So stuff happened last year, my first term was good, except 1 bad mark due to problem occuring few days before that exam (it was my last exam on first term), but my first term average was around a high 70.

Second term was doing alright, stuff got a bit better, was doing worse but not terrible, then a little while after it was to late to drop the courses, the issue got alot worse, and basically I failed all my classes on second term. Im stuck in this program and can't switch out of it, cause my cGPA is to low, its a 3.8 I think, I am getting depressed I would like to switch universities or just the program but I can't.

I could take more courses to boost my GPA, but getting it up to what I need to switch programs/universities (I need to get around a 70 average) is impossible for me to do.
What do I do?

A 3.8 GPA isn't low...

oh sorry I meant CGPA

Originally Posted by JesterRace

A 3.8 GPA isn't low...

It's almost academic probation (which is 3.5).

Originally Posted by Theexe1

So stuff happened last year, my first term was good, except 1 bad mark due to problem occuring few days before that exam (it was my last exam on first term), but my first term average was around a high 70.

Second term was doing alright, stuff got a bit better, was doing worse but not terrible, then a little while after it was to late to drop the courses, the issue got alot worse, and basically I failed all my classes on second term. Im stuck in this program and can't switch out of it, cause my cGPA is to low, its a 3.8 I think, I am getting depressed I would like to switch universities or just the program but I can't.

I could take more courses to boost my GPA, but getting it up to what I need to switch programs/universities (I need to get around a 70 average) is impossible for me to do.
What do I do?

Your transcript exists for quite some time, so switching universities or programs won't help much. Even if you switch universities, your transcript from McMaster will still be accessible to those who require it (Grad/Professional schools for example).

You should talk to an academic adviser to find out all your options.

The CSD (Center for Student Development) located in the basement of the student center, beside Campus Health can help you manage your depression through this process. They shouldn't be as busy in the summer and you should be able to get help a lot quicker. Iw ouldn't recommend waiting well into the school year; they then book up pretty heavily and it involves a bit of a wait

all i have to say is that ppl have to value their studies more. cant let anything get in their way..there is no reason for anyone to do bad in any class. its just that ppl let get things to them. if u got a relationship prollem..dump her ass cz she aint worth your studies. got family issues, try to be strong and keep it to the side.

Originally Posted by ahmedsu

all i have to say is that ppl have to value their studies more. cant let anything get in their way..there is no reason for anyone to do bad in any class. its just that ppl let get things to them. if u got a relationship prollem..dump her ass cz she aint worth your studies. got family issues, try to be strong and keep it to the side.

I don't think that's true. Studies are important, but other things are more important. There are tons of things that can get in the way of getting a good mark in a class, and saying "keep it to the side" isn't always going to work for everyone.

To the OP: You can petition the school to get the mark removed from your transcript, but you need a very good reason. I know many people who have petitioned to have marks removed (that I thought were reasonable) and they were denied. I would suggest talking to an academic advisor or someone at the CSD, they will have more information.

gotta disagree with you on that. for only four years of your life there is NOTHING more important than your studies, its whats gnna either make or break your future. all other matters (friends, gf/bf..etc) other than family problems are a complete waste of time and not worth your studies.

You should definitely talk to an academic adviser.
If you want to stay in your program, you can repeat the year and get better marks, however the new marks you get are averaged in with your failures to create your CGPA. And you can't have the failures removed unless you petition the school with a very good reason as stated above.
If the reason is medical, you're probably in a better place to petition as long as you have the necessary documentation.


@Syed: It's true that these are the most important 4-5 years of your life in terms of your future, but there are things that can get in the way that can't just be ignored. Family problems are harder on some people than others and health issues can't always just be "put to the side". Don't be so harsh on the OP.

Originally Posted by ahmedsu

gotta disagree with you on that. for only four years of your life there is NOTHING more important than your studies, its whats gnna either make or break your future. all other matters (friends, gf/bf..etc) other than family problems are a complete waste of time and not worth your studies.

