Anyone here go from a bad student to an excellent student?

>don't put any effort in first year
>do kinda ok
>halfway through second year, get splat'd by a drunk driver
>bascailyl fucks me over for a year
>nothing to do so I just read up on subjects I like for a whole year
>go back to university and end up getting straight A+'s in everything
w o a h

>Anyone else have similar turn around stories?

I did, but it was from highschool to undergrad. When I was in highschool I was a terrible student. I believe I was not stupid. just bad at being a student. I failed mathematics all the time. In every trimester I would be failing and in the final exam I would try to study hard to bail myself out with a mediocre grade of C- that allowed me to pass. This was my story for highschool mathematics. Sleep in class, get D's in everything and in the final exam get anxious about the idea of failing and get a C to barely pass. That and I would suck the professor's dick. Everytime there was an activity that would give extra points I would do it with no hesitation. Just so I could pass because my grades were that bad.

Another part of my highschool life was that while I was a bad student, I was learning programming and shitposting on /g/ on the daily. I was really passionate about that, for some reason. I would even read programming books at school on my phone, instead of paying attention to classes. Then by my senior year I finally started to drift from pure programming to learning linear algebra, calculus, geometry, etc. To be a better programmer. From that I got a linear algebra book that was very "heavy". It was the first time I saw a math book that would actually prove its statements. At first I just read the theorems and skimmed the proofs to understand but at some point I started challenging myself to prove the theorems on my own and comparing my arguments to an online answer key I found. I got really passionate about this and became really good at it. Then some other similar things happened and by the end of my highschool career I could not help but just enroll to a pure mathematics program. Obviously, the school is pretty low ranked because I am a retard with a low score but I am still happy. I have an overall 3.8 GPA for pure mathematics, which is pretty high compared to everyone else here.

I had similar grades my first year of university
Since I wasn't 18 at the time I had to live in a dorm with a roommate. that constant social interaction fucked me up.

>2.8 GPA
>Aerospace engineering
>3 more semesters left

is the 'gpa doesnt matter in engineering' a meme or real life?

>finished highschool in bottom 10% of cohort
>about to start first year MD
Just study lmao

> aerospace
It probably is important if you want core jobs.

I went the opposite way.
Went from extremely good to extremely shit.

>70% average in high school
>need mid 80s-low 90s to get into good programs
>get into shit Psychology program as an 'alternative offer'
>fuck around for 3 years, eventually change major to philosophy
>after third year, spend the whole summer psyching myself up, telling myself that i'll do great and get really high grades, and be competitive for medical school
>very good friend commits suicide 3 weeks into semester
>brain fog for 8 months
>manage about a 3.56 gpa until I graduate
>enroll in 2nd undergraduate at a retard school in math and comp sci
>pic related

If I went to U of T, my work ethic last year probably only would've gotten me a 3.8/4.0 at most. But I went from being a C/D/B student in high school, to being a C/D/B student in university, to being an A-/B+ student in university, to being an A+/A/A-/B+ student in university.

I've actually felt myself getting better at school each year. Most of my better results have been the result of actually getting better at thinking as opposed to improving my test-taking skills

>Graduated with a 2.5 gpa in biology, convinced that I was retarded.
>Worked and did a little traveling over a 4 year period.
>Returned to school as a computer engineering post-bac
>3.8 gpa after 2 years of intense classes
>On track to attend grad school next year
feels good man

>Canadian law
Da fuk

i just fucked around and did drugs during school. i have a low self esteem and constantly creat goals to study a certain amount of time a week and fail.

i know it sounds stupid but after years of being a NEET and looking into my parents old textbooks i feel this feeling in my testacles, this feeling of purpose, like its my purpose to understand the universe.

What's with the leaf law course?

>tfw 24 doing undergrad feeling bad

Thanks for the motivation user

fun elective to take with some homies

your country's law is certainly not the worst thing to be educated in

Why aren't you in school?

