Retaking classes because of mental illness?

Applying to College
1

I ask this question because of my poor GPA.

To be blunt, my GPA is not good and it greatly concerns me. I have a 3.3 GPA as a sophomore. It is so low do to middle school. Yeah those years. See I attended a magnet school called Treasure Valley Math and Science Center. This was a magnet school officially for 7th to 12th graders who excel in STEM. I got in as a 6th grader but I did not get good grades. I got almost straight B’s there for 3 years excluding my last semester at that school in 8th grade. My grades were so low due to undiagnosised bipolar depression. Depression caused intense brain fog, complete lack of motivation, apathy, anxiety, and well a bunch of “lovely” symptoms. I was suicidal for half of those years and was living in a dysfunctional home situation. While these grades were from middle school they were included on my high school transcript.

And this is not the only cause of my poor GPA. My freshman year I was taking a more difficult course load than other students at my private school. I was taking APES and a math class called Advanced Mathematical Concepts which is a combination of Alg 2 and Pre-calculus. So first semester went great and I got a 4.0 no effort. That semester though my brain entered a very bad episode of depression except without the brain fog so my grades did not drop. Well my second semester I was supposed to hospitalized for obsessive intruisive thoguhts and had active plans to kill myself. But that never happened and I was stuck taking antidepressants for my misdiagnosed major depression. Antidepressants essentially acted like a chemical lobotomy and I got a 2.7 for that semester. Also my parents marriage was quickly crumbling at the time which also affected my grades. Thankfully, I got of those pills and am now back to fairly functional land. I am getting all A’s and am taking a rigorous schedule which has Pre-calculus, AP Biology, AP Physics 1, and Competitive Speech and Debate.

So due to circumstances a bit beyond my control, my grades took a major hit. I have been talking with my GC about retaking some classes online to boost my GPA back up. Should I do this and do you guys think that my poor GPA will have an affect on college admissions? I am scared that due my brain being a turd, I won’t be able to get into good colleges even though I think I have the skillset and capability to get into them. Any advice will be amazing.

2

I think you should! :smiley: It may reflect on your application, yes. But if you’re still working it out then don’t lose hope just yet. I’m a slow learner, caused by my dyslexia, myself yet I was pretty determined I want a good education though I hopeful to get a good education and so I tried to apply to study abroad and now, luckily with the help from diversity abroad I’ll be able to attain that education. I’m rooting for you to keep on working for your college :slight_smile:

3

You will be unlikely to be accepted to any college for which you don’t meet academic requirements, irrespective of the legitimacy of reasons for poor grades. That may be disappointing, but there is always an option of transferring later if you take additional classes in high school or sustain good grades in community or another initial college that demonstrate developing academic skills.

I think you need to think about depression. Misdiagnosis and inappropriate medication happen and may result in both new and exacerbated problems. Unfortunately, in the early stages of diagnoses doctors sort through symptoms that are not unique to particular disorders. Early-on, then, the diagnosis is the one that most likely accounts best for the most symptoms. It is unfortunate that you were misdiagnosed at first and faced difficult consequences, but it does happen.

What you report about emotional symptoms jeopardizing your academic performance from middle school well into high school suggests more than an single event. A bipolar disorder includes symptoms of both depression and anxiety with more typical behaviors between episodes. It seems possible from your history that the diagnosed disorder is episodic. You might also have stopped medication when you were not symptomatic which is very different from not needing medication.

You need a clear statement and understanding of expectations from the physician who diagnosed or is treating you. You may need medication and will probably need to try several to find the best fit for you. Be aware that medication must build up to be effective so you may not see positive results for several weeks, and the wait is frustrating. When a good medication is identified, you must be compliant with it because good results don’t mean you no longer need it. Instead, positive outcomes indicate the medication is working to prevent symptoms or at least their severity. Think insulin rather than penicillin.

Ultimately, you may continue to experience problems related to the Bipolar Disorder that you will have to work around. Initially, register with campus disability services. Also think about yourself as a person such as times of day or length of time you are at your peak and plan classes in view of your personal clock. Develop a class schedule for each that can be managed within an episode or has one or even more classes you could drop if necessary.Think practically about your needs and preferences like college students should. Along the way, monitor your strengths, difficulties, reactions (feelings), and responses (behaviors) as you learn to navigate your world as an adult, possibly as someone with Bipolar Disorder. Again think diabetes, you have something in your life that you must account for that doesn’t determine what kind of person you become or your success.

I hope you find high school graduation provides relief from many unsatisfying years and that you will enter college with renewed hope and motivation.