<p>I am absolutely devastated after finding out my GPA of 2.56 for my freshman year today. I feel like an absolute failure. is there any humanly possible way to pull up my GPA? I can't even describe my feelings right now. I would really appreciate any advice you guys are willing to offer. anyone with a similar experience?</p>
<p>Whoa. How'd you do that bad????</p>
<p>I mean, **** happens dude. And of course you can pull up your GPA, but you have to work harder from now on!</p>
<p>But i honestly want to know what went wrong this year...</p>
<p>wait, are you an incoming freshman? I really don't know what went wrong! I studied, but not that dilligently. but i studied nonetheless. I can't believe I got 5 C's my first year at college. somebody help me. I wonder what I did my past life to make me deserve this in college.</p>
<p>Did you not see this coming? Did you do similarly bad 1st semester? Did you tank your midterms too? My biggest concern is why it's coming as a shocking revelation to you at this point that you did so badly.</p>
<p>Some people go to college and fail. But you got in, so you must be an intelligent individual? Did you party too hard? Not make time for work? Bomb your finals? There has to be an explanation.</p>
<p>honestly, I feel like one has to try to get that kind of gpa, no offense. Clearly, there are some reasons why you got it or b) you do not belong at a rigorous school like Columbia.</p>
<p>well. okay. lets say that my first semester was a lot better than my second semester. I thought i did pretty terrible my first semester so I actually tried harder my second semester. I read, went to class, and though I did not do so hot on my midterms, I did not think that I would end up with C's! jesus christ. I don't know what could be a louder and more painful wakeup call than getting a 2.56 GPA. and if you know me personally, you would have never guessed that I did that bad academically. no I rarely drink and I rarely go to parties. isn't it like that with all columbians?</p>
<p>are there people in similar situations as me? or am i just alone? i know i should have seen it coming. But I didn't expect it to be as painful as this.</p>
<p>if you're going by the adage 'misery loves company' by asking if anyone is in a similar situation..i would say its a bad idea, considering probably no one here will respond. just believe that about a quarter of the student body is doing just as poorly as you and you'll be fine :) but i do have to agree with some of the others, this can't be much of a shock to you.</p>
<p>yeah. ...sign*</p>
<p>
[quote]
just believe that about a quarter of the student body is doing just as poorly as you and you'll be fine
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't have the numbers, but I'm afraid that this is greatly inaccurate. The median in CC is, what, 3.3-3.4? I would highly doubt that there are 300 kids in each CC class who have a GPA that's almost a full point below the median.</p>
<p>For an incoming freshman, that makes me feel so better. phew!</p>
<p>c2002, that was sarcasm.</p>
<p>Well from what I remember, professors who want to give you below a B have to go to committee to spell out their case.</p>
<p>
[quote]
c2002, that was sarcasm.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>what was sarcasm? that unicorn13 will be fine? y would u be sarcastic about something like that? just shut up rather than make a fool out of urself.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Well from what I remember, professors who want to give you below a B have to go to committee to spell out their case.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>not true.....MAYBE in core classes this MIGHT be true but it is def not true beyond that.....your grade is completely in the hands of your professor....they can give you whatever grade they think you deserve....they only have to explain themselves if you complain that you think you are being treated unfairly.</p>
<p>The first two possible reasons that pop to mind: your high school preparation might not have been as good as your classmates'; poor time management skills. But the fact is you've gotten a real wake-up call and need to look for help. If your Cs are in quantitative or introductory science courses, don't just proceed to the next level without making sure you got enough out of your first year classes. Go to help rooms, seek tutors. If your Cs are in classes that require papers, get help with your paper-writing skills. There must be some sort of study center or writing center that can help. Why don't you start with your advisor at the freshman-sophomore advising center, at least finding out what resources are available and picking your Fall classes carefully.</p>
<p>It's not that Cs are terrible, it's the fact that Bs or B-s are now the new "average" on many curves and so Cs indicate you performed below the class average in five courses. It's easy to get blindsided in a class or two because, unlike high school, so much of the grade depends on just one or two exams. But to get blindsided by your total performance indicates you should try to figure out what you need to change about the way you are approaching the material and how you are studying. You still have plenty of time to recover, but be proactive.</p>
<p>thanks so much Sac! you are the probably the only person who has been helpful thusfar. I know what I have to do now.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It's not that Cs are terrible, it's the fact that Bs or B-s are now the new "average" on many curves and so Cs indicate you performed below the class average in five courses.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually, B/B+'s are now the average in your average CC class. C's are significantly below the average and is a pretty rare grade.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I know what I have to do now.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Do you really? It's not easy.</p>
<p>Why don't you enlighten us instead, C2002? :P</p>
<p>Unicorn did not indicate CC or SEAS. C's are not rare in some courses, though they are in the CC core curriculum. My point still holds that five unexpected C's indicates that the poster needs to figure out the problem and address it, rather than feel something just happened, justly or unjustly. And, since this was the first year it is not too late.</p>
<p>As to how difficult it is to fix, that depends on the problem. Study skills can be taught. Paper-writing skills can be taught. Sometimes it is as simple as not realizing the leap in expectations required from high school to college in the level of thinking and analysis. The majority of students at Columbia went to excellent private or public high schools, but there are certainly plenty of high schools out there that do not prepare even "A" students to study for finals or write essays or research papers at the college level. Sometimes it is a poor choice of courses -- someone who is used to taking the hardest load in high school signing up for first year college classes that are not the appropriate place to start, or not balancing the type of classes. Could be lots of things that can be fixed, not just a lack of hard work.</p>