Switched to a tougher school, grades falling

[Hercuflea]

Switched to a "tougher" school, grades falling

Hey guys.

This semester I made the switch to a "harder" nationally ranked university from a local university in order to knock out some pre-reqs for graduate school. However, I am kind of regretting it at this point because I have already made terrible grades (mid 70s) on my the first test in both of the engineering classes that I am taking. I am used to being "that guy" who always makes >95 on everything at the smaller school, but since I started attending classes at the "big name" university it feels like either everyone is smarter than me or the professors just drive their students a lot harder than at the other place. The class average on the most recent test was a ~66, and although I was above average I still made a C which is very worrisome to me. The whole point of ever attending this big name engineering school was to get some required classes for graduate school out of the way which are not offered at my school, and it's not going to do me any good if I don't make A's in them. I guess my question is do you think that I will still be competitive on my application if a normally straight A student goes to a more reputable school and my average goes down to a B?

 

[micromass]

Have you tried studying harder?

 

[Vanadium 50]

I think that's not the right question. I would not be worried about admission, I'd worry about graduate school itself. The big university undergraduate program probably looks more like grad school than the local one. Also, your "high GPA without understanding" thread is worrisome.

So I think there are reasons to be concerned, but I wouldn't focus on admissions as one of them.

 

[Hercuflea]

Ok, thank you guys. I will spend my day off studying instead of playing video games. I guess I just needed a jolt.

 

[SophusLies]

I had a similar experience during my freshman year of college. I was considered the "smart" kid at my well-below average high school but things changed quickly in college. I bombed a few first tests and that lit me up for real. I gave 100% effort in turning those classes around and I carried that attitude on throughout anything I do now. I got humiliated once (or three times) during that first term and I never let it happen again.

If you intend on changing your current situation then you're going to have to work all-out hard there's no other way. You've been challenged and it's your choice on what the outcome is.