College freaking me out/making me depressed. Help!

[greywolf]

They did not even have that scale when I went to school...is there a school I can refer to?

 

Actually, I can call any school in your hometown out to check that scale in the morning, so I can check it for myself.

 

The school system in Canada might be different from here in the US.

 

Although most of my college classes don't follow that scale anymore. 75% is a D at my school.

[Rose21]

75% is a D?? Geeze!!

 

Well I am going to devote more time each day to studying, and I have 2 papers coming up, that 10 page really worries but I know I can do it in time.

 

 

What's wrong with going to grab ice cream with a friend? You make it sound like it's a HUGE deal! It's freaking ice cream! plus I deserved it, and spent 10 HOURS on my research report, did you hear me? 10! That isn't slacking by any means. It doesn't mean that by going to get it I'm putting that above school. I don't have to be a shut in and just stay inside all day and study. Doesn't work that way.

 

And if I hadn't finished it yesterday, I wouldn't of gone to get ice cream. I would of been working on it all day today. I was working on it until 5 am, went to bed around 6ish.

 

I've just been taking it easy today because I think I have a sinus infection, or a cold, either way I feel like CRAP. I've been coughing A LOT which could mean it will develop into Bronchitis because although I've never gotten the flu, mono, strep, pink eye, or even get allergies, whenever I get a cold (maybe twice a year) It usually develops into bronchitis. I've had it ever since I was a baby.

 

But tomorrow's schedule will look like this: (I can plan a day in advance)

 

Get up at 8ish, go to class 10-11. Than I wanted to go over to Cracker barrel to see if I got the job or not. Than I'll go back home and eat something, watch some T.V. during this time, than go back to Cozymel's at 3 IF I didn't get the job at Cracker barrel, or they still don't know yet.

 

After that, I will study for a few hrs, take some time to knock out my paper that is due this week and study for my test on Friday! I'm going to study a few hrs every day this week because I really need a good grade on this!

I think a few hrs each day will be more beneficial to more hrs on just ONE or two days.

 

Than I may have dinner with a friend and chill with her for a little bit at her house, than come back home at a reasonable hr and more studying!

[Firiel]

I don't think that anyone is saying you shouldn't go get ice cream. But the little things add up. No one is saying you shouldn't relax after a hard day of schoolwork, but you didn't get four Cs and an F by doing homework for ten hours on Saturday. It's all the days when you didn't focus on schoolwork that we think you should change. I know you say you are going to change, but you had a very similar thread to this last semester where you received very similar advice which you seemed to have ignored because you are in the same predicament this semester. And you really haven't seemed that open to the advice given you this time either. I think we are just worried about you-- that you will make excuses instead of changes and that you won't reach your full potential.

 

I would be very interested in hearing what long term changes you plan on making in your life in order to make school easier in the future, and I think making long term goals concerning study time, tutors, etc. would really help you envision what you need to do in the future.

[Rose21]

Well yes, this semester has just been EXTRA hard for me.

 

It looks like I will be getting 1 F, 2 C's, a B, and an A now.

 

See, I'm bringing them up!!

[Firiel]

Well yes, this semester has just been EXTRA hard for me.

 

It looks like I will be getting 1 F, 2 C's, a B, and an A now.

 

See, I'm bringing them up!!

 

That's great that you're bringing them up! But what about those long term changes that will help you graduate with a GPA high enough to get your dream job with the FBI?

[Rose21]

Well obviously, there is going to be MUCH more studying involved.

 

And ATLEAST an hr of studying a night, even if I don't have anything big or important coming up. When I do, that's lots more hrs.

 

But I'm making that hr mandatory, and that should help me stay on top.

[Firiel]

Well obviously, there is going to be MUCH more studying involved.

 

And ATLEAST an hr of studying a night, even if I don't have anything big or important coming up. When I do, that's lots more hrs.

 

But I'm making that hr mandatory, and that should help me stay on top.

 

That's a good start...

 

Have you had your dyscalculia officially diagnosed yet? If not, you should. If so, get the right paperwork and talk to the department that will provide help for your learning disabilities.

 

What about a math tutor? Since you still have quite a few math classes left, you should look into the tutoring services your school offers. I'm sure a student would be more than willing to help you for fairly cheap. That's something you can look up while watching TV or over the summer.

 

Are you planning on regularizing your sleep schedule? Your body learns and remembers better on more sleep. You could up your grades just by sleeping better.

 

Also, you are, right now, only committing to studying 7 hours a week. I know that's more than you are used to, but it is still not enough. I work on homework/study at least 20 hours a week, but usually more. I would make sure to plan for at least 20 hours of homework/studying. If you have nothing to do, get ahead for when you are swamped!

