I’ll try and keep this short. I was a
student at a top yet expensive school
In New York. I have a 3.6 GPA, honor student, deans list…the whole nine, I am also LD. I cannot do math to save my life. I was going to save that
subject until my last semester and get help with it. I also work full time with
special needs kids (I’ve held down this job for almost a decade.)
I also ran out of aid and sadly I
couldn’t attend my school any more.
So, I decided to transfer to CUNY. I
went in today for open enrollment and they told me I cannot attended their
School because I do not have the
Math requirement. What they told me I could do is go to a community college and take a remedial math class and
Then take the collage level Math. This will take well over a year and will set
Me back almost 4 grand. Not only
does my job not require no math what so ever, but now I have to take 2 math classes!
I’m not a snob by all means, but to go
from one of the top schools in the city
to a community collage (in the south Bronx) in order to go to a school that
Only requires a 2.0 GPA KILLS me.
Plus spending the extra money and
time gets me really upset.
I’m most likely not going to continue
With my education. It stings, badly,
You made the deans list and you plan on quitting?
Consider the following: Where will you be in 10 years? Will you regret stopping your education?
I wanted to quit several times because I didn’t think I could do it.
My husband (to be) told me the above and he also said: “‘Aunt Bea’ -Think of your challenging courses as ‘awful-tasting medicine’: It’s only for a little while. Swig it down and get the bad taste over with, after that you will feel better.” Every time I faced a hurdle, I thought of that analogy-the nasty taste of Nyquil or cherry cough syrup. It worked!
Every math class has free tutorials online. You can use that information to help you get through the classes.
Take online classes in math at your own pace. Use the Disabled Student Services program at the CC or the Cuny’s to help you with the organization of the math problems. Use scotopics if needed.
Don’t quit until you’ve given yourself a fighting chance.
To graduate college, one must complete a college level math course. Countless people have done it before you. Some people struggle with math more than others. I’m a physics/math double major and I’ve been tutoring people in math for the last three years now. I understand that some people struggle with it. However, there are a lot of tools available to make it easier. Get a tutor, utilize resources like Khan Academy, go to office hours, form a study group…there are lots of possibilities. Giving up on this simply because of a math class seems silly, and quite frankly, incredibly lazy.
You are not the first person with a math-related LD to pursue a college degree. There are pathways for this. And the pathway may very well be through the community college. Meet with the disabilities offices at your original university, at CUNY and at the community college, document your specific LD, and devise a plan to get through this.
A bigger issue is the money one. What happened that you “ran out of aid”? Your GPA is very good. Why did your university cut you off?
Thanks for calling me lazy!!! Seems like your reading comprehension is rather low.
Again…
My problem is this, to transfer to CUNY, no matter what, even with a 4.0…you need to HAVE a college level math credit. They won’t take you…period. I was going to take math my last semester at my current school so it wouldn’t mess up my GPA.
Even with the scholarships, my financial aid has run out. I cannot afford to attend my current school.
CUNY told me that to get accepted as a transfer student I have to take a remedial math and a college level math at a community college and then I’ll be able to attend their school.
That’s a whole year, plus 4 grand, having to do 2 math classes instead of 1, attending a community college in the south Bronx…just transfer to a less expensive and a not-so-great school.
No, I cannot take it on line, it has to be at one of their schools. And, I’ll have to go through the application process again (more money to spend.)
It’s absolutely frustrating. I worked really hard and made a ton of sacrifices. Over the last 6 years I put my all into this. 16 hour days and school work on the weekend. I was so close too.
It’s really hard doing all of this while working full time and having a documented learning disability, I tried to do the right thing and follow the mantra “if you work hard, you can achieve anything” it feels like such B.S. The more time I spent at my last school-the less scholarship money was rewarded to me and I couldn’t finish with the standard loans. I’m also not taking any private loans it feels like a horrible trap.
Transferring should’ve been easy, I get that the school has policies regarding transfer students, but it seems so crazy…for instance, a student with a 2.1 GPA has no problem transferring just because they have the math already, while I have to spend a lot of money (for me) go to a community college do 2 math courses and a placement test…
There is a point when a person gets exhausted and has had enough.
Can you take one of the CLEP math tests? If you pass some schools will accept this as math credit. Buy a study guide and prep first. Ask CUNY about this.
I understand that you are frustrated about a lot of things. But please try to break this down into do-able steps.
