<p>Hi, this is my first time posting. I need some advice as to whether or not it is worth my while to continue college education and whether or not I can achieve my goals/dreams. A little background info: I am a first generation college student, Hispanic and have suffered from extremely debilitating depression. It caused me to spend two years of my life basically doing nothing but laying in bed. I graduated high school with a 3.8 and got a 1690 on my SAT (I took the test during the inception of my depression and I know I could have done better. I have taken practice tests more recently which prove that). After my two years doing nothing, I decided to go to a community college and give life another chance.</p>
<p>This last spring I obtained my associate's degree from a Bergen Community College. I had spent 3 years there and am currently 23 years old. My overall GPA is a 3.4. There is a sharp divide between my science GPA and my non-science GPA. My science GPA averages our to about a 2.0 GPA and my non-science GPA averages out to about a 3.85. I have 2 Fs on my transcript: one in Physics I and another in Drafting I. I have two Ws: one in Drawing Fundamentals and the other in Modern Dance. </p>
<p>My extracurricular during my years at Bergen are as follows. 3 years being a basic Student Government member. 1 year Model UN secretary with 2 years membership and attending the NMUN conference in NYC twice. 3 years of writing for my school newspaper winning two first place awards for two articles (one state wide the other region wide). Phi Theta Kappa 2.5 years with the first year being Vice President. 2 years working as a tutor in my college for about 20-15 hours per week.</p>
<p>My intended major for my undergraduate degree is Mechanical Engineering. In addition, to the poor grades I have gotten in my science courses so far (most of which form the pre-reqs for the major specific courses) I have no credit in any physics courses. I would have to take 2 years worth of physics courses in order to actually start my intended major. Further more, given my stats I doubt I will be able to get into any top school. My graduate level plans are currently geared toward admission into a top medical school and are becoming more and more elusive</p>
<p>I applied to Rutgers under their philosophy department with the hopes of eventually transferring to a better school with my intended major and eventually reach my graduate school goals in a great school. My depression and the inability to concentrate has been the biggest road block and I have been in denial of it up until recently. I feel that anything done now, however, is too little too late and that I have truly no chance to get into a top school for the degrees I wish to get. I am contemplating just giving up on college overall since it seems I have irreversible screwed myself over. Is it all possible to achieve my goals? If so, what actions should I take in order to set myself on the right path?</p>
<p>First, see your school counseling center about your depression. Second, reconsider your college goals. It really doesn’t sound like you are suited to science and engineering. Which if your classes did you enjoy the most?</p>
<p>I enjoy my engineering classes the most :/</p>
<p>What engineering classes have you taken?</p>
<p>You applied to Rutgers, for philosophy… because? You realize Rutgers is number 3 in the world for philosophy, right? Were you hoping philosophy would be an ‘easy admit’ into Rutgers…?</p>
<p>I agree with Erin’s Dad, you do not seem terribly suited to pursuing an education in engineering, especially if you’re trying to go to medical school and your science grades are brining down your GPA so heavily (not good for admission to any graduate programs, especially medical school).</p>
<p>I decided to switch to engineering at the end of of my second year in Bergen quite suddenly. I had not used any math at that point for 4-5 years and I jumped right in teaching myself Calc I while reviewing certain aspects of lower level maths. I placed out of Calc I with the CLEP exam. Then I took Calc II, Calc III and Differential Equations. I tried to take Physics I, but failed and I also failed Drafting I. Those are all the engineering major courses I have taken so far</p>
<p>I applied to Rutgers philosophy department because I enjoy philosophy and, like you said, it has a very good program. I don’t know why you are continually using ellipses and assume that I am looking for an ‘easy admit’.</p>
<p>I should say that the majority of errors in my science classes did not stem from conceptually mistakes, but rather from detail orientated mistakes. Mistakes more along the line of adding two numbers incorrectly rather than not knowing the process for a problem. However, it doesn’t seem, even with that being the primary reason, there is any way to fix the GPA that has come about from it that makes me look like I simply don’t know what I am doing. I have looked over my tests often and seen that on any given test, at best, I would have scored at least 10 points higher had it not been for those mistakes. I have asked my professors about them and they agreed on the nature of the mistakes, but were not able to offer me solid advice on how to correct it. It is also the reason I got As in every other type of course including several bio courses.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention that the time period in which I reviewed the previous maths and taught myself Calc I was 6 weeks.</p>
<p>Ok, if you want to go to med school, what is the point of the Mechanical Engineering degree? Why not go for something that doesn’t require 4 more years above what you have already done?</p>
<p>OP, those are math courses, not engineering courses. You haven’t taken any actual engineering courses. If you like math you can major in that.</p>
<p>Sure, but I am still wondering what I can do (if anything) to improve my situation and achieve my goals.</p>
<p>^You need to justify (to yourself at least) what your goals are and why. What is the point of the Mechanical Engineering degree if you want to go to med school (or law school, as you don’t seem clear on this point)? And Erin’s Dad is right - no actual engineering courses yet.</p>
<p>My community college does not offer any engineering courses; it only offers the pre-reqs to take them. I have been told that one’s performance in them is a reliable predictor for performance in an engineering curriculum. </p>
<p>Maybe my goals need to be changed, but I would still like to know if there is anything I can do to achieve them as they are.</p>