<p>Ok so this might look like a long post but I need help before I have a panic attack!</p>
<p>I started school in 2010 and really slacked off. I took 3 classes and a lab, I earned a F, D, C and pass. I just wasn't giving it my all and took sometime off. Now that I'm back in school (at a different CCC) I have taken 5 classes earning 2 A's and 3 B's. Once I figured out my total GPA it came to a 2. something! I am really trying hard now and planning on getting all A's and B's. I know that my first semester transcript that I did horrible at is going to mess up my chances of transferring to any of the colleges I have in mind. </p>
<p>So my questions are;</p>
<ol>
<li>Is it possible to raise my GPA to a 3.5-4.0 so I can transfer to a competitive school?</li>
<li>If so how long will it take?</li>
<li>And even if I raise my GPA will my first bad semester look so bad that the rest of my work wont count?</li>
<li>Is it a bad idea to take unnecessary class to raise my GPA, will they even count in a transfer?</li>
</ol>
<p>Also as a side note I'm taking classes at 5 different CCC in my district, are all the transcripts going to be annoying to the schools I apply to?</p>
<p>I know that was A LOT, but I'm trying to plan my transfer, and I'm really freaking out!</p>
<p>Thanks in advance to anyone brave enough to face all this!</p>
<p>Look, I wish I could help but I really can not in this situation. But here is some advice that seems reasonable. Oh and I assume by CCC you mean community college?:</p>
<p>-First, yes you should get your GPA up. You MUST do this, and dont fill it with just random classes but fill your schedule with classes you like and think you are interested in. You are going to have to pick a major and showing colleges that you are focused is a good thing.
-Secondly, you should take the SAT or ACT again if possible. This will not matter as much as your grades will, but showing colleges that you are interested in learning and are a good student will help you.
-Thirdly, do some EC’s. I know this might sound like a high school thing, but it might help. IF you are interested in science, try to get an internship at a local lab. If you are interested in architecture, go find an architectural firm and try to get an internship.
-Finally, you are just going to have to be confident in yourself. Dont freak out, just work hard and commit yourself to school. Then after you get your GPA up to the area you desire, go ahead and try to transfer to a bigger college. It doesn’t matter what (some)people say on this site, because frankly, most of them have never been in a situation close to yours. If you just work hard, believe that you can do it and get your grades up, you could end up transferring. Oh, also you could try transferring to a smaller college then to a big one (Something like transfer first to a Western Michigan (example) then to Michigan State or something like that). </p>
<p>Oh, and even though your first set of grades were bad, I dont think that they will cancel out everything. Especially if you get only A’s and B’s. Oh and try to stick to as many A’s as you can.</p>
<p>With an even mix of As and Bs, that GPA is practically unattainable.</p>
<p>Think about it like this. A GPA of 3.5 is an even mix of As and Bs, right? However, you have a couple of GPA points (especially the F, with a GPA of 0) that really brings the grade point average down. So if you want to push it up (especially to a 3.5), you’ll have to get mostly As to compensate for the fact that you have a lot of low points. If you keep a mix of As and Bs, that’s a 3.5 to begin with that’s lowered significantly by that first semester. If you want to end with a 3.5, you need a GPA that’s closer to a 4.0 to help offset the low, low grades.</p>
<p>@ hawks20062, thank you very much! I’m just going to continue to work hard getting A’s and B’s and take it from there. @purpleacorn, thank you for doing the math.</p>