First semester of college... depressed and failing all my classes :D
 

I guess the title says it all. Anyways, I'm just wondering how screwed I am if I fail all or close to all of my classes this first semester. I've gone through a bit of depression lately to the point where I just don't care about any of my classes and just stopped doing work... is it possible to fix my GPA if I get decent grades the rest of my college career? Is the chance of me transferring anywhere else going to be majorly impacted by my horrible first semester grades?

You can totally fix your GPA- take the class again! Just keep your head up and keep trying. When you totally give up, you can't retaliate!

Gday German guy, about six months ago I posted a thread here about freaking out during my last semester of a Bachelors degree. I'd totally burned out, all my effort had gone into those 2 and a half previous years and my grades were nothing more than average. I was certain that I'd fail something and then have to do another semester, a whole six months, just to get that one class credit so I could graduate. Lots of people here helped me and I went though a shitty time for the past six months but I worked hard and tried to see that light at the end of the tunnell. Yesterday I got my results - I passed everything, this nightmare six months is over and I'm now going to graduate.

Don't give up mate, don't throw in the towel just yet. Put all your effort into this, focus on your assignments one at a time and make sure that college is your number one priority. Give it until the end of the semester, and if that isn't so bad then aim for the end of second semester. If you're doing ok then keep going. But if you know for sure that this isn't just a phase, that college just isn't for you, then defer, or explore some other options. Right now anything is better than dropping out!

Just keep at it. If you feel overwhelmed, remember what Henry Ford once said, "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." Just take it one task at a time.

I've been there too with the GPA freakout, and the need to transfer. It's all manageable, just keep breathing and take it one day at a time. We're here if you need an ear or a hand.

:)

Unless your parents are funding your ride, college is a scam. Drop out and go to a technical school where you can learn a real trade and the man can put you to work right away. Staying in college will only ensure that you'll graduate with massive debt that will keep you in involutary servitude to the man for years.

We all have to work for the man, but you shouldn't have to pay for the education to become a better worker.

First off, I'd warn your parents about your grades, so they won't be surprised.
Then, talk to your advisor, to find out what the school will do to you if you fail all your classes. Some schools will put you on academic probation.
Talk to your teachers, if you are really failing them, miserably, with no hope of passing, find out about taking a withdraw passing. You basically lose a semesters worth of work, but it saves your GPA.

If there are classes that a good grade on the final will help you pass, talk to the professor about a tutor, or getting extra help.

Look into summer session classes to replace some of the classes you are failing.

the first year of college is tough for a lot of people, it's a huge learning experience, learn something from this. You can fix your study habits,

Like LPM said, Don't Give Up... If you give up, you can't fix it...

Are you trying to be funny?

i think he was. anybody peddling that garbage with any degree of seriousness doesnt quite have a grip on his dao de jing.


college is extremely important. i dont even look at resumes unless there is at least a bachelor's degree. the associates is ok, but it doesnt demonstrate the same level of commitment to one's future as a bachelor and/or graduate degree.

of course, if you are going to become a mechanic at your local toyota dealership (a buddy of mine does this and is paid well and loves his job) then you can skip college and go to lincoln tech or some other technical school. but for most professions (note is said "professions" not jobs or careers) you will need a college degree. GPA isnt as important as graduating, unless you are going on to grad school. hang in there and git 'er done!

Another note, if you feel you do need to take some time off for health reasons or if you feel you're just not ready, then do so. It took me a long time to get through college (7 years), but I realized that entering college when I did, I really wasn't emotionally prepared or mature enough to deal with it.

I'm not saying that you're in that boat, but this is partly a time to also discover who you are and what suits you.

And please note, I'm saying take a break if you need to, not drop the whole thing. It's not always easy to continue the school thing after a hiatus, but it's well worth it in the end if you're doing it for the right reasons.

Of course I'm serious.

