Post Academic Dismissal Questions

Hello
I was recently academically dismissed from Northwestern. I won’t go into reasons too much, but the gist is that among some mental problems I did not regularly attend class and failed a few courses. The school’s policy is that you can be re-admitted after one year GIVEN that you show planning and growth and keep yourself busy.

I plan to enroll at my local community college for the time being, not just to prove that I still have the chops to function at school and be a good student, but because I actually need to refresh on material. One reason I did so poorly in math last quarter, for example, was because while I’ve been good at math my whole life, I had not taken a math class in 3 years (since junior year high school). There was so much to catch up on that I pretty much crumbled and failed the same math class two consecutive terms. The place I’ll probably be attending is a local “technical college” with 2 year associates degree and a shorter technical diploma program.

I was wondering, what kind of course-load should I set for myself? Should I be taking non-credit classes as a refresher and to show that I’m capable of being a student again, or apply for an associates or the diploma program? I doubt I would complete the 2 year program if I was able to return to Northwestern, so is there any point? To be honest I don’t know much about how degrees and degree programs work for someone 2 years into undergraduate study… Any help would be appreciated

As for the mental stuff, my family and I will work that out on my own.
Thanks in advance

Hi, it’s great that you’re getting fresh start at your local CC, if you do well you can transfer out and finish your intended BS degree, so it’s a good path you’re taking here. I’m not sure whether you can transfer back to Northwestern if you don’t leave the institution in good academic standing, but there are plenty of good universities that will accept you if your academic history from your local CC is good. I have two associates degrees and I’m looking forward to transferring to UC soon.

A lot of community colleges offer online classes, which are great for people who have health issues or sensory problems because you don’t need to show up if you’re not feeling well. So, if you’re taking 4 classes per semester, you can take some classes online and some in campus. I’d suggest you to take a placement test for math, those are usually pretty accurate to decide whether you need remedial classes or not. My family and I moved to the US, and I too thought I had forgotten everything about math, yet I’ve got placed in pre-calculus, so don’t assume you need to redo everything starting out from pre-algebra :slight_smile:

You should definitely take credit courses if you’re planning to transfer to a 4-year institution. You’ll need 60 credits for an associates degree or a transfer degree, 12 of which need to be taken at your local CC, and a GPA greater than 3.0-3.5 to be competitive, depending on your major. Best of luck, and feel free to ask more specific questions!

Don’t take classes for practice. Get credit for your work