<p>Hello everyone, I have been in community college for 1 year and a summer and have recieved a 3.16 GPA average which include pre calculus and calculus. I would like to bring it up to a 3.5 range ( I have 33 units currently and will be at my cc for another 2 or 3 years)</p>
<p>Now I am in another semester and somehow I came off to a really bad start. I currently am taking calculus 2, German and Economics and somehow I failed (59 and below) every first test for all my classes. I know I can come back from them all since the lowest exams get dropped but I just seem to have a huge problem with procrastination. I am always helping students with their work and explaining concepts to them, but when it comes to homework I do it last minute and usually not do it all. I seem to prefer to do just about anything else when there is homework for a class I don’t like ( ie, german) which causes me to put off all my other homework. </p>
<p>Any advice? If you have any questions about my habits (which include tv shows, and league of legends ) then please ask or pitch in advice for me.</p>
<p>To add on, and if it makes any difference…Since high school I have improved tremendously. In high school I had a 2.1 gpa average which included an inflation from all of my PE classes that I did well in. Going from a sub 2.0 academic gpa to a 3.16 for me is huge, but I just know that in order to get to the schools I want to get into (UCLA) I need a higher GPA for sure. But something seems to be preventing me, and I know it is just myself. I hate going to classes that bore me like my german class where I understand nothing and just get humiliated when asked a question in german and expected to respond and I have no damn clue. It always seems like there is that one course bringing me down each semester. Though this is probably just an excuse. </p>
<p>I had a 4.0 at my community college, and I took all the lower division mathematics work. This is what worked for me:
-I stop playing videogames, watching tv shows, etc during the semester, because I found it very difficult to study calculus when I could’ve been playing Dark Souls or watching Breaking Bad.
-I try to spend at least 3-6 hours a day studying. It is always better to study for 2 hours a day over the course of five days than to spend 10 hours studying on the day before the test, especially for math and language classes. You simply need to spend more time letting concepts marinate in your mind as well as putting aside at least half an hour a day for each class to practice problems.
-Make flashcards. You need to commit important definitions and theorems to memory. It’s important to have something to fall back on during tests, especially if you didn’t have time to practice problems; you need to be able to logic your way through problems you’ve never seen every now and again.</p>
<p>Honestly, you seem smart enough; I think you already know what you need to do, but you’re putting it off, which, if true, would be indicative your aforementioned procrastination problem ;)</p>
<p>I won’t regurgitate my study habits, which were pretty horrible, but here is what I’d suggest speaking from what I would’ve done over:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Get on a normal schedule. Meaning try and take classes early in the day, then after class, work on your homework immediately and finish it all. My last semester I decided to take only two classes that were at night and this ruined my work ethic and made me a night owl. I liked when I had a full schedule of classes only twice a week because I’d be exhausted and wouldn’t end up going out/wasting time with my friends every night. If you aren’t totally disciplined like myself, forcing yourself in a school environment as much as possible will be most beneficial IMO. The two semesters I packed myself with a brutal schedule I got 4.0, the ones where it was more relaxed, I didn’t. </p></li>
<li><p>Do all your homework as it is assigned. This is crucial in math. I didn’t get As in a few of my Calc classes because I did this, the math/sciences classes I did get As in I did the HW immediately after the lesson was finished, did review problems and went to office hours if needed. Usually teachers assign review problems, so having your HW done before a test allows you do these. I got in a horrible habit of literally copying the solutions and then just memorizing concepts/formulas and trying to apply them. I did alright but you will not get As this way. It is so easy to coast and get Bs, but to really get As in math or science classes you really have to know your stuff. People complain about teachers giving quizzes, but when I had quizzes I felt obligated to do my HW…so quiz yourself somehow or make flashcards.</p></li>
<li><p>You need to focus on helping yourself first, then you can help other people. In my experience, the ones that try and teach other people never really know it because they think that since they can explain it to others, they’ll do good on a test. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Also, a lot of people tend to struggle at CC because they came from HS with not so good habits, or haven’t been in school for a while. You have to start new habits at some point because the system is a lot different. Less busy work and greater emphasis on tests, and no turning in things late/getting tests rescheduled. I got pounded with busy work and hard a** teachers in a lot of my HS classes, so it was a relief and things were a lot easier for me because I didn’t have to write 15 page lab reports (I had to do this in 10th grade) or color in and label 20 maps for history class (this happened in 11th grade). </p>
<p>I appreciate all the advice given! Any advice on going through courses you hate? I am hating my German class because I never understand what is going on. I am also taking it pass/ fail so I don’t have to worry about the grade, but it still bothers me and now I don’t even show up ( last 2 classes)</p>
<p>@TheKracken, okay I consider myself a procrastinator too! Actually, i think most college students are lol. My high school was deflated as well. I did bad in high school, but was a nerd in community college. It was nice haha. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>General Tip
After you finish the lecture for the class you don’t like, go the the library or some studying are right after. Read the lecture notes, textbook, or hw. That way, all the stuff is still fresh. Also, when you’re in the library, you want to study more because everyone else around you is. You are surrounded by academic related matter (books, people studying, etc.) I did my best work at the library and the worst at home. </p></li>
<li><p>That Class You Hate
For your German class, SHOW UP or drop the class (unless you need it). It was very smart of yo do take it pass/fail, though. Study for it, but put it on the bottom of your priorities. If you dont understand what’s going on, ask the professor questions during office hrs. If you’re absolutely lost and have no hope, then just withdraw it if possible. I know that seems discouraging but you DO NOT want to fail. </p></li>
<li><p>Study smart!
