Hello
I need advice for the decisions I am soon to make regarding staying in USC or going to UCLA. I am a transfer student from a community college and I was recently accepted in USC as a computer science/computer engineering undergraduate student. However, due to multiple reasons such as burnout, deterioration from sleep deprivation, health damaged from stress, etc. I ended up in a situation of possibly failing 2 classes this semester at USC. I’ve only been here for 2 semesters (2nd semester in progress) but due to this horrible mistake I am thinking of leaving USC and applying to UCLA for a second chance. I am not sure of the consequences as I’ve never failed a course before and have always been an A student, so the likely outcome of failure is devastating to me. Since I got into USC I am thinking I should be able to get into UCLA and never mention attending USC. I thought of just saying that I’ve been working for 2 semesters instead of attending USC. I know I should talk to a counselor about some of this but they are not available at the moment so…
Should I stay in USC and face the consequences or apply to UCLA while still attending USC (and leave if I get accepted)?
You’re burned out and ill. Transferring to UCLA (even if that were possible) isn’t the solution. I would recommend seeing if you can withdraw from the classes you’re failing and taking an incomplete due to health reasons. Speak to your adviser at USC about the repercussions of possibly failing two classes. (It could put you on academic probation, but it’s something you may be able to overcome with better grades in the future.)
Consider taking a semester off: you clearly need a break and an opportunity to recharge. Any transfer at this point, to UCLA or anywhere else, would likely result in further bad grades unless you address the underlying reasons for your academic flame-out. Since you’re generally a good student, I think once you do get back on track, you should be fine at USC.
I did withdraw one course in this semester and the deadline has passed for the other two. I felt confident enough that’ll I’ll be fine, but I was wrong. In terms of taking an incomplete, it is too late as the 12th week of the semester has passed. I wasn’t aware of that till now too.
What if I transfer to UCLA and before starting the first semester there, I take a leave of absence to improve my health conditions?
Colleges you’ve attended and your transcripts are reported to the National Student Clearinghouse and will be in their database, so you can’t pretend you never attended USC or start over somewhere else, and your grades will follow you wherever you go.
I agree with @katliamom 's excellent advice. Transferring won’t solve the underlying problems. Talk to an adviser as soon as you can, find out what your options are and consider taking a leave of absence. Remember, college is not a race. Take care of you first and the rest will work itself out.
Best of luck!
You should still be able to withdrawal if there’s a medical reason. Go talk to a counselor asap and see what can be done. Transferring will not be likely if you’ve struggled academically this semester. You’re already a transfer student, my advice is figure out a way to withdrawal from the classes, regroup, and finish your degree at USC.
I would say FIRST talk to an adviser to see what your options at USC are. If your health issues are documented and if a doctor says your academic performance was affected by a previously-undiagnosed medical condition, you may be able to get a retroactive medical withdrawal from USC. Literally, the school erases your presence there. That would be good for you, since those F’s will disappear off your academic record.
If that is not possible, I would explore what your other options are at USC. Most schools will allow a medical leave, and when you’d return to USC, you would likely be on academic probation. But that’s something you can deal with by getting better grades in the future.
As for a UCLA transfer, sorry - only UCLA can answer your questions. Odds are, you’ve complicated the transfer process by failing classes at USC (UCLA will know.) They may ask you get your grades up first, before they admit you.
Classes are over at USC for this semester, they are in finals starting this week, so ya, it is too late to undo what has been done. You are gonna have the F’s and you need to deal with that by retaking the classes. Transferring is not a solution. Deal with what you have and if you need more time off than the summer to regroup, ask if you can take it. It is hard to tell if these are health issues or just bad time management. Either way, you can not go elsewhere like this didn’t happen. You have to deal with it at USC - that’s what advisors are for - to help you. Make an appt or go sit and wait to see one. Lots of kids fail classes, what you do going forward is what counts.
“Lots of kids fail classes…”
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question (I rarely socialize with other fellow students), but are you saying that failing a class is common?
I’m not sure if I will fail a class yet (I am preparing for the worst case scenario).
“If your health issues are documented and if a doctor says your academic performance was affected by a previously-undiagnosed medical condition, you may be able to get a retroactive medical withdrawal from USC”
Can this option be applied after finals week or it must be before especially when grades are determined?
No, you cannot lie to UCLA and pretend that you never went to USC. UCLA will require transcripts from all universities attended, and there are ways that they can find out you were enrolled somewhere else.
But I agree with the others that the focus right now needs to be on your own mental health. It may be a good idea for you to take a leave of absence now from USC and get healthy again before you decide on your next move.
