I know the short answer is yes however, I’m kind of nervous going into college because I didn’t do the best academically while I was in high school. I still ended up landing a spot in a UC which is good, but I’m scared that I may not do that great. For me, I usually tend to get a hold of things a little too late. In middle school, I started getting a hold of things the last year and the same thing happened to me in high school (I got straight A’s my last year). I’m just super nervous that I’m not going to be able to adjust as fast as I want. Maybe I doubt my capabilities too much but I’m not sure.
On a side note- I got “bad” ( b’s) grades in high school because I had a super rough time due to external situations. I constantly felt lonely (and still do) and had a lot of problems. Man this post probably sounds so dumb but I’m scared. My family is moving out of the state right when I start and I don’t have friends to fall back on. Hopefully I’ll make friends in college??
Everyone is nervous about going off to college, so you aren’t alone! You will make friends, but it may take time. Have faith in yourself and your abilities. This will be a time of personal growth for you. It won’t always be easy (it isn’t easy for anyone) but I think you will do well!
I find it disheartening that the current thought is that a “B” is a bad grade. It isn’t. Not everyone is going to get an A and “back in the day” when it wasn’t uncommon to get a C in a college class. I guess this is what grade inflation has done.
Everyone is nervous about starting college. They are nervous if they can do the work, nervous about making friends, and nervous to be living away from home. Just do your best, keep a good attitude and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You can do it. Try to enjoy the experience and don’t think too far ahead. Just deal with one thing at a time.
I also happen to think that loneliness is a feeling that is common among people in their 20s and maybe even 30s (and beyond) who are living on their own. It’s a big change to be self-sufficient. IMHO, being alone is something that has to be learned and some never learn it. Hang in there - growing up is hard but you can do it.
Both my sons did better in college than HS. They were well prepared, and found the taking classes in subject matter they were interested in–and thinking about preparing for a job and life–really turned up the effort and desire. As to being lonely, use college as the amazing opportunity it is to connect with people your age, with diverse AND similar interests and backgrounds. Think of yourself being an “arms open” person, start up conversations, develop an elevator pitch about yourself, ask lots of questions of other people to spark conversations. Try new things. You will find your people!
@empireapple
-I was conditioned to think that getting a B is a bad grade by my school! Of course getting a B isn’t “bad” at all (that’s why I put it in quotation marks), but I guess that’s part of the problem. I keep my standard for grades high and so when I get something below an A I get disappointed however, it’s a good motivation system if you don’t use it to invalidate how smart you are (still working on that part).
-Thank you, guess I have to live in the moment.
-Yeah, I agree, it’s part of the growing process but it’s hard when you have so many different things going on and you can’t share that with anyone. People always come to me with their problems (and I love helping them! I’ll literally help anyone that comes to me for help when they’re feeling sad or just want to rant) but, when I need the help I never get the support back and it makes me feel terrible.
A few comments:
– Getting a few B’s is fine. If you make any academic expereince about getting all A’s you will likely find yourself anxious and unhappy. Don’t let a teacher or professor become the sole arbiter of your success. Your goal should be to do your best work in every class.
– My S’s guidance counselor told me in no uncertain terms that admissions officers do an excellent job of only accepting students who can do the academic work required at the college. If you got in, you should expect you have the tools and ability to do the work. Go to classes, keep on top of the work, seek out help if needed etc.
– HS is about getting a broad education. In college, once you finish any general ed requirements, you should be able to major in a subject that dovetails with your academic interests and abilities.
I think the colleges have something to do with it. For some programs in my kids school they can get nothing less than a B. A B- doesn’t make it. Not sure I agree with penalizing a kid who struggles his first semester.
The thing that jumps out at me is you got accepted to a UC. It’s not that it’s not important to stay on top of material no matter which UC, but with exception of UCB and Merced, other UCs operate on quarter system. A 10 week quarter goes by in a heartbeat and staying on top of material from the start becomes more critical. So if on a quarter system, you cant “get a hold of things a little too late.”
Oh gosh yes! I was a so-so student at best in high school…i still got into a great college because back then, it wasn’t hard…and then in college, kaboom! I just felt my mind awaken…plus, i graduated from a small school (75 kids in graduating class) and I had known most of them since elementary school and suddenly I realized that the world was way bigger than I ever knew. (and I was also lucky to have amazing teachers).
Yep, it’s completely possible! I’m actually a living example. I went from a 3.4W (2.9 UW) GPA in high school to now sitting at around a 3.7 in college. I currently go to the best public uni in my state as well, so it’s not like I went to some random school out in the middle of nowhere. In short, it boils down to two things, how well you deal with change/how hard you’re willing to work and how you learn. For me, the latter mattered more than the former, since I was always a good test taker but I never had the patience to do any homework once I understood the topic we were covering. So going into an environment where doing the homework and going to class doesn’t matter as much and tests account for more of your grade, it actually ended up helping me rather than hurting. But this is just how I prefer to learn. However, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort, I’m sure you’ll do fine.
Also, you got into a UC no less, which means that you must have done pretty well overall in high school (even if you don’t think you did). Just believe in yourself and give it your best (I know this sounds really cliche) and you’ll probably do fine.
My D was a total underachiever in HS. Despite having tested into the gifted program for K and (after we moved) attending an elementary school for gifted kids, she refused to take any honors or AP classes in HS and basically phoned in every class her first two years. In her junior year, she decided she wanted to teach and worked harder after that. She graduated with a 2.9 GPA. With no honors/AP’s, she had no weighted GPA. In college, she worked hard and graduated magna cum laude.
Absolutely. Heck, I didn’t even finish high school. It’s not that I was a bad student and flunked all my classes. I just didn’t care for my HS and I let my immaturity get the best of me. I dropped out in the 9th grade. I eventually earned my GED, went to community college, and transferred to a great private university. Things were definitely hard at first, but I managed to get into the groove of things and finished my senior year off strong.