When it comes to school I have always struggled, but I was able to get my bachelors degree. I thought the next step was grad school. I was in grad school for counseling for about a year and I was doing ok, my first semester I had gotten an A and two B’s, the next two B’s and a C. The C hurt me but I was determined to overcome it. That was until I had my first research class. I did horrible, it was something that just didn’t click with me, I just couldn’t understand the analytical nature of it and subsequently failed the course.
The following semester I had to take it again, and needless to say that along with the anxiety of previously failing the course made the course super stressful. In this class, it was expected to comprise a research proposal with a topic that interests us. Needless to say, it was very hard. I failed the course yet again and was kicked out of the program.
There are a lot of factors as to why I failed out, the biggest one is my ADHD, I have severe ADHD and I struggle with motivation and procrastination and I am on medication. I’ve tried everything I can think of and yet it still gets me every time. I would want to start something and I just can’t. It’s something I’m trying to fix in therapy but I don’t know how long that’s going to take.
That about a month ago and I’d love nothing more than to go back to a counseling program but with this now on my record, I have no clue how to go forward academically.
Failing one class is not the end of your academic career. Even in grad. school. My first thought it to get a job and try taking that one challenging class on its own. Either in the summer session or during a regular semester. Maybe if you only have that one class to worry about you can do it.
Everyone fails something sometime and for those who haven’t - you haven’t lived. It’s ok. Just press on. Remember a FAIL is a First Attempt In Learning.
I would like to add that doing research papers involves a step-by-step process. If you did not have to do research papers in HS or as an undergrad then you could be at a loss to know where to start. And if you leave things to the last minute you set yourself up to fail.
Honestly I think your self described lack of motivation and tendency towards procrastination are your biggest enemies. Do not retake the class unless you can overcome those issues. If you retake the class (and I agree that if possible doing it over the summer as the only class you take may be a good idea) please do the following:
– look at online resources that discuss how to go about writing a research paper.
–set deadlines for yourself and stick to them (ex.set a time-frame to do research, write outline, write draft, write paper, finish all the details (correct footnote format etc.). Let the professor help you set the deadlines so the timing makes sense.
– go to your professors office hours regularly – let him/her look at where you are as you progress
– go to the writing center if your college has one
If you don’t feel you can get through the research class then maybe take a break from school and work for a while – sometimes that can help you to find your path.
OP, the class you failed required that you develop a research proposal and you wrote: “it was something that just didn’t click with me, I just couldn’t understand the analytical nature of it and subsequently failed the course.”
The first step to developing a research proposal is to read a lot of research papers so you can understand the sort of questions other people are trying to answer, the techniques they choose to use, and how they analyze their data. If you can understand how other people justify and pursue their projects, and the sort of problems they tackle, you should be able to identify a topic that is interesting to you, and propose an approach to study it.
The other posters addressed research - very important points. There are resources are your institution to help you (even as a graduate student). Find out about them and use them. You can do this!
Can we also just say: maybe it is- but maybe it isn’t. Grad school works best when you have a clear goal, and have chosen both the type of grad school program and the grad school course that will best take you there. Grad school takes a lot of work and strong motivation is usually what gets people through it.
Take a step back. Work out what direction you really want to head. Look at the different pathways to get there. Figure out a pathway that works for you. It might not be a classic grad school path. For example, you were in grad school for “counseling”- but there are several different pathways to become a credentialed counselor. Work on figuring out what your end goal is- one that you really* want.
You are on the wrong medicine treatment program! If your clearly have the signs of ADHD and the medicine is not working time to find something that does. Plus try biofeedback. It works great for ADHD and you see the results in a short period of time. Problem with ADHD meds is after awhile your body just gets to used to them. Sometimes you need to switch to something else. Excerise, diet, meditation etc all help.
After getting that under control or better break up everything you do in very small segments. Do one segment then take a break. Do the next segment then take a break. And so on. This is a learning skill that you can master. Do this with everything you do.
Make lists, use your cell phone calendar, set notifications on your phone with reminders. Follow through… You can do this!
You wouldn’t need to do research as a pro counselor. But you certainly would need the ability to read research studies, analyze, wrap your head around them. Maybe find a job in the field that allows you to help people, while you tackle the issues and decide what comes next. In other words, start building the rest of the resume.
Meds don’t “cure” ADHD. They give you space to approach differently. But with years of some faulty thinking/action patterns, one often needs a chance to learn the skills they missed before. A good therapist can help, sometimes a life skills coach or mentor. The idea is to learn better ways to approach your own life and task management and your decision making.
If you do find a pathway for going back to get a degree in counseling or social work, complete the course assignments you were unable to do on your own before you re-enroll.