Advice Needed: I failed two years of community college

College Confidential Community
1

Ok, first things first, before I go into detail, please refrain from comments such as “you should’ve known better” or anything hurtful or offensive. I realize my mistakes hence why I’m trying to find solutions as to what to do to improve. So please no negative comments, just positive advice.

So I took a year off after high school because I was just so unsure about what I wanted to do with my life. After a year I decided to enroll in community college so I could eventually transfer to a four year. Unfortunately for me I’m not the best at school and just got really lazy and pretty much failed the entire first year. Trying to up my game, I retook all the same classes the following year and failed those because my lazyness got worse and towards the end I had a fmaily emergency which took most of my attention away and completely didn’t put in any effort. So at this point, I have failed the same classes twice. (Actually, I only failed them once, they’re mostly W’s since I withdrew). I’ll post my current transcript below.

So I realized that I seriously need to get my sh*t together. So I’m taking the classes again. What I want to know is, if I retake these classes and receive A & B’s in all, does that wipe out my failures? Does it look horrible to colleges? Will I still be eligible for transfer? Also, what if I retake the one class I received a C in? Basically I want to know if my chances into being admitted into a UC or a good four year as long as I meet the requirements are still good. Thank you all in advanced. Hoping for the best :slight_smile:

JOURN-150 102 Intro to Public Relations - F
ENGL-001A 117 English Composition - F
HIST-011B 101 World History from 1500 - F
POLSC-001 104 Politics and Govt in America - F
ENGL-001A 119 English Composition - W
HIST-011B 101 World History from 1500 -W
JOURN-021 101 Mass Media & Society - F
POLSC-001 103 Politics and Govt in America - F
ENGL-001B 110 English Composition - W
ENGL-001A 122 English Composition - D
ENGL-086A 101 Survey British Literature I - B
HIST-017B 107 History of the United States - B
MATH-013 117 Intermediate Algebra - W
PSYCH-010 106 General Psychology - A

2

I would suggest you take some time to figure out what exactly went wrong, and how you will make concrete changes before signing up for a third try.

This is not meant to be a negative post, but a sincere post to get you thinking and moving in successful baby steps.

Think small, you are in great need of confidence building baby steps to prove to yourself you are changing old habits of laziness and taking positive steps forward.

Start with planning out the next three days. Do you want to set tiny goals of working out, or at least walking out in nature? Set time for cleaning and organizing your home, to give you a spot for studying.

What have you been procrastinating? Add that to your schedule. Fit in time to eat, be creative, visit with friends, work or whatever you need to accomplish.

After three days, evaluate how you did. Did you stick to your plan? If yes, pat yourself on the back. If not, examine what derailed you and figure out what changes you need to make. Then try the 3 day schedule again.

I suggest you enroll in only one course to start with. And pick something you enjoy, not a course you HAVE to take. Once you complete that course successfully, you can take a bigger step with more courses.

Ask for help. Early on and often. Schedule blocks of time for schoolwork. Go to your schools study center where free tutors can help you. Visit your professors in their offices and ask for help. So many resources are available to you, including counseling if you are overwhelmed.

College is not a race, it is a journey. And it may not be the right path for you. Consider all your options, including technical and trades, apprenticeships, and on the job training. So many ways to move forward to successful adulthood.

If you have access to career services at your college, take some testing to figure out your talents and strengths. Make sure your goals align with your strengths.

Best of luck to you. Your determination and perseverance will take you far in life.

3

One very important thing you have to keep in mind is that some schools do not practice “grade forgiveness”. That means, even if you get straight As in all of your classes and replace all your Fs, some universities will add the Fs back. For example, University of Delaware and Rutgers do this, and I’m sure many others do as well. Just keep that in mind for later down the line when you’re transferring.

4

I think that before you attempt community college again you need to figure out what went wrong and how you can fix it. Perhaps after you figure that out you can attempt one class and see how your plan works. Maybe you can get a job right now and make some money while you figure this out.

Good luck to you.

5

@gypsywanderer95


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Basically I want to know if my chances into being admitted into a UC or a good four year as long as I meet the requirements are still good. <<

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You must first demonstrate the ability to succeed in community college before thinking about a far more demanding UC or “good four year.” Focus on Step 1 – getting your Associates degree.


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So I'm taking the classes again. What I want to know is, if I retake these classes and receive A & B's in all, does that wipe out my failures? Does it look horrible to colleges? Will I still be eligible for transfer? <<

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I don’t know, but what choice do you have? you are 3 years out of high school and so far you have 1 A, 2 Bs, and a D. I don’t see what else you can do but retake the classes and do your best. If you can turn it around and get your degree, then consider where you can transfer … but have reasonable expectations. A UC or “good four year” might not be attainable, but from where you are now, getting into any decent 4-year would be a win.

but all this assumes that college is even the right path for you. maybe your CC has vocational programs that will train you for a good career that would be a good fit for you. sit down with an academic advisor at your school and put your heads together to come up with a good plan of action for you. you can still turn this around.

6

Dude, don’t listen to these people, you will not get into UC, an F is a horrible thing to have on your transcript. Even if you turn around and have A’s from here on out it just shows a lack of caring. From what I see about the UC system is that they have a pretty requirement to transfer. That’s the bad news, the good news is that you can get into college somewhere, somehow. However, if you keep making bad grades you will bury yourself in terms of a degree. You can explain to an employer that I was stupid and young, but if you have 10 F’s sprinkled throughout you college career then why would they hire you? You can always drop classes so take more than 12 credits, probably like 18 then you have leeway to drop one or two if you need to. I feel convicted even saying this too you because I could very well find myself in a slump this coming up semester. However, if you trust in Jesus Christ anything can happen, I would be remissed if I told you that F’s were ok. They are never ever OK. If your professor tells you, you are past the point of dropping, then you march right down to the dean or admission counselors and rub your eyes till tears come out, seriously colleges don’t want you to drop after a certain date but it’s not a law. Correct me if that is a federal condition. Have faith and I’ll pray for you situation, just find something, anything that you love.

7

Who has been paying for this? Who will continue paying for it?

I ask because it seems like an unreasonable investment. I am guessing that you are not self-funded. A better move at this point would be to go the self-funded route. If you are working and paying your own way I think your motivation would naturally improve. Do this long enough to earn an associate’s degree at the community college. At that point, your history of improved grades and improved effort would make you a better bet for admission and funding.