Any advice on the best way to raise GPA after a poor first semester to keep from losing scholarship?
take a couple easier classes. I would suggest some but it depends on your major. Don’t take too many classes. And study. I suggest studying with one other person. It tends to be more productive than large groups. I also would suggest going to the free tutoring. Talking to the professor can also help.
What GPA needs to be improved and how many credits were taken?
What is the major? Are the Core Req’ts complete?
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She has never had to study much
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You wrote the above awhile back. Was this part of the problem?
Daughter is an Eng major on the Pre Med track. She took Bio, H Chem, along with Math, English & HD. She really overloaded herself which is what I was afraid would happen. She talked to an advisor at mid term and they were very encouraging and told her to just make better study habits. She ended up not doing well in either science class (C & D).
Even though she has identified what the problems were and has plans to create better study habits and communicate with professors and advisors more, I’m still worried that she can’t pull her GPA up enough to keep her scholarship. She would need near perfect scores in each class she is planning to take. Right now she is taking Chem 102, Math 125, Psych, HD 202, & Intro to Eng.
Would she be better off dropping Chem 102 and taking something like Art History?
At this point, I’m not even concerned about the Pre med part because I don’t see how it would even be possible at this point. My main concern is not losing the scholarship.
Is Eng Engineering or English? And what is HD?
She is an Engineering major. Human Development
Quick question, does your daughter enjoy engineering and the science classes? Sometimes students find it difficult to study and concentrate on material they really don’t like. Perhaps she would be happier and therefore more inclined to study if she was in another major. Could she not just complete her Gen Ed requirements and find out what she truly enjoys. While doing this, take a lighter semester load, utilize office hours and the tutoring services, join study groups and plan out her assignments more carefully.
I started as engineering premed. I didn’t do well in my sciences. However engineering 103 is traditionally a grade killer. I took it over the summer and did well but I know a lot of people who struggled. Did your daughter take any physics or calc in high school? My suggestion would be to take an elective that’s she will need like ENGR 161 or 171. They are fairly easy and would help her grade. id suggest having her get help from other classmates. If she needs any help feel free for PM me. I’ve taken calc and intro to eng.
Agree with robotbldmom. Engineering is hard. If she is struggling now to keep a 3.0 she may struggle every semester. That’s a lot of stress on top of a hard major. Why did she choose engineering? Many pre-med students choose an easier major to protect the GPA. I know you realize that it’s probably already too late for med school now.
Which scholarship are you trying to keep? Hoping it’s not one where the engineering major makes up the 1/3 of tuition.
Last suggestion. If she is no longer premed, Id suggest dropping chemistry unless it’s needed for her engineering type. I switched out of premed and dropped Chen 2. I’m doing mechanical and aerospace engineering. I’d also encourage her to take ENGR 111. It’s a very simple class which I really enjoyed. This would replace the intro to a specific discipline like AEM 121 or ME 121.
Others will weigh in on exactly what is the probationary process for scholarships (or you can read previous threads on this). It may be that, with advisor permission, a lighter load is the solution here. But a ‘low’ GPA cannot be solved in just 1 semester, by taking less, IMO. Unfortunately, when you take 2, 4-credit hour classes together in a semester (and get poor grades) you actually require more credit hours in the future (with good grades), not less hours, to offset the poor ones. Taking less classes will not solve a GPA problem quickly. The law of averages is just not your friend when it’s the 2, 4-credit classes that are dragging down the GPA.
If preservation of the scholarship is the most important goal, then the student needs to come to grips with the possible consequences of not achieving the GPA required, and adjust accordingly.
Looking at her Sem 2 schedule you listed, that’s a lot of hours (again) and a ton of work, esp given her problems in the past. You have listed 2, 4-credit hr classes again (Chem + Math), and HD202 has a lab component (to be scheduled by prof) as well. PSY is not an easy ‘A’ (as my S found out), and ENGR 103 can be a time suck if you don’t keep on top of it. That is total of 17 credit hours, right? Whew. I don’t know an advisor worth their salt who would recommend this after a poor 1st semester, unless the student is VERY committed to turning this situation around.
