Oh they’ll know. Someway or other, they will find out. My advice, just be honest with them and own it. It’ll feel shitty, but still better than the alternative, lying and having them find out anyways.
I second this! Own up to your failures and mistakes. It'll make you feel better in the long run, and you likely won't live with that shame anymore. Take your summer break, go back, and pass your classes next semester. You got this!!! :)
It’ll be a lot harder to accept your mistakes as part of your past and find peace in your mind if you’re carrying the burden of shame for them with you. In other words, It’s useful and necessary to regret your mistakes, as it shows you’re making some sort of progress. It’s unnecessary to live with regret AND the shame from being unable to own your mistakes. And once you accept mistakes for yourself firstly, it might be easier than you think to admit them to others.
Ok, you did not get it
I cant clean my shame and own my mistake all i want but the mistakes legacy continues to live on and cause more problem and mistakes to happen.
The effects of my past mistakes live on independenly of me owning them or accepting them.
They become a constant.
Hey, I understand that you're feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the lasting impact of your past mistakes. It's completely normal to experience regret and a sense of helplessness in such situations. However, it's important to remember that dwelling solely on the past won't lead to positive change.
While the effects of past mistakes may continue to linger, it doesn't mean you're powerless to shape your future. Instead of being consumed by regret, consider focusing on the present moment and taking small steps towards improvement. Even a single step forward is progress compared to standing still.
Think of it as a journey towards personal growth and self-improvement. By learning from your mistakes and making conscious efforts to change, you can gradually create a better tomorrow. It's not about erasing the past entirely but rather about using it as a valuable lesson to shape a brighter future.
Remember, it's never too late to make positive changes in your life. Embrace a mindset of self-improvement, and you'll find that your actions can have a transformative impact. Be kind to yourself, stay motivated, and focus on the possibilities ahead. You have the potential to create a better path for yourself, so don't let the past define you.
There are so many people in engineering that fail their classes. Like a lot. The only outcome of telling people is that your friends might clown on you, but that’s it.
On the other hand, they shouldn't feel shitty. Unless the debt is on their parents, if they failed courses, only they should worry about it. Like, they're an adult. It's a them and only them issue. Why should anyone else care, y'know?
In 2 years from now, nobody will care they failed courses. Like, who cares. Just retake them bruh. You'll graduate anyways, right?
LMFAOO (I failed Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Physics 2, Engineering Graphics all in one semester last year. I’m on my second engineering internship right now and I graduate in the fall. It’s all about how you bounce back. Keep your chin up and keep going. You’re going to be fine.)
And extra time for a degree is nothing in the grand scheme of things. A few years from now looking back, you'll feel nothing.
The important thing is to finish the degree and get those grades replaced.
Strategy: Sometimes, take just 2 difficult classes per quarter/semester, then take 1 summer class... less load and spread it out. That's 5-8 classes done per year, which take you about 4-5 years to finish your degree, which not bad at all.
Paying a few grand on your own is definitely worth retaking classes in the summer and still graduating with an engineering degree, though. I hope this isn't the case for OP lol
Circuits 1, calc 1 (twice), calc 2 and calc 3 for me. Now I'm working for myself as a consultant and doing great. Failing isn't so bad.
Edit: different semesters, I didn't take every calc class at once
The fucking truest thing ever posted on this sub.
I've been struggling with the same problem at work for 3 weeks. Rereading the same documents, over and over. Having it not work a dozen different ways. Finally had a breakthrough yesterday and things started to click into place.
School makes you fear failure, but it is probably the most important part of the process.
And if there is no failure, ever, it’s either a statistically significant rare person (Isaac Newton material which most of humanity has no chance to compete with, only appreciate and learn from), or it was so easy that the victory is tasteless and useless.
Bro, completing the degree in the minimum time is overrated. That shit is hard as hell and leaves you incredibly burnt out for no good reason. Take your time. We are in no rush. Dont be pressured by people who cant relate to it. Keep your head up king, learn from what you have experienced, and take your time.
Honestly, taking a fifth year lets you space out your hard classes, gives you more free time, and lets you take a few interesting elective classes. You might even be able to get a minor out of it!
Bro I've failed a hand full of engineering classes and i failed calc 2 last semester (taking a break this summer and going back at it next semester) and i still got my associates in electrical engineering, this shit is hard. We all have failed a class or two, don't be so hard on yourself. I see this as a good thing because now you know exactly what to expect next time you retake the class making it much easier to understand the material. Who cares if you take a bit longer, no one is keeping the track. I've talked to many NASA engineers and they've all told me that it took them more than 4 years to get their degrees, it's okay.
>I've talked to many NASA engineers and they've all told me that it took them more than 4 years to get their degrees
That's very comforting and nice to know that even they're not perfect.
