<p>Hi there! First off, thanks to anyone who's reading this. I appreciate any help you can provide me with. I'm a bit confused and in need of help with my situation I've put myself in.
Without going too much into detail, this is where I am:
2nd year IVC student (starting this fall)
My last year classes and grades go as followed
Fall Semester 2010
ANTH 1 Intro ti Phys Anthro(I) - WITHHELD
ART 20 Art Appreciation(I) - F
COUN 1 Academic Planning(I) - B
PSYC 1 Intro to Psychology - F
PSYC 37 Abnormal Behavior(I) - F</p>
<p>SEMESTER TOTAL: Units Enroll (13.50) Units Attempt (10.50) Units Complete (1.50) GPA (0.43)</p>
<p>Spring Semester 2011
JA 1 Beg Japan(I)- F
MATH 353 Elementary Algebra- F
SOC 1 Intro to Sociology- F
WR 201 Intro/College Writing- WITHHELD
WR 280 Writing Conference- WITHHELD
SEMESTER TOTAL: Units Enrolled(16.50) Units Attempt (13.00) Units Complete(0.00) GPA(0.00)</p>
<p>Hm, so as you can see, I did as much as nothing. In fact, I dug a hole for myself that I don't see a way of getting out. I'm embarrassed of posting these up. It's not all my fault though. I had to ride a public bus that took 2 hours to get to school, and my family was having a crisis that's going to more than likely end up my my parents divorce. That being said, I had no money for my books. I tried to take classes I knew someone from to borrow them, but it didn't work. </p>
<p>I'm just rambling on now, so I don't want to waste your time. I'm on a new mindset. School is my first priority from now on. I had a summer job, bought my own car and ready to do whatever it takes. So my question to you guys, did I complete screw myself over with my past year? Is there no coming back? My dream, my life goal, my everything at this moment is to transfer to UCLA. I know I can. Realistically though, it doesn't seem possible.</p>
<p>Don’t panic. I’ll help you.</p>
<p>The problem I had when I first started college was that I failed all of my courses, withdrew, tried again, got kicked out, and went to another college where I am doing incredibly well now.</p>
<p>If I could step into a time machine, here is what I would do: RETAKE ALL THE COURSES I FLUNKED.</p>
<p>Seriously. Do that. Just retake the classes. You’ll be fine. The books you need should be on reserve in the library. My math books and language books were always on reserve either in the library or their respective labs.</p>
<p>Where do you live?</p>
<p>Annika is right. Retake the courses and find assist-equivalents at colleges with online course offerings if you can. I know that De Anza/Foothill/Coastline all over extensive online catalogues of courses, as does Citrus College and Mt. Sac. You can fix your mistakes in one semester. Art and Sociology should be easy As. Japanese might be a challenge. If I were you, I’d retake Art, Soc, Psych, and Algebra this fall. Take the English course over the winter if you can, then go for Abnormal Psych, Japanese, and two other courses in the spring. Take courses in the summer intersessions. Just be determined. Easy classes first, and then once you get into the groove of going to class and being diligent, take the more difficult ones.</p>
<p>^ agree with asphyxiac</p>
<p>I took three semesters of Japanese (all A’s), so if you need help, just ask and I’ll try to help you as much as I can.</p>
<p>Yes don’t be discouraged! Retake the classes and you will be golden. I also had family/personal problems that gave me 2 years worth of nothing but Fs and Ws. I managed to repeat all the courses and then some in year and I have a 4.0 now! Don’t loose faith :)</p>
<p>I have to agree with what everyone is saying, since you received mostly less than C’s, you’re allowed to retake all of these classes. Hell, this whole learning experience will make a really great UC essay answer if (nah, WHEN) you pull it off!</p>
<p>I’m just really impressed by how supportive and kind everyone is 
no ■■■■■■ here!</p>
<p>I hate ■■■■■■ and I am here to help :D</p>
<p>Awesome, great feedback. Thanks to everyone who’s actually replied to this and an even greater thanks for the suggestions </p>
<p>I do have something to add though: I’m on academic probation, if you couldn’t guess from my grades :/</p>
<p>I just finished talking to a counselor here at my CC. He said just about what you guys told me. Spend this year retaking everything, earn nothing but B+ grades, and I should be able to get into UCLA with enough extra-curriculum activities and applying for the honor system. Seems like a long run, but it’s going to be worth it, in my opinion anyways. </p>
<p>Neuroscience major needs a lot of classes, haha. Thanks again guys. :)</p>
<p>Coming from a similar academic background, I can honestly tell you that the first thing you need to do is stop coming up with explanations for why things went wrong. Everyone has personal issues but dwelling on the negativity (regardless of it’s precursors) will only deter you. From here on out you need to dedicate yourself to overcoming this and not fall into the vicious cycle of the non-committed. </p>
<p>Instead of allowing this year to burden you, focus on how this pathway will actually shape you into a MORE dedicated student. Believe it or not, failure can serve as a source of unconventional knowledge and enhance your academic capabilities more than that of other traditional students - if you push it.</p>
<p>Some general tips that I’ve discovered over the years…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Obviously retake the classes you’ve received an F in. I assume by WITHHELD that you mean WITHDRAWAL, but don’t be as concerned with repeating those classes right now unless they are ones that you need to transfer for GenEd or pre-requisites to your major.</p></li>
