Before I came to college, I was one of those students who always were invited to the academic ceremonies due to my high GPA. I had only received two B+ throughout my whole high school career and the thought of receiving anything lower terrified me. I had graduated as one of the top students in my class and received many awards throughout my years, it was all I had known. That is why my first semester at CSU threw me in for a loop.
I really thought that coming to college would be easy and I fully expected to do just as well in my classes as I did in highschool. Yeah, I knew classes would be harder, but I figured I would eventually get the hang of it and all would go well. I knew my schedule was fairly balanced in my first semester and I assumed it was considerably easy-or so I thought.
I really wish I could say that I figured out the best tactics to all my classes and passed them with flying colors. However, that was not the case for me. As to be expected, I struggled and my GPA dropped more than I had ever expected. Though my grades weren’t completely devastating, I had received my first C resulting in the lowest GPA I had ever received. No matter how many times I tried to reason with why I didn’t receive a B, one point is one point. This wasn’t highschool and I couldn’t just assume my grades were going to be as I wanted without the work
For me, this was a hard pill to swallow. I used to be the student who excelled in their classes and didn’t have to worry about them too much. I had realized that I had not worked as hard as I should’ve and I let my priorities get out of order. This was to be expected coming to college but we always try to believe we are above the statistics. Before you know it, you’re exposed to all these new and exciting opportunities, thinking to yourself, “It’s just one night” or “It’s just one hour”. That time had piled up and I got distracted from my studies. I realized that I needed to reset my studying tactics and take a new approach towards my academics.
I have learned that motivation in perseverance is key in staying successful during college. Procrastination was my worst enemy and I never had to fight the urge in high school. I wasn’t very prepared in organizing my schedule and prioritizing what needed to be finished. Old habits are hard to break, but it’s a battle that I must be willing to fight if I want the have the future I picture for myself. I will admit that the C+ was hard to see, but it was the wakeup call I needed. I am happy I received the grade so early, so now I understand how to deal with it. I luckily passed the class and got the “slap in the face” I needed before I let anything get out of my control.
There is always a time to turn things around, and I am so fortunate to go to a school that offers me all the resources I need in order to be successful. Prepare for the worst and utilize all resources provided by your school! You have the power to change your grade and put school as your top priority. Learn from my mistakes and prepare accordingly, but don’t let college scare you. This is the time to learn and understand that your future is in your hands, so be careful and be wise. Now I am ready to take on this semester headfirst and not let the thought of a minor failure hold me back.