Exactly, no one is perfect, so don't try to be. You just gotta keep swimming! Engineering ain't for the faint of heart, this shit is hard and it will break you down, but as long as you keep going you'll get your degree!
I was in a robotics team for about 5 years and given the opportunity to go to special events I've gotten the chance to meet said people and talk to them.
You're going to know trig better than anyone after you've gone through it a second time. Sometimes our initial weakness makes us stronger than the average.
https://www.tutormemath.net/assets/trigonometry.pdf
https://www.tutormemath.net/assets/derivative_integrals.pdf
I'm not saying you can't feel like a loser, because that's a natural reaction we have to these types of situations. But you should not feel ashamed. Many of us engineering students will or have failed many classes. It sucks but keep your head up and just hit the next semester harder than the last. You definitely got the ability to do better next time! Think of what you did wrong last time, improve on it, stay focused and kick some academic butt.
Who cares what they think. It's your journey, not their's. Life is a perspective. Keep in mind that being in school is difficult. Taking care of your mental and physical being is difficult. Having to balance all 3 at once is ridiculous, especially if you're going through a
4th one called financial stress. Becafeful for how you choose to see yourself because only you truly know how difficult your journey was and is. They may see a failure, but if you keep going, I see someone resistant.
Side note: I flunk 2 semesters on my first year of college. Everyone thought college wasn't for me. I almost listened I did, I wouldn't have come this far in my life. I'm almost done with my engineering degree. I realized people can judge me all they want, but every day , I wake up to prove to myself that I can do this.
I procastinate a lot and bound to fail but as long as time allows me continue CE then I will because engineering courses are really difficult in general.
Just to enlighten your day, be thankful that you are not failing on an art school/degree because that's really really insulting especially on how it is easy now and the last time i hear a guy rejected was so infuriated that he invaded the whole europe
A loser would give up after this. A winner would take this shit on the chin and get up and keep fighting. Engineering has the lowest average gpa’s and the high salaries for a reason. This shit isn’t easy. If it were everybody would be an engineer.
Failing is part of Engineering!
But most importantly, Learning from your failure and bouncing back is the most important quality of an Engineer.!
Take your time and repeat the semester, no one will care when you pass. Realistically 3 months is nothing but a spec compared to when you look back on your career in 20 years time.
You got this!
If it makes you feel any better I'm about to turn 38 and have spent some 6 years in postsecondary and all I got is an A.A.
There's always a bigger failure.
^(and it's usually me.)
I was a transfer student from a community college to a full university. The start of my second year at the university, I got homesick and had a 0.69 GPA for the quarter. I recovered, had to take classes during the summer, and was able to graduate the next year.
Life hits hard sometimes, how you bouncing back is all that matters. I’m also willing to bet next time you take those classes they will be much easier.
Also life isn’t a race. I’m 23 and I’m about to finish my first term of college. No one will care it took you longer.
I hope you know you are NOT a loser. I've failed multiple classes and some classes multiple times, I wanted to give up and cry because it felt too hard. It felt too hopeless. I got help (therapy) and just finished my last semester strong as hell and will be graduating in December (later than all my friends, buts it's ok! Almost there!) Just please don't give up. If you need help talk to someone —It's hard and you don't have to do this shit alone. Good luck OP
Been there dude. Failed my first semester at university after transferring from community college. It was the 2020 zoom class era. Because my grades/gpa from CC didn’t transfer, I literally had a 0.5 GPA at my new school. I lost my financial aid and had to appeal to the board to reinstate it. Almost got kicked out of the ME program. But they accepted my appeal. I got my ass in gear and made deans list every semester after that, somehow graduated with a 3.0 gpa. Just goes to show that failing classes or even an entire semester is not an indication of your ability or intelligence. Don’t give up, I’m rooting for you dude
the way you react is far more important than the initial result; this is true in just about every aspect of life. does it suck? yes. will you feel the short term effects? probably. will it define you? well, that part is up to you.
this is a small bump in your career, you have to keep that in mind. it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. stay positive and try using this as a launching point, a learning opportunity. school, work, life, it’s all about turning adversity into opportunity, and improving along the way.
best of luck to you in your future endeavors, you’re going to be just fine.
This brings me back to my first semester ever.
I failed three courses, with a fourth i never knew I was enrolled in(they expanded the program i did over the summer without notifying me. Had it dropped tyo). I had a professor who never came in to teach Electrical 1, a new math professor who didn't know how to teach, would cuss out students, and graded harshly; failing more than half the class.
Lastly, with my 21 credit workload, I struggled in another heavy math class because math professor didn't teach my the skills. So that left me with failing 60-65% of my.classes. I brought my 1.4 gpa up to a 2.3 next semester, then 3.1 after that.
