My future is ruined. Where do I go from here?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

This past year, my freshman year, has been a complete and utter failure. And now, I have no options or potential anymore at success.

I started off stuck between premed and business, and decided to take premed classes while applying to Ross. I knew several other people who were doing it, so it seemed reasonable to me. But after slaving away night and day for a top GPA, what did I end up with? A 3.4. You might think its not a terrible GPA, but according to all the Ross and premed kids, it IS. Yesterday, I was rejected from Ross, and with that GPA, I might as well not even apply to med school, since knowing my luck, it’ll be the same story as Ross. I don’t know what I’m capable of anymore, and since I’m out of state and feel like I should love Michigan, I just hate myself for not measuring up and being able to succeed.

I truly did try to push myself and adapt to a harder courseload in college. I studied well in advance for exams, got help from tutors and professors, and did nearly everything I could to succeed. And it wasn’t enough. Those same kids who were taking calc 2 and orgo and applying to Ross all got in, while I didn’t. And come med school applications, I will inevitably lose to those kids and more.

I realized that I can improve my grades by sacrificing all non-essential extracurriculars and social time to study, volunteer, and prep for the MCAT. Will it still be enough? Some people are blessed to be able to balance both, I am not, as I now realize from my results last year. Besides, nobody really cares about me anyway, and trying to spend time with friends and go out and enjoy life has been for naught. I’m sick of trying when nobody gives a damn about me. I honestly feel worthless at everything I do.

TL;DR I messed up and got a lower-end GPA, eliminating me from two fields I am passionate about. What do I do now? Engineering will take another year of tuition, and there is nothing else that appeals to me. I love Econ, but Econ is seen as the consolation major for reject Ross kids like myself. Where do I go from here?

2

You need to get away from these thoughts that you’ve ruined your life!

Please! It is your first year in school. You tried to do two things at once and were listening to the wrong peers.

You’ve managed to survive a very difficult school curriculum and with a decent GPA.

Your job was to go to school and survive. You did that, and have learned how hard the transition from HS to college level work has been.
You have three years to go; that time will go quickly.
If med school is your target, continue to work at that, and only that. If engineering is your target, focus only on that.

Don’t spread yourself so thin!

It does get better.

3

If you are still pre-med, it is definitely possible to “recover” from a 3.4.

I invite you to consider why you want Med School vs why you wanted a business career (or did you want a business degree before applying to med school, which is also reasonable).

Also, leave some time for yourself. In econ you may have heard of “diminishing marginal returns”. Just because you are putting more time in, does not give you a higher chance at success. Leave some time to socialize and take a break. Seek that balance.

Finally, while many students at Michigan express rhetoric saying that Econ is a “consolation” major for Ross rejects, that is rather silly. Why is it silly?

  1. Econ is objectively more difficult than a BBA

  2. Econ majors have the option to pursue an Econ grad degree at a top program after graduation. This is not the case for BBAs

  3. Many professionals in the business world will tell you that pursuing an undergrad business degree is silly - Ross is only a desirable option because it does a helluva job in handfeeding career opportunities to its students while inflating their GPAs.

What do I know? I have very close friends in both Econ and Ross, and have had the opportunity to take coursework in both.

4

@yikesyikesyikes I did want to get a business degree as a backup, or possibly a means of working in healthcare consulting. But that’s out of the question now. And the career services do matter. It seems to me Ross and Engineering are considered the “superior” schools. And as far as diminishing returns go, nobody actually likes me, so it’s more valuable to try to get a higher GPA than to waste time failing at getting people to like me.

5

Well, right now you have two choices.

Major in economics at Michigan

Or

Transfer to your instate business school.

Which seems more appealing?

Economics at Michigan is definitely a well recognized major with excellent prospects and you seem to like economics.

But if you cannot bear staying at Michigan, you can transfer.

6

I think you need to step back, take a breath and stop the fatalistic thing. You’re life is ruined because you got a 3.4??? Think about other things to major in. You get discouraged too easily. Toughen up, maybe pray about it, and then forge ahead in something else. You are too hard on yourself

7

@MYOS1634 Wouldn’t Statistics or Math be better majors than Econ to major in? The main problem is, since I couldn’t even hack it in Ross or pre-med, what would I even be cut out for? I would like to go into a field with a high career trajectory, but maybe I’m not capable of that, as seen by a 3.4.

8

Stop! Your future is not ruined. We’re just talking about time and money. Figure out a plan and execute it.

9

You’re not supposed to get everyone to like you. Making friends is all about being yourself. Don’t force it. You can’t have met every person in the world to make this statement.
Taking things to the extreme doesn’t help.

You are allowed to MAKE MISTAKES. Everything is not ALL or NONE.

You learn from challenges. Strategies and working around problems are part of life. My husband’s company commonly inserts the term, “work-around” when they get stuck on a problem and need temporary solutions. Once they find a solution, they delete the term “work-around”.
If you get knocked down by one thing, you go around. Attitude helps.

10

You go to Michigan and your GPA was above university average. Are you screwed for med school? Short answer: no.



You are also a freshman who took weeder classes. Your GPA will rise.



Rejection sucks. But it doesn’t mean you’re not going to have a future.

11

@SharlieCheen22

You are being way too dramatic.

“And now, I have no options or potential anymore at success.”

You have no options for potential success because you had a 3.4 freshman year GPA? Really?

Let’s think about that. As @guitar321 pointed out, your GPA was above the university average. If your life is ruined because you got a 3.4, then isn’t the average Umich student screwed? Do you think the average Umich student is screwed? People have gotten jobs with a sub 3.4 GPA from Umich.

