Someone needs to hear this story

My Dad signed the form and said, “I wish you wouldn’t do it.” 

Despite my father’s wishes, I drove away with the signed college withdrawal form with every intention of dropping out. He was a high school dropout. What could he say to me, a former senior class high school president? 

A life-changing moment

It was the Spring of 1986, and I had hit rock bottom academically. College wasn’t for me. What was for me was anyone’s guess, and I certainly had no idea. Up to this point in my life, I drifted, slept, and rode on the wings of my impulses. I wasn’t prepared for a serious relationship with academia. 

But as I cleaned out my dorm room and headed to the admissions office to submit the form, Dad’s sad eyes flashed before me. 

I dropped the form in the trash can, cut classes for the remainder of the semester, and finished my first year on probation with a healthy 1.2 GPA. 

But I didn’t quit. 

Turning things around and fighting a college professor

My maturity level hit a growth spurt over the summer, and I blitzed into my sophomore year. Over the following six semesters, including four summer sessions, I made mostly A’s with a few B’s sprinkled in to keep me humble. 

I smashed a perfect 4.0 a few times and fought a history professor once for another. 

She gave me a final grade of 89.5, a half-point away from an A, spoiling a perfect semester. I deserved the measly extra .50. 

I actively participated in class and aced every exam, paper, and project. 

Except one. 

One day, I strutted into class, and the professor told us to turn in our term papers. Bile soared up my esophagus. 

They’re due next week, right?

The gracious professor allowed me to turn in the paper late, but she automatically deducted points. That’s fine—I deserved it. 

But how do I land a half-point from an A after an entire semester of stellar work? This was a history class, not math. History grades based on research papers are lukewarm and pliable, not cold, hard, and objective like math grades. 

2 + 2 = 4 every time. 

So, I called her at home while she was wrapping gifts over Christmas break. The decade was pre-Internet, so finding her telephone number was an epic challenge.

I pleaded my case, and she responded with kindness and reason, finding a half-point of leeway. 

What are the takeaways from this long story that meanders from an almost college dropout to an honors-graduating student? 

Four takeaways from someone who almost dropped out of college

1 — You can retreat but don’t quit

Taking a break and quitting are entirely different. Think long and hard before submitting the withdrawal form, turning in your resignation, or filing for divorce. 

I was too far gone to finish my spring semester, but I took the lumps and stayed in the game. I had a summer to get my head right, and plenty of innings remained for a comeback. 

Before doing something you may regret, step out of the batter’s box and take a breath.

By the grace of God, the required parental consent form saved me. 

2 — You can’t lose when fighting for what you believe in

I was nervous when I called my history professor at home over Christmas break, but summoning the courage was a personal victory. 

Even if she laughed and hung up on me.

I like how former President of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt, summed up the idea:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. (Theodore Roosevelt)

You won’t win every fight, but you can’t lose trying.

3 — You can’t let yourself get overwhelmed

The hole you dug feels like the Grand Canyon, and you won’t be able to climb out today. Or tomorrow. 

But relax.

And stop digging. 

Time is on your side. Make a good decision today. Take positive action tomorrow. 

And the next day. 

And the next.

The good decisions and positive actions will compound over time, and eventually, you will hit a tipping point and start steamrolling toward your goal.

In the words of the Rolling Stones, time is on your side.

4— You can become a new you

You’re not bound by who you were.

I was an awful high school student, almost failing eleventh grade due to absences. Twenty years later, my mother was horrified to discover that she had “signed” 29 excused absence forms for me, which was one short of automatic failure.

This same boy entered college but wasn’t the man who walked the line. 

Flip the switch and be a new you tomorrow. 

Rebuild.

Wrapping it up

Life is a meandering journey on a road plagued with detours, speed bumps, and potholes. The path zig-zags through peaks and valleys, dark tunnels, and often around your big toe to get to your elbow. Fall back, take a breath, and stay the course. Don’t let your past define you, and don’t drift without purpose.

Time is on your side.

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