If you read the post What do I have?, then you know a little about Brian's freshman year. Not a great year, academically, but in the scheme of things, not so bad either. He weathered a few storms, maintained a long distance relationship with his high school girlfriend, and made some friends. I'll write more about his sophomore year in another post, but suffice it to say that he completed his sophomore year with much better grades. A few bumps along the way, but nothing we felt was unusual, so we'll call that one a success, at least for now.
So now we're to the start of the junior year, where he headed back to school with a "secret plan" (his words). Again, the short story is that this time things did not go so well, and he ended up withdrawing in mid-October of last year, and moving back home. Let's just say that things went from bad to worse, and he is currently in a treatment facility as an Intensive Out-Patient (IOP).
We're to the point in his treatment where they have been talking future for at least 2 or 3 weeks. Everyone, including Brian, wants him to get a job. Not so easy in this economy, but he's trolling Craig's List and sending out resumes. And then there is the issue of completing his degree.
Initially, Brian was hellbent on returning to what I will call University A. His GPA puts him just under the minimum requirements that many (most?) universities have, and then there is a pesky social probation that he is currently serving. After being rejected from University B just 2 days before his psychotic break and hospitalization, he felt like his choices were extremely limited. Never mind that University A is highly competitive, and a pressure cooker in terms of academics, especially in Brian's major of Mechanical Engineering.
Recently, however, the option of a University C has cropped up, and after a call to admissions, I discovered that his GPA is not really a problem. It's only 2 hours from home, so geographically it is more desirable in terms of home support.
If you got this far, then the short story is that tomorrow, we're headed down to visit University C for a tour. I'm really proud of Brian for at least keeping an open mind about making a change when lately his life has really been nothing BUT change.
What I'd love to know from readers is... Is it possible to earn a college degree after being diagnosed with a major mental illness, bipolar I specifically? What do/did you need to do and expect as the student? And, boldly, I ask... can I interview you for the blog?
Wish Us Luck,
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