<p>try to study by not looking at the answers while you are doing each question. If by next midterm your grades don’t improve you can drop the course and retake it. dropping is better than getting an F. however you will loose the money you put into it. </p>
<p>my first year of engineering was horrible. I was taking 6 classes (as required by my transfer school) and working part time. I ended up dropping 3 classes in my second semester. by now i am re-doing them and I am getting good grades. I have learned to keep up with practice questions between each lesson. And to do whatever it takes not to work a part-time job, while being a full time student.</p>
<p>Freshman year in college can be a time of challenges and adjustment. I don’t know your specific classes, but generally, the final only counts for a portion of your grade. If you got an F, have to ask yourself if you were honest in how prepared you were and how much you studied during the semester. Some college students slide through classes thinking they can cram for a final the night before the exam which usually doesn’t go well, when they finally realize they really didn’t know the material that well.</p>
<p>Also need to look at your time management. Are you able to appropriately spend you time studying, keeping current on materils or do you find too many distractions from either ECA’s, new friends, etc. that tend to divert your focus from studying?</p>
<p>It is always better to start out slowly and not get overextended with outside activities until you see how challenging the academics will be. Where you went to h.s. can also have an impact as now you are competing with many others who had verious h.s. backgrounds and the level of competition is probably greater.</p>
<p>I hope you’re feeling better after seeing these replies and getting such good advice. I think most students are surprised at the increased expectations in college. It happened to me on my first test at college, and I know my son experienced it his first semester also. Different classes in college will require you to find different study methods that work, and learning how to “learn” is a major component of college. Meet with the professors to get advice on the best way to study and prepare for their class. You may still see a boost in grades due to a curve, only at the end of the semester. I’m sure your parents will be okay, knowing that you are doing your very best and trying to correct the situation. I’m sure you will end up doing well because you care, and are being proactive.</p>
<p>My background: I am and student working on completing my masters degree in engineering at the moment. </p>
<p>First, the professors should have provided a syllabus to for each class. When you enter each class, make sure you have read the material PRIOR to the lecture. Ask questions during class and SEEK out the professor during office hours. Make yourself KNOWN to the professors. Most students fail to ask any questions and never speak to the professors. </p>
<p>Second, get a TUTOR immediately! Your university should have a learning center where students offer peer tutoring! The students who are allowed to tutor fellow students are almost always the A students from previous classes. HENCE, these students can offer you a tremendous advantage by giving you good hints about what to expect! I tutored engineering students and always did my best to convey the material and PREPARE them for their upcoming exams. SOME professors will make previous exams available, some will not. </p>
<p>Third, ALWAYS study BEYOND what the professor teaches you. If the professor assigns 10 homework problems from chapter 3, you should DO all of those problems PLUS additional problems! Find other problems and DO them!</p>
<p>Your original post mentions you studied hours and hours for your exams- a vague statement. I have a 3.89 GPA with almost 200 credits completed in engineering. I can tell you if you want an A on an exam it could easily require 50 to 100 hours of study. Obviously, much depends on your professor, competition and university. Learn the material NOT just the problems and you will infallible. </p>
<p>Lastly, tell us exactly what classes you are having trouble in </p>
A bit more info here, please. How many hours are we talking about here? And was it all just before the test, or from the start of school? </p>
<p>A lot of kids do well in HS on native ability and a bit of studying; in college, and especially in the sciences and engineering, you can probably count the number of students that can get by like that on one hand. Math & science classes often require 7-10 hours of study outside of class each week. Some try to cram, but research has shown that to learn something it is much better to do distributed studying rather than hunkering down for a few hours before the test. School started at A&M at the end of August, so to give yourself a fair shot you would have been spending 7-10 hours per week on each class over the last 7 weeks. That is what it is going to take most students to learn the material well.</p>
<p>One other suggestion, in addition to what has already mentioned, is to get the “Problem Solver” books for the classes you are taking. These are like the thick SAT prep books but focused on a subject, and have thousands of worked problems. This feeds in with post #26, which encourages you to do additional problems. It truly is the only way to learn this kind of material. Sit down, work some problems, check your answers against the worked-out solution, keep going until you’re getting them right.</p>
<p>The classes with the lowest grades at this point are physics and calculus, which are vital to my major. Like I said before, I had little to no problem with the material itself. I averaged an A on all homework assignments and quizzes so far in Calculus, and B on the the quizzes in Physics.
I recently received and email saying my midterm grades were not satisfactory to keep my financial aid, and I need to pull them up by the end of the semester, which I think should not be a problem to get them to the minimum GPA I need to keep them, but that goes to show how poorly I have been doing to this point. The only grades that I have that are A or B, are in classes that have nothing to do with my major.
That being said, I’m not prepared to switch majors, I still think I’m in the right one. I’m just concerned about how the second round of tests in the next few weeks is going to determine a lot for me</p>
<p>i did bad my first term too… It is biting me back in the butt for sure. You can do better like i did after my first term, but hate to say it but it will continue haunting you for a few years.</p>
<p>Be careful about keeping your financial aid. Talk to your advisor - it may be necessary to drop a course near then end (as long as credits don’t fall below minimum). Also check if there is grace period for recovery… at some schools there is. Good luck !</p>
<p>Many students crash in their first semester or year. What is important is that you respond responsibly and find what steps you need to take to get back on course and what support is available at the school. Our DD tanked her first term and ended up with a mental health withdraw from two classes after the term and after she had failed the courses. Speak w your advisor about options and recommendations. It doesnt sound as though you need to write off engineering so soon.</p>
<p>may i ask what engineering it is? I too will likely attend TAMU next year and will do engineering. This kind of makes me want to change my mind…</p>
<p>FullMetalx - Most engineers take the same courses freshman year, regardless of which kind. Be aware that Engineering is HARD… but many students find the first year the hardest.</p>
<p>Engineering is hard, and the classes don’t get easier, but you get better at it with time - a lot of topics come up over and over again, so by the time you’re in your last year there will be things that you may have had a lot of trouble with at the start, that you could do blindfolded, with one hand tied behind your back.</p>
<p>It’s ok man, as long as you still have the will to fight it out, you can conquer it.</p>
<p>One tip I have for you is to figure out the best way for you to study. This helps you spend less time studying but get what you need out of that time to do well on exams. Also, try to make connections with concepts and material during your lectures. I know it is harder to learn material long after you have copied down the notes because you end up trying to figure out the notes, not knowing right off the bat the right context for the notes you have written, which context you would know during lecture.</p>
<p>You will be fine, most go through a rough exam or two eventually. Just focus on nailing the other exams and you should end up alright.</p>
<p>Thank you for this post. We’re in a similar situation where it could be wrong major with my D. Still early, but she is stressing. This was reassuring.</p>