What to do with my horrible GPA?

[Mugwump101]

The first semester of college I did okay but I messed two semesters afterward.

I've learned:
-To stop caring about what other people think (Spent too much time with friends)
-To stop taking a FULL load of classes
-To stop procrastinating and cramming

I know I can do well in my major (BME) if I work harder.

Is there still a possibility that I can get into a good graduate school and/or job?

I want to do research but I'm afraid the professor will ask about my GPA and they will not take me in. How should I approach them?

Also, should I take 5 classes (and focus on them and do well on them) or 4 classes but do research?

Thanks a lot in advance

 

[Astronuc]

You've finished 1 year or 1.5 years?

Certainly pull it together and show improvement in the upper levels, and you'll be able to go to grad school.

 

[Ryuk1990]

Can you retake the classes you did bad in and boost up your GPA? That's what I would do. I don't care if it ended up making me graduate a semester later.

 

[-DB]

If you actually get back on track and do well from here on out, I don't think you should have any problem at all. As for research... DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT! Go to a professor and ASK, don't be shy! The absolute worst thing that could happen is that the professor doesn't let you work on their research unless you improve your act.

From my experience, if you stay focused and dedicated, you learn and experience far more from 1 or 2 credits of research than you will in any 3 or 4 credit class. Not to mention you'll have at least one professor that you can count on writing you a good recommendation reflecting your skills as scientist when you start to apply to graduate school.

 

[story645]

How should I approach them?

There are a few options:
Bug the people whose classes you did reasonably well in or showed curiosity in.
Get involved in a club with a strong project arm, do some work, and get noticed by the adviser.
Talk to friends already working with profs and figure out how open their advisers are to taking in new students.
Let professors know why you're worth their time. I have a friend with grades worse then yours who gets research placements 'cause professors know that she's a really hard worker, if not the brightest.
But be careful-don't do research unless you're sure that you can get decent grades while doing the work. If you're doing it right, research is a crazy time sink.

Talk to the academic advisers at your school, as they may have exact numbers and advise on what you can do to raise your gpa. Having messed up my transcript even later in the game then you messed up yours, I've been told it can still be cleaned up for grad schools if there's a solid year of work. So yeah, I think most schools will forgive a freshie/sophmore slump (I know tons of people who messed up their gpa around then), so long as everything else looks clean.