Why do I suck at school??? Long Rant

[KillingTime]

I have like a 1.7 GPA, third time on probation, first time coming back from dismissal. Grades are low, Im about two semesters behind. I should be graduating this spring.

You might be thinking I'm some crazy party animal... yea right, I barely go out, I don't work and try to dedicate all my time to my college classes yet have nothing to show for it. I have never gotten an A in my life, even in blow-off classes... it's almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy that I have to do bad.

All my friends go to school full-time, work and even have internships... they are out of the house pretty much ALL day, I have no clue when, or if, they ever study... yet they get A's and B's.
I on the other hand have to sit here at home studying for hours just to get a B, or usually a C... there's no way I can work, even without a job i can barely get by. I wouldn't mind having practically no life/money if I had some good grades to show for it.

I'm so sick of this, I have so much ambition and big goals in life, I'm a pretty straight-edge guy and have my head on straight... why don't my grades show it?
I've always just barely gotten by, for once I would like the feeling of being a B student, maybe even get a few A's. So tired of busting my ass for lousy grades.

Was anyone else like this and were you able to change?? I'm sick of being the "stupid guy", I'm tired of having counselers tell me "ok only take 9 hours this semester" like I'm some kind of retard while my friends take 15 hours along with a job, clubs, internships etc.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

Unless you truly have a learning disability then I can almost guarantee it is your attitude.

it's almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy that I have to do bad.

Believe it or not this is more true than you would think. I have seen studies were kids did bad in school simply because they expected to do bad for one reason or another. It begins a viscous cycle.


First, start improving your attitude. Expect to do good.
Then look into some books about studying and whatnot.
And if that fails then seek help to determine if you have a learning disability.

 

[THE_ADDMAN]

If you study hard and still can barely make a C, your course of study might not be for you

 

[Ice Cold]

What are you studying exactly?

 

[KillingTime]

Psychology but I mean it's not the subject, i've been like this in EVERY subject since first grade as far as I remember.
It could definately be my attitude about it, as a kid i know I was kinda lazy and the idea that "im a failure" could have just stuck with me for all I know

 

[THE_ADDMAN]

Bingo. Desist negative talk NOW

 

[Kerpal]

I have the same problem, I have such low self esteem that whenever I think of doing something I automatically think to myself "Oh, I can't do that". It's a serious problem I am trying to overcome.

 

[dirtyvibe]

You ever been tested for ADHD? My friend used to be really compulsive, and failed all his classes. 10th grade, he started taking ritalin and was able to focus more. Made straight As, was student of year senior year, super popular and is now going to the top school in the state, UVA.

 

[Ice Cold]

How much are you studying per day?
Do you have a space for learning which is free from distractions?
If I gave you a book to study, how would you go about it?
aka Do you have a system for learning new material?

 

[pvf94]

Im damn near the same way as the thread starter.....up until this year that is.

I found out that it all comes down to determination and the correct mindset....or the want/need to do good.

You seem a touch negative, actually you are mirroring my old mindset. It's best to just find a way to put your head on straight, and go for the gold man......I only got that far when I realized I wouldnt graduate with the class I grew up with! Now here I am 5th year senior.....it sucks very bad. But you know what? I have something driving me to succeed.

Good luck buddy

 

[A-Unit]

Re:

Here's the real deal...

We can ALL learn, people just have different time frames for learning. If I wanted to learn Computer Science, I could, just not in the time frame a "college" would like me to. I've taken AP calculus, but I'm no smarter than anyone else; it's just using concepts from somewhere else and applying them here. Anybody can learn anything, IF they so choose.

The other piece is HOW you learn...there's 3 filters...

1) Kinesthetic - doing
2) Visual - seeing
3) Auditory - hearing

Most schooling covers #3, with some #2, and just a little #1. Science classes with labs would be all 3. A math class is normally V + A, but no "touching" or "doing." Students fail because.

#1 They don't try. If they're trying then...

Either they don't like what they're doing, there isn't enough time for them to learn it before they're tested on it, or it isn't being taught in a way they learn easily. I know people who have learning disabilities, and when you give them something they LIKE, they learn it, so learning disability really just applies to...

The fact that schooling wants you to learn certain boring and pointless subjects, you can't learn them, so they drug you so you CAN learn them. My ADD friend, who's pretty bad, is a steelworker by trade. He took classes, passed the tests, and was scaling buildings before he entered the Army full-time. He always had his ADHD drugs, but rarely took them because he didn't like how he felt.

I personally don't "buy" the ADD/ADHD mentality, because they just try to FIT you into this nice little box. Everyone could be a valedictorian, it's simply that this student did it faster in the allotted time (i.e. 180 days). There are other's who may do a more thorough job IF given the time.

As I've said time and time again, school isn't about YOU, it's about the "greater good", as the same goes for society. Even if the majority is only 51%, they still beat the 49% because that's the "system" we have, good, bad, or indifferent. If you don't like? Just recognize what school is, and do your own thing so that when graduation comes, you aren't standing there holding your d1ck all by your lonesome.

I generally believe people want to learn, at any level. Left to their own devices, they'd learn SOMETHING eventually, or die. However, if safety nets catch people because society feels they're Too week, then they'll never learn what they're made of.



A-Unit

 

[Road Demon]

Pick-up " what smart students know." by adam robinson.

It will help you, it helped me. It taught me how to play the Game.

Oh yeah, I might know a little bit about school.

Cheers, RD