What do I do?

Student Lounge College Life
1

I just felt the need to rant. My grades came out yesterday and I unfortunately failed multiple classes. I am devastated as it will bring my gpa to about a 2.5 and I will lose the majority of my financial aid, as it was mainly academic based. I come from a lower middle class family and am in a weird spot where our income is not high enough to support the amount of people in my family but it’s “too high” for government aid, with multiple kids currently in college and losing my financial aid is a huge hit to my entire family. I’ve been struggling with what I believe to be depression heavily this passed semester but I’ve kept it to my self and even had a full mental break down and panic attack about a week ago.

Why do colleges make it so hard for students to succeed? It really pisses me off, i original wanted to withdraw from 3 classes because I couldn’t keep up with the work but found out if I did that I would lose all my financial aid along with having more financial issues as at my university you can only drop 2 upper level classes and was encouraged to “tough it out” so this didn’t happen. All just to fail these classes which is even worse because I’m going to lose the financial aid anyways, my gpa is falling, I wanted to transfer but now that’s not possible, etc.

I used to think college was about learning and growing individuals, but I’ve just realized it is honestly a complete scam. If that was truly the goal of secondary education, there wouldn’t be all irrelevant academic policies that punishes people for having an off semester.

I don’t know what to do anymore and I might have to drop out now because my family can’t afford full tuition. I’m thinking about talking to my parents about my depression and maybe getting evaluated and attempt to get a medical withdrawal, but I don’t know if that will follow through, it also doesn’t fit in the 3/2 rule. I’m out of options and I honestly have no clue what to do anymore. I feel useless because I can’t pass these stupid classes and I’m at the point the system is just taking advantage of me.

I’m sorry for this long rant and if anyone actually reads through it and has any suggestions I’d really appreciate it, I’ve talked to financial aid advisors and academic advisors who pretty much just politefully ridiculed me and made me feel even worse about myself and my situation. I’m comletely lost and don’t know where to turn and cold really use any help I could get. Thanks.

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There are a lot of parents on this website who have helped their kids through this scenario. Hopefully some will chime in. Please talk to your parents ASAP and get evaluated. I am not sure if you can get a medical withdrawal retroactively or whether or not it will rescue your financial aid. Try to find out what your school’s policies are.

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The school invested in you with the expectation that you will invest in yourself. You not only applied to the school and were accepted but also granted you with substantial money that allowed you to pursue an education. Presumably, you selected your classes with an advisor who worked with you to develop a schedule that worked for you. Surely, it was not a surprise to you at least from the midterm that you were in academic jeopardy in one of more classes. Let’s be frank. The school provided you with opportunities and options because it expected that you could and would succeed. It is unclear how your school made it hard for you to succeed.

If you do not meet published requirements for number of hours and required grades. This was the standard that you were expected to meet. You did not. There are likely many students who met academic requirements with enough room to be better investments than you currently are.

As the oldest of eight children, I was expected to contribute to the cost of my education by earning grades that allowed me to keep and even extend financial support to have a free ride. My parents could not and would not have paid the tuition I lost.

It is very clear why you are upset and angry. Who wouldn’t be. Anxiety and depression are expected
responses to your situation, but you can’t let that destroy you. Simmer down and then ask the school what you do to improve your situation. Perhaps you could retake classes at your college or earn missing credits at a community college. If possible, seek assistance at the college learning center that will help you become a more successful student. There is no reason to believe that you are the first student at your school that has crashed. There is no reason to believe that the school of faculty have treated unfairly. Talk to your counselor, the academic x
dean and anyone else to find out what you can do and make a plan.You need to invest in you.

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@zannah First off, you are making many assumptions here that are not true. The school hasn’t given me any money, I got that through bright futures. The school hasn’t helped me financially what so ever. I’ve applied for many grants and scholarships that the financial aid office has told me I fully qualified for in the past and was a good candidate to recieve and haven’t been awarded any of them. I also don’t see your logic that sitting down with an advisor for 5-10 minutes a semester to pick my class is an opportunity or an investment in any way.

You seem to be missing my entire point: there shouldn’t be these academic requirements. I don’t see how a college loses anything by a student failing a class, it was paid for and when I retake it it will be paid for again. We are talking about 17-22 year olds, for the most part, and I can guarantee you that they the rules in place now hinder learning in every way.

I know very few people who actually learn anything in class. When the rules are how they currently are, nobody cares about actually learning the material, they just care about passing. They go to class for the attendance grade, google the homework, do a study guide and cram for the exam, then the next day forget the material because they never learned it and don’t need it anymore. Rules like this should not be the expectations and do not grant opportunities, it’s a scam. People are going in expecting to learn but most professors make that very difficult to do. For example, when I was in Calc 2 my professor was mad at us because the highest grade on an exam was a D. When we reviewed the questions, it were things we never learned so we complained to him. He said he expects us to work outside of the classroom and learn stuff on our own as well as him teaching us and we all failed the exam. Stuff like that is not uncommon. Ive had multiple classes that are “reverse class room” where we were expected to learn the material outside of class through videos that we find and we come onto class and get a worksheet where the professor sits at a desk for the entire class while we work on it. A lot of professors don’t even teach anymore.

