u/NICEacct111

I have noticed that a lot of people live their days through activities that are cycle-based. For instance, a lot of mainstream jobs operate from 9 am to 5 pm, K-12 schools operate from 8 am to 3 pm, and so on and so forth. As someone who recently graduated from college, I have been a bit aimless, but I didn't schedule many things this summer because last summer, I scheduled too many things and they ended up in failure. I'm not sitting idling by though. For over a month, I have been helping to clear out an old house alongside my parents and a paternal aunt. Additionally, I have been considering further schooling in either grad school (which I probably won't do, at least not soon) or at a local community college to complete prereqs. Lastly, I have been applying to jobs on Handshake and Indeed.

Despite giving those things a strong effort, I have only made a relatively low amount of progress given the amount of time that has passed since commencement. Thinking about my life, I'm pretty sure I experienced cycle-based activities in the past where I studied regularly for STEM subjects or pre-health entrance exams, only to fail and thus waste my resources. I guess one can say that it's not possible to tell whether or not a certain path can work out unless I physically try it 100%, but it sucks to go in a cycle for a long time and not have much to show for it. Anyways, thanks for reading this random rant. Take care.

Hello everyone! I recently graduated college in one of the humanities, and I have spent quite some time since commencement coming up with possible plans for my future career path. I'm currently thinking about pursuing one of the Allied Health Fields (e.g., Audiology, Occupational Therapy), and I know I'm missing some requirements of any theoretical application. Since I did manage to barely pass introductory STEM courses during my undergrad years, I have some prereqs fulfilled. A part of my plan would be to return to a local community college to complete the remaining required courses, complete a specific post-bacc program if necessary, and go from there.

Although I think this line of planning is normal and reasonable, I also feel that it's a bit awkward to go back to a junior college after finishing a bachelor's at a four-year university. When I was a community college student, I did meet fellow classmates who already completed their bachelor's degree and were back in school to complete prereqs or strengthen their GPA, so I know I'm not the only one in this type of situation. My specific concern is whether or not going on such an academic path will lead to future career success/fulfillment (disregarding any extremely bad circumstance)? Thanks and take care.

For context, I'm interested in the Allied Health Fields, as they are within the field of healthcare but are not so competitive and long and demanding as the more prestigious subfields of medical doctor, dentist, or pharmacist. I recently graduated with a college degree in one of the humanities, and have at least passed the introductory courses in natural sciences such as biology and organic chemistry. With all that in mind, I'm missing some components of a theoretical application to Allied Health Fields, in particular Occupational Therapy or Audiology, such as shadowing hours. I think the specific problem I'm having is that I mainly have the mindset of a student (waking up at a certain time, reading, taking notes, taking exams), and I don't fully understand how to go about shadowing and similar experiences. I imagine/guess that higher IQ folks were able to simultaneously complete their college coursework and obtain high-quality work experience in their undergraduate career, but I don't think it was possible for me to do that while in college.

Has anyone else struggled in the same way? Do I just have to learn the ropes of shadowing and volunteering at professional offices? Thanks and take care.

When it comes to maturing or building skill, I think a lot of regular folks assume that the simple flow of time will cause those things to happen. Like people may describe an awkward teenager as just going through a phase. However, in my experience and observations, life doesn't unfold in such a linear manner. For instance, in an extreme case, a car accident or a similar tragedy with heavy machinery can cripple someone, thus stunting their progress in their endeavors. Living with a relatively low IQ typically leads to a lack of desired outcomes in education or in the workplace, even if one puts in a lot of time and effort into studying or training. On a semi-related note, I noticed that people talk about neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and autism as if they are just phases in adolescence, and that people who live with such conditions will (supposedly) outgrow them by adulthood.

All in all, I conclude that since people believe in a just-world/fair life, they think that the natural passing of time will correct any of their problems and make things right. Unfortunately, sheer randomness is embedded deeply and irreversibly in life, and that means that the movement of time can go in any direction when it comes to people's progress in their endeavors (up as in advancement, down as in regression, sideways as in pivoting). Life just isn't dependable, and it's so brutal lol. Rant over and take care.

During the past couple of years, I have noticed people in my life that I regularly interacted with comment that I can barely take care of myself. On some levels, that is true (e.g., my parents still pay for my purchases in my late 20's, but I am also a first-generation Asian-American, so that might make sense culturally-speaking). However, I think those acquaintances were specifically saying that I'm not fully functional (partially due to a relatively low IQ and partially due to other unfortunate issues due to genetic bad luck) and thus my personal life gets neglected and disorganized.

