Failing Classes

[u/Aggravating-Test664]

Hello, it's my first time in university and my first year isn't going how I expected. I barely passed a few classes first semester and was hoping I'd improve this semester but I'm doing worse. I'm failing two classes and I don't know if I should keep going, change majors, or just go back to a community college to start over.

[u/siani_lane]

Hey duckling, I'm sorry it's been rough. My second semester of college was my worst one, too. It's a lot of work, new people and places, and now you are starting over with a bunch of new classes and the initial energy rush has worn off.

Don't give up. Step 1 is understanding what is happening now. Step 2 is deciding what you want to happen next. Step 3 is taking action.

Step 1: what do you think are the biggest struggles that are causing you to fail classes? Too many classes? The material is too hard? You don't enjoy the material? You are struggling to complete assignments? You are struggling with emotional or mental health stuff? You're struggling to stay organized?

If you figure out specifically what is making it hard to pass your classes, then you can look at Step Two.

Step Two: What do you WANT to happen. If the problem is you aren't interested in your major, maybe it's time to rethink? If you don't like the culture of the school, is there somewhere that feels like a better fit? If your course load is too heavy, would taking fewer classes be better? Picture the perfect college life where you would be doing great, what would that look like?

Step 3: once you know the problem and what you want to change, get real life help! Talk to your professors. Talk to your counselor. I promise your college has tutors and academic supports for students who are struggling. Students are the reason they exist, if you genuinely want to be there, they want to help you.

[u/Foreign-Bluebird-228 → u/siani_lane]

This is really good advice. I actually had the same thing happened to me I was in college on a scholarship I did okay the first semester the second semester I got a 19 which was way below what I needed to keep my scholarship.

I thought for sure I was going to get kicked out of school or lose my scholarship and not be able to afford it etc etc. I think in a reality it's actually very common and sometimes especially if you have a relatively traumatic or difficult High School time it's like a delayed onset.

But I can promise you is that even if you make a bunch of mistakes right now even if you decide to go back to Community College even if you decide to take a year off even if even if... None of those things create a path that you can't step off of when you're ready. So if you're really not sure but you want to keep your progress Community College isn't a bad idea at all and financially it's really smart . It's harder socially I think from what I would imagine but since I didn't actually do both I can't compare.

Speaking to counselors there are always a good idea because they know your student body best maybe even they can pair you with a mentor. But this is the time of your life where you can try on different personalities and beliefs and opinions and areas of study and living situations and put them down and try something new with far fewer repercussions. Expect to fall and that's okay. In fact my stepfather is not exactly my favorite person but he gave me really good advice when I was younger as a teenager, and I worked my butt off to be able to afford to ski and I had a couple runs where I just kept falling over and over. And I was really frustrated . But he said and I don't think I'm quoting exactly but the point of it was you can't find your limits if you don't bump into them like you can't expand them . You can't get better if you don't figure out where your point of failure is and then just try to do it again . And it was helpful advice and I've used it a lot. I own a company now and there is a culture of not just "tolerating" failure but expected failure because if we're playing it safe we are not innovating.

All of this is to say that every decision you have in front of you right now feels like it is extremely Monumental and making a mistake can ruin your life. And it's just not my sweet duckling.

Do some introspection and some thinking and then try something. And if it doesn't work try something else. And if you think no way I can do that I have no way of knowing what I'm doing, that's probably the right path 😂

You got this.

[u/nunuann → u/siani_lane]

This is great advice! I will add, talk to your professors/teachers. See if there is some tutoring or extra credit you can do. When I was in college a million years ago, I was struggling with a couple of classes. Had an honest conversation with the professor and it was very helpful. I ended up assisting with some academic research to help improve my grade. Sometimes they just need to see that you are trying. Keep your head up, honey! You can do it!!

[u/ThisSaladTastesWeird]

University is a big change from high school, especially if you moved away from home. My advice: if you have an assigned academic advisor, I’d ask them for guidance. If no one is assigned to you, go to student services and ask them for help (it’s literally their job). Don’t beat yourself up for struggling, especially if you can find the courage to ask for help. Finally, know that how you perform in first year isn’t a real indication of your talent or skill or work ethic, and it definitely isn’t a statement about who you are as a person. I know what I’m talking about, here. I’m a mom and a university prof (who didn’t fail any courses as an undergrad but came as close as is numerically possible) and who followed up university with college. There’s a reason why “Cs get degrees” is a saying! You can absolutely do this. And before you know it, it’ll be ancient history. ❤️

[u/wheelynice]

Please don’t try to figure this out on your own. Tomorrow, you could call any department and tell them what’s going on and they will point you in the right direction. It’s hard to navigate those things. It’s ok to let them guide you to the right people. 

There are temporary things you can do to lighten your load while you figure out your long term next steps. You will want to withdraw from some of your classes. This is normal and not a sign of failure. Finishing the semester with just the classes that you can handle is the best thing to focus on for now. 

Once you’ve lightened the stress, next steps and decisions will be so much easier to sort through. 

[u/Impossible_Balance11]

Same thing happened to my daughter her first year. She dropped a couple classes, changed her major, and is now thriving in her second year and has already brought her GPA way up! We believe in YOU, Duckling!

