I need to vent... I am a entering my junior year and transfering to the University of Tennessee. I spent my 1st two years at a Community college to get adjusted. I needed that time because I had only been educated up the the 6th grade before that. I was homeschooled from 8th grade on because I quit doing school in middle school, and I did 1/2 or 1 semester over the 5 year period.
Anyway, I went to transfer orientation yesterday and the 1st half went well, we had a good meal and recieved helpful information. The 2nd half they started with a speaker who dealt the opening kidney shot. He began by implying that it doesnt matter how much you have progressed, that your G.P.A is looked at only as a singular number in getting into their grad programs, such as Law school, which I hope to attend in 2 years.
This is horrible news for me because, as I mentioned before, I didnt have highschool classes, so I started poorly. My ulative G.P.A is a 3.55. That number is not very impressive, but to show how poorly I started, I had a 3.95 g.p.a in my Sop re year. But now I know that progress is irrelevant.
The 2nd blow came when I read the handbook, and I found out that my major, which I have spent 2 years working towards, is "not a preferred path towards law school." My major is frickin legal studies, what is it a path towards if not law school???? Now I will have to change my major and take extra classes if I have any hope of getting in.
The death blow came during registration at the end of the day. My advisor gave me a list of 8 classes to use to select a 5 class semester when I registered after leaving his office. To play it safe I selected 3 extra classes, giving me 11 from which to choose 5. Well, 10 of the 11 classes were either not offered that semester, or closed. The only one I got was the one I did not want, Anthropology. I ended up searching for any classes that would work with my major, and only found 4, and 2 of them are questionable and take the place of a class I had been dying to take.
Through all of this I am completely screwed. I also found out that my delay in sending information in may have cost me some scholorship money, and I can't expect any help from my family. So, all in all.....yesterday sucked.....lol
If you had to wait until June to start registering for upper devision, I'm not surprised there's nothing available. It still sucks, but I'm not surprised - I had to deal with not getting into the classes I wanted when I registered back in April with the seniors.
Yeah, they wouldnt let us until orientation. But the problem isnt not getting what I wanted, its having 60 credit hours to get, and not being able to even find 15 of them for a full semester.
I'm really sorry to hear all about that!. I'm going into my senior year next fall and can probaly sympathasize
with most of the things you just hit on the head.
The Law school thing is load of crap (I think). You can go to law school with any degree, or so I've heard. We've talked about Law school in my Mock Trial class (which has no pre-law driven students in it ... well maybe one) and our Professor, who is a Lawyer for Guadaluper county and a graduate from Baylor Law school, said Law Schools like a diverse class. You could even go to Law School with an Art Degree! It's pretty much a tabula rasa.
And yes, GPA is just a number when it comes to any type of Grad programs. They look a lot at Statements of Goals and Purposes, interviews, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT scores and all the other things. A good GPA could do you well to get the initial boost but it's not everything like it seems.
You're last blow, the registering for classes sure can be a big pain, especially when you go to such a big school. Getting the right classes for your major is really tough when you're a junior or senior. It's just one of those frustrating things you go through. I know I went through it registering this last spring (I even have to take a class by myself because they conflict!) Take a deep breathe and things will get better. And you never know, maybe those classes you take because the others are full could be the most fun you've had in your life!
The money situation is something, also, that I can feel you on too. That's such a pain!
A dropping GPA is a regular part of college too. I know a lot of people struggle iniatially with the whole college thing, but you soun like me, an awesome start up and a slip toward the middle. Don't get too stressed out, that's probably a way for your grades to go down even farther (that's how it worked for me sop re and junior year).
Keep us updated on how things are going.
Oh, sorry I may have said that poorly. I meant that I started pitifully since I was coming in with no highschool education, and I improved to where my last full year I had 9 A's and 1 B+. I just started so bad that even now my g.p.a is only a 3.55. I wish they considered my improvements...
I'm just bitter because I went from thinking school was a waste, and refusing to do H/S, to becoming obsessed with classes and spending all my free time studying, and yet I still will fall short of Law School the way things are going.
Okay, you need to not about the 3.55. It's not a bad GPA at all, and it's not the only thing law schools consider. They will also look at improvements and essays when you apply, your GPA is not the end of the ing world.
Oh yeah, I wasn't saying it wasn't good. It's an awesome GPA, not at the least..
You could always have internships and get experience before going right to law school. Lots of people get experience before going right to law school. And I wouldn't get down about a 3.5 yet. You still have two years to go. Get some experience and things like that. See if y'all have a Mock Trial, those are crazy intense for people that want to go into Law School, and is amazing experience.
I don't think law schools will just look at your overall GPA and call it a day. Some will probably take into consideration your improvement from year to year. Also 3.55 GPA is definitely good enough to get into law school depending on your LSAT score.
About not being able to get into the classes you need, is there a waiting list for some of those classes? You need need to get onto the waiting list and go sit in the classes. Then take your plea to the professors and see if you can get enrolled. Some professors will let you in because you are interested enough to pursue it.
Good luck.
Well, I because I started off so poorly. My 1st 6 classes I had 2 c+'s 1 C, 2 b-'s and one A. I just didnt try, and my G.P.A is lower because of that.
But anyway, I know its not a bad G.P.A, its just that Im a perfectionist, and law school is a dream of mine.
Also, my essays are not good for stuff like that. I have horrible grammar and bad sentence structure, but I make up for it with creativity and good topics. I am an arguer, not a literary writer. That kind of writing would only hurt my chances. lol
Yes, we have a mock trial course, and I almost passed out when I saw that we did. Very exciting. I will try to take it next fall.
Thanks Kori, that helps. I will sit in on some, but 6 of the classes I needed are just simply not being offered this semester. Lazy ass college, lol.
Kori's right, it is definitely worth it to go talk to the profs. Don't rely solely on your advisors - they can't be everywhere at once for everyone, and you're going to need to do some of it yourself if you need to get into that many classes. Lots of profs will exceed their stated class size for people who make special arrangements with them.
It is hard giving up a good GPA, but there is a big difference between Community College and a University. Especially, once you are in your Jr. and Sr. years. If you have a type A personality it is probably going to be a rough semester, especially since you are used to doing so well, gradewise.
Either way, best of luck.
It is hard giving up a good GPA, but there is a big difference between Community College and a University. Especially, once you are in your Jr. and Sr. years. If you have a type A personality it is probably going to be a rough semester, especially since you are used to doing so well, gradewise.
Either way, best of luck.
Well, I have some optimism for improvement because I have problems with classes that relate to courses taken in Highschool, and I have problems with concentration lapses in classes I have no interest in. Im fascinated with Politics, law, histry, and philosophy, and all of my classes will be related, and no more biology or math, which hurt because I hadnt taken the H/S prereqs.
Cool... you totally have the hair to be Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.
college is the greatest ever....enjoy it.
lol. funny. I can either go into private practice, put it in a pony tail, and be a crazy hippie environmental lawyer, or I can cut it, or I can not give a because I dont even want to be a lawyer for that long.
Oh yeah, I love college, its just that signing up, registering, and filling out the financial aid forms are harder than taking the classes themselves.
so who got the final death blow?
The stupid computer registration program.
I almost killed somebody while trying to make my schedule, and it was a full room....things could have gone pretty badly, lol.
I think you should just drop out.
Thanks Midget, I appreciate a good word of advice. I think I will drop out. Mcdonalds here I come.
Midge's example offers a fulfilling life in and out of rehab.
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