<p>So, I got a 3.19 overall GPA, and while I think it's /okay/, dropping from a 3.8 in high school to a 3.19 in college is a pretty lovely smack in the face...</p>
<p>Anyone else want to share what they got? I've heard of freshmen in engineering getting higher than that first semester (I'm a Bio major) so that's another smack in the face. Obviously I need to work harder (med school T_T) but I'm curious if anyone is in the same situation as me.</p>
<p>My first semester at Purdue, I got a 3.6 GPA. I took a one credit seminar course, the intro engineering class, calc I & gen chem I (I had taken AP Calc AB & AP Chem in HS so they weren’t horrible classes for me) and English. So I didn’t have the same first semester shock as a lot of people do. The next few semesters were worse, as I bottomed out with a 2.86 after my first four semesters. And now after some summer classes and just getting a 3.11 on the semester with a 3.01 overall.</p>
<p>Basically, almost everyone hits some kind of wall academically in college whether or not it’s first semester freshman year or later on down the road. What is most important is that you recover from it. You have a semester of struggles under your belt, and you can probably figure out where you can improve in your study habits. Plus, if one of your classes this past semester was Bio 110, I took that this semester and even thought it was hard as a junior. </p>
<p>And on the upside, at least you weren’t my friend who got a GPA of less than a 1 his first semester.</p>
<p>First semester I got a 3.9 in FYE. Apparently my high school was extremely rigorous, because transitioning to a college work load wasn’t too harsh (still difficult nonetheless). I’m dreading hitting the wall, it’ll probably happen next year… </p>
<p>My boyfriend has a 3.19 cumulative gpa now though (EE). I’ve also known a lot of people who nearly got kicked out of Purdue (2 or 3 did…) so there’s no doubt that college is difficult. </p>
<p>So you’re not alone. </p>
<p>It’s difficult, but power through! You can do it!</p>
<p>My son got a 3.3 GPA as a freshman but did place out of Chem I & II, Physics I & II, and took advanced Chem and a a few other advanced courses. He thought he had an A based on grades, but got a B in Chem advanced for Jun/ Seniors, perhaps a mistake but never got with the Prof (had other things to do…). An A in Chem would have put him at a 3.6.</p>
<p>Math was rough and tough. I looked over his tests for Algebra, much different than what I recall, very tricky</p>
<p>Engineering Honors I was a ton of work, and he got a B. Very difficult tests</p>
<p>BTW: I ended up Tau Beta Pi, top of the engineering at my top rated engineering college and got a B Freshman year. Each semester I worked harder, learned to review my test scores and lab scores for errors, obtained better study habits, looked for better lab partners…</p>
<p>It is not how smart you are, or how hard you study but more of a combination of how you use your time, how you study, how you learn how the prof. tests (some are by their notes and lectures, others off the wall), what counts in labs, homework, checking to see if grades are missed that you turned in (this happens all the time), learning what works best for you, finding good study partners</p>
<p>There are always the kids that can look at so problem and go in multiple directions and solve perfectly, no help needed. They are an exception.</p>
<p>Most of us need to learn to learn, learn to execute, learn to anticipate, learn to prepare – all to excel </p>