If people living with a relatively low IQ (or with any other handicap/impairment/disability) really can't fully take care of themselves and their well-being, then it is reasonable to conclude that being able to take care of others (my parents are very old and I still have some desire to do an Allied Health Profession to become a healer) is beyond one's capacity. Anyways, I wonder if anyone here has received any similar remarks, and if so, what do you make of such comments? Thanks and take care.

When I say inevitable, I mean being unemployed or underemployed or getting a job that one doesn't want or that doesn't require college-level skills and knowledge. Most young adults, at least in Western countries like the US, are told to go to college and go forward in life (or else you're a lazy bum or working a low-level job). Although I would say that there's value in being aware of things from college classes, I would also say that college is sometimes meant more for one's intellectual enrichment and less so for being prepared for a specific, lucrative job. In fact, it's well-known that a lot of white-collar jobs demand at least one year of experience relevant to the field at hand, amongst other requirements like professional references.

Now, given that college is an institution that places a lot of responsibility onto one's hands (e.g., being responsible for picking classes, paying tuition and fees, doing administrative actions like withdrawing or dropping courses by the deadline), people can argue that it's a choice and there's no guarantee of a proportional reward for one's effort and money. I'm just complaining that for people who are less cognitively endowed/less capable, college may be a waste of one's precious resources like time and money. Rant over.

Despite all of the problems and failures we have faced, we are at least very self-aware of our intellectual shortcomings, as evidenced by countless posts and comments about specific aspects of our odd experiences. While reading about the behavioral sciences like psychology, I found it funny and absurd how I can read and learn more about say, the different types of human memory (sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory such as explicit memory or implicit memory) or Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (the seven proposed areas of intelligence are the following: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal) but I still am unable to actually improve my weaknesses.

I suppose that there are many situations in life where fully, deeply knowing about a problem doesn't lead to a discovery of a solution to address that problem. Anyways, that's it for now, and take care.

This is my first time posting on this sub, so let me know if my post doesn't really fit here. I recently bought a new micro cut paper shredder during the Amazon Prime Day sale, and my mom wasn't too happy. What's a bit ironic is that she's a hoarder herself imo (she has collected way too much furniture, kitchenware, and clothes for someone who doesn't go out much). I'm guilty of hoarding too, but I highly suspect it's linked to mental health issues (I have been diagnosed with conditions like inattentive ADHD in the past). The whole reason why I bought this shredder is that lately, I have been helping to clean out an old house with many boxes of old documents, the currently owned micro cut paper shredder is a bit banged up (a nice crack on top and one wheel/caster is broken), and I thought that one family having two shredders wouldn't hurt and is worth the financial cost and space. Anyways, my mom is nagging me to return the newly bought shredder, but I'm unsure if returning it is a good idea since I'm a bit traumatized by excessive hoarding of sensitive paper documents.

I'm sorry if this post doesn't fit here. If anyone has experienced something similar to my situation, I would appreciate it if you shared what you did in such a situation. Thanks and take care.

This is my first time posting on this sub, so let me know if my post doesn't really fit here. I recently bought a new micro cut paper shredder during the Amazon Prime Day sale, and my mom wasn't too happy. What's a bit ironic is that she's a hoarder herself imo (she has collected way too much furniture, kitchenware, and clothes for someone who doesn't go out much). I'm guilty of hoarding too, but I highly suspect it's linked to mental health issues (I have been diagnosed with conditions like inattentive ADHD in the past). The whole reason why I bought this shredder is that lately, I have been helping to clean out an old house with many boxes of old documents, the currently owned micro cut paper shredder is a bit banged up (a nice crack on top and one wheel/caster is broken), and I thought that one family having two shredders wouldn't hurt and is worth the financial cost and space. Anyways, my mom is nagging me to return the newly bought shredder, but I'm unsure if returning it is a good idea since I'm a bit traumatized by excessive hoarding of sensitive paper documents.

I'm sorry if this post doesn't fit here. If anyone has experienced something similar to my situation, I would appreciate it if you shared what you did in such a situation. Thanks and take care.

EDIT: To be clear, and for further context, my dad and I have been shredding documents almost every day for around a month already, so my purchase of a second shredder isn't an attempt to escape the tedious work of shredding. Plus, I thought that a second capable shredder would speed up/expedite this process of preventing identity theft.

As I try to take actionable steps for my professional life, I start to think that certain courses that I took and was able to at least pass were dead-ends in of themselves. I'm specifically referring to STEM courses I took in college, such as general biology and organic chemistry. Obviously, I didn't do too well in STEM (my main purpose in taking them was to gather the prerequisites for one of the pre-health paths). In fact, for some of those natural science courses, I had to repeat them multiple times to pass it (which I heard looks very bad to admission committees for graduate school). Although I'm glad that I was eventually able to pass the courses, I'm starting to wonder if they didn't mean much for me. I recently graduated college in one of the humanities, and I think the passing of the STEM courses allowed me to fulfill some GE requirements. It's just that when one only passes classes in a certain subject matter, then I think one is effectively stunted in that subject.

