What can I do if I feel like I don't "measure up" in my upper level college classes?

Question

I just dont feel like I fit in with everyone else. College isn't my life, I don't spend every waking hour studying. I don't brown-nose for college scholarships and internships and all that. It's just not me. I just go, do what I have to do, and go home.
Getting straight A's isn't as important to me as it was when I was a freshman. I feel kinda burnt out, and losing my motivatoin, while my other classmates are all motivated and goal oriented. Is something wrong with me?

I guess I just don't feel the pressure. There is a huge shortage of clinical lab scientists across the country (my major), and the program even brags about a 90% employment placement after graduation. I get decent grades. I just choose not to worry and get all panicky like my classmates. Is that a bad thing?

Don't get me wrong..I totally love my major. I love lab work, I love testing, and I like working in the medical field. The continuous problem that I see though, is that most of my classmates are pre-med, pre-pharm, or pre-dental. They are like high strung med school nerds. I don't want to go to med school. I just want to work in a lab analyzing body fluids and tissue samples. Some of my other classmates want to go on to do grad student research assistant fellowships, looking at cancer treatments and stuff.
My main thing is I love microbiology and I'm very good at it. I would want to do something like pathology, or working for the CDC (Center for Disease Control). I've been immersed in healthcare my whole life (my family members have serious medical issues) so I grew up around it. Couldn't see myself doing anything else really.

Answer 1

Nothing's wrong with you. Being perhaps one of the few biology majors who isn't interested in pre-med, you're bound to be surrounded by people who are working really hard to get into dental, medical, or pharmacy school. And it's good that you're not making college your life. You need to achieve a balance between school and social life/other activities. That being said, I see that you want to work in a lab and conduct research. Even that job usually requires you to get a graduate degree and the CDC is selective in who it takes. So, try and keep up your grades. It's still important for you get good grades for future job possibilities or grad school. Since you like to do research, it may be a good idea to assist a professor with research or find a research internship. That way, you can confirm your interests in research. Good luck! You have the right attitude of not stressing out, but be careful not to stop caring to the point where you become lazy.

Answer 2

You're not alone with regard to this- I have felt it in my first undergrad and I still feel it even when I'm trying to go back for another degree. I consider myself a B student and have held myself back from getting A's (that's another story).

I'm sure there comes a point in every student's college years where they'll come to a point and ask themselves is this worth it, can I continue what I'm doing? Sometimes, they change majors, or they continue to plug forward, or sometimes they take a semester or two off from college to "soul-search" I suppose and see what it is that motivates, and to take a breather (time to recharge). I would suggest that you consider taking a term off and just recharging. Use this time to see if you still want to do what you've been doing or if its time to pursue something else

also, you have your entire life ahead of you....you may embark on one career and find that its not for you... you can change careers, you can go back to school and get a degree in something completely opposite of your first undergrad degree. The possibilities are endless!


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Hmmmm.....well, do you think you could take a term off or something just to get a breather? That's great then that you know what to do (I wish I could be like that!!) or perhaps there's a way you could do an internship or real world experience for a term that is sort of like a break but at the same time you're getting experience as well.....
(I'm a business maor so I'm not sure what the requirements are for doing lab "internships")......but maybe that experience will give you more motivation!

Answer 3

It can happen. There generally isn't a strict segregation between class years (though different colleges may have different rules). In my experience lower classmen tended to spend most of their class time taking care of general education requirements (ie you needed to take a math class, and a science class, and a history class), while upper classmen spent their time taking out major requirements. Of course my school was designed in such a way that it could be hard for underclassmen to get into upper division classes needed by upperclassmen to complete their majors...

Answer 4

I'm the same as you. I go to a top institution, and I feel that in the past year or 2, I've been slacking off due to distractions/lack of motivation. I'm no partier, I just had trouble concentrating.

I think its a sort of quarter life crisis in some ways. One thing that will help is to define a career path for yourself. Figure out some things to look forward to after college and you'll realize that better grades will help you achieve those things. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

well there's nothing wrong with not 'living and breathing' college. it's not so bad to 'show up and do what you gotta do and go home.' the thing is, you (or someone) is paying for you to be there--you're the one who has to decide what kind of grades you need to keep up to make it worth your while. for sure it's not worth it if you are going below a C to be there at all. you might want to consider taking a break and coming back later. but if you are staying at least average, and whatever you want to do after *ie what kind of job?* is probably going to be ok with that, then why not just finish up and get on outta there? also, maybe you're in the wrong field. consider switching up your classes a bit to find something that interests you more.

Answer 6

Anyone in college who isn't totally digging their major, has chosen poorly. You should love what you are doing by now if you are in the junior and senior year.

Make a scary decision and switch majors.

You may also be depressed which means you are not making good decisions right now.

Answer 7

For me, this happened because I was not wholeheartedly into my major. I changed majors and then felt renewed and finished with actually better grades than I started with!