UCSD ChemE Student Failing College. How to Move Forward?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

Hello everyone. I’m currently a UCSD undergraduate student whose cumulative GPA is 2.3. I just finished my sophomore year of college, hoping that I’d raise my GPA, but to no avail. At the moment, I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom with the engineering degree I’m pursuing.

Looking at my transcript, there are a number of C’s and B’s that account for my current GPA. I’ve gotten C- in Organic Chem/Lab, Bs in Differential Equations, B in Vector Calculus, Cs in Physics, and even overall Cs in my engineering classes. Worse, I’ve gotten academic probation two times altogether, meaning that I must remain in good standing (maintaining a 2.0 GPA or more per quarter) for the rest of my time here at UCSD if I’m not to be dismissed.

Now, I do say that I am at fault for these grades. A number of factors account for them, which range from not going to all of the available office hours to not enough sleep to mismanagement of time. Furthermore, with my lack of sleep, there were some lectures I was unable to attend to. My roommate can even account for these issues. Furthermore, for weekly assignments that I’ve turned in, they were normally done a day or 2 before the deadline, even for lab reports. As for taking notes, I tend to just simply look over Powerpoint slides, take notes of what the professors, and nothing more. The only time I studied was when midterms and finals would be coming up. I have not simply taken the time to review notes right after lectures or discussions.

What’s very ironic is that I have done very well in math & science courses in high school. They are the most interesting apart from biology courses, history classes, and especially writing. I have no idea why my grades have been going on a downward spiral since coming to college in my freshman year.

Therefore, I believe the following issues are possibly key:

  • Weak work ethic
  • Poor sleeping schedule
  • Poor time management
  • Inclined to work alone on assignments instead of using study groups
  • Difficulty of understanding and applying concepts from notes
  • DEFINITELY not practicing problems enough
  • lack of communication to professors stating that I need help
  • Poor studying skills
  • Taking 4 or more classes per quarter
  • Not asking for help when needed

Now, this isn’t to say that I didn’t take action to combat all of this. I’ve purchased Cal Newport’s book called How To Become a Straight-A Student last summer to renew my study habits. I’ve researched ways to think differently to do well in engineering courses. However, I believe I’ve just been in this state of denial for the past two years, thinking that I can come to make an upward trend of grades in the future. Now, I don’t know what to believe.

I am literally at the verge of tears and don’t know where to go with all this. My poor grades indicate that perhaps the major isn’t for me, but it was taking AP Chemistry that sparked my interest into pursuing Chemical Engineering. My parents have asked me whether Chemical Engineering is THE major I want to pursue. I’ve assured them that it is the major I want to get a degree in, but the poor grades suggest otherwise.

I don’t know how to move forward with all this. I only have junior and senior years of college left (maybe a 5th year), and I want to continue with Chemical Engineering and have a 3.0 GPA by the end. However, I have to work twice as hard to reach that. And I’ve completed mostly all of my general education requirements. With so much struggle, what should I do? If anyone can provide any suggestions or advice, I’d be very grateful for it.

2

Some students attend every class, and perhaps miss once. Instead of buying books about being successful, why don’t you get to bed by midnight or 11 pm on school nights and make a commitment to attend every class? You know what to do.

3
  1. Weak work ethic 2.Poor sleeping schedule 3.Poor time management 4.Inclined to work alone on assignments instead of using study groups 5.Difficulty of understanding and applying concepts from notes 6.DEFINITELY not practicing problems enough 7.lack of communication to professors stating that I need help 8.Poor studying skills 9.Taking 4 or more classes per quarter 10.Not asking for help when needed

3 causes #2 and #2 can cause #5

9 shouldn't matter if you have #3 in line

1 is the cause of #6

4 shouldn't matter unless you are the type of person who cannot learn on their own. Some times study groups can be a hindrance.

Why do you have #3? Obviously you’re wasting time but why are you spending your time the way you are? Is it a significant other, pressure from others, partying too much? Whatever it is you need to cut it the hell out.

Are you reading the book before going to class? Taking notes in class isn’t always necessary, I for one dont, others cant live without them. Reading the actual book and trying to digest as much as you possibly can before going to class is the best thing you can do. That way when you’re in class you already have an idea of what the lecture is about can have the professor fill in the gaps when that part of the readings comes up.

7 and #10 are sometimes the biggest problem for students, they wont speak up in class or during office hours.

You may be reading the powerpoint notes and what not, but are you actually understanding them? There is a big difference. I’ve seen people who can read extremely fast and will claim to have gotten through the text in some short period of time but they wont have grasped much of anything, just have random bits and pieces they can recollect.

As far as your GPA goes, generally anything below a B will really really really hurt your GPA.

4

College is a lot harder than high school and it seems with poor attendance and delays at starting week or month long assignments (high school homework is nightly, so hard to ignore) you have slacked off rather than upping your game.