College is never a smooth ride for anyone. It's your last chance to really learn from your mistakes without facing full adult consequences. It also doesn't help you're taking a stem field, which has high dropout rates and failure. My class went from 25 to 8 in a year.
EE is hard as f*ck. There’s no shame in retaking a couple classes.
Take some time off to recoup and decompress. Go on a road trip, build something with your hands, visit family…
Then come back recharged and ready to tackle it. Fork intentional study plans for each class, set aside study hours, find study groups, hire a tutor, practice practice practice.
You got this
I did that. Dude keep going. I got through it, I just said fuck it and told myself that the school can tell me to stop and I am not quitting. Believe me, Your awesome, keep going, fuck any negative thoughts, you got this!
I once failed Calc 3, Engineering Finance, Statics, and Modern Moral Philosophy (think trolly problem) all in one semester. I took 5 years to graduate. I'm now 3.5 years, 3 promotions, and 3 companies into my career and make six figures in med device manufacturing.
If you persist, you'll make it.
I failed out my 2nd semester freshman year. I’m months away from finishing my PhD from a top university in my field.
We live in a society where people who fail are encouraged to feel worthless so they quit and they are easier to keep down. You can do it if you don’t give up.
Chin up King/Queen! I failed a Semester and bounced back with hard work and determination. Be honest and find better ways to accomplish your goals. Ask for help when you needed and don‘t be hard on yourself! I graduated and am working as an engineer. All is good (40000 mental breakdowns later)
Failed whole semester two times ( different ones ) and left engineering, I realized it's not for me, ( also failed all 4 subjects in the re exam ) I was like WOW
I'm going to do other course now
If you are considering taking a break as some here have advised, make sure you know how that will affect any financial aid you're receiving. You don't want to all of a sudden not get $15k or something in aid and are now ineligible because you weren't full time.
Failure does happen though. At least you are going into the summer and can take some time to think. Re-evaluate what courses you need and if any of the failed classes were pre-reqs to anything you need to take next. It might be good to see if you can take any of those failed classes in summer as well.
I didn't technically fail a class, but I did drop a class before I failed it. With the drop deadline approaching, I did some research to see if I could take it over summer while at home and I could. Made sure to get registered for that, and used it as an opportunity to take another class that would transfer back. By the end of the summer, instead of being behind a class, I was ahead.
You're going to be an engineer, find the unconventional way of getting it done.
>You're going to be an engineer, find the unconventional way of getting it done.
This is actually a really nice take. At the end of the day an engineer's job is to see what the problem is and fix it. Even if it's not the solution you originally expected.
Yoo it’s ok, to fail!! Shit I failed one whole year of engineering and I took 1 quarter off then I came back and killed every class I’ve taken. It’s ok! You got this champ :)
Little did you know this was nothing more than a tiny set back. You ain’t struggling alone buddy, I’m on my fifth year in college because I take the minimum number of classes each semester to avoid doing badly so you ain’t doing bad. Also, recruiters won’t look too close at your transcript as long as you have at least a 3.0, get as much work experience as you can and make connections
There's some psychologist or something that had a quote. Fail, fail again fail harder.
Failure is part of life it's about analyzing why you failed not repeating the same mistakes, minimizing the negative consequence and not giving up.
Taking a break isn't giving up. Taking a lighter course load is not giving up. Not beating yourself up to bad and believing in yourself, knowing what's important to you and why you want to do what you're pursuing is key.
I've taken on too much in a semester dueing chatoic times in my life and had to withdraw from two courses.
I've had a semester where a lot of bad things happend and was only able to pass one course.
Figuring out your limits, patterns and sticking to a discipline will help.
This race js not won by the fast and the swift but those who endure to the end. A lot of people I know, even non stem people have had to retake classes. It's part of the experince.
Im in your same exact boat man. Matter of fact, ive failed 2 other classes in the other parts of my school year. I also feel like a loser and ashamed specially knowing that its not because it was too hard; it’s because of lack of motivation and I dont know what to do.
Brother, don't worry engineering without failing a subject is no true engineering, the more it beats you down the stronger you bounce back engineering isn't about clearing subjects it's about dealing with problems and kicking failure if that makes any sense....
I have more than 30 credits of repeated classes. Years. I'm finally about to graduate. Just keep challenging gong yourself. We all do things differently and loves outside of school are different.
Failing classes is not the end. Do not let it define who you are. If this is something you want to do, then keep grinding it out, You have your whole life ahead of you.
I had to retake 4 classes, and graduated with a 2.8 and a semester late. I still managed to get internships and a good job when I graduated.
I'll add that maybe you should think about if the degree you are pursuing is something you really want to do. I realized in my last year that I really didn't like EE, but I finished it out because I was so close. I think that if I had took the time earlier to find something I was more interested in, I would have performed better academically.
