Hey, I go to UCLA and I’m currently a sophomore. I got mild but consistent depression that’s been going on for around three years. I was diagnosed just over a year ago and have taken meds since then. Grade 12 (senior year of high school) was pretty bad, I slacked off a lot and my houseparents (I went to boarding school in Canada) and teachers were kind of frustrated with me. First quarter of freshman year was very bad, I hardly went to class ever and never did homework. I skipped a few of my exams and pretty much failed all my courses (D+, No Pass and F). I slept something like 16 hours a day and could not wake up. I also felt really bad and down. I became subject to dismissal after the first quarter. For the second quarter of freshman year I took a quarter off and went back to China where my family is as it was obvious that school wasn’t working and the tuition that my parents were paying all went to waste. It wasn’t great either. I was bored to death with nothing to do. I got a job as a waitress for a month which gave me something to do for a while. Basically I just felt that life was very bland and boring with no meaning. I used to watch 8 episodes of TV series in a row which was the only thing I wanted to do and there was really not much stuff better for me to do. My dad wasn’t very happy with me since the only thing I seemed to do was letting time pass. It was during the quarter off when I went to the doctor’s and got diagnosed with depression since it finally was obvious to me that something was definitely wrong. For spring quarter (3rd quarter) I came back to UCLA and did a bit better in school and life. I went to half of my classes, did some homework and went to every exam. I felt much better mood-wise. I got a B and a D- for the quarter. Due to the unimpressive grades and got dismissed. I then did summer courses at UCLA since I had to get back into UCLA. Maybe it was because of the pressure from having to get readmitted, maybe it was because of the meds that were gradually improving my condition, I got an A, a B and a B+ for summer and got readmitted to UCLA. The first quarter of my sophomore year I got a B, a C, a C- and a D. I got a term GPA of 1.98 which was below what was needed to prevent being dismissed again (2.0). So I got dismissed again. Then it’s this quarter, winter quarter of my sophomore year. Processing was slow so I didn’t get notice of dismissal until the 3rd week and my classes for the quarter weren’t dropped till halfway through the term. The counsellor recommended me to enroll in the same courses that I was enrolled in before they were dropped through UCLA Extension for the rest of the quarter so that I can finish them. Now I’m still going to classes but haven’t re-enrolled yet. For whatever reason or maybe even no reason at all, my state seems to have worsened and I’m sleeping a lot more than normal again and during the day instead of the night too. I owe so much homework and feel so bad about it and just cannot be motivated to do it. I don’t know what to do, whether to re-enroll or not. I need two terms of solid Bs to get back into the school, but I don’t think I can get them this quarter. If I am to continue my studies, I can either re-enroll and continue with the classes but it will not count as a term of readmission since I can’t get Bs, or I can just not re-enroll at all and continue next quarter. Or I can take some time off school, working or traveling or whatever. I’m at a loss right now. What should I do? I don’t hate school and understand its importance, but it just doesn’t seem to work now. Should I persist to try it make it work or do something else to stop wasting time and regain confidence, hoping that it will work when I go back to school again? I need help. Thanks.
Sounds like you should focus on your mental health, then try to figure out what you actually want to do. Your parents are spending a lot of money to send you to school, but because you are not functioning well you are basically throwing the opportunity away. Is there a way that you can get involved in mental health treatment, both medication and therapy, and perhaps some career counseling to get your mental health under control and to figure out what your goals actually are as well as practical steps needed to get there? Then you can figure out what you need to do next.
I wouldn’t call this a “mild” depression…this is serious. I echo NorthernMom. Please take time away from school and focus on your health.
Thanks for your reply. I’m just unsure because I’m on medication already and there is no guarantee that I will get better if I take some time off, maybe I just have to live with it.
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate for concern.
If you’re depressed for three years, you should consult a therapist to try and get on anti-depressants. That can definitely help!