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rough time in college

BrahamCracker

BrahamCracker

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
680
Location
Wisconsin
So this semester has been so bitter sweet. I got a great gf, friends and job. I have a future that looks good, except im failing 3 out of my 4 classes this semester. I have no motivation to go because of my depression. I stay home and sulk, instead of work hard to make it through. Obviously this is my problem, what i want to know is...

do i go to class even though theres no way out of an F?

and,

has anyone else dropped out of college?

Im VERY VERY afraid of dropping out and what ill do with my life, i am almost done with 4 years but and have never gotten an F, now I am going to get 3!!!!!

Im really scared/...
 
talk to your professors and do your best to shoot for a C, or cite medical reasons for the need to withdraw for a semester and do the necessary paperwork.

SERIOUSLY DO ANYTHING YOU CAN TO AVOID WASTING MONEY AND TIME AND GETTING 3 Fs. It's not worth it.
 
Just because you didn't do so will this semester, that doesn't mean that you're totally 100% fucked does it? Can't you still finish your degree? You said you're almost done with 4 years which would be a bachelors degree, right? I think you should take this as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and correct the behaviors that are causing you to fail your classes....EG staying at home all day feeling sorry for yourself instead of going to class. Get on some medication to help with your mood/motivation and talk to a counselor or somebody who can help you through this. Don't throw away 4 years of school because of 1 shitty term!
 
Meet with your professors immediately to discuss your situation. Find out if there is anything that you can do. Also, you do not need to flunk out/drop out of college completely; you could always drop any courses that you are still able to drop this semester and try again next semester. When I got into drugs, I went from having a 4.00 GPA to failing a few courses and dropping most of the rest. I took a semester off, got my shit together, and came back. I have been doing relatively well, although I am still picking up the pieces. Just do not give up. I ran into a bit of trouble this semester with one of my two remaining courses and the professor has been willing to work with me provided that I still complete the work. I know that I can do it and that I will still graduate this May :)

Keep trying! If you fail, dust yourself off, get any help that you may need, and try again when you are ready.

Edit: Just be sure that, if you do fail any courses, to take the same courses again next semester so that you can get better grades to erase the "F"s on your transcript.
 
All my profs arent pleased with my attendance. Ive missed quizes and projects :(. I am really disapointed in myself, but have a 2.9 gpa and if 3 fs and a b lower it under 2.5, i got to stay an extra year! now, i dont mind that part (even with the extra money) because graduating will allow me to make more money anyway.

Is it bad if i fail, and retake them?

Ive NEVER got an F in my life and its really bothering me.

BTW no way i can make it up in my three classes, ive really fucked myself over here. Looks like i gotta retake them...
 
It's not a big deal that you need to retake some classes, but if you can get a W instead of an F that would look much better. Also you might be eligible for some sort of refund which would be an added bonus.
I am pretty sure that although there is a time deadline for normal withdrawals, there isn't a deadline for Medical Withdrawal. So you can apply for that today and ask your doctor to get a note talking about your diagnosed depression, even if you have less than a week of class left or whatever.

Really though, the only problem is that it's going to take you that much longer to graduate, and you are spending that extra money. If you do retake these classes an get As, no one is going to care that you failed the first time around.

EDIT: I speak from experience, I am currently on medical withdrawal and I fucked up last semester due to drug related depression. I was given opportunities to withdraw but ignored them and lost a good deal of money and failed some classes that I was really kicking ass in. It's a drag.
 
BrahamCracker I have had similar problems due to my issues, luckily my doctor knows about my mental health and I've been in a psych ward, seen multiple psychiatrists for assessments and am seeing a psychologist so I've got medical certificates to back me up and have talked to my course coordinator about my problems and how it's affecting me and we are going to work something out. Possibly you could do the same if you see a doc to fix yourself up and then talk to your professors?
 
You'll be fine, even with the F's...take some time off to get your shit together...and re-enroll or pick a different school and get the best possible grades. Unless you plan on grad school, don't worry about your grades, but even if you want to go, they will see that you started rough but finished very strong. Keep your head up mate...depression is a bitch, and the only advice I can give you is to start working out like an animal. It WILL make you feel better about yourself(give it 3-6months, you will not become ripped after two weeks of lifting/running/etc), and feeling better about yourself will most certainly help keep the depression at bay. Don't do what I did and try and self-medicate with opiates and benzos or anti-depressants. You're too young to need that ish, imo...just do things that will boost your self-esteem, and working out is the easiest path to take, but just one of many...
 
I had to drop one of my classes this semester and missed a lot of another class. I ended up e-mailing my professor to let her know what was going on and she was willing to work with me so I could get caught up.

I've failed classes in the past and then passed them after taking them again and the original class I took didn't even show up on my transcript.

I did have to drop out completely before and took a break for a few years. Now that I'm back I'm just going part-time and not being hard on myself if I need to drop a class. I'd much rather go through class without the stress of having to get everything done asap. When I take my time, I actually enjoy it and will retain the information I learn.

Don't worry about it too much, your mental health is top priority!
 
now is the worst time to drop out of college and the best time to stay in college. stay in.