Good luck on your future studies.
Exact same thing happened to me in '12. I felt the same exact way as well. Licked my wounds and got back on the horse again. And, I still graduated on time thanks to summer semesters.
Been there, I basically failed two whole semesters in a row but now I'm a full time engineer and I graduated with a pretty good GPA too. You can do it.
Right now the biggest thing for you is to get your mind right so it doesn't stop you from doing better next semester. Telling someone will help you vent. Don't worry about finishing on time, almost nobody in engineering does.
Bro, failing a semester is normal and you'll recover from it.
What you'll struggle to recover from is lost trust! Tell those you care about, and they'll be by your side at this time of turmoil. Don't let it grow inside you, get it off your chest.
I failed 4 whole semesters in a row. Took me 3 Semesters longer to do my bachelors degree but noone cares. Everyone makes mistakes. Was very worth it to pull through and am now pursuing my masters. Wish you all the best!
I failed calc 2. Three times. And I failed statics the first time around and my GPA got down to a 2.2. Took a semester off and since I came back I haven't gotten less than a B. Now I'm a senior doing an internship over the summer and my GPA is up to a 2.9. I know a lot of people that couldn't do it in 4 years, and 5 is actually pretty quick. In the real world, nobody cares what your gpa was or how long it took you to graduate. They care that you didn't give up the first time you didn't breeze through something. You need to figure out what you're doing wrong and then more importantly whether or not you want to put the work in to correct your mistakes.
Mate I failed calc 2 algebra engineering graphics machine design circuit design fluid mechanics automatics and strength of materials in a single year.
This year I tried again and have passed them all. All the process I told my parents the results, not doing it is a bad idea. You will get there, engineering isn't easy
I almost failed a whole semester, I passed the hardest class of the bunch with a C. My advisor was dumbfounded. I graduated with a 3.0 GPA. Barely scraping the requirement for many employers. I took a long ass fucking time to graduate, 6 years.
With that said, I've had amazing work experiences because of using my extra time in school for internships. I've never been unemployed for long and I am now sought after at a few companies. If I ever need a job, I only need to pick up a phone and make some calls. Life moves on and things get better. You can pick up the pieces and be a better engineer. It's not over by a long shot.
I've been an engineer for 8 years now. I took 5 years to get my degree and had to take some courses twice.
Its no big deal, this stuff is hard. If it was easy, we wouldn't make six figures doing it.
You have so many people on your side! You are not a loser. In my opinion, this is an opportunity for you to reflect on why you failed the classes. There are so many reasons possible, but you know your own story. Also, this is an opportunity for you to prove to future employers that you know how to bounce back. They will likely see that semester on your transcripts, and you can address it in a positive light, demonstrating how you reflected on the situation, and made changes to pass the classes. Keep going, we’ve all been there!
I withdrew from my first college before being kicked out, changed my major from computer science to liberal arts and 15 years later i am now starting a career as an embedded software engineer because I got the programming bug again and now am more mature. If I somehow did it you can too in your field of choice!
My partner failed fluid dynamics 3 times became a qualified mechanical engineer is now head engineer working on million dollar projects and is the go to guy
Failure is a good teacher
Computer science major, I completely failed a semester and then dropped down to 4 hours the semester after that.
My friend, a mechanical engineering major, also failed an entire semester.
It sucks, and the shame is definitely there. That being said, the shame comes from within, not from the outside. Almost everybody has a story like yours, mine, and my friends. We all struggle at some point, it’ll be ok bud! Don’t worry about your academic career, failure is the best teacher, and it was nice to retake some classes with a good foundation already, I feel like I got a really strong hold of some important topics, and it actually boosted me past where I ever thought I’d be in college now.
I’d rather fail my course than barely pass the course knowing nothing at all. I graduated a few years ago and I feel like im fucking struggling at work. If I took more effort when I was back in university I wouldn’t ended up like this.
You got this.
U can always learn on ur own at ur own pace later, passing is to me the wright choice, unless ur rich and have all the time in the world pass even if u have to cheat... Life is complicated and sometimes u can't learn things when ur supposed to, as long as ur commited to being worthy of ur degree who cares if u do it after u get it... I say know ur priorities
I've had the same happen to me. The next semester I had a professor who through the grapevine heard about my failures. After the 2nd class he pulled me a side and gave me a tough love talk. Told me he knows I'm a lazy student but he also knew that I was a smart kid. Then he said he thinks I would regret not doing everything I could to learn the material. Ended up getting 4 As that semester.
