Why am I so stupid?

[stupid9234]

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I have terrible grades and it's that point where I need to decide whether to stop trying or get good grades.
But both seem impossible.
Transferring to an easier school is not an option.

I can never seem to find the time for the amount of work I have (studying, not homework).
What's wrong with me?

 

[NontradCA]

I have terrible grades and it's that point where I need to decide whether to stop trying or get good grades.
But both seem impossible.
Transferring to an easier school is not an option.

I can never seem to find the time for the amount of work I have (studying, not homework).
What's wrong with me?

Seems like it's just an issue of low self esteem. You probably get in your own way, judging by your attitude. Maybe you should take a break from school for a semester, get some supportive people around you and then try again. Anyone is capable of getting good grades, including stupid people, which I doubt you are.

 

[dancingmate]

You are not stupid. It is just a matter of time management and learning to appropriately balance your classes with ECs and social activities. Try making an hourly schedule. For example, plan a 1-2 hour block when you are going to study for a class. After that, take a coffee or dinner break. Then plan another 1-2 hours to study for another class. Take another break. Then review what you study.

College is really all about how you are able to balance your life. Just experiment around a bit to see what works for you. Do you study better in the morning? If so, go to bed early and then wake up early to review notes. Do you like to exercise? If so, go to the gym between classes. If you get things done early and efficiently, you will eventually find time to study. Don't be discouraged, you are just as capable of being able to get good grades as everyone else.

 

[stupid9234]

You are not stupid. It is just a matter of time management and learning to appropriately balance your classes with ECs and social activities. Try making an hourly schedule. For example, plan a 1-2 hour block when you are going to study for a class. After that, take a coffee or dinner break. Then plan another 1-2 hours to study for another class. Take another break. Then review what you study.

College is really all about how you are able to balance your life. Just experiment around a bit to see what works for you. Do you study better in the morning? If so, go to bed early and then wake up early to review notes. Do you like to exercise? If so, go to the gym between classes. If you get things done early and efficiently, you will eventually find time to study. Don't be discouraged, you are just as capable of being able to get good grades as everyone else.

but this is exactly my problem. I do make schedules, if I give myself 1-2 hours per class, 2 hours for harder classes, I get no sleep/food break/etc.

 

[Boolean]

but this is exactly my problem. I do make schedules, if I give myself 1-2 hours per class, 2 hours for harder classes, I get no sleep/food break/etc.

You need to be taking less classes then, or changing around your study habits. Studying doesn't mean opening up your laptop and have the book open on one side and Facebook on the other. You need to ensure proper study habits in order to fully get the most out of your study time.

 

[stupid9234]

You need to be taking less classes then, or changing around your study habits. Studying doesn't mean opening up your laptop and have the book open on one side and Facebook on the other. You need to ensure proper study habits in order to fully get the most out of your study time.

I realize this. I might just be giving myself too much time to study and not getting much out of it, but either way it should equal to those who study like an hour for each class.

 

[NontradCA]

I realize this. I might just be giving myself too much time to study and not getting much out of it, but either way it should equal to those who study like an hour for each class.

Have you thought about group study or getting tutoring?

 

[stupid9234]

Have you thought about group study or getting tutoring?

Of course, but when I go I'm being taught (which I can do myself), if I found the time.

For example, I'm in class til 4pm on Monday. That gives me 6 hours of studying with some relaxation/food before bed.
I had 4 classes that day. Should that be enough to study/review all 4 classes as well as prepare for labs the next day?

 

[frosted_flake]

It may not be the right thing, but I don't study for every class every day.
I do as much as I feel I need to.

 

[masaraksh]

It may not be the right thing, but I don't study for every class every day.
I do as much as I feel I need to.

Yeah, that sounds insane.

 

[stupid9234]

It may not be the right thing, but I don't study for every class every day.
I do as much as I feel I need to.

I study for every class before the next.
So like if I have Calc on M, W, F, I make sure to do the work/study from Monday sometime on Monday or Tuesday.
It does not get pretty when I get behind.

 

[Oso]

It's not just about how much time you put in, but also about the way that you study. Do you rewrite your notes? Because I know a lot of people who do/did that and it takes forever. Do you read over the same lectures over and over again trying to drill it into your brain? Do you spend 30 minutes on that calc problem you don't understand?