Why do you feel you have to have a 3.0 when you graduate ? That’s going to be tough. There are lots of folks in industry with 2.7s, 2.8s, etc. If you work hard at even a 2nd tier job, you will succeed, and work is 40 years so don’t sweat the details of that first job or a few K of starting salary.

I would first go talk to someone about what chemical engineers do. It is not chemistry but engineering chemical products. Is ChemE considered a hard program at UCSD or is it an easier engineering. I know they are all LEP programs and really hard to get into, so you had the ability.

So do take this opportunity to reconsider ChemE, your options are either sciences or another engineering and you have lots of credits for both.

If you do want to pursue ChemE, maybe consider slowing down your junior year, which can be really deadly with PChem, Thermodynamics (I had 40 hours a week of homework!), likely a ChemE class possibly with project, and probably a whole lot more. Maybe cut out one or two and go with your 5 year plan.

4 year engineering programs are success-oriented for people with good high school backgrounds who work from day 1 and get it done. Junior year is really, really hard. Senior year is more practical, but still hard.

So at many schools, especially state schools, you’ll start noticing that large % of people are there for 5 years. If it gets you ready for a good paying job in a field you want, that’s really not that bad.

You could even explore a co-op if you can find one, going out and doing real world engineering might be a good way to see the big picture.

And talk to your academic advisor, not just begging to stay or being glad you don’t need an academic review this year, but to get advice on how to complete your degree as well as you can in as short a time as you can (and like I said 5 years is a success in my book).

The only other issue is what all you missed by getting Cs in those classes. There are things you haven’t learned, so be honest when you hit one and just work on that too.

5

I’m currently trying to fix that, but it’s very difficult to adapt to that, considering that there are so many distractions & temptations during the day. On school nights (after midnight), it’s as though I can concentrate a bit better, with less distractions around. However, I recognize that it is out of the norm to study during nighttime.

My problem regarding attending morning classes relates to sleeping past midnight. Going to bed around 2 or 3 leads to oversleeping morning lectures around 8am or 9am, followed by regular 1 hour (sometimes two hour) naps during the afternoon.

I just don’t know how to be harsh with myself and truly commit to doing that. It’s as though I’m being lenient with myself, or rather, not willing to punish myself or not committing to these things I’ve stated.

6

I have a friend who used to bicycle with us all the time. Then, he sort of just quit showing up for group rides. One afternoon, while lying on his couch, reading Bicycling Magazine, crabbing about being out of shape, His wife said “Do you want to BE a cyclist or do you just want to read about it?”

The bottom line is this. You already have the tools (that Cal Newport book is great). You don’t need any more advice. You just need to put into practice the habits that you already know. There is a bit of a challenge with that though.

Procrastination is a self fulfilling habit. It shuts down the part of your frontal lobe that helps you make executive decisions just like other addictive behaviors do. This has been shown in controlled fMRI studies. It’s called hypofrontality. I mention this because you need to know that after digging the little hole that you’re in, it will take ACTIVE effort on your part to get out.

You may have to do a little back filling of your knowledge gaps. Just because you passed doesn’t mean you have the foundation you’ll need to move forward effectively. What I do know though is that you can absolutely do it and I’ll offer a little anecdote as proof.

I just met a very pleasant young gentleman who was getting ready to graduate with an engineering degree from a very well regarded university and already had a job at a major car company. He told a brief story of his life turn around. I’ll spare all the details, but his college dreams hit rock bottom when he failed out of undergrad with a 0.0 GPA. You read that right, Animal House bad, “Mr. Blutarsky…ZERO POINT ZERO.” He went to JUCO and got his grades up high enough for readmission and now has a great first job.

As Nike is so fond of saying…Just Do It!

Good luck! :)>-

7

There is absolutely nothing wrong with studying at night. Lots of people find out they operate better at certain parts of the day, so they schedule everything around doing the important stuff then, I know a lot of PhD students who operate like this. If you’re a night owl, don’t take super early morning classes, unless there is no other alternative.

It is going to coming down to you just doing it, as the other 2 posters have said already.

8

@ImUrHuckleBerry
Yes, I’ve been led to believe that for #4, working independently is a key skill for engineers and have thus tried to stick to that. However, I’m certain that I may be fooling myself or underestimating engineering itself.

For #3, I’ve normally tended to just study, study, and study in high school. With college, I wanted to apply my time differently such that I would have some sort of social life. It’s what led me to finding a couple of engineering organizations that are useful for networking, gaining skills, etc. You’d be surprised to know that as far as extracurriculars are concerned, I’m not active in them. I alwys hear that others are working to gain experience, money, etc (or are in internships). I want to work as well too, such that I can feel that I’m being productive with my time. Unfortunate, despite my efforts to hopefully strike an interview or so, nothing came up for the past two years. Overall, I just feel that for the past two years, I have not been productive with my time. At all.