Lots of kids fail classes in college, even when they were A students before. You’ll move on and pick up and life will be fine. It’s not going to prevent you from achieving success in the future. You just have to keep pushing and do the best you can.
“If your health issues are documented and if a doctor says your academic performance was affected by a previously-undiagnosed medical condition, you may be able to get a retroactive medical withdrawal from USC”
Can this option be applied after finals week or it must be before especially when grades are determined?"
Yes. If you have medical proof that you failed your courses due to a previously un-diagnosed medical condition then you can get a retroactive withdrawal even months after you leave school.
@SolitaryHuman What I am saying is this isn’t the end of the world. Yes, students fail classes, their gpa takes a hit and they have to retake them to graduate. But they go on to make it in the world. Reading between the lines, you sound like a student that has never made a mistake or has very high expectations of yourself. Please, don’t beat yourself up over this. Whether it was a health issue or a lapse in judgement, you can recover from this. What is causing the stress now is you don’t know how. I personally know a kid who had a 1.8 gpa - was on the verge of being kicked out of his school, met with dean, got some counseling and raised his grades over the next couple semesters to all As and a couple Bs. Kids fall down, you either pick yourself up or get some assistance doing so.
People have jumped to health issue, but that is not clear to me. Why did you do poorly, really? Did you spend time on other things, not put in the effort, or are there really health issues going on? Burnout and stress is the way of college life for a lot of students. If you have health issues, then there are things you can do as suggested. But don’t think about making up or exaggerating health issues to get out of this, that will never work.
It can and does happen to the best of students for a variety of reasons. Although I know you feel devastated at the possibility, it’s not a “horrible mistake.” I knew many people in college who had never gotten anything less than an A in their lives and didn’t know how to handle it the first time they did.
The first year of college can be a huge adjustment in itself, but you are also dealing with stress, lack of sleep, and you are in one of the most difficult majors at ANY university. Sometimes these things can snowball before you even realize what’s happening, and the stress and lack of sleep can make problems feel bigger than they really are. Don’t beat yourself up. See an adviser as soon as you can, find out what your options are, and make the best decision you can based on that information. Pick up the phone or walk over there, but don’t put it off, OK? That first step will be the hardest, but they’ve seen this before more times than you can imagine, they want you to succeed, and they are there to help you do that.
Based on your screen name and your saying you rarely socialize, there may be other things going on that you don’t feel comfortable sharing, and that’s OK, but you might look into campus counseling services, too. Your health and well-being should be your #1 priority right now.
Hang in there.
take a leave of absence from USC- rest and regroup- and then think about what you want to do.
but you CANNOT pretend you did not go to USC, when attemptig to transfer.
You will be found out and expelled from both colleges and it will be on the National Clearinghouse record for any and all colleges to see.
@blueskies2day – lovely post. I agree 100%. OP, read it carefully. And maybe twice.
I was in the same boat after my freshman year at Ohio State. I flunked a few classes because I didn’t care and stopped going. One of the problems was the school and classes were too big, and I never felt engaged in my education. I was also desperate to get away from my family in Columbus. If that sounds like a similar situation to yours, going to UCLA could make your situation worse.
I transferred to a very small school a long way from home (University of Alaska, Fairbanks) after my freshman year, and that helped. But the reality was I just wasn’t interested in school, was running out of money, and needed a break. I went into the military for four years, and came out a lot more mature and appreciative of school. Then I went back to UAF and finished my degree. A few years later, I got my Masters from USC.
While I was in the military I was able to take a few classes at the local California community college and really enjoyed the laid-back, low-stress atmosphere there, so maybe a CC would be an option. The teaching was very good.
I’m not necessarily saying go into the military or transfer to a CC, but it sounds like taking a year off might be the thing for you. After six months, seriously evaluate what you want to do at the end of that year. If any advisors and counselors tell you things that don’t sound workable, ignore them. My advisors at the time I was having problems were useless. It was totally up to me to decide what to do.
@SolitaryHuman just to reiterate what folks have already said: please go see a counselor. There is no other way to make the situation better - or at least get it on the right track. USC is not going to wave a magic wand or ignore your class performance, but they may be able to help you find ways to soften the fall a bit, and figure out a reasonable plan with you to work your way back on track.
Noone on CC can really help you beyond giving advice. USC knows what is happening in your courses anyway. An academic advisor can help you make a realistic plan and having a realistic plan is where you need to start. Good luck. This is not the end of the world. Hit it head on and you’ll get through it.