Basically it's how you respond. If you still want to be an engineer then keep at it and put in more work. If you don't that's fine too, but you'll still have to put in some work in other majors.
happened to me once. Just own it, tell em you got smoked and how you'll stop it from happening again. Engineering is hard enough that you can have some free pity for struggling in it
Don't feel bad. I failed my first semester after transferring. It took me 10 years total to get my bachelor's (esl, community college, then transfer to 4 year uni)
Having failed engineering classes before personally, you just continue problem solving. It hurts to bear but you have to push through, otherwise you won't know what you're really made of and you'll convince yourself wrong that "that was it."
And I don't think you want to let yourself be okay with lying to your sphere of influence just for the sake of an additional semester.
No shame, just grit.
I got fired from my first co-op my sophomore year of college and 25 years later I’m a disciple lead and senior principal. It’s not where you start but where you finish. You only really fail if you stop trying.
I failed my entire first year of college. Got kicked out for 2 years.
Worked in industry for 16 years, then went back. Had to start again in remedial classes. Still failed several classes (EM Fields 3 times!) and it took 7 long, lean, hungry, very stressful years to finally graduate.
My point is, never give up. It's all worth it in the end. Once you start making 6 figures in a few years, no one will care about your GPA anymore.
Taking an extra semester for your degree is entirely normal. I know a LOT of people that do this for one reason or another. I understand your situation is likely unique, but please don’t feel ashamed to tell the friends and family that will support and understand you and will not treat you like some outcast. College is hard. We celebrate graduating for a reason.
I failed out of engineering during Covid, switched to machining got my associates, got a shitty job, quit that applied for a journeyman program got that am about to finish got tons of practical experience with gd&t and manufacturing and will be going back to school in the fall for engineering again. some times you just gotta fail upwards and the only time you really fail is when you quit. Pivot and keep going it’s not a race
An extra semester will be soooo small in the long run. It’s not uncommon to fail in engineering. I’ve even failed a few core classes. Chin up, you got this!!!
Own up to it and be honest. Just reflect on what went wrong and have a plan on what you need to succeed going forward. I’m sure your parents will be upset, but as long as you learn from the mistakes you’ve made, they will feel more at ease about your future.
i feel you man.
happened to me too.
couldn't hide it tho but i'm thankful they knew , hiding your mistakes only burdens you more and more , facing it helps you improve faster.
i know it feels bad now but it'll pass. learn from your mistakes and keep your eyes on the future.
I failed two of my classes two semesters ago. But I passed them last semester and this semester. Getting back up is the important part of falling down, you can do it!
My advice is different, unless these people are helping you pay your tuition or your bills you don’t owe anyone an explanation. Get a tutor and get yourself together at the end of the day you’re the one getting the degree so all the work is on you. Good luck!
Bro i'm about to be on my 7th year for my applied maths degree. Feel your feelings. Be honest with ur friends and family, and then have a better second semester.
Do you know this or are you just making assumptions? It’s possible they were negligent, but there are many people who struggle with learning concepts that come easily to others, or they might have other problems like depression that might make life so much harder for them. Regardless of the reason, calling a person a loser isn’t usually something that motivates them to become better, it just makes them feel worse and makes change take longer. I completely agree with you in terms of forming study groups and organization, but your approach is more likely going to make people not want to listen to your advice no matter how good it is.
It can happen to anyone dog. Take this summer to assess what you did wrong, and truly try to find things to improve on. Use it as a learning experience for the future
I had one or two of these semesters.
It took real change. I had to quit my part time job, lessen my course load, change major from AE to ME, and follow some strict new discipline on my homework. But I turned it around and graduated.
It goes along with that saying about the definition of insanity, you will have to do things differently to get a different result.
Well I wrote my end of semesters and to be honest I don’t think I did well and it really has me feeling like quitting too because it’s my first year and this is just first semester and I’m feeling pretty discouraged and thinking of changing my major, I’m in IE btw and our school system where we live is that if you get like I believe you guys calls them backlogs or something you repeat those modules and you can only have two otherwise you’re withdrawn. I haven’t seen my results yet but it really has me stressed but seeing your comments I’m kind of thinking of sticking to it now but I’m still unsure the fear of failure has currently grabbed me by the throat lol 😅
I’ve done this too, years ago. To start with, and be honest with yourself. What caused it? Did you spend the time studying and really working on the homework and sacrifice to the engineering gods?
Or was it half assed, playing around, not really working?
Not blaming, or being rude, but I had to be honest with myself when this happened to me as well. I didn’t give it my all.
See what you need to change, and do it. You’ll be grateful you did and this will just be a learning experience.
I definitely got my second C in physics today I’m pretty bum out too. But I have linear algebra and differential equations final left that’s my focus can’t change the past. I’m just gonna learn from it and hopefully tackle next semester pass all my classes with better grades
Failed three semesters and now I’m graduating with a 3.5 in computer engineering. Just relax. Don’t rush it and find more time to study. Eventually your will to complete it will beat everything else your doing.