He might be one of those types that doesn't really see the point in it. He's okay with being an autodidact. Nothing wrong with that; Just a different perspective on what his purpose is in life.

mad respect to you user. discipline is the lifeblood of productivity

this thread motivates me!

Failed Precalculus 3 times when I was 19. Three semesters in a row I took it and failed. Also got Cs in other, way easier classes.

Went back to school 3 years after I dropped out, at 23. Retook Precalc, got an A. Took Calculus 1, 2 and 3, got straight As. Got a B+ in Linear Algebra (first proof based course, didn't know how to study for it) and got straight As in Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry.

Currently a biochem major, thinking of switching to math after this quarter of Ochem and Differential Equations.

The main things I changed from being an F-C student to a A/highB student was:

>NEVER miss lecture, EVER
>Always take notes, then rewrite notes when I get home
>Do ALL assigned homework, including optional problem sets (especially for math/chemistry)
>Do extra and difficult problems to study for exams
>Go to Office Hours if can't figure something out immediately

And that's it. I'm a total brainlet, but I have a 3.6-3.8 gpa average or something. I get things slower than other people, so repeated exposure and LOTS of problem sets are how I learn.

I think the excuse for most people including me is we simply couldn't solve any of the problems. No idea where to start, and no progress even after multiple attempts. I even need to cheat for homework questions, how could I solve textbook problems?

can you get into a good uni post grad with something like this?

And how important is it to get into a top school for grad school? at what point does the school become so poor that the investment of time and energy is no longer worth it?

I didn't take my academics too seriously early on but I'm now realizing I might enjoy studying math, physics or CS professionally

Sure. Started undergrad without much direction towards a major, ended up migrating to biology as a sophomore. Started with Bs and Cs in my core classes (Gen Chem, Intro Bio I), even had a D in a chem class and a genetics class. Must have had a 2.5 or 2.6 my sophomore year.

Pulled an A in OChem. Then pulled another A in an upper-level molecular bio class. Ended up adding a degree in chem, got a 3.6 or 3.7 science GPA as a senior. Joined a lab for my senior thesis, enjoyed research. Still, my mentor didn't really want all that much to do with me (wouldn't write me a letter).

On the rec of a grad student (still love the guy), got a tech job. Rolled that into another tech job, at a higher-profile lab. Did a productive year of work. Had graduated with a 3.0 - 3.1, so could apply to PhD programs.

Got great letters from good people I worked for as a lab tech (two National Academy members), had nice research experience, solid statement of purpose. Got in to my top program, one of the top-10 programs in the country. Now in my third-year here, passed quals last spring.

Inspirational stuff.

Fucking amazing, man. Congrats

A weak mind such as yourself should listen to my story and take notes

Couple weeks into calculus 1 now, doing well, already past the chain rule and beyond. Quotient rule was a joke. Product rule remains my specialty.

I ask my professor his thoughts on quantum mechanics and partial derivatives. He's impressed i know about the subject. We converse after class for some time, sharing mathematical insights; i can keep up. He tells me of great things ahead like series and laplacians. I tell him i already read about series on wikipedia. He is yet again impressed at my enthusiasm. What a joy it is to have your professor visibly brighten when he learns of your talents.

And now I sit here wondering what it must be like to be a brainlet, unable to engage your professor as an intellectual peer.

All of the deep conversations you people must miss out on because you aren't able to overcome the intellectual IQ barrier that stands in the way of your academic success... it's so sad.

My professor and I know each other on first name basis now, but i call him Dr. out of respect.

And yet here you brainlets sit, probably havent even made eye contact with yours out of fear that they will gauge your brainlet IQ levels.

A true shame, but just know it is because i was born special that i am special. I can't help being a genius, nor can my professor.

Two of a kind is two flocks in a bush.

A lot of inspirational and impressive stories.
But as usual, everyone knows the answer is do the work.
But the problem is transitioning from knowing you need to do the work to actually doing the work.
It's obviously not easy, or else everyone would get straight-A from the start.