Colleges don’t care about students, they care about how the statistics look. They don’t care about you if you fail out, they care that you are affecting how they look to other schools, and the government if they are public. They don’t care how it affects your life, all they care about is that they’re getting money. Student are expendable, one affects how you look too much negatively, kick them out and accept one extra student. That is a scam in my opinion and it sucks because you have to put up with it.

I’ve talked to my advisors about what to do and they basically said that I shouldn’t fail my classes next time and I wouldn’t be in this type of situation. We added it onto another semester to retake for grade forgiveness and was told to “do better.” But now I run into the problem of excess hours, because I guess paying for your classes aren’t enough anymore now you have to pay a surcharge because you took too many classes. I’m also still without financial aid.

I never said I was treated unfairly by the university, that is how they have to act. I’m sure there are plenty of people in the same boat as me and I doubt it will change anytime soon, but it should because this grade based system truly doesn’t encourage learning at all.

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What’s done is done. Now you have to try to salvage the situation. You MUST tell your parents, now. They will be concerned and want to help you. They love you. You MUST speak to an academic advisor. You must also get a diagnosis asap, and try to apply for a retroactive medical withdrawal. That is a possibility. You probably need to see a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist at the soonest opportunity to get diagnosed, and as it will probably involve insurance, you have to tell your parents.

Its a good thing you’ve come here to ask for advice. Now you need to do something with the advice. I don’t think post #2 is particularly helpful. You have a real problem on your hands, and ranting and hiding things from people who love you solves nothing.

Going forward, you need to sort out your mental health before thinking of going back to school. When you do go back, you need to be proactive. Go to professor office hours. Go to the tutoring center. Join study sessions. Go to the library and find a place away from distractions. Get a private tutor. Read all the books, do all the work. Be in control of your education, but also be in control of your state of mind. Go to the campus counseling center, regularly. They are there for situations like yours. The thing you shouldn’t do is try to struggle on alone, when there are so many ways to get help.

I know there are parents on CC who have had to deal with this kind of situation, but only @MaineLonghorn springs to mind right now. Hopefully some others will see your post. Good luck.

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@Golden Goat, your GPA is a 2.5 correct? I didn’t think you could lose your financial aid with a 2.5. They just want you passing your semester.

I think you should:
1.) Look at your keeping your GPA-what is the minimum GPA to keep your FA?

2.) Speak to a Mental Health counselor on campus because you’ve been keeping a lot of harsh feelings to yourself. You need to be able to speak to someone. They may be able to intervene on your behalf.

3.) Start crafting an appeal letter, if you think you can do another semester. Keep it short, brief and mention how you were impacted. . . . . NO sob stories. Give your Mental health counselor’s name.

4.) Talk to the professors about those subjects and see if you can make up some of those grades?

Take it easy on yourself. Going to college, studying and taking care of your needs is a tough experience. Give yourself a little break and know that you are HUMAN.

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What is the medical leave policy at your school? b/c in general those issues do not just resolve themselves

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Are you a freshman?

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@Lindagaf Thank you for your input. I talked to my parents about my grades and they know my academic situation well. I think my mom has an idea that I’ve been depressed and has asked many times if I’m happy where I’m at (I was considering a transfer but after this previous semester I don’t think that’s possible) and wants me to consider maybe taking a break from school.

I know it doesn’t solve anything but I also know there are also people on this site that has gone through similar situations and wanted to hear how they’ve resolved it. Again, your advice is much appreciated.

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@“aunt bea” I’m not sure what my official gpa is as it wasn’t posted on my transcript yet, but I used the grades my professor posted on canvas and used an online calculator, which said it will drop from a 3.01 to a 2.5ish. Unless some miracle happens and my professors have a change in heart and curve my grades from F’s to C’s, from my understanding I’m losing this aid. For bright futures to renew, where my FA comes from, you need to maintain a 2.75 gpa

As to the rest of your post, thank you for your input, it is much appreciated!

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@collegemom3717 Honestly, I’m not completely sure what the policies are. I haven’t explored it much as I’ve kept this mainly to myself, I plan on looking into it ASAP.

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The reason I asked if you’re a freshman is because if you are, you might be able to have a sort of grace period.

Also, if the range of possible grades results in some GPAs above the 2.75 cutoff (e.g. 2.75-3.01) and you will still have earned enough hours despite failing some classes, you might be able to maintain anyway.

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If your school has an on-campus counseling center, I would definitely go there and speak with someone. The worst thing you can do is keep it to yourself.

