What are my chances of turning my college situation around?? HELP!!?

Question

Hi I go to Howard Community College in Maryland. My situation is I graduated from high school in 2005. I went to one community college for my 1st year and did really bad so I transfered to Howard CC to get a fresh start. I ended up withdrawing from 3 of my 5 classes and failing the other 2. And this semester I have withdrawed from 4 more and I currently have a C in the only class I have left. So thats my entire college background. I applied to a couple colleges in Florida as a long shot hoping my story of all that being a fluke would get me in and my catholic high school which is highly regarded. I wasnt accepted to any of those universities. So I am currently passing my only remaining class what exactly do I have to do to turn my college career around. Im ready to put in the work and fix my mistakes but I dont know if its possible. Any insight you can give me would be great. I also would like to transfer to the University of Maryland from my current school. (thats my goal)

also my HS GPA was about a 3.0 avg all 4 years and I got a 19 on the ACTs, it was my first try

Answer 1

You may need to take a break for a while. Get a job, do well with it, take some part time courses and do really well in them, and apply again in a year or so. Most schools might not look favorably at you right now, so you will need to be patient and find ways to prove yourself.

Answer 2

There is hope. Read on and see what can happen if you don't give up. Every college is NOT a match for every student. Let me start with where I am now - working on a doctorate with a 4.0 GPA. I have earned a master's degree (3.69 GPA) and graduated with a bachelor of science degree with honors (3.46). Like you I was a good student in high school. However, the start of my college career was a complete disaster, worse even than what you've described.

I ended up withdrawing from every class my first semester at college. Like you, I wanted a fresh start, so I started at a new college the following Spring semester and stayed there for three semesters, which was a mistake (staying that long, when it wasn't a good match). My GPA was very low, probably in the 1.0-2.0 range. I failed classes for the first time in life, was depressed, isolated, etc. I was fortunate that my mother kept on me and demanded that I get enrolled at some college somewhere, which I did. I transferred to a University that was willing to take a chance on me and ended up making a total withdrawl again that first semester. Aieeeee... It didn't look good. However, that summer I kept going and took just a few classes and earned a 3.0 gpa. That was encouranging so I kept going with a few more classes and earned a better GPA. From that point on I went to school full-time year round and graduated within 3 years of starting that summer.

All this to say, I suspect that the school that you are at is not a good match for you. If you want to be admitted to UMD you have a few routes to try. The first route is to try to get admitted with what schools call a "provisional admission" status. Go there in person, with your transcript in hand, and have a compelling reason for why they should admit you based on your performance in high school. If this doesn't work, take 1 to 2 classes for each summer session at HCC and once you get up to 12 to 15 credits, the school will admit you based on your GPA. Don't take too many classes at once! Take even one at a time until you can be sure you will stay in B range. Once you achieve that, most schools in our area, including UMD are likely to admit you, despite your earlier experiences.

I encourage you to keep going and to not be afraid to visit other schools and even try them if HCC doesn't work for you.

Also, consider trying university of maryland university college, which is a little bit more diverse in terms of the way you can complete your degree, e.g. face-to-face courses, online courses, hybrid courses, or both. It is also on the same campus as UMD.

Good luck! You can do it, with God's help and your continued efforts.

Answer 3

I don't think it's too late. But I think your "Chances" depend ENTIRELY on your getting your Act Together- & start passing MORE Classes than you're flunking or dropping out of!!! I mean, like- what's the problem??! You sound like a reasonably intelligent person... If it takes "getting down to business" with your Studies- then there you Go... (& THAT's what you're gonna have to DO- to have ANY chance of being Accepted by the U. of M.). So "get crackin"- & good luck!

Answer 4

Either you are just not made for college or you are NOT trying hard enough. I bet you are just not trying hard enough. You need to sit down and examine why you did so poorly in those classes. I bet you were partying, going out, working or doing something OTHER than studying and your assignments. Buckle down or you're screwed. Good luck.

Answer 5

It looks like you're not cut for college...sorry. Either study hard and pass all your classes or dont even bother going to school if you're not interested. You will def regret it though when you get older. You are going to wish you went to collge and got a degree.

Answer 6

maybe you should try taking fewer classes and consider talking with one of the colleges counselors they can help you choose the right classes good luck...