 

So, are you planning on doing any of the above things?

[sophie274]

My two cents worth:

 

I go to a very difficult and prestigious university, blah blah blah.

 

Anyway, I think everyone has a different level of scheduling/busyness that works for them, and some of the stuff in this thread is just overboard. Sleeping 2 hours a night for weeks on end is just insane and unhealthy. Personally, I can't be schedule 24 hours a day or I go crazy.

 

Nevertheless, I think you have three main problems:

- not enough study time

- not studying well/efficiently

- not seeing the reality of the situation you're in.

 

So, first of all, study time. I go to a university where four classes per semester is standard, 5 on occasion, especially for engineering majors. So for instance, last semester, I had four classes, which added up to 6+3+3+3=15 hours of class time per week. I'd say I studied about 6-7 hours per week for the first class, 4-8 hours per week for the second, depending on how much reading we were assigned, and then somewhere like 6-10 hours for the two remaining ones. So honestly, 30-40 hours a week of studying sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Here's the way I break it down - school is your JOB, and most people in demanding jobs work 40-50 hours a week, which is what my class time + study time adds up to, or thereabouts. When that spreads out over 7 days instead of the 5-day work week, it leaves PLENTY of time for a part-time job and extra-curriculars.

 

Obviously, those numbers are averages. There were weeks when I faffed around and did very little, and others where I was living in the library. But there you go.

 

If you're having trouble working and going to school - quit your job and get a loan, or take fewer classes at a time so you can pay your way through school. You're wasting your money if you're failing classes and getting Cs and Ds, plain and simple. So something needs to change.

 

Now, method of studying. I mean honestly my main impression is that you expect to be college to be like high school, which for many in the US means they can just glance over their notes 5 minutes before class and get an A-plus. Not so. But you also need to be efficient in your studying. For example, at my uni, if the teacher wants a 5 page report, he wants FIVE pages, not ten, and no extra points for going over, in fact, he would subtract points. So for instance, if the report is worth 5% of the grade, it's silly to spend all day doing it if it can be done relatively well in a short amount of time. Better to use that time to bring up your grades in the classes you're struggling in. I think you should go see your college study center and get them to help you. They can really give you good tips.

 

Lastly, you just seem all over the place in terms of how you're doing. You start this thread, sounds like you're practically failing out. Now you say you know what you're doing and are fine. It starts where you recognize that you dropped the ball in math, then you blame the college for robbing you of disability accommodations. I mean, it seems you started this thread saying you had a problem, and now have almost completely back-tracked to say that it's not so bad ... You need to be realistic and see that you are not doing well in college so far. 2.whatever GPA is just not going to cut it for a "career-job" honestly, and that's a fact. But that's ok, college is not over yet and there's plenty of time for you to excel, but you need to face the facts and not delude yourself over your performance or the reasons behind your problems. I think you need to swallow your pride a bit and scrap your current methods, get REAL help from your college, and really put your nose to the grindstone.

 

Here's what I would do:

 

Wake up at 8:30

Class at 10

Stay on campus and work in library - NO INTERNET, NO PHONE, NO DISTRACTIONS

Lunch

Check on jobs

Work on campus to avoid distractions (see above)

Go home in time for dinner.

Relax time after dinner

One last hour of work before bedtime.

BED

 

If you study well during the week, plan something fun on the week-end to reward yourself.

[Rose21]

No, I meant MINIMUM 1 hr a day.

 

I WILL have things I have to study for and work on.

 

I'd say I'd devote atleast 15 hrs a week, and maybe 10 if It's a really really slow week.

 

Well after I take this math class in the summer with my boyfriend as a tutor, by transfering to another college for my last semester that doesn't require the crazy 3 remidials to get to the credit (my friend says her school doesn't do that)

 

I'd just have to take ONE more math class. And I'd work with a tutor. Than there is this computer/business comp class I need to take which can be done online, and I was also thinking about taking an easy class, like Creative Writing just so I could bring up my GPA before I transfer to Uni which will prob be next fall.

[Firiel]

No, I meant MINIMUM 1 hr a day.

 

I WILL have things I have to study for and work on.

 

I'd say I'd devote atleast 15 hrs a week, and maybe 10 if It's a really really slow week.

 

Well after I take this math class in the summer with my boyfriend as a tutor, by transfering to another college for my last semester that doesn't require the crazy 3 remidials to get to the credit (my friend says her school doesn't do that)

 

I'd just have to take ONE more math class. And I'd work with a tutor. Than there is this computer/business comp class I need to take which can be done online, and I was also thinking about taking an easy class, like Creative Writing just so I could bring up my GPA before I transfer to Uni which will prob be next fall.