And I gotta disagree with you on that.

thats alright, i dont expect people to agree with me cz everyone has their own thinking. but what makes you disagree, explain yourself, i just want to see where your coming from

Originally Posted by ahmedsu

gotta disagree with you on that. for only four years of your life there is NOTHING more important than your studies, its whats gnna either make or break your future. all other matters (friends, gf/bf..etc) other than family problems are a complete waste of time and not worth your studies.

Priorities...

There are some things far more important than school, and some things that school is more important than. This can differ based on the person and the situation. You can't say that any friends issues or gf/bf issues are completely unimportant. Example, I left a couple of days before an exam I REALLY needed to study for, because a friend really needed me, and I had spent most of the week before on msn/skype with her. I dropped several grade points from the exam (from an 11 to an 8), largely because I didn't study. I don't regret it at all--for me, making sure she was okay was far more important than doing well on my orgo exam. What if, say, she had killed herself because no one was there? Oh, but that wouldn't matter, since I got an 11 in orgo?!?!?! I'd rather fail orgo and be there for my friend--it was a no-brainer. I notice that you said "other than family problems", as if family problems are an acceptable excuse whereas friend/gf/bf problems aren't. What if, instead of my friend needing help, it was my sister? To me, it makes little difference. I would have acted the same either way.

As for gf/bf problems...it's easy to say that it doesn't matter, that you probably will break up with the person eventually, but your schooling is something that the rest of your life depends on, so that should take priority. The thing is, the rest of your life can depend on your gf/bf too...Many people end up marrying people they met in university. It definitely does have an impact on the rest of your life, perhaps even more so than your studies, depending on the situation.

School is important, and you should definitely take it seriously. However, it shouldn't be the most important thing in your life. Eventually, you'll be done school, and if your entire life has revolved around it, you won't have much of a life when you're done.

My dad didn't take university seriously AT ALL. He & his best friend skipped school regularly to play sports, go on random game shows, drink, etc etc. He says he has no idea how he even managed to graduate. He now has a great job, making a comfortable salary, and he's happy. He doesn't regret anything he did in university, and had a great time and tons of memories. His philosophy is that you shouldn't work so hard to get somewhere that you forget why you wanted to get there in the first place--you should enjoy getting there.

Certain people have different ways of dealing with things. Some people are able to push aside anything that's bothering them and focus on school, other people aren't. It depends on your personality. Don't tell someone that they should be able to ignore their problems and succeed at school when their whole world could have come crashing down.

This is not in relation to the OP but about students in general.

I find that a lot of students have their studies paid by their parents and as a result they don't take university seriously, at least not first year anyways. A lot of my cousins and friends I know see crazy grade falls in first year and ridiculous grade hikes in second year and beyond.

I don't know what the cause is, but my guess would be the sudden independence gained and the lack of maturity of incoming students.

- neural: ive gotta fully agree with you. you put it in excellent context which i was unable to. but basically, you weight the significance before prioritizing and you did it great.

- jhan523: when the money is coming from your own pocked and not your parents or not a huge osap loan, you really value your education more because u know how hard it was to earn each and every single dollar that went towards tuition and you dont want to blow it away.

personally for me the way i look at school is, that its only going to be a few years of your life and nothing more or nothing less. but in reality it is what will either make or break your life except for a few exceptions. but generally you need a good education to succeed in life. thats why i say, try to do your best in school and really work your ass off for a few years and than after that its all smoooth sailing..

Originally Posted by ahmedsu

- neural: ive gotta fully agree with you. you put it in excellent context which i was unable to. but basically, you weight the significance before prioritizing and you did it great.

- jhan523: when the money is coming from your own pocked and not your parents or not a huge osap loan, you really value your education more because u know how hard it was to earn each and every single dollar that went towards tuition and you dont want to blow it away.

personally for me the way i look at school is, that its only going to be a few years of your life and nothing more or nothing less. but in reality it is what will either make or break your life except for a few exceptions. but generally you need a good education to succeed in life. thats why i say, try to do your best in school and really work your ass off for a few years and than after that its all smoooth sailing..

I also wanted to add that most of the time students that have to pay university own their own are a lot more mature than those who have it paid for them.

It depends what profession you get into though. If you are in any medical profession you have to log a certain amount of hours of continuing education every year. Although it's not marked or anything (at least I don't remember it being marked), it's usually just workshops and whatnot.