When is it time to call it quits on your educational dreams ?

There’s no need to give up. But it seems like you should be more directed about it…otherwise, it seems like you’re educating yourself pretty well.

Self education is awesome too. Have you talked to your librarian? Explored any online syllabi?

I agree with @iamthemob, but I have this to add- try volunteering! After a brain injury I was finally able to get SSD for Medicare. (I couldn’t get/afford insurance otherwise). My life made me suicidal, I had to do SOMETHING and couldn’t work. I started volunteering at the RedCross, and now will do that until I die!

keep on getting education, if you can

Do you want to use your education to go back to work, or is it more about enriching your life?

It sounds like right now you just don’t know where to start. Most community colleges offer classes that help you decide on a career or major, and community college is really cheap. Mine is about $90 per credit hour if you’re in-state, and the career class there is only one credit. Community college classes in general are an affordable way to keep studying, and the financial aid office will be able to help you find scholarships and grants that you qualify for- you’ve got to qualify for something if you’re on disability.

@Haleth both… I want to start a project and invent something or help someone… helping develop warp drive sounds like fun…

Join a British Open University program, you can do it cheaply on the Internet, but you must be self motivated.

I want to start a project and invent something or help someone

@talljasperman, if those are your life goals, you don’t need a university education to any of those things.

If you are on disability, have you checked to see if there are scholarship programs for students with disabilities? If you’re not sure what you want to do, self-education is the way to go. People who are life-long learners are well-educated people. Look for course syllibi online, and follow what professors post for required reading and assignments.

Never give up on your dreams. Go to a school you are interested in attending and talk to a counselor about their programs. Perhaps use their Guidance Center to figure out what is right for you (you need to narrow down the choices).

Then work with them about the way you can attend. Perhaps grants or scholarships.

I will stop giving up on my educational dreams when I am dead. I plan to spend my retirement in med school . . .

There is no reason to ever give up. There are so many people that pursue their dreams and end up taking unlikely paths to accomplish them. The more that continue on our educational paths, whether formal or informal, the more we acquire self-happiness.

Hone in on what brings you great joy and do not necessarily focus on a degree unless it is specifically necessary. I have several friends that have found their niche based upon what they like to do. The are able to fincinally support themselves and have found a great quality of life. I cannot say the same for those that are just out for the money.

As some people have mentioned, there’s no time limit on learning. I firmly believe that humans never reach a static condition; you are either learning or forgetting. I also suggest that you pick a field and work toward it. I personally lean towards engineering, you seem more like a liberal arts type and and I am slightly envious because I believe that a good liberal education teaches you how to think and enables you to enter a wide range of professions. Your goal should be to pick a field and get the necessary education to make you a good candidate in that field. You might not need anything above a bachelor’s degree to get started.