I dislike college and my experience thus far: advice?

College Confidential Community
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<p>I've been going to a small Catholic University on the west coast for about two years. I'm a computer engineering major and I'm doing very poorly. I'm having trouble maintaining a GPA over 2.0. I don't think this is necessarily due to lack of studying; on an average day I tend to study anywhere between 6 to 14 hours (including weekends), and most of my time is spent in the library. I even regularly attend office hours and have taken lessons from tutors. Even so, I have still failed several classes. </p>

<p>To demonstrate how difficult of a time I'm having, last quarter I wanted to get my GPA back up, so I tried to make three out of four of my classes rather easy, but I still only received a C in two of those because I had difficulty retaining the information, even though I studied. My fourth class was a computer engineering class which I received a D in, even though I studied at least a couple hours a day, asked the professor questions after class and via E-Mail on a daily basis, and hired a weekly tutor. I was doing well for most of the class but some stuff on the first exam tripped me up so I started off a bit poorly. I did well for the rest of the class, until the final exam, where I had a lot of trouble putting together everything I had learned for the final exam, had a panic attack during the exam, and ended up receiving a 26%.</p>

<p>I also have similar problems with math classes; before college I was very much a "Math person," I did well in the two Calculus classes that were basically reviews of what I took in high school, but after that I struggled an extreme amount. I felt like there was so much information packed into the ten week courses at my school that I couldn't remember and retain it all. Homework assignments would take me much longer that they should have due to a combination of not understanding the material and getting extremely frustrated and then having to take frequent breaks to calm down. I have already had to retake multiple calculus classes now. </p>

<p>I'm also not really enjoying college in general. I haven't really made any friends or joined any clubs. I have problems with anxiety and socializing, and I do have a learning disability. I don't really like the general environment at my college either, everyone there seems a little stuck up. There's also just sort of this "fake," vibe that I get from people, where they put on this outwardly nice personality to random strangers, but in actuality most of the people there are just shallow and only really make friends with people in their cliques, though perhaps I'm just cynical about others because of the rest of my experience. </p>

<p>To be honest, I don't really think computer engineering is the right major for me, but I have no idea what kind of major I would change to. Additionally I'm afraid that changing my major could screw over my job opportunity prospects. I'm terrified of this hypothetical situation I have laid out in my head I change majors to like, English or Religious Studies or Psychology or something, and do alright but not well enough to improve my GPA a significant amount. So then two years down the line I'm stuck in this (hypothetical) situation where I can't find work because I chose a major with a poor job market, but I can't get into any graduate schools because my GPA isn't good enough, and to top it all off I still had an unenjoyable college experience anyways. </p>

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<p>I feel you, mate. It seems like the older we get, the less we are able to learn things. Maybe that’s just me getting tired of school. I took Calculus and Computer Science last year as well. I had to deal with the same frustration you described. I even thought about suicide. It was just that awful. Things didn’t end up well for me, so I gave up my dream of being a game designer and switched to something else. I m planning on becoming a translator or an interpreter. I have been to an ESL class before, and I quite liked the experience of working with people from other countries. </p>

<p>If you think your current major is too much for you, drop it and find something else you like to do. I know you are depressed right now, but you will feel better. Take a look at all the classes your college offers. Is there any of them that sparks your interest or curiosity? Try out some of them, maybe you would find something that’s surprisingly enjoyable for you. What are you taking for this fall semester, by the way?</p>

<p>And don’t mind the ones around you. You’re not going to college to look for a buddy or girlfriend. Ignore them, do your stuff, and get out. The more you stay in college, the more painful your life gets. Best of luck to you.</p>

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<p>Last quarter was when I tried taking more classes that were in my interests, but as I outlined in my post none of them really worked out as well. Next quarter I’m taking another computer engineering class, a physics class (the third in the sequence), and a political science course (for general ed). I’m also retaking another math class to refresh myself, hopefully it will be easier because I’ve already taken it. </p>

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<p>You mentioned anxiety and a learning disability. If you have documentation for these issues you can speak with the disability office at your school and may be eligible for extended time for assignments and tests. Not sure if you’ve done this already but it’s worth looking into. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Yes, I have done this. I do get extended time on exams, but only time and a half, which is much less time than I was offered in Middle/High School. During HS I would basically spend all day on math exams, which would greatly reduce the stress and allow me to think at my own pace, but now I can’t do that. I’ve adjusted to this more though, and I’m not sure if having more time on exams or assignments would really fix most of the issues I have. </p>

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<p>Perhaps you should explore something else other than academic. What would interest you at this time?</p>

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<p>I haven’t really thought about non-academic opportunities. What options would I have? All I can think of is trying to get a low-paying job and working my way up or working on a different path at a vocational school/apprenticeship (I guess this doesn’t count as academic?). However, I’m not really confident that I’d be more successful in either of those areas. Additionally, I’d honestly be kind of embarrassed if I were to end up not pursuing a higher education, since I come from a rather educated, high-income family where education is very valued, and I’m very close with my family. </p>

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<p>Are you good at physics? I once heard of a graduate degree for people that calibrate Cat Scan and MRI machines based on physics. The engineering stuff is super hard! Talk to the school counseling department and do on-line career quizzes. I heard software engineering is the most do-able for those not awesome in Calc. Best of luck and hang in there - never give up!</p>

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<p>I don’t hate my college experience thus far my freshman year, but I’m not in love with it either. I’m making good grades, but I’m an undeclared major when I want to be a Vocal Performance major. Not surprisingly, it’s so much harder to make new friends if you’re shy and an undeclared major, like me. I don’t have any friends right now, but I’m okay with that. I know that when I get into the major program that I want, friends will come.</p>