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I apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but I'd appreciate it very much if you stuck with me and gave me your thoughts or even experiences, if applicable.
I'm currently a first year in my first semester at Wisconsin and my grades are not looking good. As it stands (since finals aren't done and official yet), I will definitely be getting D's or worse in Anatomy and Histology. Our school's policy is that we are to get no more than 1 D in our academic career. I've met with the dean of students and she told me that plenty of students have gotten a couple D's and were not dismissed, but rather the committee had given them the option to petition against the standard policy and retake their bad year. This is what will likely happen for me, though it is always a possibility that I'll be dismissed or they allow me to go on to spring semester after considering the circumstances around my bad grades. I personally doubt I'll be able to go on to spring semester (and the dean of students has never seen it happen for someone with more than 1 D), and I'm hopeful that I won't get outright dismissed, so I guess I'm just trying to gauge what it will be like to take a semester off and restart everything over again.
My biggest issue is the emotional components, particularly shame. It was a long road to get accepted for me, and to basically fail my first semester and have to start over is just so...so humiliating. I really don't know how to tell my family because I feel I'll let them all down. As you could probably imagine, the Impostor Syndrome is stronger than ever. The logical part of my brain knows, with every fiber of my being, that becoming a DVM is something I want (so being unsure of the program is not a contributing factor), I'm grateful that I'll likely get the option to try again (compared to being kicked out), and knows that I'm capable of doing well in the program and just had too many things playing a factor this year that did not allow me to succeed....but I guess emotions aren't always logical. My friends that know and my SO have been exceedingly supportive but I just can't shake that I've let them all down and myself down.
So, is there anyone out there that has had a similar experience? How did you handle it, tell your family, and/or do with your time off? I appreciate your time and thoughts!
I'm currently a first year in my first semester at Wisconsin and my grades are not looking good. As it stands (since finals aren't done and official yet), I will definitely be getting D's or worse in Anatomy and Histology. Our school's policy is that we are to get no more than 1 D in our academic career. I've met with the dean of students and she told me that plenty of students have gotten a couple D's and were not dismissed, but rather the committee had given them the option to petition against the standard policy and retake their bad year. This is what will likely happen for me, though it is always a possibility that I'll be dismissed or they allow me to go on to spring semester after considering the circumstances around my bad grades. I personally doubt I'll be able to go on to spring semester (and the dean of students has never seen it happen for someone with more than 1 D), and I'm hopeful that I won't get outright dismissed, so I guess I'm just trying to gauge what it will be like to take a semester off and restart everything over again.
My biggest issue is the emotional components, particularly shame. It was a long road to get accepted for me, and to basically fail my first semester and have to start over is just so...so humiliating. I really don't know how to tell my family because I feel I'll let them all down. As you could probably imagine, the Impostor Syndrome is stronger than ever. The logical part of my brain knows, with every fiber of my being, that becoming a DVM is something I want (so being unsure of the program is not a contributing factor), I'm grateful that I'll likely get the option to try again (compared to being kicked out), and knows that I'm capable of doing well in the program and just had too many things playing a factor this year that did not allow me to succeed....but I guess emotions aren't always logical. My friends that know and my SO have been exceedingly supportive but I just can't shake that I've let them all down and myself down.
So, is there anyone out there that has had a similar experience? How did you handle it, tell your family, and/or do with your time off? I appreciate your time and thoughts!