I finally did it; I submitted my final paper ever to Dawson College. It feels amazing. Graduating from Dawson has been a long and sometimes difficult road but I’m happy to say that I was able to accomplish this goal on my own terms.
The attempts
My first attempt at Dawson wasn’t so great. I was suffering from an undiagnosed anxiety disorder. I was there mostly because it was expected of me, not because I wanted to be there. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning. I have always aspired to pursue higher education but I wanted to take time off. What I needed was to figure out what I wanted to do; to figure out my next step. I needed to find the motivation to be there.
It didn’t help that shortly after starting my first semester was the Dawson shooting. It took me a long time to process that event and realize how much it had really affected me. For a long time, it didn’t feel real. I think it was just too big at the time.
My second attempt was a program I really enjoyed but my anxiety was still a huge problem. It was only at this point, after having a panic attack about a practical exam worth 50% of my grade (FYI, I passed it with flying colours), that I was referred to the right professionals for help. Unfortunately, this second attempt only helped further destroy my R-Score.
Took a break
After being expelled twice for being absent for the majority of my classes, I finally took the time to get my mental health in order. At this point, I was also informed by a Program Coordinator that it was unlikely I would ever graduate or get into university. While this could have discouraged my efforts, it only added fuel to the fire. It was one thing for me to have doubts about my own abilities but a whole different story for someone else to tell me what I could or could not do.
I started with a class or two in continuing education for a couple semesters to prove to myself, as well as, the college that I could succeed. Then I re-applied and was accepted back into the General Social Science day program. Upon my return, my grades had improved dramatically and I felt like I was back to my old self. Even though I could only improve my R-Score so much, I was still accepted into Concordia for the Fall 2017 semester.
**Update**
I finished my Bachelor’s in Recreation and Leisure Studies in 2021 (take that Covid). Now, I am back at Concordia doing my Master’s in Human Systems Intervention. Go class of 2027! 🥳
The point of all this is to not give up. There is always a solution. Sometimes you may have to get a bit creative or it may take longer than you want it to but you can do it. Don’t ever let someone discourage you from going after what you want. The myth that you won’t go back to school if you stop needs to be thrown out with the garbage. There are so many people that I know who’ve gone back to either advance their career or to change it entirely. If it’s something you really want to do, you will.
What kept you from getting the results you wanted and how did you overcome it?
Let me know in the comments.
Don’t forget to Like me on Facebook and/or Follow me on Instagram.
Leave a Reply