I failed 2 semesters of college. Now what? I am now in my junior year.?

Question

I had mono, so that explains one semester, and then I just had what I equate to a nervous breakdown. Now, I am trying desperately to boost my GPA, but, the best I can hope for is a 3.5 and that's if I get straight As in every single class that I take for the next 3 semesters. How the hell am I going to get into graduate school? And, please don't suggest doing anything other than going to grad school, because, that is just not an option.

Answer 1

All I can think of is re-taking the classes. There is such thing as a "grade forgiveness" where they replace your grade and drop the failed grade. Make sure your particular school has that though.

Answer 2

I don't know what kind of graduate school you have in mind, but here are the possibilities. If your grades other than for those two semesters were good, you might be able to get support for your ability to handle graduate-level work from your references. When I was an undergrad, I dropped out twice, once with relatively poor grades, the second time with Fs in everything because I didn't finish the semester. One of my references who had known me all along wrote that I had always been capable of the work, but that other things had interfered which no longer had an impact, and he was now certain that I was ready to handle the graduate work of which I was capable.

Secondly, you could take some time off now. It would provide a break, allowing you to get your act together. Then you could go back and really prove what you can do. The time separation between the problem year and the good year or two later on would underscore that the later performance is the more predictive of the two.

Thirdly, you could go to a lesser graduate program, perhaps at an unaccredited school. This would only help you if you just need the credential.

I would suggest that you would do best to consolidate your problems into one explanation. If you present graduate schools with a series of excuses, they won't respond as well as they will if you present them with one (health problems) which affected both semesters. The multiple issues makes them think that there will be more to come.

Answer 3

haha
dont get too stressed out
graduate schools are not that hard to get in
i mean you failed two semesters yet if still can maintain a 3.5 if you get all A's, which means you are a rather smart student with good grades
=)
ok so here is what you need to do

STUDY hard for your gre, try to get as high score as possible
and STUDY hard for whatever else entrance exam your dream graduate school requires for you to get into their program
and do TONS of related activities orwhatnot that's related to your intended graduate program
(yeah... it's a bit harder to give more examples b/c i have no idea what your intended graduate program is)

anyways
summarize what i just said, gpa isn't everything
gre and other entrance exams really matter
and butt up to your professors
b/c THEIR references letters are going to MEAN A LOT!!!

good luck