school makes me depressed

[iceman]

I am pretty depressed right now. I just failed two midterms in college, i don't know what I should do, I don't want to tell my parents because they will be disappointed.

[clia]

Why did you fail?

 

Are you paying for college? If so, there is no need to tell your parents anything.

[iceman]

I failed because the tests were harder then I expected and I did not study enough, the prof graded hard also, the best score on one of the tests was 68 and the other the best score was 83, so maybe the profs will curve.

 

 

My parents pay for school, but that isnt way, i talk to them on the phone three times a week and they are really involved in my life. They will tell me that I spent too much time talking with girls, drinking and play video games and that would be the reason even if it isnt.

[moimeme]

Can you pick up your marks next term and still pass? If so, go for it. Sometimes it takes a while to get into the swing of a course; midterms can be a way to sort out what it is you still need to know about how to approach it for the rest of the year.

[carla]

I know how you must be feeling. When I was in college I just barely past my semester exams, and failed a major essay. I was ready to quit. A friend in my class (one of the geniuses of the class) told me that I can't quit. It is not an option. That she garantees that one of the people that failed the semiester would love to change places with me and not have to go home with their tails between their legs and tell mom and dad that failed and had to try again next year.

 

My friend more or less told me that NOW is the time to pick up my socks and cram the books. She was willing to be my study buddy. About 3 times a work I would go to her place and study for about 2 or 3 hours.

 

In the end I was very thankful for my friend. Instead of quiting, I ended up with 78% at the year end and 82% on my Registation Exam.

 

My advise to you is get a study buddy, preferably one that near the top of the class. I bet that they wouldn't mind helping you out at all. Good Luck.

[Papillon]

You mean YOU made yourself depressed.

 

Fact: You are in school.

Fact: You had an exam.

Fact: You didn't apply yourself.

 

 

The only thing common in all those statements is "YOU". Now stop moaning and go study. Perhaps you could get a retest.

 

Good luck!

[Tony T]

Some schools have Paxil and Zoloft dispensers in the bathrooms next to condom and sanitary napkin machines....but you need a prescription to use them!

[jenny]

student depression is a prevalent problem - i feel for you. first, check out your campus counsellor - they are well versed in handling school stress. it may or may not comfort you to know that (at least in canada) suicides on campus hit a peak right after grades are handed out.

 

here is the interesting thing, however. your employer, one day, won't give a damn that you took a course twice - many, many, many people do it. you are paying out of the ass for school - and sometimes we have other priorities than intense studies. i was a harsh geek in school, punctuated by break partying, and to this day i wonder what i missed out on by being so focused on grades.

 

i have learned a lot from teaching single mothers who could not give a rat's ass if they got a D; they have more important things to worry about. in the grander scheme of your life, this is meaningless. there is no need to feel shame about it. i know that does not help now - but it will.

 

for now, call a student crisis line - they are great and will be able to identify specifically with this problem.

[yes]

well if the highest mark was 68, they're bound to curve it up.

 

for the other one, where it's 83, it's not as likely.

 

so, two things to do:

- stop freaking out (go to a counsellor if needed)

- figure out why you didn't do well

(don't understand -> prof's office hours; didn't study enough -> study a lil more every day; didn't sleep enough -> ... )

 

it's fully possible to get a decent mark in a course even having failed the midterm. good luck!!

-yes

 

PS I wouldn't tell parents anything until the final marks are out.

[brashgal]

If it makes you feel any better, realize that many of us have been in the same situation. It's a wake up call to try harder. Before you start going down the rabbithole of depression, pick up your books and work toward acing the next test.

 

I struggled mightily in college even though I had excelled in high school. Twenty years later I am quite successful in my career. It's not an indication that the rest of your schooling or the rest of your life is ruined. I know it's tough to share this kind of news with your parents. If they are terribly judgemental, you might want to fudge the scores or omit telling them altogether. Tell them about your renewed focus on your studies. Good luck - I know you can improve!

[longlegzs80]

I totally remember those days and have felt just like you because of not passing a midterm. You just have to bust your butt and make it an effort of studying and making sure everything is handed in. I know when it came to my midterms I would let my mother know that there was a slim chance of me passing a class.

 

If I were you and your parents don't ask about seeing your midterm progress report, then I would just focus on doing much much better before the end of the school year. I guess that is what you have to do instead of getting all down about one class that you did not do so good in.

[sweetbilly]

I've got some advice for you. It sounds to me like you're studying wrong. I'm a little school boy too, and studying is an art. But I think I can help. now listen carefully. First, when you read don't go through the material quickly. And second, make sure you UNDERSTAND what you have read this is the most important part of reading. if you are like me you probably read a sentence in a textbook but don't take into consideration what you've read or you'll pass by and think I'll catch it later, don't. Make sure you understand it before you go on even if you have to spend hrs. reading it. this is my secret, and i'm always in the top of the class; and i'm not taking easy classes. This will also help you to cut down your study time so you can study for other classes too. make sure you set a study schedule and stick to it DON'T BE COMPLACENT. Make sure you're not nervous before you take an exam, being nervous makes me draw a blank and I forget things I already know. lets put it this way, last semester I studied on average 200 hrs a month, which may seem like a lot to you and it was. However, i had a lot of free time. but now i'm looking at scholarships for next year and i've actually cut my study time way down. And i'm by no means a genius. There are other little things you can do to. Like using papers you've written for one class in another class. Most of the work is already done. Condense your time as best you can. And if your having problems understanding the material get help in the student center in some schools it's free. Here's one last piece of advice, any moron can graduate, very few make the top but it's worth the effort, and employers WILL recognise your accomplishment. Work your ass off!