<p>First year of school I got into smoking a lot of weed. It ****ed with my brain and I got really lazy and depressed right after I stopped smoking. I realized my mistakes now but at the time I was just livin' life having fun. </p>
<p>Now it's summer and I'm at a 2.7. Need close to a 3.5 for my major so I need close to 4.0's both next semesters. But I have begun to experience depression and anxiety. It isn't severe but it's enough to impact my drive. I see almost no way that I can get A's in all my classes. I sleep for a very long time and I cannot physically get myself up sometimes which worries me for early classes. </p>
<p>Emotionally I'm alright but I can't seem to focus like I used to. My life is screwed up what should I do? I'm trying to beat this by the time summer is over but if not can I take the semester off or something?</p>
<p>I’m not trying to discourage you, or say that grades don’t matter or any of that. Higher grades are always better. That said, you do not <em>need</em> a 3.5 under any circumstance for a good job. You may have more difficulty finding initial work. But even three years from now, it probably won’t matter much. Grades mostly matter for your first job.</p>
<p>And though I have no idea what field you’re going in to, most people get somewhere around a 3.0 and most people have jobs. This is not the end of your life. You need to stop stressing out. It is good to work harder and try to get good grades, but understand that your life is not hanging in the balance. I would suggest making sure you clear a 3.0. That makes employment a lot easier. Under that and you may end up having to do temp work or something.</p>
<p>In essence, grades matter for your first job, but after that, what matters is your work history. I can’t tell you how your life is going to turn out, but it does not ride on getting an extra .5 on your GPA. </p>
<p>The most important metric in life is direction. Are things getting better or worse? Sounds to me like you’re moving in a better direction. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good. Be proud of yourself for improving and keep working on improvement. If you do, I can promise things will work out well for you.</p>
<p>I would not suggest taking a semester off. Then you really will get depressed.</p>
<p>I am attempting to get into the Smith School of Business as a Junior at UMD, and the school states that a 3.5 would put applicants in good standing. If I do not get in, I will have to switch to a non-business major. This is not ideal since I would like to go into Accounting or Finance. My other option would be transfer to a school where the Business School does not require a 3.5. I would not mind doing this, but UMD does have a more prestigious program than other schools that I could afford to transfer to (Towson for instance).</p>
<p>Edit: Also changing schools would be a big life change which I am not sure I will want to do after 2 years at UMD.</p>
<p>Take some time to really think about your goals in life.
Do your actions line up? If not, start making some changes. </p>
<p>Think about your goals every morning, throughout the day, and every night before you go to bed. The more you think about it, the easier it will become for you to realize what you need to do to get there. And slowly, but surely, you will start to notice some drastic changes in your life. </p>
<p>Nothing’s impossible. If you really want to get that 3.5, do it. Take this as a personal challenge. You’ll be surprised by what you can accomplish. </p>
<p>And as for the whole weed thing, try replacing your smoking with exercise. Exercising regularly will give you more energy and focus that will spread into all areas of your life.</p>
I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of a college that requires any major to have a GPA of 3.5 or above. How bad is grade inflation at UMD? I mean, generally accounting is a major that makes GI almost impossible, and the vast majority of Accounting majors are below a 3.5.
It is true that the Big Four, tend to mostly hire 3.5+ interns, but even they’ll take some interesting 3.2-3.3 candidates.</p>
<p>Is this Smith school like the honors program at UMD or must all accounting and finance majors have a 3.5+? Because that strikes me as crazy.</p>
<p>Honestly in accounting, the prestige of the school doesn’t much matter. Just make sure it’s a Big Four recruiting campus. Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a little pond, than a small fish in a big pond. Shooting for perfection at 300 and 400 level courses is a recipe for burnout.</p>
<p>Now if you’re going into finance, school matters a lot more. I know major firms recruit out of UMD, and they only do so for about the top 30 business schools. You would probably need something like a 3.5 and good interviewing skills to land a job with them.</p>
<p>Have you considered an accounting major with an MBA in finance? That’s the route I plan to take. It leaves my potential job prospects much wider and gives me a way to get into finance if I want to do so.</p>
<p>The good news is that you are functioning with a 2.7 and will likely graduate. The bad news is that you were self medicating and are now feeling the effects of no medication (weed). Consider therapy and the legit meds. GL</p>
<p>As someone with severe depression which started as mild depression many years previously- go and speak to a doctor asap so that you can get help asap. If they/you feel you would benefit, talking therapies are really successful in dealing with mild depression. They help with that ‘I must do… to be successful’, ‘I must be…to be a good person’ wonky thinking that puts so much pressure on yourself that you become paralysed by the thought of failure. </p>
<p>Meds might be an option for you if it gets more severe or doesn’t get better. Never feel ashamed for needing them. They might only be for 6 months to a year. Its not a weakness if you do. As for time out, it can give you a breathing space while you get all the other aspects of your life back in sync. Better to take a semester out than end up so ill that you end up missing a year or more. But you’re nowhere near that yet.</p>
<p>What you can do to help yourself, starting this very minute:</p>
<p>Exercise- It feels like the last thing you want to do (I argued with my doctor over it- I’m tired! Do it. But I’m tired! Do it. The doctor won. He was right) but go to your college gym and get them to make up a programme for you progressing slowly with a focus on attending 2-3 times a week and enjoying it (albeit perversely). The routine of attending combined with the serotonin released is enough to help a lot of people get back to normal. You might also make some new friends or acquaintances. </p>
<p>A daily schedule with a regular wake up and bed time and meals can also help. And avoiding alcohol as its a depressant. If there’s a college ‘nightline’ or helpline, use it for a good moan if you don’t have anyone to talk things through with. Just talking with someone- anyone can help ease the burden. </p>
<p>You’ve admitted you need help so all you need to do is ask for it from your local providers. That’s the hardest part done. Don’t let depression fester when its already affecting your functioning. And if you don’t feel you’re getting all the help you need in a timely manner, then yell louder. </p>
<p>Very best of wishes to you!