You have to find methods that are efficient. Review material relatively soon after the class -- reviewing it while it's still fresh in your head will help solidify the material and will thus require less reviewing later on. Try to actually understand the material presented during lecture, instead of just making sure you copy everything down to 'study later.' Study with people and explain the material out loud to them, you will quickly realize what you don't know and also reinforce the concepts you know more quickly and clearly. Do calc/chem/physics problems with some friends, so when one of you gets stuck you guys can help each other out instead of staring at the problem forever and eventually giving up. If you start to not understand things, ask your prof or TA right away so the confusion doesn't build up. Also, make sure to give yourself small breaks here and there. Your brain needs to rest and will be highly inefficient if you sit down and study non-stop for six hours. Make sure to eat snacks and stay well hydrated. Lastly, make sure you're not overloading on classes/credits. It' s perfectly find to take 13-15 credits a semester, just make sure you give yourself a fighting chance with a reasonable schedule. Try to take a 'calculating' class (ie. chem, physics, math) with a 'memorization' class (bio classes). It will be a nice balance, as opposed to taking two memorization classes, like physiology and biochem, at the same time.

Ultimately, you need to find what works best for you. A lot of classes are more about the work put in (efficient, high-yield studying) and less so about intelligence. So don't give up yet, sometimes it takes people a little while to figure out how to get things done. If you have more specific questions about study methods, feel free to ask. And should you decide to remain on SDN, I highly encourage you to change/ create a new username that does not insult you each time you look at it. It is very difficult to succeed if you do not believe in yourself. Good luck.

 

[frosted_flake]

It's not just about how much time you put in, but also about the way that you study. Do you rewrite your notes? Because I know a lot of people who do/did that and it takes forever. Do you read over the same lectures over and over again trying to drill it into your brain? Do you spend 30 minutes on that calc problem you don't understand?

You have to find methods that are efficient. Review material relatively soon after the class -- reviewing it while it's still fresh in your head will help solidify the material and will this require less reviewing later on. Study with people and explain material out loud to them, you will quickly realize what you don't know and also reinforce the concepts you know more quickly and clearly. Do calc/chem/physics problems with some friends, so when one of you gets stuck you guys can help each other out instead of staring at the problem forever and eventually giving up. If you start to not understand things, ask your prof or TA right away so the confusion doesn't build up. Lastly, make sure to give yourself small breaks here and there. Your brain needs to rest and will be highly inefficient if you sit down and study non-stop for six hours. Make sure to eat snacks and stay well hydrated.

Ultimately, you need to find what works best for you. A lot of classes are more about the work put in (efficient, high-yield studying) and less so about intelligence. So don't give up yet, sometimes it takes people a little while to figure out how to get things done. If you have more specific questions about study methods, feel free to ask. And should you decide to remain on SDN, I highly encourage you to change/ create a new username that does not insult you each time you look at it. Good luck.

👍 Well said @Oso (love the new picture by the way!)
Just a little story that might help you: I took physics once in the fall of 2012 or something like that. I had an awful professor, and ended up getting out of the course with a W, not learning a thing. This year I have decided to take it again, and I have a much better professor. It was rough in the beginning, because I still had a sour attitude towards the subject from the first time around. You may think it sounds dumb, but a positive attitude can make the difference.
Cheer up! You can't be that stupid, or you wouldn't have made it this far already.

 

[Oso]

👍 Well said @Oso (love the new picture by the way!)
Just a little story that might help you: I took physics once in the fall of 2012 or something like that. I had an awful professor, and ended up getting out of the course with a W, not learning a thing. This year I have decided to take it again, and I have a much better professor. It was rough in the beginning, because I still had a sour attitude towards the subject from the first time around. You may think it sounds dumb, but a positive attitude can make the difference.
Cheer up! You can't be that stupid, or you wouldn't have made it this far already.

Thanks emily! I felt like I needed some color in my life.

But you're absolutely right about the attitude. I know plenty of people who would say "man I hate physics and calculus, this is so useless, when am I ever going to need this as a doctor?", or "I've always been bad at math, I already know I won't do well in physics". It's hard to do well when you have a negative attitude. You end up BS-ing your studying a bit, and when you focus more on the grade and less on learning the material.. you tend to get a lot of things wrong on exams. You need to try to stay positive and believe in yourself, because in the end, the only person rooting for you is you, and you're unlikely to succeed if you always think you're going to fail.

Lastly, as a bit of inspiration, OP, there are plenty of people who struggle in the beginning of college until they learn how to study well. Then they improve their GPA, build a solid app, and are accepted to medical school. Don't give up yet!

 

[stupid9234]

I do think it's part attitude. I just spent 4 hours stressing over learning new material for Lab, it took me like 10 minutes..

but seriously even in my most determined days, I don't get enough done.

 

[NontradCA]

Of course, but when I go I'm being taught (which I can do myself), if I found the time.