My geography teacher made B's and C's his undergraduate years, but somehow got accepted to into UC-Boulder and made all A's for his Masters and then did amazing as a Doctorate student doing Geology.

I'm kinda the same way, did awful my first few semesters but something just clicked in my head over summer and now I'm good at math all of a sudden, hopefully going to go into mechanical or civil engineering.

copy/pasta

Also for those who think they're too old to enter
I entered a uni when I was 28. Had to work 40 hours a week to be able to afford rent and then on top of that, had to spend the rest of my free time doing math practice. I sort of enjoyed doing math so it wasn't that big of a deal. No time for social life though.
Now I'm 32 with an undergrad in applied math and working as a statistician for a consulting firm.

Never too old brehs. JUST DO IT.

>tfw lazy but smart meme is true

>post bac
>top university

Fallait faire prepa tocard

>Anyone here go from a bad student to an excellent student?
No. Although I did go from failing 4 classes consistently to getting two As consistently. I still need to manage to take more classes at once while not failing everything.

Sup fellow Queens student, knew it just from the transcript format.

I've given up on my life at this point, I'm in my third year of chemical engineering with a GPA of 2.46 out of 4.3. Even kids with a 4.0 GPA in my classes can't find work. I had a 3.0 and 3.2 in my last two full semesters and a 3.92 in my summer semester. I'm pulling up my socks but I fear it's a little too late for it to matter anymore.

I wanted to do some volunteer (read: free) research for my professors this summer but none of them would even respond to my emails. What do Veeky Forums?

> What do Veeky Forums?
Apply for jobs you idiot.

>implying I haven't already

Over my three years I've applied to close to around sixty jobs, give or take ten. I have never even received a "thanks for apply, you aren't being considered" email.

I don't think you understand how fucking shitty the job market in chemical engineering in Canada is right now. With a GPA like mine as well, nobody even takes the five minutes to respond to me.

>I wanted to do some volunteer (read: free) research for my professors this summer but none of them would even respond to my emails.

I was planning on doing the same thing but now I'm scared.

>Graduating with a 3.05
>Last few semester GPAs have been 3.4+
I'm banking on a good GRE and maybe taking a Grad level class or 2 to get into a good Masters Program in a Biotech program. In the next 10 years Biomedical engineering and the Biotech fields are going to be booming and I want to get in on that.

There is no magical fixes. Keep applying and hope you're lucky.

>Biomedical engineering and the Biotech fields are going to be booming
No, it won't.

You haven't been paying attention then. There are many technologies being perfected in those fields which soon will be cheap enough for mass sale. We're still a few years off but give it a bit more time and Biotech will be a major industry.

My sides. I hope it works out for you.

Look if you want to embarrass yourself here by falling for various memes that's perfectly fine.

I don't get it.

>failed half my exams for the first two undergrad years
>slightly turned things around by year 3, getting 7's and 8's
>final semester - finally took care of all my failed courses
>got a cum laude degree

I don't know if this is a country of fuckwits or just my classmates.

Yeah, although I'm not very much interested in pursuing a career in traditional industrial chemical engineering.

I want to do research in control systems and transport phenomena, something a little beyond a typical chemical engineers job but still applicable to corporate work. I'm in the biomedical stream for chemical engineering but biomed is a meme so I'm not going to fall for that.

I hope you have fun being stuck in academia hell for the rest of your life. Consider doing an M.D and Ph. D if you actually want to make money with that and work in clinical research.

I'm This was part of my problem, but my 3 years out of school I worked manual labor and those jobs kicked my ass. I knew I didn't want to do that ever again, so that helped my focus a bit when I went back to school.

But it was still tough. I didn't really want to study. I started small, before I took hard classes. First, I resolved to never, ever miss lecture, and to take notes during lecture.

Then I made myself read the book and my notes for 15 minutes a day, in each subject. It was short enough to not really feel like work.