The fact that you are posting right before the 2nd semester starts makes me anxious for you. I can feel your pain. I hope you were able to have some good discussions with your student over the break, and commit to a plan of action moving forward. Two things are needed to be successful at anything: ability + motivation. Make sure your student is being honest about both of these variables in her chosen major. Best of luck to you!
I was just like your daughter. I never really had to study and did very well in high school. So well that I started out in Chemical Engineering as a full scholarship student at UA. After a first semester much like your daughter’s (I overloaded and got a D in Chemistry and a C in Cal), I ended with a poor term GPA. Literally the worst GPA I had ever encountered. For my second semester I really focused on taking courses that not only interested me, but were worth at least 3 credit hours and fulfilled my Gen Ed requirements. This was the smartest thing I could have done. I ended out my second semester at UA with A’s and a B+. Due to the fact that my first semester was so poor however my overall GPA was just shy of the 3.0 required to maintain my scholarship, or so I thought. I was emailed over the summer by both of the offices I hold scholarships with, and told that I would be placed on scholarship probation for the Fall. I was then informed that in order to maintain my scholarship past the fall I would need to get a TERM GPA of at least a 3.0. I was ecstatic and more than a little relieved to get this news, being that I am out of state and was going to have to transfer if I had lost my scholarships. With this in mind, I assessed my interest, changed my major to Computer Science Engineering. and focused on doing well this past Fall. With new study habits I have gained over time and a renewed interest in my degree due to me changing my major, I was able to get a term GPA well over the required 3.0 even while working 20+ hours a week and taking hard courses within my major and minor. This allowed me to keep my scholarships at UA. I state all this to say that it is possible. Hopefully your daughter doesn’t stress too hard, and just puts in some hard work and focuses on finding something that she is passionate about. The rest will fall into place.
I cross-posted a bit w/ JacobiJanel. I’m so glad you posted JJ!! 
YES, finding what you are passionate about is so important to doing well in life. Good luck, students!
She has always wanted to be a doctor but was not sure that she would want to stay in school that long. It is my belief that the only reason she picked the Engineering major was for the pay (in case the med school didn’t work out). She really hasn’t taken any of the engineering classes yet so she is unsure how she will like them. We talked about maybe a different major all together but she doesn’t want to give up on the Engr until she takes the intro class.
Honestly, I think she would enjoy something different but I’m not sure what that would be. She has strong leadership and communication skills and has always enjoyed performing in plays and public speaking. Once she meets with a career counselor I am hoping that she will have a better grip on exactly where she wants to go from here.
I am certainly very anxious about her starting back with such a heavy load. I’m still going to try to talk her out of the Chem class before she leaves today.
Thank you all for the feedback. It is very much appreciated. JJ it was especially good to hear from a student who has been right where she is now and know that it is possible. Thanks so much and keep up the good work!
Is Intro to Engineering Engr 103?
CE 121
Intro to Civil and Constr Engineering 121
if her intro to engineering is ENGR103, that is not going to be a good indicator of if she will or will not like engineering as a major. It’s mainly a math and physics class with tedious problems. Dont let her make her decision based on that class. If I made my decision based on that class I wouldn’t be an engineering major. The career center is really helpful. I know multiple people who have chosen the major they suggested and love it
I just assumed she was ChemEng, because of the pre-med track and the heavy chem/bio load. Ok, so she’s Civil/Constr…? So she’s down to 15 credit hours (as you listed for S2). Still unsure why she needs to take Chem 102 at this point, when it is not listed on any of these majors until Soph year, per flowchart: http://cce.eng.ua.edu/files/2011/07/CivE-ConE-ArchE-EnvE-Curricula-Spring-2014.pdf.
CE (and related majors) is heavy on math, like HEAVY. If Math is not her best subject, and/or she does not enjoy it, this whole career choice needs to be completely re-thought, IMO.