Going to college gets you a degree so you can get a better job working for the man. Why should this be your goal? Do you think the jews in concentration camps should have studied technical diagrams to make better bombs for the nazis? They may have even received better treatment if they worked harder. Same for you, work hard, learn what the man wants you to and become an essential worker. Then you'll be rewarded too!

The man is not concerned with your interests, only with how you can serve his interests. If he recognizes that healthy, happy people are more productive then so be it, he'll throw a little extra cash your way. But he doesn't like you, and would be just as happy to see you naked and dead in a ditch.

If I'm mistaken and your actual goal of going to college is to learn, then you should still skip the whole process. Between getting drunk and sleeping late you probably won't learn anything. You're better off reading a book from the library. At least we still have those.

The way to beat the man is to get inside and change things. Not give up before you try Master_Shake.

I'm a freshmen in my first semester of college. I'm not sure where you go but I am sure there is help available for you as in tutors or professors that are accessible. i suspect that one of the reasons you lack motivation is because you are completely uncertain in what career direction you are going in. I recommend that you sit down at Barnes and Nobles one days and list careers/fields/majors that suit your interests and talents. Once you have a goal it just becomes that much easier.

Adjusting is not easy but if you want to you can and you will. There's some good advice in here, well and some bad as well. Maybe there are some clubs out there you can join or volunteer work that would give you some fulfillment. It is up to you though.

College is not for everyone and I don't know you but I am sure that you know yourself. If there's a trade that you have a high interest in then go for it but if not College is a worthwhile experience, even if it is hard at the beginning.

AS for actually making up the grades, pursue the stuff that's "lost". GO to your teachers and plead for extensions, get those old assignments in even if you can only get 50% on them. 50% is WAY better than 0%. Get your ass to studying, make up for lost time. Organize your time, write down ALL your due dates for EVERYTHING. yeah. that and you actually have to work. If you work and fail, you can at least say you did your best. If you don't try, you've already failed.

*yawn*

.....

I must say that the fact that a college degree is essential if you want to do anything is proof that the world is twisted, and the life that we're supposed to live dictated by society is very fucked up. the only reason that there are so many diverse degrees out there is because the universities caught on and decided to milk the knowledge frenzy. there are so many unneccesary degrees out there that it makes one wonder whether apart from a few select degrees are any really needed. or whether their just a complication that could be done without
pfft i cant talk anyway, i'm going to university and having a horrible time of it, its like choosing to be raped (not meant to offend but merely illustrate).

I think you have it backwards - not going to college, or at least a technical/trade school, is the most assured way of doing only that which society dictates for you. Remaining uneducated will get you nowhere. You will only be one more face in a large crowd, kneeling at the feet of "the man," and, right along with the rest of the crowd, you'll likely have your hands out waiting for whatever scraps "the man" wishes to toss you.

And yes, it is an issue of conformity.

Not like that though - maybe like sleeping with the boss. Becoming better educated will guarantee you will be a greater contributer to "the man" but you (along with the rest of society) will benefit far more than "the man" will.

There are better ways to prove yourself a non-conformist. In fact, becoming better educated will afford you greater ability to do just that.

you should be educated in what you need to and want to know, as it is all these degrees are making people learn a lot of unnecessary guff that just takes up brain space and creates student loans.
i'm not an adherent to the belief in the man so i'm not going to make any references to him.
instead of being locked into a crap job for the rest of your life doing nothing you could be free to actually find out a little about the planet you live on, having real experiences, and it makes sense that the more new experiences you have will make your life longer if only for the fact that days dont meld together (rant). not waiting for scraps but getting jobs where ever you go.
most of the big positions that people strive all their life to achieve mean nothing, its stagnating the human race.

If you are depressed, then you have a medical reason for your grades not being up to your potential.

I got through college fine, but because of stupid mistakes I made, my girlfriend leaving, etc, I ended up in a bad state of mind. One of the hardest things I ever did was going to the doctor for help. I was literally shaking when I went in for that first appointment. I don’t like to admit It when I have a problem that I cant control, but I was clinically depressed. I was given Zoloft, I got referred to a psychologist who helped me out a lot. I got out of it. It does take time, it took me over a year to really feel like "me" again).