I’m the person who needs to study to do well so some study tips:
-don’t just take the notes your teacher provides. Take MORE notes. Like, write down what the prof says and what the book says. So basically fill in the blanks.
-use quizlet.com
-highlight important stuff and write notes next to it for elaboration OR write on post-its and stick em in your book if you need even more room to write</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Well, if you’re cutting class, how do you expect to understand what’s going on? Step 1: Go to class. Step 2: Get some help, maybe go to office hours or tutoring and see if they can get you back on track, or provide you with resources.</p>
<p>Honestly it sounds like you know what your problems are. You’re just looking for some lazy way to get an A without doing work. If you want to do better in classes, the solution is obvious: don’t procrastinate. Do all your homework. Don’t let yourself slack off just because you don’t like the class. Buckle down and study, give yourself short breaks every so often so you don’t die. You’re going to need a better work ethic if you want to succeed at a school like UCLA.</p>
<p>My personal rule (for readings and short assignments I hated) was that I wasn’t allowed to go to bed before I met my goal for the night. Sometimes that meant staying up til 5am writing a lab report, but for me it meant the work got done. The later it gets, the better that reading/essay starts to look. Of course, that only works for short things, the ones you know you can do in few hours if you really focus. For bigger assignments, you just need to have that time management. Make a schedule. Figure out what you need to have done by when in order to get everything done.</p>
<p>^^I was the same way. Although I procrastinated, if something was due or I had a test, I would study and finish whatever no matter how late I had to be up. It makes for a lot of 5AM bedtimes, but at that point you are just in the zone to get it over with.</p>
Drop the german class and start over in it (or another language). Language classes are cumulative and once you fall behind it is going to be difficult to ever catch up. They take many hours of practice each week, ideally split over many days.</p>
<p>Your college should have a counseling center where you can get help on figuring out how to deal with your procrastination. That is really your biggest issue, not the classes. One tongue-in-cheek definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. A counselor can help you figure out ways of doing it differently that will work for you. Also might as well ask about testing for a Learning Disability.</p>
<p>All of the above advice is spot on. What I am going to add is rather simple. I’m wondering if you should just withdraw this semester and take time off. That may mean 6 months, a year, maybe two years. The problem is that you simply aren’t committed from what I can see. There needs to be a mental change and you aren’t there yet. </p>
<p>If you continue on with a load of Cs that will get you nowhere. Ds and Fs you will need to retake, so it’s a time waster. </p>
<p>There’s no foul in waiting a bit. I suggest you withdraw, regroup and recommit further down the line. </p>
I came back to this thread and was going to edit my comments to say the same thing. There is a big disconnect between dreaming of getting A’s and failing the 1st test in each of your classes. Some time off might give you more perspective on why you want a college degree and the motivation to apply yourself. I worked summers while in college in jobs like on an assembly line, in a department store, etc. Not glamorous, but minimum-wage stuff. Tired of school at the end of each year, these jobs reminded me of why I wanted a college degree, so that my future might hold better jobs and pay. </p>
<p>@mikemac, you are spot on! I worked min. wage jobs in the summer too, and although I appreciate the paychecks, I hate the repetitive and menial tasks.</p>
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<p>All of the advice in here is great and very much so appreciated! I am unsure how taking this semester off will affect my financial aid, but it appears I am getting back on track in my language course and math course! Though my econ class is still not going so well. I am wondering if it may be a good idea to drop it and then take one of my school’s 9 week courses to stay full time? I have taken a few 9 week courses before and they were fine. This will give me about a month to really focus on my math and German class so hopefully I can pull my self together in time. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>I ended up dropping both my econ and german class with W’s. I still have my calculus course and I am doing much much better. Here is 3 weeks the half term courses start so I will be adding 2 easier one’s of those in order to be full time. Hopefully within the next 3 weeks I can really pull it together for the year.</p>
) then please ask or pitch in advice for me.</p>