 

But even 15 is far below the average, and probably far below what is needed to get good grades. Just remember that everyone on here has said they study 30 to 40 hours a week, and you are saying that you will study 10-15.

 

Also, has your dyscalculia been officially diagnosed? If not, you need to get on that. If you have a learning disability in math, you should be getting the help you need, but it is your responsibility to get the paperwork together in order to receive that help.

 

Sophie gave great, detailed advice. Read her post and take it to heart.

 

I'm outta here.

[Rose21]

Well like I said, not everyone works well on that many hrs.

 

I think I will be fine, because I haven't even been doing that.

 

Sometimes I do 10, but that was just working on a project. Othertimes, maybe it's 2 etc.

 

15-20 would help out a WHOLE lot. My boyfriend does 20, is always on the Dean's List and he has Engineering classes. It CAN work.

 

I think I will go to the library, but I can't stay at my school library. After class, I have a job interview or 2 to go to and my school is 25 minutes away from my house. Here is my schedule for tomorrow (revised)

 

 

Wake up=8:30

 

Class=10-11

 

After Class= Get the things sorted out with my mods, show paper work.

 

Go to Cracker Barrel to see where I stand. If I get the job, than I cancel the interview with Cozymel's and go home to eat, and than straight to the library (one 3 minutes from my house).

 

If not, I go home and eat and relax for a little, go to the Cozymel's interview, than go to the library for a few hrs.

 

Than maybe do something with a friend, maybe eat dinner with her.

 

If not, than chill at home for a little. Go for a hike around the lake. Dinner. Than study more before bed.

[renaissancewoman101]

Why can't you take out a student loan to help you with your money and paying for classes?

 

That way you have more time available to devote to your studies.

[sophie274]

Ok, well just a few more things before I'm off too.

 

This whole debate about study hours is kind of beside the point. I mean, I don't think anyone cares a whit about how many hours you're putting in if you're getting A+s in all your classes. If you can study an hour a day and get top grades, more power to you, and after you make your first few million, send some to your friends at ENA. But the whole premise of this thread is that you've been doing very poorly at school - setting math aside, you're still not doing particularly well. So something needs to change.

 

Now, if you're saying you used to not study at all, and now you're going to study 10 hours a week - ok. If that's all we can convince you to commit to to start off, then so be it - but if you get poor grades at your next midterms, then you need to ramp that up until you start seeing results.

 

To me, you seem to be in denial, and a touch delusional about what's really going on. There have been a good 20 at least VERY detailed posts in this thread, with extremely specific advice, and yet it seems you've mostly come to the conclusion that business as usual, with a few more hours in there, and minus modeling, will get you the top grades you want. Again - if that works, high five girl - but past experience (and given your average GPA) tells you that's probably not going to be enough. You're going to get suspended, going to get a low GPA: time to take action and do something.

 

So, very honestly, if I were you, I would figure: there can only be a max of 6 weeks left in your semester (I reckon, and probably fewer). That means it's go time. It's not "work out a leisurely schedule" time. It's "holy batman I need to pull my grades up in the next few weeks time". You can do ANYTHING for a few weeks, including having no fun. Just keep the promise of summer going, time with your bf, whatever. So if I were you, I would buckle down. During the week, no TV/hikes/hang-out/friend-chat time. If you want exercise, go for a 40 minute run 4-5 times a week - big bang for your buck. Otherwise, it's study, school, food, and sleep. You can do it for a month, and it won't be fun, but it'll get those grades up.

 

THEN go back to your routine. Again, I feel like maybe you don't quite grasp how important this is. It's not AIDS, and it's not children starving in Africa, but how you do in school DOES matter, and it's 100% in your hands. If you look at who the top students are in your class, I'm sure you'll find it's those boring goody two shoes dedicated types - not made in Texas Einsteins with ridiculous natural abilities.

 

Given the fact that you only have a few more weeks to go in the semester, I'd even hold off on starting a new job. Unless you're providing for your family, the money you're about to waste on a crappy semester of college is WAY more than the money you could make in a few weeks at a part-time job. Applying for jobs is time-consuming - I'd seriously wait.

 

So, things to do:

- get your ADHD thing sorted out

- dyscalculia? do you have a diagnosis? I feel like I've been asking that question for two years! Well, if you don't, go see a psychiatrist to see what he thinks.

- STUDY

- go see teachers to see how you can get your grades up as much as possible - they may even help you out grade-wise if they see you're putting your all into it. They can definitely help you out as far as understanding concepts

- nose to the grindstone

- turn the internet and phone off when working

 

Things not do do:

- fun during the week during this crunch time

- modeling

- IMO, job apps, although that's a personal decision

- NO GIVING UP!

