Danny's Story: Overcoming Academic Setbacks at University

[dangish]

Hello,

My name is Danny and I am currently going back to University for my 4th year. I very recently, on August 31st, got the news that I would not be promoted to the next year in Engineering. You are required to have a minimum of 65 to go on - I had a 65.2 and still didn't get in.

I have repeated courses before and if you haven't, take it from me that it sucks.

After blaming everyone and everything for this horrible time in my life, I think I have finally calmed down and may just go back at it. If I re-do two more courses and get an 80+ in each it will bring my average up to a 70, which I'm told will be fine in the sense that I will get promoted into the faculty next September.

But on another note, if I don't get an A in both of them, I have wasted yet another year of my life. I'm only 21 but the earliest I can now graduate is now 2016. I feel confident that I can do this, I plan on doing additional math courses so that when I do get in I'll have more of a solid base in some of the courses.

If anyone has any related stories of how they overcame a similar situation I would love to hear it. Or any advice in general, I just would like to know I'm not the only one going through a hard time, even if it's just a random person like yourself.

Thanks.

 

[1994Bhaskar]

There are many guys in poor countries around world who crave for studying in degree colleges yet can't.Whatever the reason be.You are getting opportunity.Avail It.Seek revenge with your fate.Work double hard.Get good percentage.Best of luck!

 

[chiro]

Hello,

My name is Danny and I am currently going back to University for my 4th year. I very recently, on August 31st, got the news that I would not be promoted to the next year in Engineering. You are required to have a minimum of 65 to go on - I had a 65.2 and still didn't get in.

I have repeated courses before and if you haven't, take it from me that it sucks.

After blaming everyone and everything for this horrible time in my life, I think I have finally calmed down and may just go back at it. If I re-do two more courses and get an 80+ in each it will bring my average up to a 70, which I'm told will be fine in the sense that I will get promoted into the faculty next September.

But on another note, if I don't get an A in both of them, I have wasted yet another year of my life. I'm only 21 but the earliest I can now graduate is now 2016. I feel confident that I can do this, I plan on doing additional math courses so that when I do get in I'll have more of a solid base in some of the courses.

If anyone has any related stories of how they overcame a similar situation I would love to hear it. Or any advice in general, I just would like to know I'm not the only one going through a hard time, even if it's just a random person like yourself.

Thanks.

Hey dangish.

When I finished high school I did computer science for a year and I went very dismal, so I can relate in some way to your situation.

The only advice I can you is to be both positive and honest with yourself. Being positive is important because chances are if you think you will fail, then you probably will. This kind of placebo effect is a common thing in many forms of human endeavor.

The honesty part though is equally important. You know yourself honestly the reasons and the best way to deal with your situation is to evaluate what has happened and to be completely honest with yourself about why that has happened and what you think will happen. If you really don't want to go into that field then its better to come clean now than delay it any longer. Also if other people have expectations of you and your expectations are not aligned, then the only I can say is that you are the one living your life and it is really irresponsible for another person to be living in someone else's shadow.

One thing I can say is that if you want something hard enough, then sometimes going through a rough patch can do wonders for character building for the future. I'm not going to preach to you that "you won't make it in your life", because I've learned through my life experience that failure is a good thing and something that should be embraced as a tool for learning and I mean that honestly.

Apart from the above, if your are positive, and an honest evaluation on your part says that you want to see this through, then the next step is to find out how to get to the benchmark you need to get. I'm not an engineer and I've never studied engineering, but I guarantee if you go to your lecturers, explain your situation and be honest with them, your chances of meeting the benchmark will probably improve immensely.

 

[chiro]

There are many guys in poor countries around world who crave for studying in degree colleges yet can't.Whatever the reason be.You are getting opportunity.Avail It.Seek revenge with your fate.Work double hard.Get good percentage.Best of luck!

I agree, but one thing that I have noticed is that many people are ignorant and this is often not by choice.

I haven't been outside my country. When I was growing up I had a pretty good upbringing and for the most part I wasn't really aware of what the rest of Australia, let alone the world was really like. I took my situation for granted and I didn't realize that things like a house, education, clean and running water, and some level of equity in society were not staples that could be found everywhere across the world.

I learned later though by meeting a variety of people later in life that we really are lucky.

Funnily enough (but not surprisingly), I always see the foreign people be some of the hardest workers I have met in my country.

 

[1994Bhaskar]

I agree, but one thing that I have noticed is that many people are ignorant and this is often not by choice.

I haven't been outside my country. When I was growing up I had a pretty good upbringing and for the most part I wasn't really aware of what the rest of Australia, let alone the world was really like. I took my situation for granted and I didn't realize that things like a house, education, clean and running water, and some level of equity in society were not staples that could be found everywhere across the world.

I learned later though by meeting a variety of people later in life that we really are lucky.

Funnily enough (but not surprisingly), I always see the foreign people be some of the hardest workers I have met in my country.

Well I live in India where i see each and every aspect of life--from people struggling to people enjoying lavishly.That inspires me to work hard.

 

[symbolipoint]

Danny, dangish,

Not knowing what policy restrictions are placed on you where you are, just know that when you repeat a course that you already studied, you must do better in that course. This works best if you are honest with yourself enough to know if you just had trouble with the course itself, or did you actually have deficiency with some part of a previous prerequisite course. Study what you need to study!