2.1 High School GPA, Am I Doomed? (master's, wage, graduated, harder)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So yea, my high school grades are horrible (specifically math). I excelled in everything except math. I made Bs, As and Cs in all other subjects but in math I've made Ds and Fs. Its not that I was bad at math, I was just too lazy to actually apply myself and do it.. I did just enough to get by in the other subjects.
So, Im wanting to start over and go to a University or 4 year and recieve a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems or Computer Science.
I heard I can start over at a Community College and that my High School grades wont matter. How do I go about doing this?
Why MIS or CS? Here's the thing about college--the people who didn't apply themselves in high school and still got As find that they have to apply themselves in college. Don't make the mistake of thinking you are good at math because you didn't try very hard. That doesn't mean you can't be successful at subjects that require math, only that you will have to work very hard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cleonidas
Here's the thing: Whatever it is that was making you too lazy to actually apply yourself is probably still there and it's only going to get worse when you move out of your folks' place. I've seen this many, many times.
I would strongly advise that you do something very different from what everyone around you is doing. Take an apprenticeship with an electrician, enlist for two years, go work on a drilling rig... Just do something other than try to pull yourself together academically without actually changing anything other than having a (mostly meaningless) come-to-Jesus chat with yourself about not being lazy and playing XBox when you should be studying. You've got growing up to do that you didn't do at home, and it's very difficult to do that without changing something drastic and forcing yourself out of your comfort zone. I think that about the WORST thing you can do at this point is get into a four year college and produce a 1.9 GPA. Then you'll REALLY be doomed. Go live as an adult for a little while. Learn something that no one else from your graduating class knows. I suspect you'll find that what you're interested in or where you have significant opportunity is NOT going to be IT/Computer Science and when you go back to school you'll know why you're studying what you want to study and that will be an entirely different ballgame than the one you're in now.
That's my $0.02 and it's probably very good advice for you, but no high school kids want to hear that so you'll probably ignore it.
Yes, a CC can help you. BUT and this is extremely critical: you need to get with a tutor to TEACH you study skills and you really need to focus on that part of your schooling. You clearly did not learn them in high school. Some CCs will baby you along and teach you study skills. Some won't. Better for you to learn them so that you can excel in a CC.
I think that if you did not like and do well i high school. that community college may quite possibly be the worst place on earth for you.
Here is why -
1. It is regimented. Frequent homework assignments. Pop quizes.
2. You are not entirely treated as a adult.
3. classes tend to be boring.
4. Like those "C" students in HS? If so, you will see them again at your local cc.
5. CCs serve older students well. Also, basically above average students who have a transfer plan. Many times, first generation college attendees do not know that there are alternatives to their local cc.
6. There ARE alternatives. Many.
7. send me a direct message. I'd be happy to be of assistance.
I think that if you did not like and do well i high school. that community college may quite possibly be the worst place on earth for you.
Here is why -
1. It is regimented. Frequent homework assignments. Pop quizes.
2. You are not entirely treated as a adult.
3. classes tend to be boring.
4. Like those "C" students in HS? If so, you will see them again at your local cc.
5. CCs serve older students well. Also, basically above average students who have a transfer plan. Many times, first generation college attendees do not know that there are alternatives to their local cc.
6. There ARE alternatives. Many.
7. send me a direct message. I'd be happy to be of assistance.
1. College is less structured and regimented than HS. In HS you might have had a teacher who checked up on you anyway but in college, yes, even CC, the profs will only make effort with you if you do with them.
2. Are you kidding? You are absolutely treated like an adult, and much more so at a CC than at a four-year residential college. You have to be responsible for tracking down the profs, getting to class on time from 10 or 20 miles away...it's all on you. No one at your CC is going to help you figure out a bus route.
Bottom line...a student who did poorly in high school either has a changed attitude and wants to do better in college* (*has a plan and actively researches how to maximize learning/takeaway) or that person is the same as they were in HS. If you fall into the latter group, you'll do poorly anywhere. Tech school, 4-year school, and the military don't want slackers either.
You're only "doomed" if you keep thinking that college will somehow ever make you successful in life. All our lives we've been told the same lies. Study hard, get good grades, go to college, and the future is yours!
Just ask all the people today with even Master's degrees who can't get jobs. And the ones that do get jobs are often so unhappy (studies show over 50% of people hate their job) that the best part of their week is happy hour.
I graduated High School with a 2.1 GPA. I had no intention to continue on to college and pursue the boredom that formal education was providing me. I then realized if I wanted to become truly successful, I had to SELF-educate. And for myself and millions of other people, that's where the real magic in life began.
I now own two million dollar businesses virtually on auto-pilot, have more free time than anyone I know, and most importantly I'm HAPPY. People can't understand why I'm so happy and motivated all the time. It's because I broke out of the box of lies that I was fed by people who were far less intelligent than me, claiming if I didn't go to college I'd be a failure for life.
Break the chains and start studying personal development and work harder on yourself than anything else. Keep at it and soon you'll realize that anything in the world can be yours, and others will call you crazy.
Here's the thing: Whatever it is that was making you too lazy to actually apply yourself is probably still there and it's only going to get worse when you move out of your folks' place. I've seen this many, many times.