[orchidrose]

I feel like no one else has said this outright, but maybe it will help get through to you: you will NOT get a job with the FBI, or any other prestigious organization, with a 2.something GPA. There are 2 reasons for that: 1) the GPA itself; but perhaps more importantly, 2) your GPA shows a general lack of skills needed for any career. Careers require dedication, hard work, attention to detail, and, in many cases, challenges that you need to find solutions to. You've shown over and over in this thread that you're unable to accept and solve a challenge like your math issues/dyscalculia. You've also shown, and will show employers through your GPA, that your dedication tends to waver.

 

There are many, many organizations that screen potential employees and will not even interview or look at applicants who have a GPA below a 3.0. There are many graduate programs that do the same. I suggest you really buckle down and listen to all the wonderful advice given here if you a truly interested in a career in criminal justice.

[Applewhite]

Just a note to the posters who are a little frustrated that their advice isn't reaching Rose. Some of the advice posted here was a wake up call to me and it has helped ME. So Even if OP doesn't listen, your advice didn't go to waste! This goes for any thread.

[Doc Blaze]

listen..at the end of the night..i turn of my laptop...and i still have A's in my class..you asked for help, take it and apply it to your life...if it doesnt work try something else...but you really cant say it is or isnt working if your not putting enough effort into it...its your life..your decision now will change your future for the better or worse...so i seriously recommended you go back and reread this thread and the info people have given to you and decide what you need to do with your life and college

[turnera]

Rose, what time do you go to sleep at night?

 

And what do you do for the 1 1/2 to 2 hours each morning before your first class?

[jengh]

I agree with Sophie in regards to this being the end of the road. I'm done next week and while I maintain a good gpa anyways, guess what I'll be doing the next 2 weeks? Nothing. During the last few weeks of school, I can't come up with a single classmate who has a life. No icecream with friends, no tv, no going out in the evening. Rose, think of it this way: if you continue to do poorly, you won't be able to transfer to Texas tech. Not only that, if you can't pass at a cc, how will you possibly pass at a university? I've gone to Michigan State, a community college, and another university. Honestly, university courses are more rigorous and generally, profs don't give a crap why you're failing. Of course there are some who may be more forgiving but given your intended career path, I'm thinking you won't encounter too many.

 

The way your grades are now pretty much speak for themselves-with a 2.-something, you'll never get into the FBI. They're looking for the best of the best. Either you have what it takes, or you don't. Only you can decide that.

[Rose21]

I'm going to transfer to UNT instead, it's closer and cheaper. Plus, you can transfer with a 2.25 there.

 

I have 3 weeks left of school, I am going to buckle down.

 

 

It depends on what time I wake up.

 

I took sleeping pills last night and I nearly slept through my class.

 

During that 1.5 hrs before class though it takes like 45-1 hr to get ready, school is a 30 minute drive.

 

Yes, I am going to be studying my ass off the next few weeks.

[Rose21]

and I go to bed between 12-3am.

[orchidrose]

I'm going to transfer to UNT instead, it's closer and cheaper. Plus, you can transfer with a 2.25 there.

 

Wow, this is infuriating. So.. instead of working on getting your grades up, which will get you into the school you want to go to, which will get you into a good program, which will get you the job that you want with the FBI.. you're just throwing up your hands and choosing to transfer somewhere else that will accept you with a 2.25?!?!?!

 

Ugh. Seriously, sweetheart, you need to get a grip. Any school that will accept you with a 2.25 isn't worth the money.

[Doc Blaze]

^^^ alot of schools will but alot of programs have different limits..for example at my school you can get in with a 2.25 but to get into the justice and law program you have to have a 2.6 overall gpa

 

and grad program is 3.0

[jengh]

Why take the easy way out though? You can't get through life, well let me rephrase, you can't live a fulfilling life by only taking the easy way out.

 

Realistically, if you transfer to the less rigorous of the two universities, what are your career goals--REALISTIC career goals? Do you have a backup plan?

[metrogirl]

I suppose if you are okay with skating through life the easy way, ignoring the challenges that come up, you might as well settle working for the local police in a podunk town as opposed to working for the FBI.

[orchidrose]

^^^ alot of schools will but alot of programs have different limits..for example at my school you can get in with a 2.25 but to get into the justice and law program you have to have a 2.6 overall gpa

 

and grad program is 3.0

 

Right. No offense, but I wouldn't want to go to a school that accepts people coming in with a 2.5 if I had the option to go to one that only takes people who have a 3.0 or above. It says something about the rigor of the program and the standards of the university.

 

And Rose, trust me, your potential employers will know that your school accepts people with GPAs as low as 2.5, and will frown on it.