For example, I'm in class til 4pm on Monday. That gives me 6 hours of studying with some relaxation/food before bed.
I had 4 classes that day. Should that be enough to study/review all 4 classes as well as prepare for labs the next day?

6 hours? Yes. Especially if you're studying everyday for every class, all you're essentially doing is reviewing. I didn't study this way personally. I'd rather just bust out a solid two hours the day before a test. Everyone studies differently though. It would see like 6 hours a day is a ridiculously amount of time. Even when I was taking 8 classes I didn't study that long.

Maybe you should just focus on assignments and tests rather than the actual material, especially if you're taking a lot of classes.

 

[stupid9234]

6 hours? Yes. Especially if you're studying everyday for every class, all you're essentially doing is reviewing. I didn't study this way personally. I'd rather just bust out a solid two hours the day before a test. Everyone studies differently though. It would see like 6 hours a day is a ridiculously amount of time. Even when I was taking 8 classes I didn't study that long.

Maybe you should just focus on assignments and tests rather than the actual material, especially if you're taking a lot of classes.

But even like homework for Calc will take me an hour and then I need to understand it (which is looking at more problems/answers for me).

 

[NontradCA]

But even like homework for Calc will take me an hour and then I need to understand it (which is looking at more problems/answers for me).

Ok? You will always have to do problems in any Mathematically explained discipline to understand it.

 

[stupid9234]

Ok? You will always have to do problems in any Mathematically explained discipline to understand it.

I'm just saying it takes me at least 2 hours per class.
Last year I crammed before exams, although very effective because I gave myself so little time, I bombed all quizzes.

 

[NontradCA]

I'm just saying it takes me at least 2 hours per class.
Last year I crammed before exams, although very effective because I gave myself so little time, I bombed all quizzes.

Well then the answer is to lighten your unit load.

 

[stupid9234]

Well then the answer is to lighten your unit load.

And not graduate on time? Even if I take the lightest possible, I'll have trouble. Because I'm stupid lol.

 

[NontradCA]

And not graduate on time? Even if I take the lightest possible, I'll have trouble. Because I'm stupid lol.

Well if that's what it takes to get good grades, ya. And stop calling yourself stupid, it's counter-productive in many ways.

 

[stupid9234]

Well if that's what it takes to get good grades, ya. And stop calling yourself stupid, it's counter-productive in many ways.

I understand. But I don't think it'll work. For example, last term I took 3 classes + a lab. 2 of them required very little work and I still got a B- in the only hard one I got.
I'm just joking, but I really am not smart here.

 

[Wasted Energy]

Also consider that you may have some gaps in your foundational knowledge. For example, in your calculus class maybe your algebra skills are shaky. This type of problem could be causing you trouble in any science/math intensive course.

 

[The Buff OP]

I have terrible grades and it's that point where I need to decide whether to stop trying or get good grades.
But both seem impossible.
Transferring to an easier school is not an option.

I can never seem to find the time for the amount of work I have (studying, not homework).
What's wrong with me?

 

[Served]

I have terrible grades and it's that point where I need to decide whether to stop trying or get good grades.
But both seem impossible.
Transferring to an easier school is not an option.

I can never seem to find the time for the amount of work I have (studying, not homework).
What's wrong with me?

That's interesting. I always find time to study, but I do my homework at the very last minute. I think it worked out pretty well.

 

[ruedjgtc]

And not graduate on time? Even if I take the lightest possible, I'll have trouble. Because I'm stupid lol.

You'll have to pick something, slow down at a pace you can handle, or jettison yourself through graduation with terrible grades. As a former premed courses tutor, I heard things like "not having time", and "not being as smart as everyone else" all the time, but this was seldom ever true.

My advice:
1. Get a tutor, now. But, do prepare for tutor sessions, a lot of people just "show up" to tutoring sessions, this is a waste of time for both parties and probably the number one reason why most people don't get much out of tutoring sessions. Your school likely has 1 on 1 tutoring as well, they are likely part of your student association fees. Try to get a 1 on 1 tutor if possible, so they can audit how you study, your HW habits etc.
2. Prioritize your schedule. Are you paying for school yourself? If not, then you have plenty of time to study -- case closed. If you are working to pay for your own education, then you may have to pare some of your costs with more grants or loans so you can be what you're supposed to be, a full time student. Take being a premed/student as a job, a career.
3. Get counseling for free at your school, being a crappy mood never helps grades.
4. Stop thinking about graduating "on time", unless you're paying out of pocket and are exceeding your budget "on time" and "medical education" have little to no correlation. If you want to rush out, you'll either just end up going to school again for a post bacc, or masters depending on the rest of your application. So, if the purpose is to rush out of college into medical school, then rushing out of college wouldn't be the smartest thing to do given your circumstances. Slow down, take your time, and do it right, or else end up doing it over again...or worse.