The third thing I promised was that I would ALWAYS do the homework. All of it. It was hard at first, I didn't realize math and intro chemistry could take such a long time. I pulled 5-6 all nighters my fist quarter back at school. I still would procrastinate but I refused to let myself miss easy points. I also didn't cheat, I actually did it.

I didn't know how to study, so the day before exams I just looked at notes and did some problems. I passed my first quarter of precalc, human anatomy and intro chemistry with As (I wanted to be a nurse, initially)

Next quarter I took calculus 1, gen Chem 1 and gen bio 1. I did all the same stuff, but I was slowly getting better at it, and I would accidentally work for longer than I set time aside for it. I started studying a few days in advance for exams instead of the night before. But calc 1 and gen Chem 1 was where I really developed my work ethic.

We were assigned maybe 20 problems a week in calculus and 30-40 problems a week in gen Chem. I did them all. I pulled 1-2 all nighters to do it at first and felt like such shit after that I started doing them the day ornday after it was assigned so I had the whole week.

It was really a slow progression. I can handle large work loads now (I can do 50 Ochem problems + reading in 2-3 days, same with math)

Perhaps most important: I have NO social media. It cost me a D on a math final once, and I deleted all of it. I read books now.

Sorry mistyped. Wasn't a D on a math final, was a midterm. I got an A on the final (after deleting social media) and the policy at the time was, if your final had a higher score than the other midterms, then you got the final grade

>I hope you have fun being stuck in academia hell for the rest of your life. Consider doing an M.D and Ph. D if you actually want to make money with that and work in clinical research.
I really don't think you're in the position to give advice considering you're a shit student with bleak future.

Hi, thx for sharing. Inspirational stuff. I really appreciate it.
>I have NO social media
Isn't 4ch a social media?

In high school I was the biggest shithead ever, got only the BARE MINIMUM to pass on everything, and bullied the teachers. Now I'm in university and my average grade is 8.5/10, which usually puts me around the top 10%.

Yes, because the shit students are obviously the ones that are not researching every possible opportunity for themselves.

Just because the grades aren't there doesn't mean I know fuck all about the industry.

>knows everything about the industry
>still can't get a job
I don't know, man. Learn some humility. You didn't do well and now you're giving career advice.

It's not my words, it's my professors. My biomedical engineering prof told us to only pursue this if you are passionate, not for the money.

But hey, this is the internet and maybe I'm just lying to you. Do what you want user, but if you want to make money don't fall for the biomed meme.

well you probably have a less stressful life now?

Do you guys recommend taking a small break? For example I've been in school since high school and I feel so burnt out at times. I still have another couple years for my Masters but sometimes it just gets really depressing. Also it sucks this year because I'm in a new lab but have no freedom to so any lab work unlike my last position which allowed me alot of time to experiment.

Also do you guys do your own experiments at home?

>It's not my words, it's my professors.
To be exact, profs from a shit-tier university.

>My biomedical engineering prof told us to only pursue this if you are passionate, not for the money.
Hilarious. Talking about passion even though you didn't work hard during your degree.

>Do what you want user, but if you want to make money don't fall for the biomed meme.
Again, have some shame. You are a shit student from shit-tier university. Not really your place to give career advice especially when you couldn't even find a job.

My wife and I experiment quite a bit.

I recommend you to get an internship.

Alright man, I'm wrong. What should I be doing to improve my situation then? You sound like you know what you are doing with your life.

Am I doomed because I had a shitty first year? I'm seriously asking for advice, not being a sarcastic troll.

I don't know. I just shitpost.

It's kinda obvious but apply for more jobs. Perhaps in US. I wish you luck.

i wasn't necessarily a bad student, i just couldn't handle 18 credits + work. most of my semesters were spent playing academic triage.

i got into a mediocre masters program, but i'm doing it as slow as my FA will allow me to and i'm doing great.

in retrospect i shouldn't have tried to slam so many credits in undergrad. poor time management maybe.

