<p>I'm a freshman at Duke.
I only got around a 2.5 last semester (got a D in a class) and fear that I'm going to do it again (mostly B's right now, no A's, I think one or two are going to drop to C after this week though, there is time to improve, but I am still nervous. I think I destroyed my math grade today after a really difficult test).
I don't understand what is wrong. I only got in based on academic merit.
I had the scores and grades to get in.
Why have I been having such a hard time adjusting to college academically?</p>
<p>"Why have I been having such a hard time adjusting to college academically?"</p>
<p>Are you still, "way too focused on the other 'aspects' of college life"?</p>
<p>As for the grades, how much are you partying vs studying? Are your overly stressed and your brain is rejecting information? That happened to me for a period of 2 days where everything I learned about math basically blanked out. I went from being first in my multi-variable calc class to being unable to integrate basic trig functions when my friends asked for help. So unbelievably embarrassing. Get some more rest, relax a bit, and it should come back to you. The more you try to push it the worse it's going to get.</p>
<p>Hey, I'm a fish at Duke, too. If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I bombed a chem test today. </p>
<p>Do you have a tutor in any of your subjects? That has really helped me out. Also, did you overschedule yourself this semester? Maybe you need to take a lighter course load with one or two hard classes, so you can focus more on studying for your harder subjects. Taking a course over the summer could help. </p>
<p>I think having a difficult time adjusting is understandable because the tests are much more conceptual than the ones given in high school where you just had to memorize an equation (at least in my experience).</p>
<p>Try studying more.</p>
<p>College can be difficult because in HS there were so many grades per semester and now there are less. It sucks when your grade mainly consists of tests.</p>
<p>Get the right amount of sleep, learn to study better, learn to use time better, get tutoring, and don't give up.</p>
<p>Look on the bright side, 2.5 is still passing.</p>
<p>It was your first semester at a prestigious university with high caliber students. You likely had a lot of adjustments getting used to the situation.
You will improve if you remain focused. </p>
<p>Your study habits are likely carried over from high school where it was easier for you to achieve. You will need to make further adjustments to get the results you want.</p>
<p>I second OKgirl's ideas. Good luck and hang in there!</p>
<p>Study alot more and take advantage of every academic resource available to you. Go to tutoring, meet with your professor, set up study groups with classmates. If you aren't doing all of this then your 2.5 is more than justified. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding resources to help you out.</p>
<p>What do you think is wrong with you?</p>
<p>Let's start with the math, since you say that the test was difficult -- which usually means you weren't prepared well enough to satisfy the instructor.</p>
<p>Have you been going to class regularly? (If not, start.) Have you been paying attention? (If not, start.) Did you feel as if you understood what was happening? (If not, go to office hours and ask for clarification, or go get a tutor.) Did you end up with good notes? (If not, find a classmate who does well in the class and ask whether you can get copies of notes while you figure out how you're going to improve.)</p>
<p>Have you been keeping up with the reading? (If not, start.) Have you been working the unassigned problems in the textbook, especially the ones for which there are answers in the back? (If not, start.) Have you been keeping up with the problem sets? (If not, start.) Have you been putting in about 2 hours of work outside class for every hour you spend in class? (If not, start.) Have you felt like you've understood what you were doing and you were doing problems correctly? (If not, go to office hours and ask for clarification, or get a tutor.)</p>
<p>College instructors hold your hand less than high school instructors do, especially at schools like Dartmouth where there's the expectation that everyone has been an academic success up until they got there. You spend less time in class, instructors expect you to be mastering things outside of class to a greater extent, if you aren't performing satisfactorily they expect you to be able to figure out what to do about it, and you don't have the kind of highly structured schedule that makes it relatively easy to fall into studying enough. So yeah, it's fairly easy for well-prepared intelligent people to get into trouble.</p>
<p>But they don't have expectations so high that people who are well-prepared and intelligent (which you obviously are), hardworking, and willing to brave the embarassment of admitting that they're lost can't pull things together.</p>
<p>Go talk to your professor or TA. Make it clear that you're not happy with your performance to date and that you really want to do better in the future. Be prepared to explain what you have (and have not) been doing all semester, and how it's worked (or hasn't). Be prepared to let them know when the last time you really understood things was and whether there are specific things you're struggling with. If you need help understanding a few things, ask for it. If you need help understanding a lot of things, ask how you can find a really good tutor. If they recommend that you do X, say that you will do X and then do it. They have more experience than you in getting people like you through classes like this, and even if an idea doesn't sound very good to you it's worth trying.</p>
<p>Let them know in passing what you're doing to improve your performance. Feel free to go back and ask for more help if the need arises. Give them a reason to be rooting for you when the end of the semester comes. And once you're doing all the studying that you need to be doing, give yourself permission to relax and have fun when you've finished your work.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>did u go to a competitive high school.
Were the teachers in high school (AP Teachers) hard on you.
Usually such teachers make HS life harder and colege life easier. :)</p>
<p>You can't expect to get the same grades as you did in high school if you're at Duke, where everyone probably got A's. I don't think anything is wrong with you, the simple fact is that even with grade inflation not everyone can get an A.</p>
<p>Not to be rude, but you're probably accustomed to being at the top of your class. Now you're in a school with students who are just as smart and hardworking (if not moreso) than you are. The only thing you can do now is work harder and seek help if you need it (a la office hours, study groups, whatever).</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice and support!
Thankfully, I've talked to a few other people in my math class and they also found it to be insanely difficult, so I'm predicting a nice curve.
I definitely plan to make better use of office hours and what not.</p>
<p>My experience with college is that for math/ science classes you have to be a diligent student: go to class everyday, take notes, study, etc. For softer classes like psych, even most of econ, languages, social sciences, etc you can get away with cramming.</p>
<p>what math areu taking?? 103??</p>
<p>^ Yup, 103.</p>
<p>Forget a lot of the other stuff. You are first and foremost a student. School is your job. Remember that.</p>
<p>How do you even let your grades go that low? I had a 3.4 last semester and I almost wanted to jump out my window. I'm hoping for a 4.0 this semester. I'll be more than happy with a 3.85 though.... (2 A's, 2 A-s....okay, time to go study more)</p>
<p>^ what was the point in saying that? </p>
<p>to the op, what class did you get a D in??</p>
<p>A lot of people struggle a bit during their first year of college (myself included)...Its a huge adjustment, and classes are taught and graded differently. I had to basically completely change the way I study and work. I think to an extent, you need to give yourself some slack. I mean, try to get your grades up, but don't feel horrible about yourself because you're not getting the grades you want. It happens. Seeing that you're a good student, if you try, i'm sure you'll be able to succeed at Duke just like you did in high school. </p>
<p>Regarding futurenyustudent's post above me...don't brag about your grades, its not helpful. Saying you want to jump out of a window with a 3.4 is definitely fishing for compliments.</p>
<p>I wasn't fishing for compliments. I was seriously curious how one would let ones grades fall that low.</p>
<p>As far as grades go, Duke wouldn't have admitted you if they didn't think you can handle it there. So hang in there, try harder.</p>