This is not an intelligence problem, this is a learning how to be a college student problem that we all go through (hopefully).

 

[swolecat]

Let's not jump the gun here! Some people ARE just stupid 😉

 

[edgerock24]

Your attitude sounds horrible. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You are stupid if you actually think of yourself as stupid.

Switch to an easier major (i.e. one that doesn't require Calculus, which is a useless course, in my opinion, for premeds). I know you said you can't transfer to an 'easier school,' but why not? Transfer to a CC if you need to. If you want to go to medical school then you don't have the time to mess around with your academics (take it from someone who is still haunted by dropped classes/low grades from ages ago). Try to take classes from an easier professor. In other words, set yourself up from success from the get-go.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Maybe it's not for you.

 

[Goro]

Your school shcould have a learning or education center. Go check them out for help with study and test taking habits. And work on the self-esteem.

I have terrible grades and it's that point where I need to decide whether to stop trying or get good grades.
But both seem impossible.
Transferring to an easier school is not an option.

I can never seem to find the time for the amount of work I have (studying, not homework).
What's wrong with me?

 

[kreme]

It might also not be your fault and be purely genetic.

 

[Jennyfishy]

As they say, study smarter, not study harder 😉.

Most universities have extensive support systems for students to seek help and advice on these matters. A lot of your tuition fees already go towards free tutoring programs + peer advising, etc., so hopefully you're taking advantage of that too. Whatever way you're studying now isn't cutting it, so figure out something that does work. If your friends/classmates are doing really well, talk to them and study with them. Also talk to someone about your self-esteem issues

 

[stupid9234]

Maybe it's not for you.

Probably.

 

[stupid9234]

Also consider that you may have some gaps in your foundational knowledge. For example, in your calculus class maybe your algebra skills are shaky. This type of problem could be causing you trouble in any science/math intensive course.

I'd agree but I went from being a straight A student in all AP classes getting all 5s to getting C's in the "next level" up courses.

 

[stupid9234]

And my school doesn't really have a good education center. Tutoring available, yes. Counseling, yes. Learning, no.

 

[stupid9234]

You'll have to pick something, slow down at a pace you can handle, or jettison yourself through graduation with terrible grades. As a former premed courses tutor, I heard things like "not having time", and "not being as smart as everyone else" all the time, but this was seldom ever true.

My advice:
1. Get a tutor, now. But, do prepare for tutor sessions, a lot of people just "show up" to tutoring sessions, this is a waste of time for both parties and probably the number one reason why most people don't get much out of tutoring sessions. Your school likely has 1 on 1 tutoring as well, they are likely part of your student association fees. Try to get a 1 on 1 tutor if possible, so they can audit how you study, your HW habits etc.
2. Prioritize your schedule. Are you paying for school yourself? If not, then you have plenty of time to study -- case closed. If you are working to pay for your own education, then you may have to pare some of your costs with more grants or loans so you can be what you're supposed to be, a full time student. Take being a premed/student as a job, a career.
3. Get counseling for free at your school, being a crappy mood never helps grades.
4. Stop thinking about graduating "on time", unless you're paying out of pocket and are exceeding your budget "on time" and "medical education" have little to no correlation. If you want to rush out, you'll either just end up going to school again for a post bacc, or masters depending on the rest of your application. So, if the purpose is to rush out of college into medical school, then rushing out of college wouldn't be the smartest thing to do given your circumstances. Slow down, take your time, and do it right, or else end up doing it over again...or worse.

This is not an intelligence problem, this is a learning how to be a college student problem that we all go through (hopefully).

Yes, I pay 1/3rd of the nearly 60k my school costs. And it only covers 4 years, no summers (getting loans this summer).

 

[Served]

I'd agree but I went from being a straight A student in all AP classes getting all 5s to getting C's in the "next level" up courses.

Never compare AP courses with college courses. That is just laughable. I also got 5's in my AP courses, but I retook them in college. Even though the College Board claims that the AP courses are "college level," they are not. Some of them are brutal, and I struggled to barely get A's in some of the courses that I retook. In other words, you can't use the same study habits that you are used to in high school.

 

[stupid9234]

Never compare AP courses with college courses. That is just laughable. I also got 5's in my AP courses, but I retook them in college. Even though the College Board claims that the AP courses are "college level," they are not. Some of them are brutal, and I struggled to barely get A's in some of the courses that I retook. In other words, you can't use the same study habits that you are used to in high school.