Not from "bad" to "excellent", but from "mediocre, only working for exams and getting 13/20" to "motivated guy who really wants a good post-graduating school".

I never failed a single course, but only ever got D or E and never went back to it. And now I read textbooks on my free time and people think I'm weird.

In a way.Stopped giving a fuck and even though my life went to utter shit, I'm stress free.

>> got a cum laude degree

Literally how.

Copypasta loses its power if you overuse it, you know

no joke, when I was in highschool, I was getting C's in a bunch of classes, but then, I went out and smoked weed with a bunch of my friends. For whatever reason, I got my shit straightened out and I graduated with honors. I went to a university, did research, got into a fucking MD medical school, and now I am applying for residency.

Not saying it was the weed, but I think it's important to take life less seriously some times. Take time for yourself. Be a real human. Life is just too short.

I have more stories than I can count.

I think growing up poor put a lot of extra roadblocks in life, but I would like to think the extra challenges have made me stronger.

Anyway for 2-3 years was in situation(s) that no one in Veeky Forums would want to be in; all of you would call me a loser. Then in 1.5 years, I graduated from a no. one ranked school.

I was awful, but then I got medicated for ADHD, now I get mostly (european) A's.

I have a good work ethic before getting medicated, but I really struggled. Doing a PhD now so worked out for me in the end.

>no. one ranked school.
Wait, we got a Harvard guy here. Or is it Princeton?
Veeky Forums's wicked smaht.

What did you major in? Going from institutions to graduating in a top school is impressive

>lazy but smart in high school
>took all the AP/Honors courses but only did bare minimum to get C/Bs
>slept in class, didn't put any effort on HW or study, etc
>didn't get accepted to major university
>went to community college
>got straight As
>transferred to best college in the state
>got straight As

In hindsight, I would have just tried to test out of high school as soon as possible but still done the community college -> transfer route since it saved me a lot of money.

It's not like undergrad matters at all

Of course it matters.

True, and I'm not the networking or frat type, so it wouldn't do me any good to have gone all 4 years.

nice freshman opinion

Meh, I see you went to shit school and in the process of denial.

Does anyone here have any experience with doing a 5th year or post-bac research/work and then applying to grad school?

I'm afraid my GPA isn't going to be up to par for grad school by the end of my third year, as we have to apply pretty early in our fourth years.

Better get a job and nurture some discipline. I went that way, didn't do so hot in my bachelor, went for a master in Europe, didn't do so hot again. Obviously. People don't change that easily. Lazy people stay lazy.

How did you manage to score a masters in Europe?

GPA was exactly 3. I went to not so great school in Germany. But being in Europe/Germany, it still has pretty standard. Only problem is they admit everyone. Pajeets are the laziest, most incompetent people I've met.
With that in mind, just get a job.

Sounds like a waste of time

don't be so low test

...

How was pharmacology like as a math student?

I guess the material doesn't have to be boring but as an online summer course where all you had to do was memorize things, it was boring. I don't actually remember anything from it (I was also high that whole summer)

I don't care what the other fags think, this is a good pasta and you posted it effectively

9/10 made me chuckle

Props to everyone in this thread who managed to turn their shit around. Some of you seem to be alright and it gives me hope that Veeky Forums might not just be procrastinating undergrads.

My story is similar, scraped the bottom of the barrel during undergrad, as I was unwilling to invest the time that was needed. Ironically a normie brainlet friend introduced me to just spending all my time in the library and that led to me actually focusing. Grad school is now going great for me.

right now I am in high school with and I did so bad I failed a whole year and if I passed some classes I barely passed them. This year I snapped from my lack of attention and I am doing pretty good but I still have a lot to recover from

Wait, so did you fail all your classes in fall 2011?

they're full year classes so the grade only shows up in the second semester listings

>Never got a D
Then you were never in any danger.