I would strongly advise that you do something very different from what everyone around you is doing. Take an apprenticeship with an electrician, enlist for two years, go work on a drilling rig... Just do something other than try to pull yourself together academically without actually changing anything other than having a (mostly meaningless) come-to-Jesus chat with yourself about not being lazy and playing XBox when you should be studying. You've got growing up to do that you didn't do at home, and it's very difficult to do that without changing something drastic and forcing yourself out of your comfort zone. I think that about the WORST thing you can do at this point is get into a four year college and produce a 1.9 GPA. Then you'll REALLY be doomed. Go live as an adult for a little while. Learn something that no one else from your graduating class knows. I suspect you'll find that what you're interested in or where you have significant opportunity is NOT going to be IT/Computer Science and when you go back to school you'll know why you're studying what you want to study and that will be an entirely different ballgame than the one you're in now.
That's my $0.02 and it's probably very good advice for you, but no high school kids want to hear that so you'll probably ignore it.
Yes, community college will probably be your best option. I think, generally, you need 60 units of work to transfer on your college grades alone. At least that's how it is out here in California. That works out to two years (four semesters) of 15 units each. You can take a slightly lighter courseload if you also plan on doing summer classes.
And you need to apply yourself in math. The classes don't get any easier, and it's very, very easy to get behind. I am both terrible in math and lazy too, but I managed to get through pre-calculus.
If you've got problems getting things done on time, this is the perfect time to change some of those habits. Find out what resources your college has to help you be successful. Tutoring should be available for free if you need it, but they may also offer workshops or assistance with skills like time management. Take advantage of the library or other quiet places to study. Consider scheduling your classes so you have a few hours in the day to have a lunch and homework break. I've always found that once I get home, I'm too lazy to get much done, so I make myself stay in the library between/after classes to do work. My school also offers a Semester-At-A-Glance sheet, which is a calendar of the academic year. At the start of the semester I write down the dates of my finals, exams, and major assignments and stick it next to my computer at home.
Community college is a great chance for smart but underachieving students like us to mend our ways, but only if we put in the effort.
Here's the thing: Whatever it is that was making you too lazy to actually apply yourself is probably still there and it's only going to get worse when you move out of your folks' place. I've seen this many, many times.
I would strongly advise that you do something very different from what everyone around you is doing. Take an apprenticeship with an electrician, enlist for two years, go work on a drilling rig... Just do something other than try to pull yourself together academically without actually changing anything other than having a (mostly meaningless) come-to-Jesus chat with yourself about not being lazy and playing XBox when you should be studying. You've got growing up to do that you didn't do at home, and it's very difficult to do that without changing something drastic and forcing yourself out of your comfort zone. I think that about the WORST thing you can do at this point is get into a four year college and produce a 1.9 GPA. Then you'll REALLY be doomed. Go live as an adult for a little while. Learn something that no one else from your graduating class knows. I suspect you'll find that what you're interested in or where you have significant opportunity is NOT going to be IT/Computer Science and when you go back to school you'll know why you're studying what you want to study and that will be an entirely different ballgame than the one you're in now.
That's my $0.02 and it's probably very good advice for you, but no high school kids want to hear that so you'll probably ignore it.
This type of advice is generally wrong as people often project themselves and what they think is right on others. Also it's way off subject and not what the OP was asking for.
It's really up to the OP to do whatever he wants to in life. If he plans on working hard in community college, going off to get a 4 year degree in computer science (first mastering the math) that is entirely up to him . How well it will or won't work is not up for us to say.
To answer his question, if he does well in community college he will be able to transfer to a 4 year college. How to do well in community college is another question, but it isn't one that he asked us either.
You're only "doomed" if you keep thinking that college will somehow ever make you successful in life. All our lives we've been told the same lies. Study hard, get good grades, go to college, and the future is yours!
Just ask all the people today with even Master's degrees who can't get jobs. And the ones that do get jobs are often so unhappy (studies show over 50% of people hate their job) that the best part of their week is happy hour.
I graduated High School with a 2.1 GPA. I had no intention to continue on to college and pursue the boredom that formal education was providing me. I then realized if I wanted to become truly successful, I had to SELF-educate. And for myself and millions of other people, that's where the real magic in life began.
I now own two million dollar businesses virtually on auto-pilot, have more free time than anyone I know, and most importantly I'm HAPPY. People can't understand why I'm so happy and motivated all the time. It's because I broke out of the box of lies that I was fed by people who were far less intelligent than me, claiming if I didn't go to college I'd be a failure for life.
Break the chains and start studying personal development and work harder on yourself than anything else. Keep at it and soon you'll realize that anything in the world can be yours, and others will call you crazy.
I hear this on this board sometimes, "Study hard, get good grades, go to college, and the future is yours!" and I don't get it. Who hears that? Who tells kids that?? What my kids generation was told over and over and over was go to college, get good grades, work hard at getting internships/co-ops and summer jobs and hopefully you'll find a job in your field in a couple of years after graduation. I sincerely don't know any twenty-something that graduated from college and expected a job to materialize. All you have to do is be minimally aware of what's going on to realize that getting a job is a job. We also talked to our kids when they were in HS about the possibility of not going to college but their career aspirations required a college degree.
Their "boxes" are careers they like. For now anyway. One thing I've learned is that jobs are not forever, you can change what you want to do your whole life.
As to the OP, It looks like you haven't posted on this forum since August of last year, and that your post that started this thread was your only post on city-data. I hope you have since mastered some study skills and improved your GPA. Community College is a good path to a four year college.
Moderator - Lehigh Valley, NEPA, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Education and Colleges and Universities.
When I post in bold red, that is Moderator action and per the TOS can be discussed only via Direct Message.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Truth About Success in Life