Also, according to this link, people have gotten into medical school with sub 3.4 GPAs:
https://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/threads/can-i-get-into-med-school-with-3-45-gpa.926600/

12

I posted an old link, but here is a more recent one:

https://www.studentdoctor.net/2016/05/4-ways-get-accepted-low-gpa/

As people have pointed out, you still have opportunities for success.

13

BTW DO schools allow you to be a physician and now that you’re nearly out of weedout classes you’ll see your GPA climb back to 3.6 for MD schools. If you really want to be a doctor, it’s still possible, with an economics major if you wish, but to ensure you become a physician decide you’ll apply both to MD and DO schools and stop worrying.

It’s more worrisome that you’ve got no friends.
Did you spend all your time studying in your room? Join clubs? Participate in charities?

14

@MYOS1634 I joined clubs and talked to people, but I got the sense nobody actually wanted me around and simply tolerated me. I can’t go out to parties or games or restaurants or events, since I have no one to go with. Clubs are only for resume-boosting, not for socializing.

As far as academics go, what level of med schools am I already eliminated from? Like even if I go all out and get 3.8 or something I’m still screwed? I’d rather be unhappy in undergrad than not get a good job or grad program. It’s the necessary sacrifice.

15

My concern here is that you seem to have a very pessimistic view of the way life works leading to feelings that after one year of college everything is ruined. I think seeing a counselor may be a good idea to help,you with your thinking and how you respond to setbacks, big and small. A few other point system to consider:

  1. It is not true that only the tippy top of the top have a chance at a successful life. And grades are one small part of what results in a successful life.
  2. Your 18-year old peers do NOT know a whole lot about grad schools or the working world. Make an appointment with a pre-med advisor and/or the career placement office. Get your information from sources who know what they're talking about. This will allow you to make a more realistic evaluation about your potential.
  3. Not having a BBA from Ross will have little effect on your long term success. There are thousands and thousands of students who get BBAs and Econ degrees from less prestigious universities and go on to have success in business. There are also successful people in all areas of business who have little or no formal business training.
  4. From what I understand, there is no such thing as a "bad" medical school. IF medicine is what you want to do, you have plenty of time to improve on your GPA, which is certainly not bad to begin with.
  5. Social support is important, even necessary for human beings. I'm worried that you think that having no friends is what it's going to take to be successful. Please rethink this and talk to a counselor who may be able to give you tips on connecting to people. Having personal connections will also help you to view things in a more positive way instead of focusing on your perceived failures.
  6. Social skills are also important in both medicine and business. Medical schools today are looking for people with skills beyond getting a 4.0. Successful business people need good people skills - especially in consulting. Do not discount the value of clubs and other activities - participating in them will give you valuable experiences.

Your life is just beginning! You obviously have potential - please talk to someone who can help you put things into perspective and teach you to engage in more positive thinking.

16

You are too worried about what others think. If you love Econ, then major in it. Or make the decision to grind out the pre-med grades. (You can major in Econ and be pre-med, too). Don’t wallow. Get up off the mat. You still have options.

17

I agree with a lot of what has been said.

Michigan is a tough school. Your GPA is above average (mine isn’t). Do not let other’ opinions on what you are studying influence you. By the way, extracurriculars are not just for resume boosting. You CAN make great friends in them. Please think about what your goals and values are, and make decisions based on that. I think what you need to do first is talk to an academic advisor. Assuming that you are in LSA, you can have a phone appointment with your advisor (or another advisor if you prefer) if you are not in the area this summer. If you are not having a great time with your extracurriculars, please PM me and I can point you towards some great groups on campus.

18

This is a lesson for all of those kids who were super stars in high school. If you go to a selective college, you will meet your match…and especially if you take pre-med weed out classes. Work hard but adjust your expectations a bit. And, as all of the other posters have said to the OP directly, you’ll be just fine. You did everything right.

Just as an anecdote, I have a good friend from undergrad at Northwestern who was a Political Science major who took pre-med courses. His grades were not as high as some of our classmates. He went to medical school at a directional state school (I’m sure it’s the type of school he NEVER would have considered for undergrad.) Today, he is a super successful doctor who manages a huge staff at a very impressive hospital.

19

If you are taking premed classes there are many other healthcare fields that you can look into aside medical school.
There is dental, do, physical therapy, nursing, optometry, podiatry, physician assistant programs just to name a few. If you are interested in healthcare have you considered public health or healthcare administration?
There is healthcare informatics, and data analytics. Take the time to explore the different careers in healthcare to find the one most suited for you.

The key to success is resilience. Don’t let obstacles and challenges you face discourage you from focusing on your goals. Learn from those experiences and move forward. The path to becoming a doctor is a very long one and not everyone has what it takes to become one. Being able to multitask and handle stressful situations are skills you need to move forward. You also need good communications skills no matter what career path you choose. Medical schools don’t want students that just do well academically but students that are well rounded and have interests and hobbies aside from their medical ec’s. The whole process is stressful and you need an outlet for fun otherwise you will burn out.

20

You are far from ‘screwed’. I know people who have attended top 10 MBA programs with a sub 3.0 college GPA. Granted, they had excellent business credentials and high GMAT. All is definitely not lost. Also realize that your 3.4 was when you took the ‘weeder’ grade curved classes, which include Orgo, the Calc sequence, Econ etc. It will get better - usually a lot better. If you can get your college GPA to around 3.7 you’ll be fine.

CoE is an excellent option too. Many med school interested students major in ChemE which gives an excellent career path in case med school does not work out, or if you find you don’t like it.