You got to be honest with the people around you, let your parents know about the grades, let your friends know your depressed, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it. If someone’s going to judge you for being depressed then "fuck them".

Step 1: Get help for your depression

Step 2: Get a medical withdrawal for the semester.

Once you have medical proof that you’re depressed and are getting help, you will be able to go to your dean/advisor. Explain the situation, provide medical documentation and you should be eligible for a medical withdrawal. Your transcript shouldn’t be effected and it should be (depending on the school) like you never took those classes. I’ve seen many of my friends accomplish this, it takes some paperwork on the schools end, but it should work out for you.

Good luck. If you want to talk with me about your depression, feel free to send me a PM. I’ve been there and I can help.

My best friend was just having this same problem. He went from a high school which did not prepare him at all for college, to a very good school, in one of the most difficult majors. He was completely overwhelmed with the situation, and did not do well in any of his classes. He recently decided that no GPA was better than a bad GPA, and left school.

Not sure if it was the right choice in the long run, but it was the right choice for him now. Its a tough situation man. Good luck

It's funny... I could swear you're talking about not having a college degree. People with no college degree are actually the ones who fight over the scraps.

You may wax philosophical about how education is bad and how the world should be perfect and how everyone's farts should smell like roses, but face it: in this day and age, nothing is going to change soon, and if you don't have a college degree, you are basically putting yourself into financial bondage. I realize that there are many successful people who did not go to college, but not many when compared to the number of successful college grads. It actually kinda blows my mind that yall actually think going to college is a bad thing.

I have a friend who doesn't have a college degree, jumped around from job to job. He's been doing this for more than a decade. He's not in a position to get a career advancing job. He's looking for the scrap jobs because he's not qualified for anything else that's engaging to the mind or his soul.

Going to college doesn't necessarily equate to debt because of student loans.
Going to college doesn't necessarily equate to "unnecessary guff".
Going to college should be something that the individual wants to do, and the learning that occurs there should be for it's own sake.
Going to college exposes you to the variety of experiences possible out there in the real world.

I don't disagree with you that many people strive for positions and goals that are meaningless, but I find that to be a failing of their priorities, not of college.

Like the saying goes, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."

I hate to go a bit off topic, but over here in Australia going from high school to university is like going through the desert to find the oasis. I love uni simply for the fact that every pain in the ass you knew in high school was too fucking stupid to ever get into uni.

I know at the start of this thread you were worried about your grades, dont ever feel too bad about them because ALL of us go through this. I dont know if you get this but over here for some results they just post all the results by our student number, and you can see what others got... always makes me feel better that I am never the lowest score :D

I gotta repeat an elective over the summer because I failed maths (stupid differentiation) but trust me, the feeling of failing a subject or two is nothing compared to the feeling you would of had if you hadnt ever tried in the first place :)

Parents are great about this stuff, as long as they know you tried hard they wont be dissapointed in you, because over the course of their life they might have missed a potential chance at maybe a better education or better job (promotions).

My first semester I ended up getting a 2.15, no thanks to pledging a fraternity. But with hard work and good studying, I managed to finish above a 3.0 when I graduated. One semester wont kill you, just work hard after that one bad semester.

See if your uni offers free counsiling. Mine does, but I've been only 3 times.

Farts smelling like roses? What are you talking about? I'm not suggesting the world should be run a different way, I'm talking about the way things are. College is only going to get you a better job working to make others rich. If you're a self-motivated intelligent person with resources, you'll probably be a success with ot without college.

If you're only moderately intelligent, without financial resources, you might end up just like myself and many others. Working a meaningless job in middle-managment waiting to die of cancer. My life would have been just as fufilled without wasting years and a hundred thousand dollars in college.