I'm just saying I used to be able to grasp material easily with no work.

 

[Served]

I'm just saying I used to be able to grasp material easily with no work.

I'm just saying you can't grasp the material easily with no work in college.

 

[stupid9234]

I'm just saying you can't grasp the material easily with no work in college.

And I don't know have enough time. 🙁

 

[LostinLift]

What year in college are you? Roughly what is your GPA now? How many units are you taking? Do you exercise? What do you do in your (little) free time? Do you use drugs/alcohol? What is your main study method? Do you take notes in class? Are you taking 3-4 science classes at a time? Do you have a strong background in science courses?

 

[Frostbite22]

I had a hard time getting back into my study habits after being on probation from my parents being sick and working too much. I realized it was the negativity and thinking I was just going to fail that was a large part of it. When I went in with a better positive attitude I seemed to grasp things better.

 

[stupid9234]

What year in college are you? Sophomore
Roughly what is your GPA now? 3.2, but taking away non-science courses it's wayyyyyyy lower.
How many units are you taking? 4 classes and 2 labs
Do you exercise? I wish
What do you do in your (little) free time? Hang out with friends, swim (barely at all since college), and video games.
Do you use drugs/alcohol? No
What is your main study method? Read, apply, homework, diagram/map out what I retained. Ideally......
Do you take notes in class? Of course, but I try to just listen. In my classes details are in readings. Instruction is the basics + what is emphasized on tests (still in the book).
Are you taking 3-4 science classes at a time? Never have taken more than 2.
Do you have a strong background in science courses? Yes and if I had the time, I could get As in science courses. I could NEVER get an A in an English class. Looking at any standardized tests I've taken, Math and Science -> around 100 percent and Reading and Writing -> Average.

 

[stupid9234]

I had a hard time getting back into my study habits after being on probation from my parents being sick and working too much. I realized it was the negativity and thinking I was just going to fail that was a large part of it. When I went in with a better positive attitude I seemed to grasp things better.

I try to have a positive attitude, but a few minutes later I'm negative again.

 

[Served]

And I don't know have enough time. 🙁

Yea, I know how that feels. Sometimes you just wish there were 48 hours in a day. One thing that might help you (I don't know what your schedule is like, but) is if you have a few hour gap between your classes, plan carefully to utilize that gap to study. Just pretend that it is a few hours before the exam, so you're on full alert.

If that doesnt work, then you might have to resort to losing some sleep to study.

 

[LostinLift]

First things first you need to find ways to de-stress. Exercise has been proven to improve cognition, if medical residents can find time to exercise then you have no excuse. There are also many "college" ways (3 big ones) of de-stressing, which I whole-heartedly recommend in moderation.

Is summer school an option? So that you could possibly take 3 classes next semester, or maybe a light 4 with 1 science class. Either way you need to step back and evaluate your time management skills and study methods. Find a tutor/study specialist, on-line if you need - which you do. A common problem among college students is studying passively. Although this was written for medical students it can easily apply to undergrad as well

http://meded.ucsd.edu/index.cfm//ugme/oess/study_skills_and_exam_strategies//how_to_study_actively/


What are your plans for this summer?

 

[stupid9234]

First things first you need to find ways to de-stress. Exercise has been proven to improve cognition, if medical residents can find time to exercise then you have no excuse. There are also many "college" ways (3 big ones) of de-stressing, which I whole-heartedly recommend in moderation.

Is summer school an option? So that you could possibly take 3 classes next semester, or maybe a light 4 with 1 science class. Either way you need to step back and evaluate your time management skills and study methods. Find a tutor/study specialist, on-line if you need - which you do. A common problem among college students is studying passively. Although this was written for medical students it can easily apply to undergrad as well

http://meded.ucsd.edu/index.cfm//ugme/oess/study_skills_and_exam_strategies//how_to_study_actively/


What are your plans for this summer?

Thank you, summer school is an option this summer as I failed Organic Chemistry. I'm also going to work in a lab the rest of the summer as well as other obvious premed activities.

 

[DrTorkashvand]

This is all self confidence based. You need to believe in yourself before anyone else can. You might want to start by taking "stupid" out of your user name..

 

[LostinLift]

Thank you, summer school is an option this summer as I failed Organic Chemistry. I'm also going to work in a lab the rest of the summer as well as other obvious premed activities.

Definitely retake O-Chem, but first learn how to learn. Once your study skills and time management improve, go in for round 2. Also don't rush your application, taking a year or two to prepare and live some life before starting can be a great and worthwhile plan.