I mention ineffectiveness because although I'm done with college, I'm still very confused on what career path might fit me, and I don't think barely passing some science courses at the lower-division level helps me much. Also, while looking at other requirements for the pre-health paths, I'm stuck on what I can do. Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? Thanks and take care.

As someone who recently graduated college in one of the humanities and is trying to plan out my next steps in life, I have been asking trustworthy friends who have a good amount of experience about their schooling and work life. I'm grateful to know people who are willing to share about their experiences and give out relevant, potentially useful advice. Although I think I'm becoming more aware of how the working world functions, I'm also confused at the same time. The reason is that any successfully employed person I met has had their unique path. For instance, I know someone who completed a PhD in one of the plant sciences, and we have been texting a good amount to catch up and discuss logistical planning and what not. I think I can somewhat relate to this PhD-holding friend since our parents are both Asian immigrants. It's just that I didn't study the same major in college or have the same goals for a career, so I still need to figure things out on my end. High school friends who are employed in desirable jobs had their respective journey to their chosen career, and I personally don't align with their paths either.

I guess it's normal and natural that everyone does something different in life, at their own pace and in their own space. I set up an advising appointment with an academic counselor I trust since I need expert guidance on what to do going forward. Can anyone else relate to being confused by listening, reading, or becoming aware of another person's successful journey in the working world? Thanks and take care.

Dealing with a low IQ is bad because it typically leads to failure in academics or other serious responsibilities. In addition, having a low IQ means one is always living in the shadow of someone more cognitively endowed than one is. For instance, growing up, my parents, understandably, compared me with my cousins and other young people. I have cousins who are physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and so on and so forth. To be clear, such academic and professional success is not evenly distributed across the family, as some cousins have mental health issues like autism while others are just so-so in their accomplishments.

Now, I'm happy and glad that the successful cousins were able to do well in schooling and then in the workforce and made a good living off of their hard work and dedication. It just sucks that I never had the possibility to do well in say a STEM major or a pre-health track due to my limited cognitive capabilities. Forever living in the shadow of more skilled, "normal" people is terrible because it makes me think about how I'll always be "lesser" than others (on the bright side, this state of life teaches me to be humble I guess). Like if life has a lot of competition in it, and one is always losing in this regard, then life feels like a humiliation ritual and a cosmic-level joke against one. Rant over.

While cleaning out an old house, I noticed how each member of my immediate family probably owns and holds onto a buttload of items. Now, there are things to hoard that make sense, like medicines or hygiene products or canned foods. However, I start to wonder if a low IQ naturally leads to excessive belongings because one's mind is not good at organizing or planning things. Like when I was younger, I weirdly bought a bunch of colored pencils and crayons. I also even bought excessive study materials (only some of which were used and understood). My mom has bags upon bags of clothes, and my parents only go out to funerals, weddings, or formal dinners every now and then, so there's no need to hold so many clothes. One reason why I'm even bringing up a relatively minor issue is that the new house I live in is significantly smaller than the old house, so it's imperative that excess things are thrown away, donated, or sold. A quick Google search reveals that hoarding disorder is a formal classification for psychologists, which furthers my idea that people with a low IQ share something in common with hoarders.

I will also add that there are non-mental health reasons to hoard. For instance, wholesale stores that sell in bulk quantities (e.g., Costco, Sam's Club) will have customers purchasing way more goods than they need in all likelihood. There is also the fact that buying common items is quick and easy if one has the money, and thus accumulation of random goods happens because it's so smooth to buy way more than one may need at one time or know what to do with. Take care.

For context, I recently graduated from college in one of the humanities, and I'm looking for a career path that suits me well (I need to plan this out because I have tried some career paths in the past that ended terribly). I'm a 5'3" man in his late 20's, and I have some volunteering/intern experience from my college years, but they amount to only about half a year of (potentially) relevant work experience. I will also say that I, or others in this sub, are more than their short stature. It's just that certain professions like sports basically require a certain height to be effective, and I want to avoid problems if possible. If anyone has held a solid career position despite being vertically challenged, then I would appreciate any responses and specifically what made that job a good fit for you. Thanks and take care.

For context, I recently graduated with a bachelor's in one of the humanities as a man in his late 20's (I know that's a bit unusual, but I suffered from challenges throughout college so I wasn't able to graduate in the "normal" 4 years). I'm aware of the typical options/routes for my major after college, but I'm not that interested in them; I essentially am a career changer. I know that each of us is more than just dyslexia or other conditions that plague us; I'm curious about career paths that worked out for any of y'all and what specifically was good about your path that made it a fit for you. I hope to gain insight so I can navigate the job market better. Thanks and take care.