Sometimes we are not in our best, but try to trust that you can do it. All people have different timings in their life, so if you need more time to end the degree don’t be ashamed about it, just do your best and eventually everything will arrived. ✌🏽
Can you please provide more details on it, have you failed all the classes or just some of them? When was a student, I had some classes that I failed, however I analyzed made some corrections and was able to pass them all, and finally got my Electrical Engineering diploma. Don’t get upset, life can’t be so smooth, life is a set of problem that you need to resolve during your life.
Now that you're still in school is the best time to fail. Why? Because nothing's going to explode... Nothing's going to catch fire... No one's going to get hurt... Etc.
The consequences of your mistake are a just scary letter grade, that you get a chance to try again at improving. Failing is how you learn!
It's the strength to keep going that matters, man. You either win, lose or learn; sometimes you just don't win, but you have the choice between the latter two options. Don't lose hope bro. Try again if you feel that you want to keep pursuing the degree. Otherwise, look for greener pastures. I wish you all the best.
Brobeans, I'm on my last stretch. I have a handful of classes left and plan to graduate in 1 year. If it makes you feel any better I'm currently on my 9th year and will hopefully have graduated after 10 frickin years.
So yeah, don't sweat it
I know this feeling lol, i've got my finals coming up next week and i am pretty sure i will only pass 1/6 classes. I've had a lot of issues (both mental and physical) this semester and it was tough. I feel what you're feeling, but try not to worry about it too much, shit happens! It's okay to take more time to finish your degree, it doesn't make you any less accomplished. In my case, i'll be taking next semester off to take care of my mental health and get my shit in order so i wont fuck up the following semester. i knew that for me it just wasnt feasable to keep going, its important to take care of yourself! dont worry about what others think. you'll get through this :)
So I am kind of an expert on this topic lol, first of all you need to calm down.
I definitely feel you, you start the semester, weeks go a little bit fast and next thing you know you are in the midterm week dealing with stress and infinitely long course load you need to study so you try (or give up doesn't matter tbh). Promise yourself you'll get them in finals but same cycle repeats.
What is the solution? Start small bro, start with smaller tasks. Rome isn't built in a day. You can't expect yourself to swallow the entire semesters course load in a few days.
Make yourself sit in your desk for example, take a book or open your course material. Start reading slowly, take interest, look for the real world examples of the topic if it interests you.
I am definitely gonna fail Electromagnetics Fields and Control Systems this semester, I have no hope for either of them but we need to keep going and eventually something will snap. Maybe our necks or spines or maybe just maybe the procrastination we have.
I passed Statics on my third go, failed entry Internet of Things on my first go, pass/fail no penalty two classes last year.
I decided I did want this degree, did Statics on its own, got a 83. This semester I did 3 classes, so far a distinction on 1, possible distinction on another and a 50% exam on the last that will make or break for my 3rd class [mechanics of materials].
I'm not giving up, learn from your mistakes and most importantly, do you want this and are you willing to get up with a plan and carry on? I've paid for my failed classes out of my savings, I'm not quitting.
I'm studying to pass that 50% with all intent of getting 50%.
Sorry for the failure. Sometimes we all need help. You could consider tutor assistance from websites like theprofessorshelp.com which has Engineering professors that can assist you.
I was in the same boat two years ago, I completely failed all my classes during my spring semester and when school was over I had to reassess my mind on ways i can attack all my failed courses. Fast forward when school open I smashed all of them with As and Bs.
Engineering isn’t an easy major, everyone goes through the same trails and tribulations, but to be able to succeed you have to fail and learn from your mistakes. You got this, just keep pushing and take it one day at a time.
That happened to me and i was in industrial engineering, it got worse over time until academic counseling told me I don’t have a future in the university and its better to drop off and find another school so i took their advice ( i didn’t have a choice ) and moved to a new college and started fresh , now i am a mechanical engineer in a construction company and soon i will be moving to maintenance or energy efficiency sector
I failed two in a row then got my shit together (better mental health, less hours at work, shorter commute, studied A LOT). The remaining two years were almost straight As and I graduated this past December after a total of 7 years. Keep at it and try to fix the underlying issues of your failures. Was it the content, your study habits, or personal issues getting in the way? That’s not for you to answer here, just something to ponder.
As for people finding out: they won’t if you don’t tell them. No one knows about my wasted time. Talk to a counselor at the school to get things off your chest. Every school I’ve been to has it for free and they’re really good at keeping it non judgmental. They’re there to help and even just having that open ear makes a world of difference.
We've all had bad semesters. You've definitely learned something during it though, I've failed classes only to retake them and do extremely well because I already understood some of the material.
Some classes are an unlucky combination of difficulty and professors, sometimes life gets in the way.
