if its not working out, try out something new!

best of luck!

Originally Posted by PTGregD

Your friend should consider switching into an easier faculty, like Health Science.




But seriously, I'd tell her to definitely reconsider history and maybe find something else that she has a passion for and finds not as challenging. Or perhaps she just needs better study habits. Either way, she needs to sit down and re-evaluate her last four months and find a strategy to successfully move forward.

LOL!
haha, yeah, she doesn't have great study habits.. =/

when at first you don't succeed, redefine your definition of success :p

J/k try harder and perhaps and take a look at the CSD website for study tips

Originally Posted by manu

when at first you don't succeed, redefine your definition of success :p

tips

LOL words of wisdom right there... math prof (Mclean) told us that last year

Originally Posted by PTGregD

Your friend should consider switching into an easier faculty, like Health Science.

:(.... it's by no means easy..

Originally Posted by hyvaa

:(.... it's by no means easy..

agreed.

While you are getting a lot of answers on here, I think this is something your friend should DEFINATELY talk to an academic advisor about. They will know for sure what they are talking about, and they can help her out more than you know.
One year, I went to talk to an academic advisor about one of my grades and I ended up getting bumped up to Honours! So definately get her to talk to an acaemic advisor before she makes any rash decisions. They are very helpful.

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

2. she must have atleast a 3.0 average and she will be put on academic probation. If you get a 3.5 then your safe. You don't want to be put on academic probation its not fun...

what exactly happens on academic probation ? Ive always wondered .My cousin was on it and also always said it was "bad" but would never elude to what this "bad: was.

Academic probation is essentially a 'final warning.' You're admitted into a general program in whatever faculty and take courses as if you majored in the subject (ie. biochem courses, even if you had an unacceptable average for a biochem program).

If your grades improve you reapply for admission into the program...if your grades don't improve, you have to withdraw from the university.


You don't want to be on academic probation, simply because you'll have it hanging over your head all year...the pressure's on, in some sense.


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To Monica: Your friend should re-evaluate their study habits. It seems as though, given history is what she'd like to major in, the interest is clearly there...so somehow when being put into practice, her studying just didn't pay off (so the way she's studying has to change), or she somehow felt prepared without putting in a proper amount of time (they were her first set of exams, it's not uncommon to be 'caught off guard'). Perhaps she has difficulty writing papers, etc.

Have her reflect on what she's done, and go and visit the Centre for Student Development. They have various resources at your disposal that I'm sure could help her out.

EDIT: Have a look at this webpage to see what the CSD has to offer: http://csd.mcmaster.ca/

Say a person went on academic probation at the end of Term II, would they have the entire next year (Sept. to May) to be on probation/ improve their grades? Or would it just be in the summer? Or one term in the new academic year? The definition was quite dubious on this, saying "one study period".

I believe it's an entire year (I'm pretty sure the summer is called a 'pre-study' period)...however sometimes students have to do summer school to 'prove they can succeed' just to get on academic probation.

EDIT: Also note that someone can only go on academic probation after an academic review...these occur each year at the end of term II, provided you've taken 24 units I believe it is, since the last one. (The exception is for graduands who are reviewed bi-annually to allow for January convocations)

So in other words, you can only go on Academic probation at the end of term 2...you won't be put on there in the middle of the school year.