I have an E in every single one of my classes. This semester was entremely tough on me in a lot of ways. This is not my full potential as I student. I plan to move back home and retake my classes at a local community college. Is it even worth it? Will anyone hire me even if my future grades are good? I am so worried. This isn’t how I pictured college to go. I feel like I’m the only person in the world who has done this bad. Everywhere I look people say they failed (which they did) but their grades are like 2 c’s a d and an e. Mine are all e’s. I really need advice. I am worried sick.
An E? Not an F? Why did you fail? Partying? Depression? See a counselor/therapist
Go back to Community college and get your grades up. Once you do, and hopefully in the mean time gain maturity, you can apply with your CC grades to a 4 year school to complete your degree. Your final GPA will be from the university you receive your degree from not a conglomeration of the schools you attended. What you have wasted the most is time and money. If you were scholarship or grant eligible you may have used that up by the time you reenter a 4 year institution. Depending on where you are currently a student you may find you need to be less selective in the 4 year universities you can choose from.
By the way, it was over 35 years ago, but I speak from experience. I was put on academic suspension at my first school (entirely my fault and a long and sordid story), went to a Junior College (that was the term at the time), got a 4.0 there, was later accepted to another 4 year institution and graduated with a bit better than a B average at the age of 23. I don’t recommend it as an education path but when you make your bed you have to lie in it.
Thank you.
Pardon my ignorance, but what is an “E”?
Some schools use an “E” grade instead of “F”
I would take time off and do something completely different. THEN go back to CC and raise grades. Here are some ideas–
- get some sort of job. Any job. All jobs teach you skills both practical and innate that you will use your entire life. If the job is something you love, then you've discovered in addition a new passion;
- try something completely different, like volunteer at an arts program/ museum or tutoring or helping to sort clothing at a shelter or volunteer at a hospital or at a library or build things with Habitat for Humanity
- If you want to get away from home, there are many things you can do. Try Student Conservation Association internships and other positions. The website is a little confusing. Look along the right-hand side to see internship link. They provide housing and sometimes a small stipend. the "hot" internship list on the side are positions that have too-few applications. https://www.thesca.org/serve/young-adult-programs
- Try workaway.info for places around the globe where you can work 4-5 hours a day and get a place to live, maybe a meal or two, and explore. https://www.workaway.info/
- Apply for Americorps. There are two programs, one that's general Americore NCCC and one that's FEMA. AGain the website is confusing so look around as there are also individual programs that are local etc -- https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-nccc
- Volunteer.gov has volunteer positions in National Parks. You can search for positions that provide housing.
@Dustyfeathers , wow, thank you for those links. I have never heard of most of the programs you listed.
OP, I was also put on academic probation. It took me six years to graduate. I spent a lot of that time earning money to travel and see the world, and I don’t regret that at all. I did waste a lot of time though, and I wasn’t always honest with my parents, and I do regret that. You are young, and if you start again and work hard, you will be fine. You will never regret having a degree, but you might well regret not having one. If you think of your future, what do you imagine? Without a degree, that future isn’t as promising. I created a new career for myself as a micddle aged mom with kids. Without my degree, even now, it wouldn’t have been possible. Chalk this up to a learning experience, and be the person you know you can be.
Why did you wait until now to realize that something is going wrong? Why didn’t you change what you were doing early on?
Some thoughts on how to do better:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1920853-college-is-a-step-up-from-hs-16-tips-on-doing-well-in-college.html
The first half of the semester I spent wanting to go back home. I didn’t want to start college away from home but was forced to. This year has been a complete mess.
It’s not the end of the world so take a breath. Have you spoken to the school that you left? Maybe if you explain the situation they might give you another shot but it sounds like you don’t really want to be there. @Dustyfeathers makes some great points but remember that once you get a job and get into a routine it can be difficult to return and go back to school. I have had several nieces and nephews that started college, hit some academic bumps, took a break, began to work and never went back. You can do it if you are disciplined but and no offense that is not your strong suit right now. Just don’t give up on a degree. Studies have shown that you will have far more opportunities than without one. Most importantly don’t give up-this comes from my own experience where I was once told at my alma mater UNC-Chapel Hill that I was the only person in my school that was on double academic probation. The journey may be longer but you can do it
I would suggest:
- Following Dustyfeathers's excellent advice about thinking of other things you could do, at least for the next 6 months or so.
- Not worrying at all about things like what future employers will think of your recent grades. Employers most often never even see transcripts. They are only concerned with your experience, what your eventual degree is, and most of all what you personally bring to the table.
- Change your screen name from GraySky33 to something a bit more optimistic.
This happened to my first college roommate too. He simply wasn’t ready for college yet, but his parents forced him to go thinking he would change. He spent a year playing his guitar and singing and failed all of his classes. The university asked him to leave. He was quite a good musician, fortunately for us! He took a year off, trying to pursue his dream of becoming a musician, but realized how difficult that would be too. He finally went back to CC, then transferred to Wentworth U as an Architecture major. He’s now an Architect in the Boston area. We all make mistakes. Realizing it and doing something about it are what separates the successful from the life long slackers.