I strongly agree with the advice that @“aunt bea” gave. There’s always a way, and remember, you aren’t defined by your GPA. You’re a strong and brave person. You were brave enough to tell us how you felt. From my perspective, definitely talk to the people who you trust: your parents, your advisors, and your counselors. Also, take a break this summer, be yourself! Hang out with friends, spend time with family, and do whatever makes you happy! When it comes to the fall semester, follow the advice that @Lindagaf gave. While you focus on your studies, make sure you’re doing ok. Remember, you have to look out for yourself. Don’t push away the negativity, make sure that there is someone who is there to listen and help.

I really hope this helped and best of luck with your future! I have faith in you :slight_smile:

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You need to immediately go to your school counseling center to be evaluated. If it is determine that you suffer from medical depression/anxiety/mental illness then you might be eligible for an medical withdrawal. This could wipe out all of your grades from last semenster. They should be able to explain what options are availiable. Be aware, every school is different but most of not all will have a policy. This unfortunately is a very common proble. Also be aware that some schools treat medical withdrawals due to mental illness very different from a physical illness.

Once you know your options, you will need to contact the FA office to see how this impacts your aid. You also need to find out how this effects SAP.

I would also reach out to the Dean of Students for help.

Your parents might be able to help navigate this. The FA office and Dean of Student might be willing to discuss your options with your parents. The counseling center WILL NOT without your written approval. Are you willing to give it?

Just remeber that this is a bumb in the road. If you have a mental illness it will take time to learn how to deal with it and to find the best treatment. Do not rush the process. You can still reach your goals.

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@CharlotteLetter I’m going into my third year.

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@JMS357 I looked into it more today and read on my school’s website that you have until the end of the following term to apply for withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances, I assume that means by the end of summer which could be an issue since I had to go home and I truly don’t feel comfortable talking about my metal health with my parents. I don’t want to burden them more than I already and i already have severe ADHD and OCD issues which I take medicine for. I do trust them, but they seem to think I’m just immature and I think they will think I’m making excuses.

There are days where I just lay in bed on my computer watching Netflix and I get yelled at for being lazy, when in reality I truely just don’t have the mental strength sometimes to do my work and watching a show helps take my mind off things a little bit and can sometimes even make me happy. They just don’t seem to understand and they are already extremely disappointed right now and I don’t want to make it any worse.

Unfortunately, in college, I do feel like most people don’t care about you. In my experience, students are just numbers. I didn’t get into schools when I graduated high school because I had a 3.0 high school gpa and they specifically told me they were looking for a minimum of a 3.2. I just went to a graduation the other day at which they put in the booklet and on the big screen that the average gpa was a 4.12. Seeing college deny students and promote their school solely off of a gpa makes it hard to believe that it is not what defines you.

Also, I can’t really take much of a break this summer, I have multiple jobs lined up that I have to work in order to afford school, especially if my financial aid is going to be taken away.

I just feel like I’m lost and I’m just not really sure what the next step is.

Thank you for your advice and thank you for believing in me, I really appreciate it.

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You really shouldn’t navigate this alone. You have two diagosed mental health disabilities? And these may be compounded by depression? If you are still at school, please go to the counseling center now, request an evaluation and specific information about whether or not you are a candidate for medical withdrawal. If you are home, I don’t see how keeping this information away from your parents is going to help you. If you are as ill as you say you are, you are caught up in a cycle of negative thinking and impaired problem solving that is going to make getting this sorted out alone very difficult. Your parents love you, and are the best resources for helping you through this.

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You may not feel comfortable talking to your parents, but I can’t see that you have much choice. You will not get a medical withdrawal without a diagnosis. You will not get a diagnosis without seeing a professional. Today, you MUST make an appointment with your academic advisor, who can help guide you through what needs to be done. Maybe the academic advisor can help you figure out what to say to your parents.

You are still burying your head in the sand. Your parents are going to be even more upset when your financial aid is taken away, so even if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, frankly, too bad. Enlist the help of a relative when you talk to them, but you have no choice. Would you rather they find out when you don’t make plans to go back to college?

You definitely sound depressed, but you do still have to be proactive about this. You are functioning enough to at least come here and ask for help. You clearly want help. We can’t phsyically help you though, and we can’t do this for you. You have to at least take the first steps on your own. Email and call your academic advisor. This is what they are there for. Email or phone your parents. Walk into the counseling center and make an appointment, today. Do it today, you will feel better.

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If you truly think you have depression, go a to a psychiatrist and talk to them. If you get diagnosed, talk to the Dean of Students about a retroactive withdrawal.

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So I wanted to update everyone. I had a long talk with my mother today and told her how I feel. We decided that I should talk to someone, especially since my mom’s family has a history of mental health issues: bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, etc. (which is why I felt she wouldn’t be the most understanding). I haven’t talked to her about the possibility of withdrawal, because I didn’t want her to think I was lying about how I feel just for that. I figured it’d be better to wait til after I talk to a professional and see what they say.

Thanks again for everyone’s input.