You’re brave to admit the problem and insightful to recognise it for what it is. You’ll get there :)</p>
<p>How long have you been sober? Detox your body completely and start working on finding things that make you happy naturally. I understand what you’re going through, the way it was explained to me was that my body was so dependent on weed for happiness and fun, I began to be lethargic about everything when sober. It takes time, try focusing on your priorities as hard as you can. Good luck.</p>
<p>“I see almost no way that I can get A’s in all my classes.”</p>
<p>I feel this is a large part of your problem. If you go in thinking this way, there’s no way you’ll get an A in any of them, let alone all of them. Think of each class individually and do everything you can to get an A in each one.</p>
<p>If your confidence is putting you in that mindset, maybe the business school isn’t where you should be. Knowing you need a 3.5 means getting A’s in most of your classes and if you don’t feel up to that, go for a major that you don’t need such a high GPA to get into.</p>
<p>Oh, and I’m looking to transfer to UMD next Fall and have been to an information session and stuff, and VulgarUnicorn apparently the amount of students coming in is what makes the required GPA so high.</p>
<p>Thanks for the posts guys. I am still going to shoot for the Smith school. It is possible even if it’s a longshot. I have also been seeing a shrink for a few months and she recommended some meds so I hope that helps. </p>
<p>I’m actually a pretty smart guy so I don’t think a 4.0 is out of reach!</p>
<p>Main reason I made this thread was to vent because I was feeling pretty down at the time. I appreciate no one calling me a screw up I know there’s a lot of geniuses on this site</p>
<p>Try the meds. Some people are helped enormously right away. Others just a little or need to switch to one that works better for them (no one knows which will be right for you without trying). But listen to what was said about exercising. Even just regular walking to start if that’s all you can do, but do more if you can to increase results. It seems stupid, but studies show it is very effective. It’s a ‘just do it’ thing. It will help with your overall energy and make you sleep better so you won’t need to sleep as long. Do all the little things that will help in the long run. Start setting an alarm now to train yourself so it won’t be such an adjustment back at school. These are things you can take control of.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t call anyone a screw up unless they drop out because they “think” they aren’t good enough and aren’t willing to do the work to turn it around.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that you shouldn’t allow yourself to become dependent on meds by telling yourself you need to take them in order to turn yourself around. Once you see that turn (and also your therapist) toward the better, make an attempt to get by without (again, with your therapist’s recommendation) by weening yourself off of them.</p>
<p>I hope my initial post didn’t come off as condescending as its not what I meant by it, just as long as you are determined it can happen.</p>
<p>-Most colleges have a center for counseling services. Visits are covered under your health services fee. See if you can make an appointment with a counselor there to talk about the issues. They are nonjudgmental and there to help you.</p>
<p>-If you live on campus, talk to your RA. You don’t have to go into detail if you don’t want, but it’s your RA’s job to refer you to resources for help.</p>
<p>-If you have an advisor, you can talk to them for study skills suggestions and help getting back on track.</p>
<p>-Exercise! Exercising and getting proper amounts of sleep really help with depression and anxiety. Make sure you are sleeping 8 hours a night, and exercise 3x a week at least.</p>
<p>-I disagree with the idea that taking a semester off will make you more depressed. A lot of students believe that, but typically the semester off makes them feel better and they come back ready to start again. Sometimes the stress of trying to keep up in school is too much and you need a break.</p>
<p>-Try these before you try medication. There’s nothing wrong with taking psychiatric medication - I’m a psychologist who studies mental health, I’m a huge fan - but there are many non-med ways to alleviate depression and anxiety if they don’t rise to the clinical level.</p>
<p>I also attend UMD, and I’m in the journalism school, which is a LEP but with much more leniency that Smith has. I know people who meet all GPA and course requirements for Smith and still don’t get in. It’s discouraging I’m sure, but something worth working for if it’s what you truly want.</p>
<p>Also, I would suggest finding a little help. I struggle with anxiety and depression and the wait list at UMD’s counseling center is NOT good. Like, I went in for my intake the second week of the semester and was never seen other than for a few drop-in sessions I did. Even if you don’t think you think professional help now, get your foot in the door as soon as you can because by the time you really need it, the center might just have an available counselor for you. Don’t wait like I did.</p>
<p>With that said, good luck to you. Smile, take a deep breath, remind yourself you’re beautiful and worthy.</p>
<p>People will, with very good intentions, tell you things like, “Just exercise! Get 8 hours of sleep! You can fix this yourself, so you shouldn’t go to a professional!”</p>
<p>But it’s not that easy. You said, “I sleep for a very long time and I cannot physically get myself up sometimes which worries me for early classes.” I’ve been there, and I know that when you’re that down, it’s really hard to exercise or do anything else that people tell you will help. </p>
<p>If you’re depressed, you need therapy, or a combination of therapy and medication.</p>
I know there’s a lot of geniuses on this site</p>