As for the textbook, I forgot to mention that. I rarely refer to the textbook, as I rely on my notes to gain understanding of the concepts. Unfortunately, I see at this moment that this method has not helped me in the slightest. Sadly, I have not committed myself to reading the textbooks before lectures.

Exactly, #7 and #10 are definitely what I believed struck my grades thus far for the past two years. I’ve had this stubborn pride to think that I can come to learn concepts on my own, according to the time & effort put into it. I’m just wondering how can I kill that pride and openly ask professors for help.

I’ve been told that for Powerpoint slides “if you’re not writing anything down while reading them, you’re not studying/learning”.

Honestly, my transcript, while it has a number of Bs, is just filled with Cs. I’m in disbelief and shock just thinking on why I simply didn’t drop classes I felt I couldn’t handle.

@PickOne1
Having a GPA of 3.0 or higher was my original goal when I came to college. It was my first priority as far as grades were concerned.

Yes, Chemical Engineering is indeed a difficult major at UCSD. In fact, I think all engineering majors by themselves are academically rigorous for students.

Exactly. I currently have a 5 year plan set for me. I’ve been having trouble properly scheduling for junior year, as it contains 3 classes per quarter that range from CENG 101A to Physical Chemistry to MAE 170, a difficult lab noted by the academic advisor. In fact, I want to set 3 classes per quarter for all quarters, but I’m not sure how I can use the additional time it brings up.

I’ve wanted, since the beginning of freshman year, to gain some volunteer, internship, or co-op program where I can actually have hands-on work on the big picture of chemical engineering. Only problem is, as far as my GPA goes, applicants really have to have a good GPA (likely 3.0 or more) to get that FIRST experience. I have yet to get any proper experience related to chemical engineering, though I’ve looked at working in a lab.

Overall, I’m trying to promise myself that I won’t get a grade lower than a B for the rest of college, but I’m very uncertain if it’s possible at this point.

@eyemgh
That was an insightful post there! I sincerely appreciate the anecdotes you offered to prove your point! Especially when you noted “The bottom line is this. You already have the tools (that Cal Newport book is great). You don’t need any more advice. You just need to put into practice the habits that you already know. There is a bit of a challenge with that though.”

I’m under the belief that I already know what it is I’m not doing and possibly why, it’s just the “DOING” part. I don’t think I’ve been consistently active in regards to being committed with my goals. I think that’s the central key to most of the problems I’m facing. It’s just I’m having trouble how “I” can come to push myself to commit, with or without outside help.

I apologize if I sound pessimistic or negative, I just truly don’t understand why I’m not pushing myself to do harder and learn smarter.

9

Although some people effectively study at night, for the most part, people who do are procrastinators who simply can’t make themselves study until there are no other distractions. By that time, your energy is super low, so your efficacy will suffer.

You aren’t pushing yourself, because you get instant gratification of some kind if you don’t. It’s no different than someone who won’t exercise or someone who won’t alter their diet. IN THE SHORT RUN, it’s easier. As you know in the long run it isn’t. It’s just that behavior that causes hypofrontality.

Use your calendar and daily note page, ala Newport and live by it. It will fall back in place.

10

You’re right about energy use when it comes to studying at night: I usually didn’t have much energy to study for a long amount of time. Heck, at times, it was even counterproductive.

So, in other words, it seems as though I haven’t been looking at things in the long-term. Would I be wrong to say that in regards to studies, 1) planning, 2) organization, and 3) time management are the MOST important? Or are other things to take into account? I’m looking to use a physical planner instead of an electronic one such that it could help?

11

You have to hit Rockbottom if you go UCSD. Just kidding!

http://www.rockbottom.com/locations/la-jolla

12

It seems like some students from UCSD failed some classes twice even, reading from reddit.

I think studying from PowerPoint sounds like a problem. But my daughter didn’t do to well at Chem there either, she got A+ in CS/math but not Chem. Maybe too many premeds?

But you need to manage your schedule, don’t load up too many hard classes at one time. You need to plan your finals schedule carefully. Having 2 tough finals in the same day will make it hard for you to study and concentrate. Take 3 classes instead of 4 classes. Research you professors well. Some professors are just harder than others and you might not learn as much from the harder one.

13

@HailHavoc - I think that from your first post, you know very well what you are doing that is helping you underperform. I consistently see this in the classes I teach at Illinois Tech. Let me just mention the most important things you can do to help yourself

  1. Go to class (don't miss any and sit in the front) and take notes. The mere act of writing things down is the first step in learning them. Just going over powerpoint notes is a dead end, it really does you no good.
  2. Try to read the textbook before going to class. It will help you understand the lectures. The textbook is there for a reason, not just to make you pay money.
  3. Find a study group. It is great if you can work alone but frankly, in a work environment, engineers work in teams. You can both learn from others and teach others in a study group. This really is a help in understanding the material.