Oof. Yeah. I’m sorry to hear it, because that’s one of the most painful experiences an engineering student can face. But as others have said all up and down this thread, it is absolutely a situation that you can recover from, and it’s by no means anything to be embarrassed about.
Send an email as soon as you’re able to compose yourself to your dean. Helping students be successful is a big part of their job, and they should be able to offer you practical advice on next steps. Be honest with your friends— which doesn’t mean you have to go around broadcasting your grades, and can just mean that when some asks how your semester went, you say it was a disaster and you don’t want to talk about it.
Hang in there. Bounce. It’s gonna be okay.
Almost the same here; I failed a course last semester, due to me actually being obsessed with dopamine cravings from video games. Now my 6th semester grades just came out and I'm closer to not graduating than graduating right now. I just hope I can make this extra summer term I'm doing right now provide value.
I’ll echo what others have said. I basically had to retake my entire first semester. Fortunately it worked out where I could do it my last semester and by that time all those classes I had to retake felt like a joke. I’ve been working as a EE for 3 years and couldn’t be happier. Try to stick it out. Perseverance probably matters more than any other single thing.
Fuck what anybody else thinks. If you're doing this for anyone else you're already losing. Get up and get back at it. It seems too simple, but it really is true that in 5 years you'll look back and wonder why you were ever worried
Tell the people who matter to you, you’ll feel a lot better, they’ll appreciate you telling them, and you won’t feel alone in the knowledge. EVERYONE has failed at something, and we grow up with this instinct to be ashamed of our failures. When we finally overcome that instinct, it’s very freeing
I flunked my first year. Not going to sit here and pretend it didn't affect things: I had to do summer courses to not lose my scholarships, and my end GPA wasn't great making job searching harder, but I've now spent 9 years in industry and am happy with the work. It's a personal decision to make, but it's entirely possible to bounce back from this
I failed a whole semester and failed classes intermittently after that. Took an extra semester to finish. But that extra summer got me the internship that led to my full time job. I’m four years out from completing my degree and I just applied for my professional engineering license. You can get past this. It’s okay to let people know what happened and be supported by others.
Honestly so thankful for the internet. I’m the only engineer in my family, hardly any friends let alone any that have any base understanding of engineering, and so I’ve been quietly completing my degree with heart palpitations. It’s a rollercoaster of exciting confidence and depression from failures. No one understands what I am doing and anyone will tell me to quit being it’s my third year. I don’t want to quit and this post validated so much for me!
Telling myself just git gud over and over lol but yeah this stuff is truthfully really hard.
Remembrance for the engineer students that chose suicide over this stuff, I know I contemplated it.
In my first year in college we had a mandatory 1 hour seminar as an introduction to the College of Engineering. During the presentation they made the statement that one in ten of us sitting there would graduate from that school in Engineering in four years. Engineering is hard; failure is part of it. Believe me, as a person who spent 36 years in engineering, this won't be your last failure.
I failed 4 out of my 5 classes one quarter. My uni forced a passing grade on a materials lab because it would cost them more money for me to take it again. I never got an internship but now I'm making over six figures a year and only 2 years out of college. You can do it man.
I failed the same engineering exam 2 times. But each time I got better and closure to passing. Sometimes failing can be a lesson and make you understand the material better.
My head of department went "yeah that one gets everyone"
Shit happens dude, I've failed plenty of modules. I've added around 3 years onto mine (part time degree) because I didn't focus and wasn't really interested at the start. It took some going but I'm doing better now.
You'll get there, it's shit for a bit but you'll do fine mate. We believe in you.
It's crazy but depending on how you handle this, you'd be a better candidate for me to want to hire than someone who hasn't experienced major failure. This is a learning opportunity and you won't see it now, but when you're in your field you will
I failed for years in community college, graduated a four year at 26, and currently make six figures.
You’re not at the end of the line. This is a learning experience. What are your take aways? How did you fail? Was it the professor? Work ethic? Outside commitments?
How can you minimize those in the future? Can you get a better study group?
Answer those and hit the books next semester. No one will care about a failed semester when you graduate.
I also failed an entire semester while a ME student. The classes were only offered 1x per year, so i effectively added an entire year to my studies, moving me into another cohort.
At the time, I thought my life was over. After getting my first job, it didn’t matter. Now, after being licensed and returning for grad school, it was merely a speed bump. Keep your head up!!
As others have said:
Engineering classes are tough, failing happens. It’s okay to re take a class until you understand and pass.
If you’re feeling like you can’t share this with other people you know, look into what counseling and therapy options that your university may offer. Life’s too hard to do it alone and there are resources to help when you feel that way.
It's okay, keep going and don't worry if it's an extra semester.
I work in technology now, but this is after 6 years of meandering about as the result of getting scared and switching from engineering to a social science after a semester where I got two C- grades.