But hey, do your own thing, man. I can only speak to my experiences. Hopefully everything will work out for you and you'll graduate with honors, find a great job that pays off your student loans in no time, your wife won't divorce you and leave you in involuntary servitude, and you won't get cancer and die.

And I think you have it backwards. Going to college (at least, for those of us without rich parents) means you have to pay back the man for 20 years. Are four years of college worth 20 years of financial slavery?

How much more does a college graduate make over someone who goes to a technical school? Factor in four years of lost work and the loan repayment and there's no way you can convince me a liberal arts graduate who goes to work for an insurance company is going to make more than a fully qualified plumber.

If you transferr - the failures don't count to GPA most times- might want to consider a fresh start elsewhere. if not - no it is not the end of the world. I am currently working on failing a class or two - and it will just make life harder, not ruin my college career. If you want it and go after it you will get it.

You are quite a sad person.

Ever heard of a community college? Not all schools cost $40K a year :rolleyes:

Lots of people fuck up their first semester. Take the classes again next fall and load up on stuff that interests you for spring so you start feeling better about being there. You can recover; I did, and all of my friends did.

Yes, I suppose I am quite sad. If the government would just let me smoke some dope I might be in a better mood. Alcohol can only do so much.

One, figure out why your are depressed and work it out.
Two, find those things you enjoy in every class and don't just do them - celebrate them.
Three, don't pay attention to other people's successes, perks, or good fortune. This is your time now. Appreciate the good things that happen to others but concern yourself with maximizing everything that you are.
Four, pick yourself up
Five, seek advice from those profs or counselors with questions about resources, careers, and benefits that are available to you both in the short term and in the long term.

If you want to fix your grades you have to do it now. The longer you spend in college the harder it is to change your GPA. Get as many good grades as you can while it's still early. Build a solid foundation, I think you'll be ok. Don't worry about it just focus on why you're at college in the first place.

A saying we have here at my university
 

"The students are like ducks in a pond, seemingly calm and happy on the outside, but struggling like hell below the surface."

You are not alone with your situation, most people at some point believe that they are not meant to be in college. Hang in there, get some counseling, consider medical advice. Good luck!

hey, cheer up. college is good times. you may not have academically learned anything this semester but i garontee that you are reevaluating quite a bit about yourself right now and i think that that is one of the benifits of college. you are allowed to really discover yourself. As far as i aware the majority of college students fuck up somewhere down the line.(doesnt neccessarily have to do with grades) it is part of the 4 year rite of passage that is college. part of the college experiance is just that, gaining life experiances. that and it teaches you that you can live off of ramen noodles and pop tarts.

as for Master_Shake, i am going out on a limb but im going to guess that you didnt go to college. im assuming that your posts are fuled by some sort of personal bitteness twards those whom you feel, subconciously at least, are more privelaged than you. i go to a state school and the majority of the people i know work to allow themselves to pay for college. you dont neccessarily go into debt, just depends on how bad you want to avoid it. as for working for "the man" (which makes you sound like an uneducated paranoid) not all jobs are there to make someone else rich, you have to choose your employer just as carefully as they choose you . its not anyone elses fault but your own that you have been used by "the man".

Since were talking first semester trials and tribulations, my experience should cheer you up. My first semester of college I was kicked out of the first college I went to (long story, but it culminated in my next door neighbor tripping on acid and feeling compelled to light my bed on fire, don't worry, it was a good party), ended up with a 1.05 for the semester and had to find a new college to attend. And no, my parents never found out.

Oh, and Master_Shake, one word, Lithium.

That is the saddest discourse I have heard recently. Would I be where I am now without a college degree? Absolutely not. Thanks to my degree (and my graduate degree), I work for a company where I run my own group with extremely minimal intervention from "the man", I am paid over 6 figures a year, and my work hours (for the most part) are from 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday.

Germanguy, stay in school, it's worth it. The first couple of years can be difficult because you don't know what you want to do and you have to take all of the classes that mean absolutely nothing towards your major. Hang in there.