First, find out how inexpensively you can get those math classes. Why is your cost estimate $2,000 for each of them? If you only take one class each term, you should be only paying for that specific class. If you can’t get NY city rates because you actually live outside the city, then take these classes at whatever random community college is your local community college.
Then when you have the math classes sorted out, look around for good places to transfer to. You have a strong overall record. You may be able to find somewhere other than just CUNY that will accept you and give you decent financial aid.
Thank you for your advice and thoughtful response.
I’m really frustrated.
The other problem is the I’ve run out of aid/loan money. That’s why I picked CUNY as I do live in New York City. I’ve been working a second job to save up for classes part time as I cannot take out private loans as well.
The situation seems really bleak at the moment.
I worked really hard to get into my school, it’s one of the best in the nation. I did really well too. The thought of attending Bronx community collage as a 36 year old adult to take remedial math classes for the next year or so is a real blow to the ego.
I already have to work extra hard at school and it’s always been a struggle…this just makes it even harder.
My apologies if you don’t think my reading comprehension is up to snuff. But that was my take on your situation. Instead of buckling down and doing what needs to be done to complete your degree, e.g. taking the math classes at a community college, you’re simply suggesting that you want to give up on your degree. Sorry, but that strikes me as lazy. Life threw a speedbump at you. You can either go over it or you can turn around and find another path.
I find it very hard to believe that one class at a community college would cost $2000. Tuition at a community college is most often on a per-credit basis. At the community college I attended, tuition was ~$100 per credit hour, making one class about $300.
Just do me a favor, and don’t reply to my post. I really don’t care about “how you see my situation,” You’re not offering any valid and constructive advice.
Even if you had been able to get to the last semester of your original degree program, and then enroll in a math course, it is possible that you could have ended up at Bronx CC for the remedial class needed to help you through that other class.
Personally, I think taking a year to get through the math classes (and reasonably inexpensively if you only take one class at a time) while saving up money to finish off your degree makes good sense. In the grand scheme of things, one year isn’t all that much. It also will give you time to investigate options that could make it possible for you to return to your original university. For example, if you got a job there, would you be eligible for free or reduced tuition?
It’s understandable that you are Totally Frustrated; everyone gets that. What I don’t get is when you say that you were “so close too”. You are still really close to your goal but to achieve it you have to take 2 courses in a subject you loathe. You had planned to take math your last semester so you really have known all along that it was necessary so I’m not sure why you expected that requirement to be waived just because you will be attending a school which is not ranked as highly as your last one.
I will take you at your word about this but can’t help but notice that you keep mentioning the location of the community college (south Bronx) and the low admission standards of CUNY compared to your last school. Sadly, your last school will not be the institution that issues your diploma and it doesn’t seem that you’ve processed that fact yet.
We all have unexpected setbacks (which at age 36, I’m sure you know) but I hope that in a day or two you will realize that you can still complete your degree, even if it takes a bit longer than you planned. You claim that you can’t do math “to save your life” but even with a LD, it will be possible to get through these classes to get back on track because your gpa and job history show that you have the raw intelligence to do so (you don’t have to get As in them). There are a lot more resources available now that there were the last time you were in school and some of them, like Kahn Academy are absolutely free.
Give yourself another day or two to vent and then go back and do what you have to enroll for the remedial class you need at the hated cc. Be open to even the remotest possibility that you may be fortunate to get an inspired instructor who is willing to help a smart and motivated student succeed. Really, the only one who will be hurt by not completing your degree after having come so far is you. As a mom who is much older that you are I’m begging you not to “cut off your nose to spite your face.” In ten years, you will have been reaping the benefits of having the degree and will be amazed that you even considered quitting so close to the finish line.
Here is the deal, people have been helpful and moreover encouraging. That said, if you don’t want to follow their counsel or think of your own alternatives, then threating to just give up is not assisting yourself in any way. You make your own path, if quitting is in your mind, the most resonable course, go ahead and do it-- but, also take exclusive responsibility for that action.
Did you ever look into the CLEP exams offered by College Board? They have tests for College Mathematics, College Algebra, Pre-Calc, and Calculus - all of which, if you pass, will give you college credit. They also offer sample questions and prep materials on their website - with a little studying, this might be your solution.
Wait, so you’re going to quit pursuing an education because you’ll have to go to a community college and take some extra time to do what you need to do and it’s going to cost you some money? Wow, how vain are you? You must not really want an education if you’re going to give up so easily. Good luck.