Help, please
Ok, so I'm really just posting this to get feedback from anonymous individuals who have never met me and don't know me at all.
Somehow college has gotten away from me. Or rather, two of my classes: Statistics and Developmental Psychology. In Stats, I just don't get the course material, which is unacceptable. I took Stats last year in high school; I should know this all. And yet I do poorly on every test. I don't even bother studying anymore, because I get the same results regardless of whether I study or not. In Dev Psych, I've missed 16 out of 20 online quizzes my teacher's assigned, because if I don't do it in class I hardly remember to do it. As a result, final exams are approaching and I'm genuinely terrified that I may lose my GPA and have to drop out.
Honestly, I don't care what you think of me. I just want your thoughts. Help, advise, even abuse is welcome. Just tell me what you think, and if you have any tips for surviving college, please share. I need help. Lots of help.
Whoa, you're coming in kinda late... maybe too late.
If I were you, I'd want to know what was up with me... if I knew stat last year, how come I can't get it this year? I'd check in with the college counselor, and talk to them. Through them arrangements can be made to save your enrollment, if it's necessary. They can also help with developing study skills... college is not as structured as living at home, and you may be suffering from that loss of structure and routine.
I'd also talk to your professors... maybe take incompletes?
Examine your living situation... is it supporting or undermining your focus and concentration?
It's a bit late in the semester, now, but one bad semester won't kill your academic career outright, so don't worry about that. Worst comes to worst, you'll be placed on academic probation, which means you'll have to bring your GPA up the next semester.
Biggest piece of advice: talk to your professors! Go to their offices during office hours, email them, call them, write little notes and slip them under their door, whatever you need to do, but communicate with them. They cannot help you if they don't know (a) that there's a problem and (b) that you want to do something about it. There are a lot of students in their classes and they may not know you other than as a SID number in their gradebook if you haven't gone out of your way to introduce yourself. I have a couple of students in my labs with problems due to ADHD and I make allowances for them. I also have several students who complain about their grades, but never show up in my office for counselling, nor do they ask to make up work that they've missed; these guys are just out of luck.
Second piece of advice: most universities have some sort of tutoring program. Check out the university website or ask at the department office for your major or ask your councellor.
Hope this helps,
Patricia