There are more things I could tell you but I think you know what they are.

14

@DrGoogle
I see what you did there! I went there once! It wasn’t that bad to be honest!

Yes, there are quite a number of pre-meds over at UCSD. In face, I was initially a premed myself last year before deciding not to go further with it. Nevertheless, the competition there is high in that field!

That’s they crucial mistake I made last year as a freshman. Taking 5 classes was not the smart idea, considering the rigor behind Ochem, Muir Writing, Math, etc. I’ve attempted to do 4 classes per quarter as a sophomore but still didn’t properly improve in regards to my grades. At this point, 3 classes per quarter is really my only option if I’m to improve my grades gradually. As far as professors are concerned, looking at CAPEs and ratemyprofessors.com have served me well. But I’m aware that sticking to 3 classes won’t be enough. Upper-division courses are what I’ll be facing in the following year, and with such a weak foundation on my part with the material I’ve learned, I’m unsure how I can bounce back and finish strong with As and Bs. In fact, I really want to get as many As as possible. Question is, how and where do I start?

15

Also, my kid finally listened to me. She prepped for the final one week ahead. She was very nervous about one class, lots of kids failed similar class with different professor.
Of course go to class, don’t loose faith, I think if you plan carefully, you can do it.

16

@xraymancs

Those three points are what I’m looking to outline for the upcoming summer classes I’ll be taking. However, despite knowing a number of things that are preventing me from my potential, I still think that I’m missing a few strategies in regards to improving my study habits and work ethic (likely due to my low self-esteem). I would like to know more on your input as to how I can improve myself for the rest of college.

@DrGoogle
Preparing for finals a week ahead is one tactic that I’ve been confused on as far as college is concerned. Did she prioritize that class above others? Or did she equally study for that one and other finals? Because I’ve never fully understood how one is supposed to prioritize studying for finals, or for courses.

17

Yes she spent the most energy on that class. You need to get 60% on the final to pass the class regardless of your total grade. She has been doing terrible on the homework which counts 20% of her grade, but she aced the finals and one midterm which counts 70% of her grade. And when the teacher curved she got her A+, her first A+.
I think she didn’t spend as much time on the chem class, plus she didn’t like the material. She told me people complained about grades, but her strategy is to take less and do well. Some classes she took them pass and no pass. If you are in Muir, the writing has to be taken with grade, but some GE can be taken without grades. I think she also gotten an A or A- in Muir writing classes. I don’t think she ever got a C.

18

Wow, I’d say she and I are likely polar opposites. I’ve done relatively well on the homework assignments, but for midterms and finals, they just kill my overall grade. (Well, they’re mostly average for the most part.)

I am indeed in Muir! Took Muir Writing classes in my freshman year. While I landed a B in Muir 40, I got a C in Muir 50, which was surprising, considering that I thought I did well on the final research paper. To be fair, writing has never been my strength unfortunately. If I’m right, writing is a crucial tool for engineers to utilize, right? I don’t understand what distinguishes an A from a B in writing courses, as far as grades are concerned.

19

To salvage your plan, you need to do the followings:

  1. Study hard. You know what it means. No excuse.
  2. Because you are subject to disqualification you want to make sure you are will not be dismissed by the end of next quarter. To ensure this, you need:

a. Take easy classes next quarter, even the classes are not related to your major. Don’t take more than 1 difficult class. Your goal now is to raise GPA, not to graduate with the major you want. When you are out of academic probation you will take harder classes.

b. Take 4 classes next quarter so that you will have a chance to drop 1 class if you don’t do well after 3-4 weeks in one of them.

20

@coolweather
I’m just uncertain how I should go about in regards to my next schedule, because at the moment, I have the following courses to take for Fall quarter of junior year:

CENG 101A: Fluid Dynamics
Chem 130 (Physical Chemistry): Quantum Mechanics
MAE 170: Experimental Techniques

From what I’ve gathered from fellow chemical engineering classmates, this schedule looks to be pretty much suicide. All 3 of these courses are, from my understanding, the MOST difficult courses to take. In fact, some have recommended me to take out either Chem 130 or MAE 170, as CENG 101A is required. However, I want to keep Chem 130 because my area of specialization is in Materials Science. I currently have a profound interest in blending Materials Science with Chemical Engineering, and upon that, Materials Science is based on physical chemistry. I feel like this schedule is literally the all-or-nothing.

There is one easy class (or maybe 2) that I want to switch for MAE 170; problem is, I just don’t know whether it’s best to finish MAE 170 as soon as possible, or take it at a later quarter.