you can do about it. Don't feel bad about it. Don't overstay your welcome, of course, but if you've got a quarter of a year where nothing's happening, look at it in a positive light, you can do stuff, you've got free time, you can sit down and play a game you've been meaning to or something.

Don't be afraid to relax, it's a good way to drive yourself nuts.