Having a bit of trouble with college...

[Roselio Giron]

I didn't really do as well as I knew I could of back in high school, and I'm hoping to atone for that. I'm almost done with my second semester at a community college, and I'll admit: I've been lazy with the coursework here as well; so far, the classes I took last semester were ridiculously easy ones (which led me to skipping those classes, and not turning the work in, regrettably) and I ended up with a 2.6 GPA, not satisfied with that. I'm taking even more coursework now, but for the life of me, I don't know why it's hard for me to get motivated to do my work and study. I'm nearly failing Physical Science right now (which is ironic; I did exceptionally well back during freshmen year in high school). And I'm close to failing Intermediate Algebra (again...ridiculously easy), whilst taking 4 other classes as well.

 

I recently changed my major from Psychology to Pre-Pharmacy, because of personal reasons, plus I feel it would look better if I got an Associate of Science, rather than Arts (though I will change my Major back to psychology after I transfer) . I enjoy math and science courses, I'm just hoping for some insight on why it's damn hard for me to get motivated and turn my work in, or to even study.

 

So I'm sorry to ask, but there's mutilple questions that I'm asking on here:

 

Was it ok to switch my major just to get an Associate of Science? Even though I do plan on going back to Psychology once I transfer.

 

How do I motivate myself to use my time productively? How do I make it easier to start taking my work seriously?

 

And is it possible to get my GPA above a 3.0 by this time next year, when I graduate?

 

I'm sorry about this. I'm just looking for some advice. Thank you.

[dog_eat_god]

I'd say talk to a college counselor.

 

But as a side note, I can relate to your academic history. Despite having an exceptional IQ I also had a low GPA in high school, and was also convinced that it was because of laziness and that I would do better in college. After a couple "lazy" semesters in college, I realized that my problem likely wouldn't clear up on its own and sought the help of a counselor who had me tested for ADD. I really didn't think I'd test positive, as I'd previously associated ADD with hyperactivity and I've always been pretty lethargic, plus I was under the illusion that I could do well in school if I just stopped being lazy. I was wrong. Now I take a low dose of Adderall, feel much more motivated and am making mostly As. You should consider getting tested for ADD as well...that could be what's impacting your motivation.

[sparkles4]

 

Was it ok to switch my major just to get an Associate of Science? Even though I do plan on going back to Psychology once I transfer.

 

How do I motivate myself to use my time productively? How do I make it easier to start taking my work seriously?

 

And is it possible to get my GPA above a 3.0 by this time next year, when I graduate?

 

I'm sorry about this. I'm just looking for some advice. Thank you.

 

I, too, had a bad first semester of college. I came into school having no idea what I wanted to major in or do with my life after graduation, so it was hard to be motivated about my coursework. I would suggest trying to come up with some sort of a goal or plan for the future in order to motivate yourself. I decided I wanted to be a doctor, and used this goal to motivate me to study and make sure I would have the grades to get into med school. Getting your GPA over 3.0 by next year sounds like a good goal to work towards, and seems like it would be doable as long as you put in the effort. What kind of job are you looking to get after graduation? If you think about how your coursework relates to what you want to be doing in the future, it will seem more interesting and meaningful.

 

I'm confused about why you've changed your major if you're just planning to change it back again. Rather than making a temporary change for the sake of having something that "looks good," you're probably better off just sticking with whichever one you like better. Your grades will be better if you're studying something you enjoy, and if you're switching back and forth between majors you might end up in school longer because the credits you earn in one major might not fulfill the requirements of the other. I don't think having an Associate of Science versus and Associate of Art is going to make much of a difference in the long run, especially if your science grades aren't good.