5th yr senior - dropping classes advice

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Hi parents. I'm new here; my cousin is a regular, but I won't say who he is; and I could use some advice about some problems.</p>

<p>I'm now a 5th yr senior in a engineering major at a good school, top 15 in my major. I did VERY good my first 3 years and made it though all of the so called weedout classes here with all As/A-s and ranked #7 of about 200 by the end of jr yr.</p>

<p>But then sr yr kind of started getting to me, getting run down and tired, so lots of getting sick with whatever was going around in colds and coughs. The classes werent so interesting anymore, except for a couple that had really good professors and that I really enjoyed. I did fine in those, As as usual, but the rest I ended up either "I" (medical incomplete) or "WP" (withdraw while passing w/ C- or higher), both semsters. Which meant I was short of graduating which to be honest I was ok with.</p>

<p>My parents thought I should take a break, so I worked full-time this last summer (related to my major) and I really enjoyed it. I came back for my 5th yr to wrap up all the "I" and "WP" grades and finish the other classes I needed & take a couple more classes that I really wanted to take but didn't have time otherwise.</p>

<p>Now it's a few weeks into the semester and the same problems are creeping again. I've had a sore throat for the last week and I've already totally blew a quiz in one class. It's to be honest a pretty uninteresting class, and knowing I have to step up and be extra into it doesn't make it better now. I just want to drop it and not deal with it right now.</p>

<p>Its just that to drop another class and get another WP doesn't seem like I've done any better this yr than last yr. Plus this class has a rep as one of the easiest classes in engineering so it seems totally ridiculous to drop it. There's the wasted tuition also, though my parents say they don't mind, it's still in-state rates and it's not going to be a lot relative.</p>

<p>any advice please? I'm taking the weekend visiting my cousin now (also a successful engineering major) trying to figure things out in my head, before I head back monday back to the grind of problems sets :) thanks everyone!</p>

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<p>This is the kind of question that you need to ask your advisor, department head, and career center. They can give you specific advice based on your school and your professional aspirations.</p>

3

<p>Have you seen a doctor? Maybe you have developed allergies, which can lead to symptoms and illnesses like you describe, even the lethargy and disinterest in classes. You could also consider seeing a therapist at your school health center as you might be experiencing some stress about finishing school and embarking on your adult life. I would rule out these two things first. Just taking action will feel good and may propel you through the next month. Stay in school and try to finish strong. If you are struggling with things that used to be easy for you, then you need to figure out why. Good luck.</p>

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<p>I agree with Bessie – you need to find out if there’s something medical going on. Look at your sterling academic record in the early courses. It’s those weed out courses most students complain about, not upper class courses. Good luck with this. The fact that you want to find a solution is very positive!</p>

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<p>I agree you might be having fall allergy probs - my daughter’s allergies gave her a killer sore throat that started in the middle of last week. A doctor’s visit is a good idea, or you could buy some Zyrtec (now available over the counter) and try taking it for a few days and see if that helps.</p>