Doing a 180 in college. From worst to first. I need some inspiration

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speakup23

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Has anyone here completely BOMBED in college their first few years, only to end up figuring +*%* out and coming out with good grades and getting into a good job or whatever?

Dont open spoiler if you think my threads are depressing because thats just gunna prove you right
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Ever since I've transferred to this school in Fall 09, I've never done well. One of the few regrets I have in my life was going to this school (Queens College in NYC). The school I was in before I was doing better ( York College: Had about a 3.0 and was improving), but then like an idiot I transferred out. Now Im here, doing poorly (2.1) GPA coupled with all the "issues" I've already had growing up even up until now and I'm about ready to snap. I hate this school, but I'm pretty much stuck here due to my low grades and the fact that I owe the school $6,00 dollars (My mother was paying but has stopped for obvious reason (me not doing so well), so I'm gunna just have to pay, God knows how). I'm pretty much at wits end, about ready to blast myself in the head (not sure is srs).

I think the only bright spot in all of this is that I'm still only a lower sophomore, so I guess I still have time to "fix" things
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. And that if I can turn things around, I would have one HELL of a Letter Of Intent for grad school (if I decide to go that route).

Edit: Also I'm thinking about taking at least a semester off to get straight. I mean I can't register for classes next semester anyways until that $6000 is paid off so I might as well


But all of that is slightly off-topic. The point of this thread is for inspirational purposes, both for me and whoever is in my spot as well.

So yea anyone ever turn things completely around academically and came out with something decent? The point of this thread is for inspirational purposes, both for me and whoever is in my spot as well.
 
This was me last year.

I was scraping the bottom of the barrel in my junior year of HS. I literally couldn't do any of the work. Mostly because of my habits though, I went into that year trying to get by without studying and reading the textbooks. Things went downhill fast. I got a 41 on my first Chemistry test. Every test in Precalculus and Chemistry I had to pray I didn't fail. English I couldn't do well either. History and Spanish were the only courses I could do decent in.

When I saw the problem I started whining and complaining, but after about a week I accepted that it was my fault. I wasn't putting in the effort and it was biting me back. So from that point on (about New Year's) I hit the books, hard. I went to the library every day until it closed. I carried my textbooks around school and studied at the lunch tables. I turned my phone off after school. Made appointments to meet with teachers. I tried it all.

At the end, things were alright, I finished with like a B+ average across the board.

This year, I went in with the same habits. It worked. My first term I had all As, and I'm taking 4 AP classes. My lowest grade was an A-.

If you put in the work, you'll get the results. But if you try and neglect it and run away from the problem, it'll come right back and hit you. Trust me.
 
I can't say that I completely bombed on my grades, but there was a period when I didn't perform to my full capabilities. My inspiration came from making sure I had all the prerequisites for getting into grad school. Also, the thought of getting graduating and still having a low paying job made me make sure that I didn't fall short of my goals. I want to be well off, so in order to reach that goal, doing well in school was mandatory.
 
The transition from high school to college for me was hard. I always felt like I was doing bad but whenever I hung out with my study group I would do good. You need to surround yourself around smart people so they can motivate you to do good. At least that's what did it for me. 
 
Off topic but damn I go to Queens College. Looks like I can't go on NT anymore at school.
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Yeah its possible. Just don't wait too long. IDK about you but my motivator was seeing people around me who were getting successful and having good jobs. It made me want to work so I could get like them.
 
Originally Posted by vezon

Off topic but damn I go to Queens College. Looks like I can't go on NT anymore at school.
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Why not? Do what you want dude. Within reason of course
 
Remember you are paying to be there... If you are not giving your best effort, you are effectively wasting your money.

Also when you look at that diploma do you want it to just be something you got for just passing, or do you want to look at that diploma with pride knowing you gave everything you had intellectually, and earned that diploma...

Also when you are putting in active effort in class, professors will notice, and if you go to office hours, and strike up convos with them, most of them will see the effort, and you are networking at the same time. Remember this, not all teachers know people... BUT there are plenty teachers who have a massive list of connections, and if you were a students who was busting their #!*, they will be willing to help you.
 
Went to College in Long Island. My first year, I bombed with a 2.1 GPA. That was my wake up call. Started thinking of my future, and how my GPA would affect my grad school application, job interviews, etc. So the next year, I did what I had to do. Went to office hours, picked courses that interested me instead of taking classes b/c my friends were taking it, used ratemyprofessors.com, stood in the library to study and get away from distractions, basically anything i needed to do to get out of the hole i dug myself into. By my senior year, i raised my gap from a 2.1 to a 3.4. Graduated, took an internship, and landed a full time job.

