Hi everyone,
I am a junior at my university but I feel like I’m getting worse and worse at school. I currently have a 2.3 GPA because I have failed about 16 hours (all in one semester). I have received mostly C’s since I came here. I was not used to this in high school… but now I am getting used to it which I know is wrong. My depression and anxiety gets worse by the semester. I am actually pretty good in the summer even though everything is compressed, but during the regular semester I REALLY slip, especially the spring semesters. I am about to do some therapy (finally) but I feel so drained and my grades are mediocre. I actually had plans for grad school but that just doesn’t seem possible.
I was wondering what y’all would recommend? Maybe college isn’t for me at this point? I just feel bad because I just received my class ring and will feel like failure to my family.
This is not about your family. This is about you.
But I think I would hold off on making a big change right this second You say you’re starting therapy-- great! Why not hold off and see how it goes?
It’s 4 months until the fall semester starts. A lot can happen in that time. Why not give therapy a chance? If you still feel strongly that you should take a leave, after discussing it with your parents, you can always do it before the semester starts.
OP, I am sorry to hear you are having a rough time. You are not alone – a lot of students struggle and the best thing you can do you are already doing – looking for help. It is hard when you are in the middle of a situation to see it clearly. I am glad to hear that you are starting therapy. Sometimes having an objective, yet supportive listener can help you to figure out what is best for YOU at this moment. I emphasize for you because your family loves you and wants what is best for you. But you may have to make some choices based more on your own decisions than what you “think” they would perceive. Remember that your well-being is the single most important thing!
Are you in finals? You say you feel better in the summer – it is almost here! You are wise in questioning your next steps. If you will start senior year soon, you need to discuss the possibility of grad school and whether it is for you; where; and when. But first things first: take time off next year, or not? Taking time off can be healing and restorative, but if you are unstructured about it, it can also leave you in limbo. Once again I really applaud your decision to start therapy. These are good things to talk over. What is better for you at this moment in your life? Once you feel you have settled on the best decision (there is nothing perfect, just the best decision you can make given what you have to work with) go with it. Please keep us posted about how you are doing. Hang in there!
Please continue! I have faith in you, maybe take the summer off…rethink your major. Maybe the one you chose just wasn’t for you. Could you also please elaborate? Do you study a lot and feel like you do horribly on exams?
Thank you guys for replying! I am actually going to do summer classes here while also doing therapy. Doing therapy is not something I want my parents to know, which is why school is also a good excuse. I am also at keeping up with classes during the summer for some reason.
Yes, it is finals time, but this isn’t the only time I’ve been thinking about leaving for a bit. I’m just not good at school anymore. I used to be a physics and astronomy double major, but right after high school, I decided to take the maximum amount of hours with advanced classes which ended burning me out. I changed majors at the end of my sophomore year to geography, which I enjoy a lot. I chose this major because it had a couple classes in the concentration I like, but I have to go to grad school to actually get the experience.
It’s hard for me to get up and do things, even with courses I REALLY enjoy and find interesting. Like I said before, I have failed classes and gotten many C’s before I changed my major, and I am planning to retake the ones that I may need for grad school to show that I’m trying… but if I do this, I may have to stay an extra semester… maybe just the summer… if I want my grades to pick up. Or I can just do what I need and stick with a bad GPA when I graduate. I don’t think I can stay an extra semester here though
Yes I study and do horribly, and sometimes I can’t even understand what goes in class, which makes studying more time consuming. I just want to graduate so I can start learning all I can about what I like, but I can’t get there with a bad GPA… but also I don’t think I can handle being here more than I have to.
Don’t overload yourself too much ! It can burn you out like you said. Also have you personally asked the professor and the GSI for help? Are you also taking care of yourself? Getting enough sleep? Eating healthy? Those little things can help you do better.