I feel like an idiot?

Question

I'm in my 4th year at UC Berkeley and I feel like an idiot. I got a B+ on one of my midterms, and today I took another midterm for another class and I don't think I did well despite studying 3 days all day. I am so tired of school.

Prior to university I was easily in the top 3 students at my high school. There were 400+ students in my class. I took 11 AP exams and passed all of them, mostly with 4s. I got a 730 SAT Math, 700 SAT verbal, and 800 Writing SAT II.

Basically it was effortless. I had a 4.0 with studying, but I everything was somewhat "easy" for me including Calculus.

Now that I'm at university, my GPA is only a 3.7. I maybe bombed today's midterm despite studying for 3 days, and I feel like an idiot. I just feel very ashamed because everything was so easy for me before. Am I now dumber or what?

I really want to go to law school, and that's why I need to keep my GPA up. I can't stand getting B's, and I am so irritated when I get them. It just bugs me.

I also tend to obsess over my grades. Like when I knew right after the exam that I missed certain sections, I felt like complete garbage. I really miss being one of the smartest to be honest, and just having it all come easily. I also dislike obsessing over bad grades.

I don't know if I am a "bookworm." It's just things came a lot easier to me prior to university.

In all honesty, I've been one of the top students my entire life in all of my classes until I came to university. School was easy for me, and I enjoyed it.

Also, it's not different wording. I get A's in all my writing classes.

I'm studying Economics and some of it just bugs me.

Answer 1

Well it just seems like you've had it easy and never worked for anything. It is tough for those to go to a competitive college like Berkeley. You may be having some self esteem issues and I don't think you are an idiot, because if you were you would be failing out instead doing fairly well with a 3.7 GPA. A lot of kids would do anything for that type of GPA.

You are in your 4th year, so you should be graduating soon right? Don't be ashamed! You are almost done!

Berkeley is a top notch school. Kids with your high school grades and GPAs are a dime a dozen.

I remember when I went to caltech, the admin had a parent day where they told all the parents that their kids are competing with the best of the best and that they shouldn't expect straight A's with ease anymore. The same thing goes for most colleges and most students. The competition is tougher and the material is harder.

If you understand that aspect of the university then you are on your path to accepting. However, it will be tough to figure out proper study techniques and research skills since everything came so easily before. You never had to work at anything and now you do. That being said, you still are doing pretty good so I wouldn't worry.

That's easier said than done and its a mental thing. So i suggest you see a counselor or psychologist/psychiatrist to help you get over your self esteem and depression type issues.

You should be able to go to a good law school with that GPA. Just need to score well on the LSAT too. Good Luck.

Answer 2

I have mentored many a young man and woman and I always say the same thing: Its a big step up from high school and if you don'd adjust be prepared for a big leap down.
One of my sons is pretty much like you, a junior at Boston College with a 3.5 GPA gets pissed when not scoring perfection. And like you, was in top 5% at Fordham Prep, National Honor Society, Latin Magna C.um Laude Award etc., he never sweated through high school. He also tells me school seems pointless and he's tired of it. When he finishes his verbal rampage, we chat.
I will tell you what I told him, no one is giving anything away. You are in a school brimming with true peers, who scored just as well or better on the SAT and also were in the top 5%-10% of their high school classes. Some would call it greater competition, given the rep of the school and to a certain degree that is true. The greater reason, I believe, is to indeed stretch you so far that you cannot waltz through the course, but have to reach higher and higher levels of intellectual insight and knowledge, so you are not just excellent, but expert! Call it that extra 5% of mastering the skill and why you may ask? So you are the absolute best you can be in terms of mental discipline, analytical ability, goal orientation and conceptial challenges. Now given you wish to get into a first rate law school, where entrance is extremely tough and a typical workweek is 70-80 hours and you better know the details (!!!), do you think this education you're getting will stand you in good stead? If the answer is yes, then you are back on track. By the way, my son also said yes.
Lastly, I know about the lawschool situation because my oldest boy is a recent grad. I'll tell you this, when he was in college, he managed his time pretty well. After his first year at law school, one would have believed he was a time and motion expert. You got all the qualifications, don't drop the ball! Good Luck!

Answer 3

are you the bookworm type? sometimes it is not the grades that matter. the more you keep on blaming yourself the worst it becomes. try to work smart instead of hard. take some time of to enjoy yourself. your brain works better when it is relax & energize. try to play some sport or pick up a hobby to relax yourself. it is not good to overwork yourself. you are just going to increase your stress level not helping....i know it is hard to get into a law school but what is the point of planning of going there while you might lost your mind before that. try to be focus but at the same time have faith in yourself.;)

Answer 4

now your at uni, things are done differently. different wording is used, and maybe you find that difficult to understand. High school, certainly here in england, everything is given to you, but at uni, more background reading is needed, its not that you're dumber, its that things may be challenging you more. speak to a campus student advisor for more help
:)

Answer 5

Be cool and stop thinking like this,please