Disastrous undergrad
Ladies and gentlemen, I fucked up my undergrad BIG TIME, and I'd like to know what my plan of action should be.
I failed out of the University of Western Ontario after 3rd year. I was readmitted to the 3rd year of a political science program in September. I had problems that are now taken care of, but I fear that not only is my current degree not of any practical use, but also that I'm for the most part excluded from any grad school program that I would want to attend (law school, mba programs, etc.).
It's a little late in the game to change programs (I'll be 24 in January), and I don't think any other faculty would accept me anyways.
I'm very interested in PE, S&T and consulting, but it would appear that those avenues are closed to me.
Can anyone offer any advice?
Would it be worth the extra 2 years and 50 grand to do the Ivey HBA program (assuming I'm not barred from it)?
freak
Thank you for your constructive criticism. If more people had offered this kind of insight/advice earlier in my life, perhaps I would be well on my way to achieving my career goals.
Idiot.
The world needs ditch diggers, too.
You want fries with that?
candidly, in this job market, you don't have a realistic shot at anything client facing. you're best bet would be to work your way from the back office, if you can get a job there. I'm not trying to be a prick here, but with all of the layoffs, people who are over-qualified are taking menial jobs to stay off of the unemployment line. failing out of school with a non-business major doesn't bode well for you. take what you can get, beggars can't be choosers.
Well its not the total end of the world. Are you good with your hands, have you considered trade school? Realistically you really fucked over your academic career so you might as well try out something from scratch. By getting a trade it only takes 1-2 yrs for most programs, your in demand and you do make decent pay (high 5 figures to low 6 once you get up there). You have to make some moves quick thou as you say your not getting any younger.
Also to follow up on my comments if you’re feeling ultraistic how about joining the Peace Corps or teach for America. This would look great for grad school apps and definitely afford you more favorable employment when your term is up.
My father always taught me that a man has one of two prices to pay in life, and it is that man's choice which one he will pay.
A man can either pay the price of discipline, or he can pay the price of regret.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but you'd have to be an absolute fucktard to throw good money after bad and invest another fifty grand in the failed endeavor that is your education.
All joking aside, there's lots you can do with a Poly-Sci degree. I hear they're looking for a mayor in Wasilla, Alaska...
i dont see why getting the HBA from Ivey would be a bad idea ASSUMING that you decide to get your shit together and work your ass off.
realistically, a lot of people have fucked up big time and come back. also try and network for jobs, i know a lot of idiots who've managed to get into ib. it's not a brain game...
Disagree with the Peace Corps comment. From what I understand, they're very selective.
Brother, your life isn't over. There's a whole world of finance out there called real estate--I work in this field and some of the stupidest people on earth make the most ridiculous money. Not saying you're stupid, but assuming you're not stupid, you can really do amazing things if you do your research, meet some people, and work hard. Don't give up. I did TERRIBLE in undergrad and it took me my ENTIRE senior year to land one job offer. But that's all I needed--all you need is ONE break and your academic record will become more and more meaningless as time goes on. Don't give up, man. Work on your resume HARD CORE--make sure it puts your VERY VERY VERY best foot forward. Spend hours applying to EVERY SINGLE JOB that could possibly be a decent starting point--the law of large numbers will probably eventually pay off. Took me 192 submissions to get that first big break. Don't give up.
I agree with the person who talked about going into real estate. My grandfather bought rental apartments for about 2 Million from a man who could barely speak English and had no formal degree. You can also look outside of the Bulge Brackets/MBB and maybe go to work at a boutique bank and work up to a BB then PE. Also, my cousin who was a complete retard like went to a Community College then transfered to a Tier 2 did pretty bad (2.5 GPA) worked for 3 years and then went to law school. I'd personally suggest you not go to any school for a Masters but instead to try to find a job even if it sucks because it could still lead you to a decent graduate school and you could make something happen i.e break into a boutique S&T or smaller PE fund.
I agree with the person who talked about going into real estate. My grandfather bought rental apartments for about 2 Million from a man who could barely speak English and had no formal degree. You can also look outside of the Bulge Brackets/MBB and maybe go to work at a boutique bank and work up to a BB then PE. Also, my cousin who was a complete retard like went to a Community College then transfered to a Tier 2 did pretty bad (2.5 GPA) worked for 3 years and then went to law school. I'd personally suggest you not go to any school for a Masters but instead to try to find a job even if it sucks because it could still lead you to a decent graduate school and you could make something happen i.e break into a boutique S&T or smaller PE fund.
Definitely some good points, thank you.
Trade school is a no-go. I'm not good with my hands, and I'd probably end up losing one (or both) working a trade.
Well I guess for the next 2 years I'll just focus on schoolwork, extracurriculars, and networking. I'd like to give a best case scenario, but I think time will tell. Many programs take your last 10 credits or 2 years, so I'm not completely fucked.
Ha Edmundo you must be an accountant or a lawyer... Only a CA or LLB/JD (or maybe a frat boy) could dish out such soul-crushing "wisdom" to someone looking for advice.
efdaman uwo is a shitty school?
xqtrack thanks, lots of people have fucked up big time and came back, people love the comeback story. It will just take an extra 5 years or so.
Any other advice or comments are welcome and appreciated.
File box-maker. There's going to be a huge demand when a lot of the comedian loud-mouths above find themselves without a job.
Dude, fuck what these people say. Every man has his own journey, every day is a new day you will never know what happens. You got a second chance, now haul ass and forget about everything else except what your goal in life is.
And by the way, all the good law/mba schools in Canada will only look at your last two years. So you still got a chance bud.
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