So I need lot’s of help. I am almost done with my second year here at Cal Poly Pomona studying Mechanical Engineering. I haven’t been doing so hot. My first year was full of heartbreak and lots of academic disappointment. I had to retake some classes and it was not the best. This year I tried to focus on rebuilding and bringing my GPA back up. Unfortunately I had lots of health complications at the beginning of the and had to play Catch Up again and it’s just really hard focusing on doing well with the pressure of trying to bring your GPA back up. Bottom line I am done with my GE’s have taken a couple core classes and had to retake some. My Core GPA is 1.89 and my overall is 2.44 (not counting this spring quarter grades yet) any Ideas, tips suggestions to how to go about rebuilding without restarting from scratch?? I have kind of made up my mind this school just isn’t for me after being her so long it just doesn’t fit the person I am even though I do not discredit it in any way from the wonderful knowledge I have received, professors are great and class sizes small. I just don’t feel comfortable being here. If there are any tips on what I might be able to do next I would greatly appreciate it.
Are there some classes that you are particularly good at? It is likely that Mechanical Engineering is just not your thing.
It is possible that you might want to work for a year or two, possibly while taking a course at CC, and rethink what you want to do going forward. Also note that the majority of Americans never graduate college or university and still find good careers.
I really enjoy the Engineering classes I have taken in my case Strengths Dynamics and Statics but its just hard to do great while playing catch up I would try to go to a CC but I would hate to restart. thanks for your reply though.
- The easiest way to boost your GPA is to take easier classes. So if you are set on a career in engineering and don't want to change majors, space out your major coursework so you're taking as few Engineering classes as possible each semester. Fill the extra space with easy electives.
- You need a two-part Action Plan pronto. Part I is compensating for the fact that you likely don't have a strong enough foundation for the more advanced courses because of your performance in the introductory courses. You need to work more closely with your professors, go to office hours, get a tutor, etc. Don't wait until a few weeks in to do these things; start on Day 1 of your classes if you can. Part II is preparing for another unforeseen circumstance that will put you back in the position of playing catch-up. Look into your school's Disability Resource Center. If your health issues are recurring or you are clinically depressed, for example, you can potentially get accommodations such as extensions on assignments.
- I'm sorry that you don't feel comfortable at your current school. Ultimately, though, transferring will make completing the major more complicated rather than easier. The only way I can see transferring helping you is if being at your current school is making you so depressed that you can't get work done. From your other post, there may be other ways to reduce your sense of emptiness and the negative atmosphere of the campus.
My top recommendation is to do some networking within your major. Meet people who are where you want to be after college. Even better, work with your department and school’s career center to get a job or internship related to Mechanical Engineering. It may be hard because of your GPA, but all you need is one gracious professor or organization to get a foot in the door. It seems like your school already is eager to let students get hands-on experience, so they may be especially willing to help you find something.
The pluses of this are 1. You can get off-campus. 2. You can do something fulfilling. 3. You will make friends, and if they are undergraduate students, you’ll have found the people who will motivate you rather than distract you. 4. You learn more relevant skills and knowledge doing hands-on work than in a classroom. And 5. You are getting valuable experience that is often more important to prospective employers than GPA.