Can't survive in my dream school

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>So I was your typical high-achieving high school kid. Near-perfect SATs, grades, rankings, awards up the wazoo, interesting life, etc etc. I didn't graduate from a very good high school so everyone was amazed when I got all these scholarships and into every single school and program I applied to.</p>

<p>I turned them all down (including HYPS) to go to an elite LAC. All along I told myself I wanted an unparalleled academic experience. I did well quantitatively because I felt I /had/ to, but I really wanted to become a better thinker/writer/person/etc. I understood the challenges I was taking on, I was excited to get over senioritis and get back into my work, I was ready to be done being the big fish, etc. I feel like I did everything to mentally prepare myself for college.</p>

<p>Fast forward to end of midterms (my last one was tonight) and I have never felt more hopeless in my life. I did not expect to feel like such a failure. I got Cs on my first two midterms, and I was literally guessing on tonight's. That one is a DEFINITE failure. There are no curves because at least one of my classmates will be intelligent enough to break A. Even people who I know are not as intelligent as me are doing well, since they all went to XYZ prep/academy...The only way I'll survive my calc course is to ace the next midterm and the final.</p>

<p>But I put in the time and effort...My classes aren't too difficult, but the work is killing me. I do readings throughout the day then have homework to do for hours every night. My language class' professor literally told us our first week that we should be doing three hours of work per hour in class. And we meet every day. During the week I am never anywhere but class, the dining hall, the library, and my dorm. If I don't turn in an assignment, it's because I had to do some other teacher's work (keeping in mind I have something due every day for at least two courses).</p>

<p>The problem is, now that I'm finally understanding the pace at which my classes move (halfway into the first semester), I'm already too far behind on the concepts and stuff to catch up. </p>

<p>On top if it all, I'm involved with a sport that is very time consuming that I cannot quit because it's the peak of competition season and I play a critical role on the team...I seriously have no more hours in the day to put any more work into unless I start cutting into sleep time. I was going to do work-study to get some change in my pocket but I'm so glad I didn't because every spare moment counts. I literally want to drop classes or drop out period, and have gone to see counselors on campus and whatnot, and they all just say "It's just adjustment."</p>

<p>I have no idea what my game plan should be, besides trying to finish the first semester. Is it supposed to be this rough or is this place maybe just not right for me?</p>

2

<p>Sounds like you have been poorly advised and are taking too many courses in your first semester. No matter how well you do in high school, there is always an adjustment period in college and some students just need time to figure it out. The fact that you are involved in athletics is putting additional stress on your academics. You should continue that but maybe take a minimum full-time load. I see this situation all the time with my advisees at Illinois Tech.</p>

<p>All that being said, you say you believe that you have figured out what you need to do. This semester may not result in the grades you want but if you have really figured it out, you should be all set for next semester. Finally, you need to realize that you will probably not get the same kinds of grades as you did in high school all the time. The workload is more challenging and if there is no grade inflation in your college, a “C” is really average. I know that it seems difficult to take right now but if you improve in future semesters, no one will really care what your grades were in your first term.</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

3

<p>It does sound like a very tough adjustment period. A few thoughts:</p>

<ul>
<li>Maybe things will get easier once your sports season is over. If it does, you have to give some serious consideration to either dropping your sport next year or taking a lighter load during the season. You need to stay on track to graduate, so be careful about the lighter load (did you bring in any AP credits that could be used in this capacity? That is something you should discuss with your advisors.) Even if you feel an obligation to your team for future seasons, you have a stronger obligation to yourself and your education.</li>
<li>Consider whether you are in the right major. Could that be contributing to your difficulty?</li>
<li>Foreign languages are so danged hard at the college level (at least, everyone in my family thinks so, it kicked our tails big time). Hopefully you took some in high school and are close to done with your requirement there.</li>
<li>I failed my midterm in Calc I at a top university many years ago. In fact, it was a multiple choice exam, and our TA said that our class average was below what a monkey GUESSING at the answers would get. :frowning: I dug myself out of that hole on the next two tests, and ended up with a B+ in the class. But it took making a flash card for EVERY nuance of the class, EVERY problem that had a new twist to it, and studying those darned things everyplace I went (I remember going thru them in the dining hall line…).</li>
<li>Something to think about is whether those students from the prep schools know something you don’t about study skills and time management. I remember when my older cousins went to Swarthmore, they would get their science class textbooks and study them the summer before school started so they would be well prepared for their fall semester. You can’t do anything about that this semester, but something to think about in the future. At a minimum… next semester see if you can start out working head on the syllabus in some classes right from the start (at least one day ahead). If you have done the reading or tried the problem set BEFORE the lecture, then you come in knowing what you don’t understand and ready to pick up the nuances. One of my kids who had trouble in math tried this, and her grades went up.</li>
<li>I don’t think you should drop out. It seems like you DO now understand the pace, and next semester you will be better prepared for it even if this semester is really rough.</li>
</ul>

<p>Hang in there – you may need to make some adjustments, but you sound like someone who can adapt and learn what you need to in order to succeed. You sound like you have come a long way to get to where you are – keep plugging and let us know how you are doing.</p>

4

<p>May USA how many classes/credits you’re taking?</p>

5

<p>I understand your situation. First time of college in freshman year is the hardest of the four years. You’re confused and not as confident as a senior in high school. At least that’s how I felt and now I’m a sophomore and still feel that way a bit. As for assignments, last year I used to spend all day doing homework and nothing else. When my grades were not what I wanted, I learned to study in the second term without spending so much time and got better results at the same time. I basically learned to manage time better in the second term.</p>

<p>Don’t worry about the counselors. I go to an LAC too. They’re just degree toting people who don’t really understand you. They have so many cases a day that they are overwhelmed and cannot/do not wish to care about every person they see. </p>

<p>You are in a rough spot though. With those grades, it is going to be difficult to pull through with good grades this term. I’m not sure what you are majoring in but if you are premed, I don’t know what to tell you since every term makes such a big difference. Basically, just pull through this semester and try to pass all of your classes. I would suggest quitting your sport next term and taking up the work study. Sports use up crazy amounts of energy so they leave you tired even when you’re not playing them. Work studies can be fun and depending on what you do, you can multitask, getting some work done at the same time or just chilling out. </p>

<p>Recap: You did not make a bad decision by going to this college. You obviously chose it because you liked it and therefore it was the right decision. You are just short on time- that will naturally get fixed by next term but you should also try to lessen your load for next term by cutting activities/taking a more balanced schedule. Just get through this term and then rock the next term. I know it may sound cliche, but what’s done is done, and now you just have to make the best of it.</p>