That's great man, I'm really happy you work regular hours and are paid a decent amount of money.

I have no idea your specific circumstances, or what lead you to school and the after job. How much did you pay for school? Scholarship? Parents? How did you get your job? Parents? Friends?

You say you are paid over 6 figures a year. That's great. How long have you been out of high school? At least 7 or 8 years for college and graduate school. How much did that cost? Don't forget to factor in the cost of not working for 7 or 8 years. Even at $30,000 a year that's $240,000 you missed out on by not working. Add $100,000 or more for your college and graduate degrees and you're already starting out $350,000 in the hole.

At your ridiculously inflated income you've now got to work for 3 years just to break even. That's 11 years out of high school.

Imagine if you went to a technical school instead. You'd have been working right away and within 11 years I would not be surprised if a fully certified plumber is making $75,000 easy.

And remember Nemo, you are most certainly not the rule. I went to college, and it cost me more than the above and I don't make 6 figures a year.

Forget this college stuff. The best thing you can do is not get married. Imagine Nemo getting married and divorced. That 6 figure salary would be cut in half. Then you'd be making less than the plumber who wasn't conned into marriage.

And what exactly do you do Nemo? I hesitate to ask this because it might turn out you work for a philanthropic group that helps the homeless, but I'm willing to bet that you (and if not you then certainly most people who graduate from college) still work for the man and only contribute to his oppression of the rest of the world. At least a plumber fixes toliets. That's important stuff. Helping insurance companies cheat people out of benefits, or helping soda companies market sugar water to children, or importing sneakers with lights in them from third-world hell-holes that pay children a dollar a day aren't very noble ways to spend your time. If you do any of those things, then maybe the world would have been better off if you didn't go to graduate school.

And again, if you do work for the World Wildlife Fund or some other charity, disregard my rant as it applies to you. But it still applies to the great majority of people who go to school in this country.

Well mister "I ain't the man", I direct our company's regulatory and compliance group (i.e., I make sure that all taxes are paid, all licenses are filed, all contracts are in place, all of our employees are properly licensed, etc.). I went to a local university for my undergraduate degree and was fortunate enough to have parents that could help me foot the bill. Graduate school I paid for myself, as I worked during the day (for a CPA firm) and took classes at night. I appreciated my parents for the help with my undergrad. but I wanted to put myself through grad school. I have been in the "real world" now for 17 years, and the six figure amount is after my divorce and child support for three children (got married way to young when I was still an undergrad).

Because I have the extent of free time that I do, I contribute back to my community in a number of different ways. I teach Junior Achievement to one of the local high school 9th grades (God, if I was anything like that during school, it's amazing my teachers didn't kill me), I sit on the board of the Red Cross and our city's zoo, and I contribute time to the city to help low-income people file their annual income tax returns for no charge.

Oh, and as far as getting conned into marriage, I don't think people get conned. I think they are young and stupid and don't think through the long-term consequences of marriage (hence my first marriage). I am currently remarried to my soul-mate (yes as corny as that sounds she is just that). We are currently expecting a child, and all is good in my corner of the world.

So, in summation, would I trade what I have now? Nope, but it wouldn't bother me if someone came along and gave me a dive shop and boat in the Caymans. But hey, one can dream.

Or you could work hard in high school and get scholarships.

I've done poorly in classes, and they've hurt my GPA, however, it's definitely fixable.

Personally, I don't consider myself anything more than an average student, and my grades reflect that. I do really well in the subjects that interest me (English mostly), and average in others.

I now am going a few extra semesters to catch up on a foreign language requirement, and this allows me to take classes I want, and also classes that will help bring up a few of the ones I didn't do so well in.

Also, if later you reach a point where you think your grades are beyond repair, and you want to continue going to college, I'd consider transferring. In many cases, only C's or higher will be transferrable, and thus you are able to get a "fresh start" at the college you transfer to, leaving all your shitty grades behind at the one you left.

Good luck, and don't give up.