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Losing my mind!!!!

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by Stridenttube, Dec 1, 2013.

  1. Stridenttube

    Stridenttube Guest

    Hey guys, guess I just need to vent. I just feel like im going to lose it, I can't handle all of the stress that I seem to force myself into. I'm trying to get some IT certs and I can't seem to retain the massive amounts of material that I need to remember to pass the exams, which people say are super hard and many people fail. I'm trying to advance my career before i'm 22 and it seems impossible right now. I gained weight over thanksgiving which makes me feel even worse. I'm depressed and have bad OCD which seems like a viscous cycle. I cant see a therapist for months because they aren't accepting new patients right now.

    I really had my heart set on moving out of Oklahoma by the time I turn 22 but now it seems near impossible because i'm too stupid to obtain the certs I want. I haven't been happy in what seems like forever. I thought your 20's were meant to be fun? For me it just seems terrible.
     
  2. AKTodd

    Full Member

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    First things first: (*hug*)

    I'm really sorry you're going through this. I don't know that there's a lot I can say re your certifications since I'm not an IT person. Perhaps you could talk to someone at your school resource center about tutoring or study techniques or the like? Could you possibly focus on just subset of the necessary certifications and get those passed first before moving on to the next one or the next chunk?

    I can tell you that if you're only 19, then you've got a lot of time yet before you're 22. Don't give up on your dream or yourself. Even in the worst case scenario - you not getting the certs you want - that doesn't mean you are stuck in Oklahoma. It just means you may have to find another path out of the state. But I'd bet there are options toward getting your certs still available and would keep pursuing that for a good bit longer yet.

    Hope this helps,

    Todd
     
  3. Stridenttube

    Stridenttube Guest

    I just doubt myself, I feel stupid =( I'm doing self study with official MS books and well, It's a lot of info to retain. I can take as long as I want but I'd like to get this cert before December of next year. I study about 5 hours a day lol. I got discouraged because I was reading on a forum for IT certs and couldn't find anyone who passed the exams without failing it a ton of times. I'm hoping that maybe they're just more likely to post they failed than those who pass with no problem. So yeah...

    I think 22 is a good age to move out. I just want to be able to be secure in my career before I do.
     
  4. AKTodd

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    Ok, so you've said that most people fail these certs on the first try. So the fact that you're struggling doesn't mean you're stupid - it just means you're pretty much like everyone else.

    On a somewhat related note - how are your study skills? Did you have to study to do well in HS, or are you the guy with the great memory who can read through all the material and retain it and work from memory? I ask because I was like that in HS. Studying was easy and I rarely spent more than an hour or so a night on schoolwork while getting all A's and B's. But when I got to college I kind of floundered for a bit because the amount of info and level of understanding needed goes way beyond what memorization can manage. And I didn't know how to study because I never had to.

    Just saying that looking into some study resources and techniques might be worthwhile.

    Also on a related note - what are you doing when you're not studying? What do you do for fun? What do you do to relax? Because if all you're doing is studying and studying, you're actually hurting your ability to learn and retain. The stress builds up and your energy level goes down. I'd suggest making time to do something you really enjoy from time to time or on a regular basis. Doesn't matter what it is (I started college as an engineering major and lived in a dorm of mostly engineering majors - and every day in the afternoon half the building shut down because all the guys were watching The Real Ghostbusters cartoon - plus one night a week there was Star Trek (and TNG)).

    As far as gaining weight - you're 19 - you'll burn it off again after the holidays. Actually, in terms of feeling better about your weight and doing something that can make you feel good - perhaps you could schedule in time to start running or working out? Builds up your energy, releases endorphins, and eventually the results start looking very nice in the mirror - which can also make you feel good.

    Hope this helps at least a bit,

    Todd