It can definitely be done. You just have to stay focused, and work SMART.
 
by acknowledging you have a problem, you're already half way there.

simply put:  you gotta grow up and get your @@+# straight.  put your schooling first, if that truly is what you want to do.  otherwise, something "better" will always come up; girls, friends, parties, drugs, booze, anything that isn't work.  i remember failing my first course in college.  felt like crap.  the walk from campus to my dorm felt like an eternity, and i couldn't hang my head any lower.  if your moms was paying, imagine how she feels knowing her son is %+*$#!% up in school, and wasting her money.  failing can produce some of the deepest, darkest feelings that you'll never wanna experience ever again.  remember that feel, and vow to never have to go back there again.

for me, i studied engineering, so essentially all technical courses, save for electives.

the formula:

- skip no classes*, go to every damn class, and write every damn thing down

- when you gotta study for an exam, actively read the textbook making a new set of notes; that crap you wrote during lectures was just a warm-up to get some of the knowledge in the back of your head.  if you were actively reading, the crap at the back of your head will click, and things will make sense

- do all the practice problems, do extra practice problems, then do it all over again and again.  you'll develop generic strategies for similar problems, and know exactly what to do on the exam

it's a lot of work, but if you're smart enough to be organized, and work efficiently, it pays off.  dedicate a couple days a week to get your work done, or to review your stuff and it'll be well worth it.  for me, i gave up a ton of my life and had to grow up fast to get through this program, but it paid off.  ...i think

Spoiler [+]
i still skipped a ton of classes
 
You will get a good job if you are able to sell yourself.  A 4.0 alone does you no good.

If you want to put a high gpa on your resume, use your "major gpa." It will show your are dedicated to your field.  Those general, required classes can sometimes mess with your gpa if you get the wrong professor. 
 
My freshman year was chaos. I never went to class & then would just go to take tests without ever cracking a book. Needless to say I ended up on academic probation. I had to write the dean of my school a letter asking her to allow me to return for the spring semester. I was working at a dry cleaners - in the middle of the summer. It was 100 outside - easily 110 inside. I just knew i would end up in a place like that for life if i didn't get it together.

Wrote letter to dean. Actually had a phone conversation with her. Told her where i was working, realized what an opportunity i had that i was pissing away. That high school was a breeze and didn't prepare me for college life. But having that summer of "what life could be like without an eduction" was what i needed.

Went back to school and just did everything i was told. Kept up on the reading. Went to class & i studied for test. In all honesty college is simply KEEPING up with the assignments. Granted you miss something here or there for whatever reason but if you keep up with everything YOU CAN DO IT. That can't be stressed/stated enough. JUST KEEP UP with the reading and you're gravy.

I seriously went from nothing but D's & F's to A's. I got one C but biology just wasn't my thing ( got an A in the lab section though)

Im working in my field and while I'm still working towards my goals its better than that summer job i had in high school.
 
Originally Posted by diew its james

whyd you transfer?
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Cause Im stupid
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Dumb choice, but I regret that $#+# everyday.


I think Im just gunna take a break from school, take a step back and reevaluate things and fix whats going on inside me and then go back. Im pretty sure thats the only thing left to do at this point.
 
I had this in high school. Started freshman year with a GPA of 1.6 or something like that and started picking up my junior year. By senior year, I hit a 3.67. Felt like a boss
 
I was a terrible student in high school, managed to turn things around junior year, got into college. I started out pretty slow, but eventually I figured out how to study effectively and just took off. I did better in college than any of my friends who killed it in high school. tHe key is go to the library, leave the computer at home, and just study. It's the only thing that worked for me.
 
I failed 2 classes during spring semester of my freshman year(chem and bio for majors
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) I had like a 1.98 GPA after that semester. It was a definite wake up call. I got more focused, startin hittin the books with more regularity and started gettin much better grades. U just gotta make the decision to allocate a certain amount of time to studyin every week. You can still go out and do your thing, but balance is the key
 
I need to seriously get up on my academics. I haven't been going to my classes and the lack of movitation isn't there. I'm usually there the first two weeks of class and then I just never go after. I need a wake up call as well.
 
It's all about getting in the groove of studying. Study every single day, even in your free time and in between classes. Have something to do at night so you have motivation to get your work done. For me, it was bud. I would bust my **% all day so I could enjoy smoking at night. My grades were better when I was using it than when I recently quit. I think it had to do with the fact that I don't have any motivation to get my work done, therefore I'm less productive.
 
You can fix your situation easily but not without hard work and dedication. Bottom line you gotta want it. IMO nothing good can come from taking a semester off but in your case you gotta come up with 6 grand before being able to register.

I +%$#%@ up royally my first 2 semesters at bk college, got my credits up at kcc and will be back at bk in the spring. Its gonna take a #$*+$%@% of work from here on out but at least I got to this point.
 
Originally Posted by gregzzy23

You can fix your situation easily but not without hard work and dedication. Bottom line you gotta want it. IMO nothing good can come from taking a semester off but in your case you gotta come up with 6 grand before being able to register.

I +%$#%@ up royally my first 2 semesters at bk college, got my credits up at kcc and will be back at bk in the spring. Its gonna take a #$*+$%@% of work from here on out but at least I got to this point.
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You really think so? Why not?
 
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