My chief complaint is more relevant to the general job seeker/applicant, but I think my disabilities definitely play a big role, so I think this post is suitable for this sub. For context, I recently graduated from college in one of the humanities, and I'm trying to take actionable steps on a path that "fits" me. One "barrier" I'm facing is the common requirement of 3 letters of recommendation or 3 professional references. I suppose the purpose of such a requirement is to highlight an applicant's desired and positive traits that can't be shown on a transcript. The issue for me is that I'm someone that was barely able to get by in my regular duties, so I rarely had a close relationship with authority figures such as professors. Now, someone might say that it's my fault that I don't have anyone to write me a letter to vouch for me. It's just that it's hard for me to "shine" in the classroom or in other serious environments because I sadly am not talented/skilled.

All in all, I wonder if anyone else has dealt with the problem of obtaining 3 recommendation letters or 3 professional references as a person with disability(ies). If so, how did you deal with this "barrier"? Thanks and take care.

I hope this question "fits" this subreddit. I would argue one "barrier" to entry/participating in the mainstream world is a lack of letters of recommendations/professional references. For context, I suffer from disabilities/issues that heavily affect my performance (I recently graduated from college but it took a very long time and I switched majors/schools). As someone trying to figure out his next steps, I noticed how a lot of job apps/grad school apps demand 3 letters of recommendation or 3 professional references in order to just submit the application. This is a huge issue for me since I am barely able to get by in my regular responsibilities, much less form close, deep, positive relationships with authority figures such as professors or managers.

Now, some people may say that if I never formed a deep relationship with authority figures, then I just can't ask for a good letter of recommendation from them (I think I might have had a handful of good relationships within a time frame of 9 years into the past). A better way to phrase my specific idea is going forward, how could I form a relationship with authority figures/higher ups and get a needed letter of recommendation? I swear that there must be an element of "naturalness" in the sense that charismatic, passionate, skilled individuals form a professional relationship while st*dying/w*rking. Thanks and take care.

During lunch, my mom told me a story of how she knew someone who worked in furniture making (I think it was specifically cabinet making) and had to close one of their businesses because it wasn't profitable. She then spun it into a cautionary tale of choosing a "bad" profession (which I guess is a valid point) and thus I need to focus my efforts into one of the healthcare provider fields. The problem with such a talking point is that when I was young, attending a uni right after high school, I ended up failing it on a STEM major/pre-health track. For further context, I suffer from issues/disabilities that impact my functioning/performance. I did recently graduate from one of the humanities though (I'm currently resting and then planning out my next steps).

This question may not be the best "fit" for this sub, but I just wonder if n parents try to get their kids to become something great and successful in the workforce with not-so-good advice. It's normal for parents to push their kids to their peak/fullest potential, but I unfortunately have my issues, and need to strategically go forward. If anyone has experienced this type of talk, how did you respond? Thanks and take care.

I hope this subreddit is a good fit for my question and concern. For context, I recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in one of the humanities, and do not have anything lined up this summer besides miscellaneous errands. My parents have always wanted me to go into the field of healthcare providers, but, unfortunately, I'm not good at STEM (I did pass the introductory courses for the natural sciences). I have always suffered from issues/disabilities that affected my functioning and performance, so college took much longer than 4 years for me.

I know everyone's circumstance and potential are different. I'm just wondering if anyone else found themselves stuck after completing college with no clear path forward (at least no clear desired path). At this point, I'm considering either gaining work experience in entry-level roles that would accept me, or further schooling in either a non-STEM master's program or taking some STEM courses to potentially boost any application to a health professional school. Thanks and take care.

For context, I recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in one of the humanities (after many years of issues). As I consider and research my possible options, I notice there are online master's programs for all sorts of fields. I need to be aware of requirements as much as possible because crazy events have happened in my past. On the r/disability sub (this is sort of off-topic, but related to my question), I noticed that some people with disabilities may prefer online school so attendance isn't an issue (or other problems such as social anxiety are avoided). Thus, I'm wondering if current NEETs consider a work-from-home format or a mix of in-person/remote formats as a reasonable way to be on a conventional path?

To be clear, I'm aware that certain things should be done in-person physically (e.g., wet labs in chemistry and biology) in order to learn and experience the lessons properly. In addition, certain social skills and context clues can only be learned in a physical classroom. I'm also aware that certain jobs (e.g., HVAC, plumbing) can't be done remotely. I'm asking for a general opinion/take on the overall nature of remote learning and work. Thanks and take care.