I feel incomplete

First of all, thinking about wasted time will get you nowhere. You're 21 and you feel like it's too late, but let me tell you, it's not!!!! I "technically" should have graduated from college in 2012, but due to a life threatening illness, I didn't. I was like you for a while, I felt bad and upset that I'd wasted time.

Sometimes life doesn't work out they way we plan, and I think that is the hardest part of being in your 20s. (I'm 26 btw). To sum it up, you seem to have a plan B. Go for that and make the best out of your situation. Don't worry about what other people have accomplished because if you do, that'll leave you perpetually frozen and afraid to do anything. Once you start doing your own thing, you'll realize that you're right where you need to be, and you'll be satisfied with that. I'm cheering for you!!!

Ok, first, breathe..No reason to get down on yourself with the "what if's" right now.

Just for comparison's sake, I'm 26, almost 27 and going through a "transition" into the nursing field. No CNA license, still haven't been accepted by ANY nursing program, ADN or BSN, and won't even start those programs if I am accepted until I'm 27. I took years off of school after I graduated(which took me 5 1/2 YEARS!!) with a non-related degree (Psychology) and worked construction, got injured, and decided to start over and pursue a field I knew that I was very interested in...but already in over 50k in debt!

I'm having to pay and will have to pay (literally) for the years I carelessly threw away by partying and stinking up my GPA. You are in a much better scenario!

You are very young and still "college aged" by all means. Don't worry about the what could have beens when you are still in the prime of your collegiate experience. Focus, buckle down, have a vision and complete it--don't give a second thought to time constraints or what other people are doing. You will be a better person for it in a few years when you have graduated, have a great job, and see people 5-10 years older than you still struggling to start that path!

You got this;)

Needed those words thank you ❤️

Thank u so much for responding and the advice í ½í¸€

I was in the same boat until I realized that I am on my OWN journey and others are on theirs. It is 100% fine to go back to school at any age! I decided to drop out of high school at 16 and immediately took the GED at 16 and entered college at 16. My first major was nursing but so many people were in my ears telling me that it wasn't for me , due to me being an anxious introvert which was amplified due to being an overly and unnecessarily emotional teen. Being 16 and sheltered my entire life, I listened and changed my major to Computer Information Systems, and I regret it!

Those classes were not for me and I ended up with a horrible GPA so I took a year and a half off too. After watching my cousin, who has the only degree in my family, walk across that stage to receive her MSN(Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) something woke inside of me and I was motivated again! That was this May and I applied for my schools program in August and was accepted(ADN). I will graduate from my program, God willing, December 2018 and I won't finish until I receive those six initials behind my name (DNP. NNP).

Its never too late, follow your heart and stay in your lane I promise you will flourish! Good luck!

Thank you and good luck on your program too I'm rooting for you í ½í¸€

I can only agree with the sentiments mentioned above: regret gets you nowhere.

I'm 45 and headed back to earn my nursing degree. I could waste time regretting decisions I made, but they make me who I am today. Carry on, and you'll be fine. It certainly won't matter in a few years.

Good luck!

I can understand OP's frustration, but this

"my life won't be complete and I won't be really truly happy until I become a pediatric nurse."

is just plain Magical Thinking. It is a red flag for your emotional well-being . .

Believing that all of your "happiness" and success depends upon one thing, person, achievement, acquisition, etc..... is just not healthy. Life is not a predetermined script, it is unpredictable. We may have to adapt and re-write that script to deal with barriers that can't be overcome. Some of us have had to "re-write" many times. I wish you all the best on your educational journey, but hope you recognize all the "happy" along the way.

Thank you

Let me tell you, comparing your path to everyone else's is a bad idea. It leads to needless thoughts of inadequacy and self-loathing. I personally finished a full four-year degree in biology and spent years after working a job before heading back for nursing school. The main thing to remember is that you're young, you're smart and everyone's timeline is different. The 20s is where we work these situations out these days and we're living long enough to still have long fulfilling lives after sorting through our issues.

You've gained valuable experience and you'll be able to take that with you every step of the way into your future goals. You can never put a price on experience, good or bad, so work on appreciating it for what it is--wisdom.

I'm 24 and I completely understand how you feel. First thing I did was remove all the old high school classmates I don't actually talk/socialize with off her social media. Secondly, keep your eyes on your own lane. Maybe you wasted time, maybe you didn't. You'll get to your goal eventually and all this crap won't even matter when you pass NCLEX and land a job you truly care about.

Okay I'm currently 21 years old. I graduated high school in 2013 I took a year and a half off from college I always planned on going but wanted to take some time off and then decided Jan 2015 to do the nursing program at a technical college but before you do there lpn program you have to take 9 prerequisite classes including a cna class and it's very mandatory you get your cna first. And I was suppose to be in the cna class for fall semester 2016 and then do the lpn program spring 2017. But there cna class is full they only allow 14 people in the class a semester. So I'm taking cna classes around where I stay for $1,095. And just decided to not do there lpn program I decided to go to a university that's literally 15 mins from my moms house and live with her and do their adn nursing program for spring 2017 and go back for my bachelors and while I'm in the adn program I would very much like to work as a cna. But as of right now I just feel lik I wasted 2 years of my life going to this technical college because that could've been my adn nursing degree right there. I also feel left out and like a failure because the people that I graduated high school with are gonna be graduating college may 2017 there gonna have there degrees and I don't have mine yet. I don't know how to not feel this way. I have a plan and I believe no I know I can do this I just feel like my life won't be complete and I won't be really truly happy until I become a pediatric nurse. I just wish I didn't waste my time at that technical college I was literally going there for 2 years just to do there cna certificate program when that program can be done in 6 weeks. I just hope things look up for me and I feel really bummed that it's about to be 4 years and I don't have anything I feel like a failure. I graduated high school at 17 didn't start technical college until early 19 and I'm currently 21 and I feel like that's time I wasted that I will never get back.

I can definitely relate to how you feel. I have beat myself up over it time and time again. Life happened all in between for me. However, you cannot dwell on the past because that gets you nowhere in life, like ever. You are still young and have that plan in place. Follow it and stay the course! I remember going to school the first time. Took me 4 1/2 to 5 yrs to complete a non-nursing degree, only to be out for 3 years and still working as a CNA at my local hospital. Here I am now, getting ready to go back to school for the first time in 3 years for my LPN.

For only being 21, you seem to have a great head on your shoulders and focused on your goals. I definitely wish I could say the same for myself at 21, was too busy partying, going out, and not staying focused. Not to mention the crap ton of debt I am in and having to pay that back. Keep your head up, stay focused, and continue to make school your priority with the end goal in mind!! Please don't get so down on yourself because life is all about living and learning. At the end of your day, you are your biggest competition. And BTW, I'm 26 as well! Ill be rooting for you as well!