College – Matt Fried

You’re A Good Person Waiting To Break Free

At the end of my time away at college, when I had failed out and was returning home, somewhat shamefully, my friends threw me a going away party. It was, although I couldn’t really experience it as I would be able to now, still one of the most special moments of my life. Even ifContinue reading “You’re A Good Person Waiting To Break Free”

You’ll Fail The Course. Now What?

There comes a point when you’ve skipped so many classes that you are definitely going to fail the course. At that point, you usually still have the option to withdraw from the class and take a ‘W’ which, isn’t great, but, it’s not a zero factored into your GPA. However you actually have to getContinue reading “You’ll Fail The Course. Now What?”

Do I Want You To Fail Out Of College?

You may have read yesterday’s post and wondered, why the hell would I advise you how to fail out of college? Skipping class isn’t a secret. The fact that you’re not alone, well, sometimes that is. Did I know there were people who wanted to help me? Yes, I did. But for some reason IContinue reading “Do I Want You To Fail Out Of College?”

How To Go To 1 Class Per Semester. (Just 1.)

When everyone else goes to class, you stay in bed. When everyone else starts noticing that you’re staying in bed, you go to one class. When you realize that class is too much, you just … go someplace where no one will notice you for a few hours.

How To Reach Someone At The Bottom, Maybe.

Once, I was put on academic probation for failing all of my classes, and summoned to meet a panel of (presumably deans?) so that they could evaluate me. I never went to the meeting. It was set for early one morning, around 9:30 AM, or something like that. I thought about going and explaining myself,Continue reading “How To Reach Someone At The Bottom, Maybe.”

The Empty Seat Problem

I was accepted into University of Wisconsin with a high GPA and SAT score out of high school. My first semester at college, I posted a 0.0 GPA. Wisconsin placed me on academic probation, and my parents recognized that something was seriously wrong. I went into treatment. Forty-six percent of all college graduates fail to finish theirContinue reading “The Empty Seat Problem”

Can We Enhance Private Safety Nets?

Problem: How can we deliver mental health treatment to those who do not seek it? When I was at my worst, I was completely withdrawn. I did not speak to friends or family about it. I certainly did not log on to the world-wide web looking for answers. As more of our lives, particularly ofContinue reading “Can We Enhance Private Safety Nets?”

“3 Reasons To Postpone College”

In some cases, it’s better to wait to go to college. Here are three terrible reasons why we typically assume our children should go to college: All of his or her friends are going. It’s what I did / was brought up to do. I don’t want them in the house past age 18. WhatContinue reading ““3 Reasons To Postpone College””