You are competing with about three times as many unemployed people as normal, and nearly all of them are desperate for work. If you applied to a job, you would be just one person among tens of thousands of people with a high school degree looking for a relatively unskilled job they can get hired for. Any job you could get into, there will be hundreds of others just like you who have also applied. People who have professional/trade skills and/or have a college degree are somewhat safer. Being able to do both makes you a lot safer.

Even if you can fix computers, for example, there are people with ten years experience fixing computers right now who are also unemployed and will be applying to every job you apply to. You need that degree just to be considered.

Anyway, being one of tens of thousands of 'high school only' is not fun. Staying in school will be less stressful, make you feel like less of a failure (think you feel bad now? you'd feel like even more of a failure if you dropped out and couldn't get a job for years. Stick to it, don't feel bad, keep your nose to the grindstone, it's not cool or fun, but it's what you need to do.)

Talk to your advisor. At a lot of schools, if you regularly correspond with your advisor on these things, it's a good faith showing that you're working to stay on the right track. Not only can your advisor help you figure out how to fly right, and give you advice on getting the school to be more lenient - but your contact with him/her on how you're working on your academic improvement in itself will be a means of getting the school more lenient.

Keep on truckin', keep on puttin' in the hard work. you can do it.
 
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spork your comments were nice to hear. I went to class today and realized that a C or at least a D in one of my classes is workable. The other class is tomorrow and if the sylabus is right, the final project is worth 65 % so I guess i could get a D in that class. I will have at least one F, this is going to be interesting to see. I work better under pressure hahahaha
 
i don't know the exact details but there's something at my uni where if you don't attend most of your classes there's something that can be done to make it show up as if you didn't take the class at all. i'm not sure if you'd get your money back though. no matter what happens with this semester you should definitely stay in school. a bachelor's degree will help you out so much more than having "some college" as your highest level of education.
 
have you found out the cause of your depression? You said you have a great future ahead? thats great, you sound like youve got it all going for you man, good luck with your classes, put in some hard work, do whatever you can to help you get these qualifcations and I bet you'll have a pretty sweet life ahead of you.
 
BrahamCracker said:
Im VERY VERY afraid of dropping out and what ill do with my life, i am almost done with 4 years but and have never gotten an F, now I am going to get 3!!!!!

Im really scared/...
Click to expand...

its understandable, and maybe even noticeable to some of your professors, the ones ive known almost heh, are very open minded and understanding.

there is an obvious problem, after 4 years... yeah schools are worried about money, but also their reputation for graduates, and their success there after, because of graduating from their programs.

it sounds like, well youve proven your capabilities for years now, its all on paper in B&W. talk to your professors, or if there is one who will communicate with the others perhaps. be honest with yourself, and then with them, you may be able to figure something out.

dude, even if its another year, or semester or 2, take them over, as mentioned, they should be easy, or take 3 then 1. dont let all this work go, speak up to your professors, tell them you lapsed into a depression, and are now terrified at the thought of throwing away, what they will be able to see youve worked for.

the sooner the better, as any advice or help they may be able to offer has a time limit. i personally have gotten such help in an actual crisis at school, in introduction med classes, n/m multiple years... you might be surprised, and given a much needed kick in the rear of motivation, and that lost stale inspiration!
 
I dropped out and really regretted it. I worked for like two years until I was ready to really put forth an effort and went back and finished it.

See if there is a way for you to finish it. You are close, no reason to quit now.
 
I dropped out of high school and college and don't regret doing either. I needed space to grow outside of school and now I'm very close to graduating from a much better school with a degree in a field that's much more interesting and valuable both personally and professionally. If it comes down to it, it's always better to withdraw from a class rather than take an F. Come back next semester or whenever you're in a better place and can get your money's worth from school.
 
I have no idea if anyone had mentioned this, but talk to your professors about your depression and how its effected your schoolwork and maybe he/she will give you an incomplete and let you make up the work.
 
I echo the advice of the previous posters. Try to get anything but an F. Meet with your professors. You mentioned your fear of getting F's and that you were afarid of having to do another year. I know it sucks but it is better than being kicked out. I was kicked out due to a horrible GPA which meant academic probation. As a result, I took the time off, startted an avon business, and got my shit togehter. I am now studying to be an educator.

Stay strong and do everything you can to fail as few courses as possible.
 
It's really important that you talk to your professors. Explain the depression, talk about "private problems," and see if they'll work with. If you ace the rest of the semester, you won't get the same credit for it as you would if you talk to them first. Just don't talk to them and then let them down, they hate that more than anything.
 
Aww stick with it kiddo! Don't be scared, there's nothing to be frightened of. Concerned yes, scared no..

To answer your question, yes.. I've half dropped out of Uni before (what us Aussies call College) due to a few reasons. By deferring, I stopped my studies but didn't recieved any penalties, I'm unsure if you have that in Wisconsin though... Maybe something to look into. You've worked so hard the past years, don't let one semester get you down. I went back to Uni after two semesters off and graduated with honours, so it can be done!

You could maybe talk to your doctor and see if you could get special consideration due to 'illness' or 'injury' or something? You sound young, so don't freak about your entire future, things might not be as bad as they seem right now.. Just hang in there and keep trying your hardest! It's all worth it in the end..

Much love!

Mav :)
 
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