holcomb2012

Ok so I basically screwed myself this first semester. I will be stuck with around a 1.4. I feel like I totally screwed myself for the year and their is nothing that I can do about it. Any advice?

SinkOrSwim123

Do you have to retake any courses? If not, I think you can just look at how you studied and if you need to make any changes. Look at where you think went wrong. If you don't have to retake any, it's all good, people say "don't worry about your freshman year gpa." It gets a lot better the years later since classes are a bit less boring and there's no "transition" phase anymore. If you do have to retake classes, then you might want to start planning out how to do it so that you won't need to add an extra year of college? IDK, i think a lot of people have bad grades this semester, including myself, and I'm just hoping I won't have to retake anything and can get decent grades

Wiscongene

Yea, the "freshman grades are not as important" theme is one I've been hearing a lot. Honestly, you and I both know that freshman grades matter somewhat, but how much? How could anyone really know?

I don't know how bad is bad, but my grades this first semester have been pretty disappointing for me. In still looking for answers. I spend a lot of time working but I guess I have to work smarter.

One thing I'm trying to be is persistent. I worry a lot. It's exhausting. I just have to keeping plugging away until something sticks. Gotta keep pushing my limits--maybe it might help you to take the same perspective.

I really hope things get better for you, man/gal. And not in the BS "just-some-dude-on-the-internet" way. I really empathize with you because I'm there too.

Maybe Rock Bottom can be the foundation upon which we rebuild our academic careers?

SinkOrSwim123

yup, we'll all make it through together

asianamericanson

Look, let's say that freshman grades DO matter a lot. And lets say you blow it. Worst case scenario is that you flunk out of school, you don't get to go to that Ivy grad school, or your parents get extremely dissapointed. Now these are all terrible things but there is redemption for "losers." If you say to yourself, "I know I may not be all that smart and that I've really screwed around but I'm going to take a second chance and work hard to redeem myself", in the USA at least, there WILL be opportunity. Take for instance the eminent philosopher/historian Frederick Copleston. Copleston only got thirds (what would be considered "C's") at Oxford as an undergrad but he decided to redeem himself with a second chance and he ended up having a long, distinguished career as a professor at Oxford and U of London. Or Michael Brown, an eminent Ancient Mediterranean scholar who was a druggie in his teens, turned his life around, and became a leading scholar of Old Testament and Jewish studies. Or even my own father who FAILED his freshman year with a sub 1.0 GPA and ended up getting a PhD fifteen years later. The point is, if you set a goal for the meaning of your life and work hard to get there, you probably will achieve, maybe not all you hoped for, but still something valuable.