<li><p>Make sure that you are taking the appropriate courses since a lot of science ones are sequential. Definitely start with GenChem, Bio, and Calc right away. Be open to taking classes at other CCs. I go to Orange Coast College (which is getting more difficult to even get classes in) but I took a bunch of classes at Coastline since they fit better with my schedule and they don’t fill up as quickly. Do NOT change CCs completely until you are off academic probation, though you can retake some of the classes elsewhere for Academic Renewal and be simultaneously enrolled.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t bother with CC counselors. Once you find a major, pick out a few schools you are interested in. You can use [Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“Welcome to ASSIST”>Welcome to ASSIST) for transferable class information pertaining to your major or come back here to find out absolutely everything you need to know about transferring. Don’t take classes that aren’t UC transferable (like Couns 1) because even though they may boost your CC GPA, they will not be looked at or factored in on your UC application. Also, do not ONLY complete UCLA requirements but be open to a few of the UCs. I had my heart set on UCI for years and then I was waitlisted this year but randomly wound up getting into Cal so I decided to go there instead. </p></li>
<li><p>Begin looking into TAG for another UC so that you are completing the right courses before the deadlines. Information can be found here: <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/files/ETS11_TAGMatrix_rev070111.pdf[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/files/ETS11_TAGMatrix_rev070111.pdf</a>
You won’t be applying for TAG until at least September 2012, but it’s a good idea to be aware of the conditions ahead of time to make sure you’re on the right track.
As far as TAP goes at UCLA, it is NOT a guarantee that you will be admitted, however it does increase your chances. Make sure you are also aware of this information: <a href=“http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/tap/[/url]”>http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/tap/</a></p></li>
<li><p>Get to know your teachers even if it’s just sending them an email to ask a question rather than going to office hours. When you invest time in them, it becomes much harder to just “not show up”. </p></li>
<li><p>Involve yourself in a few things at school! Integrating school into your non-academic life is extremely beneficial to anyone who feels like they need some sort of extra motivation that week. I also can’t even express the importance of making friends in classes. Don’t feel like going to class? – Oh I have to go to a club meeting and trade notes with ____ so I might as well go. These people and various activities can be a HUGE support network for you. So many people don’t get involved because they think it’s lame, but I can assure you that if you’re open to it, that you’ll find your place and tons of other students like you.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>^ very well said.</p>
<p>With regards to #6, I didn’t start joining clubs and the like until my “second” year and that actually made me a better student. Getting to know my classmates, becoming more involved in campus life – being around other students who do well and have similar interests and career/educational goals can be a tremendous influence on how well you do.</p>
<p>I do not know how much your troubled family situation is effecting your academic performance and I realize that it is probably not possible to totally compartmentalize it from your school work but there are some things you should keep in mind. One, your parents marital problems are not your fault, it is a problem between them and you should not allow yourself to feel guilty about them or feel you have some obligation to fix them. Two, there is really not much you can do about the situation, they will either work out their problems themselves or they will not and there is really nothing you can do to alter the outcome. As hard as it may be, you have to focus on your own future right now and getting back into good academic standing is the first step.</p>
<p>All excellent posts above.</p>
<p>I’ve had my bouts with hard times too. At one point I thought for sure I’d drop out of school eventually and say the hell with everything. I had a stint in CC where I would just show up to class and seriously wasn’t concerned with learning. I simply was going through the motions, letting everything that was going wrong outside of the classroom affect my performance in it. I had money issues, family problems, personal health issues, etc. But I finally got to a point where I told myself I would not let others and their issues deter me from my goals of academic achievement, no matter what. I was also determined to get my health in order knowing that a healthy body helps make a healthy mind. My point …</p>
<p>PUT YOU FIRST FROM NOW ON. Your parents situation is tough, I know, I’ve been through the same thing with my own at one point. However, it’s their problem and not yours. If you let their problems and instability get to you, trust me, you will be in even worse shape than you think you are in now. You’ve got a vehicle to get back and forth to school in and you seem to be mentally now on track to do what it takes. YOU CAN achieve success in the coming semesters and if you stay focused and do what’s needed, you’ll be applying to UCLA in no time. </p>
<p>Good luck and study hard!</p>