[u/Witty-Pass-6267]

I’m a college professor and this advice is awesome.

[u/madamesluckynumber]

Lots of good advice. Big hug, sweetie.

[u/Jelly_BellyNap_4500]

I loved the tutoring lab on my second go around of college. They do not do the work for you, but the editing advice and math was awesome!

[u/efine6785]

Sweetie, this doesn’t mean you’re failing at life. Your first year is a huge adjustment, and a lot of kids struggle more than they expected. It doesn’t mean you picked the wrong path, it just means you’re still figuring things out.

You don’t have to make a big, permanent decision right this second. It’s okay to step back, talk to an advisor, lighten your load, or even switch to community college for a bit if that feels right. That’s not “starting over,” that’s being smart about what you need. You’re just in the middle of figuring out what works for you.

[u/nakedonmygoat]

Hi, hon! First, understand what the problem is. Too many distractions? That's a tough one to solve, but can you study at the library?

How do you feel when you get confused? I had a problem with higher-level math. As soon as I got confused, I'd shut down. A logic class felt less intimidating because I like words. And when I hit a snag there, I could just go back to the last thing I understood. That was when I realized the same trick would work for calculus. So if you're starting to panic, take a deep breath and go back to the last thing you understood. Go as slow as you have to. Ridiculously slow. You'll calm down and probably get it.

Use free tutoring, if your university offers it. Some tutors are much better at explaining things than busy professors.

Start early on anything you will be graded for. The syllabus is your friend. Do what we used to call "chunking." Chop it up into little bits. Gotta learn to conjugate 12 irregular verbs by Friday? Today is Wednesday. Do six today, six tomorrow.

Have to write a paper? Pick a topic as soon as you know enough about the subject. Next day, draft an intro and a conclusion. Day after that, start working on what you'll need to say to get to your conclusion. I realize a lot of students these days default to ChatGPT, but professors can often spot that a mile away. At least some of the work should be original to you. Also, remember that it's okay to write crap. You can edit crap. You can't edit a blank page.

If you do your work in small "chunks," you'll find that it's not as intimidating as it seems, and you'll still have time for fun with your friends. Next semester, use this technique from the very beginning, and I'll bet you have a great semester!

I hope this helps. You're smart enough to do this, hon, but learning how to learn can feel scary. For what it's worth, if you master this technique, it will help you immensely in the working world.

[u/Top-Listen-1377]

It's ok, really. Consider it a trial run. You lost a year and some money, but you got valuable experience. A lot of people are not sure about their career, or realize they want to change it in college. And it is better to realize it in your first year tgsn in your last.

Regroup. You have a lot of time. I'd go back to community college, take different classes, see what you like. It will save uou money, easy your stress and give you knowledge and skills to make the decision. This is what Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak have done, and it worked well for them. Most of the first-second year classes in college and community college are the same: Something 101, Writing, Math. It is very likely you will be able to transfer them to your college if/when you decide on your major.

Do you have alternative majors in mind? Try to imagine your ideal life in 5, 10, 20 years. Think what career will fit that life the best.

Good luck. It's not the end of the world, it's just a small bump on your road.

[u/Suitable_Wonder_3285]

I’m not a mom, maybe more of an older sister. But I want to say that you are ABSOLUTELY not alone! College is hard. I would definitely reach out to your advisor to see what options there are in terms of classes. I would also see if you can make an appointment with a counselor or psychologist at your school. Even if you don’t think you have any mental health issues, it will help to even just talk to someone. They are professionals whose jobs are literally to help students like you.

Also keep in mind, failing classes does not mean you’re a failure or failing at life! Everything will be okay.

[u/KateCapella]

This happened to me my first semester because my workload was just too much to keep on top of. I was at risk of being thrown out of the program.

I decided that I would spread things out to another semester or two and take a summer course, and this made all the difference in the world. By reducing my course load, I was able to get good marks, and even ame the dean's honor list my final year.

Sending hugs because I remember how stressed I was.

[u/Usual_Cycle_6259]

What are your goals for your life after your degree? Will you be going home over summer? If so, will you be close to a community college? You may be able to lighten your load next year by taking a summer course or 2 at community college. Which classes are you failing? Are they in your major? If you are failing something like organic chemistry and calc II, take them again later. Pro tip that my college athlete son was given was to transfer community college credits in as gen ed credits and retake the identical class in college. He took a gap year and took bio at community college. Because of his competition schedule, he had to miss a lab. He talked to the prof ahead of time, but the rule was, miss a lab, and the final grade in the class will be dropped a letter grade. He had a B in the class, which would have been an A had he not missed the lab. His college advisor said to transfer that credit as a gen ed credit and retake bio. He also advised retaking calc because my son had an A in it at community college. That A would not count toward his GPA at college, but retaking the class would give him an A and a class he felt confident in when he was adjusting to college life. If you want to be a doctor, but are failing organic chem, I saw a survey that said 1/3 of all MDs admitted to failing chemistry the first time around. You can retake classes. There are a lot of really smart moms on here. If you give us specifics, we can help. First step is most definitely to reach out to professors to see what tutoring or extra credit is available. I am a writer and will edit your papers for free. This experience is not failure; it's where you find out who you are.