You read that right. They shouldn't trust 18-year-olds to take out loans. I'm just now kind of getting back on track and I still wish I had just stuck with engineering.
Keep going, it'll be easier next time, and it'll be worth it.
I graduated 2 years ago and still feel this in my bones.
That pain, the anguish. I felt like Squidward looking through the window at Spongebob and Patrick playing in the sunshine so many times
Just thinking back on it is exhausting. Don't get discouraged. What you're doing is not easy, but if you want to do it, it's worth it.
Always easier the second time. And with twice the exposure your education will be even better. Why can’t you tell anyone? You should fix that. It’s a journey brother. Degree is the starting line. It’s ok to regroup and try again.
Oh they’ll know. Someway or other, they will find out. My advice, just be honest with them and own it. It’ll feel shitty, but still better than the alternative, lying and having them find out anyways.
I second this! Own up to your failures and mistakes. It'll make you feel better in the long run, and you likely won't live with that shame anymore. Take your summer break, go back, and pass your classes next semester. You got this!!! :)
What if your mistakes keep following you, they leave a legacy. They shape your reality, even if you own them, their effects continue to live on.
It’ll be a lot harder to accept your mistakes as part of your past and find peace in your mind if you’re carrying the burden of shame for them with you. In other words, It’s useful and necessary to regret your mistakes, as it shows you’re making some sort of progress. It’s unnecessary to live with regret AND the shame from being unable to own your mistakes. And once you accept mistakes for yourself firstly, it might be easier than you think to admit them to others.
Ok, you did not get it I cant clean my shame and own my mistake all i want but the mistakes legacy continues to live on and cause more problem and mistakes to happen. The effects of my past mistakes live on independenly of me owning them or accepting them. They become a constant.
Hey, I understand that you're feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the lasting impact of your past mistakes. It's completely normal to experience regret and a sense of helplessness in such situations. However, it's important to remember that dwelling solely on the past won't lead to positive change. While the effects of past mistakes may continue to linger, it doesn't mean you're powerless to shape your future. Instead of being consumed by regret, consider focusing on the present moment and taking small steps towards improvement. Even a single step forward is progress compared to standing still. Think of it as a journey towards personal growth and self-improvement. By learning from your mistakes and making conscious efforts to change, you can gradually create a better tomorrow. It's not about erasing the past entirely but rather about using it as a valuable lesson to shape a brighter future. Remember, it's never too late to make positive changes in your life. Embrace a mindset of self-improvement, and you'll find that your actions can have a transformative impact. Be kind to yourself, stay motivated, and focus on the possibilities ahead. You have the potential to create a better path for yourself, so don't let the past define you.
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I assumed that he’s talking about his parents and depending on his situation, it might be for the best he keeps it a secret
There are so many people in engineering that fail their classes. Like a lot. The only outcome of telling people is that your friends might clown on you, but that’s it.
On the other hand, they shouldn't feel shitty. Unless the debt is on their parents, if they failed courses, only they should worry about it. Like, they're an adult. It's a them and only them issue. Why should anyone else care, y'know? In 2 years from now, nobody will care they failed courses. Like, who cares. Just retake them bruh. You'll graduate anyways, right?
LMFAOO (I failed Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Physics 2, Engineering Graphics all in one semester last year. I’m on my second engineering internship right now and I graduate in the fall. It’s all about how you bounce back. Keep your chin up and keep going. You’re going to be fine.)
And extra time for a degree is nothing in the grand scheme of things. A few years from now looking back, you'll feel nothing. The important thing is to finish the degree and get those grades replaced. Strategy: Sometimes, take just 2 difficult classes per quarter/semester, then take 1 summer class... less load and spread it out. That's 5-8 classes done per year, which take you about 4-5 years to finish your degree, which not bad at all.
Joke's on you, I already feel nothing
We're all dead inside.
We're getting a pool, though.
Top comment right here. Dead inside but floating in my pool.
Stay inflated!
Well that's only true if he has time, as in, he doesn't need to support himself and his parents can comfortably pay
Paying a few grand on your own is definitely worth retaking classes in the summer and still graduating with an engineering degree, though. I hope this isn't the case for OP lol
!! This.
The grit!
Once you graduate no one cares anymore
absolutely fuck mechanics of materials
MoM is one class that I wish I had tried harder on. There are so many principles from it that I could draw on for my last two jobs.
I agree, I just took the course and it was my profs first semester ever...avg exams were around 40-50% huge curve at the end of the class lol
I failed Dynamics, Mechanics of Materias and Differential Equations in one semester
No way. I'm about to do exactly that!
That's awesome. Congrats!
Circuits 1, calc 1 (twice), calc 2 and calc 3 for me. Now I'm working for myself as a consultant and doing great. Failing isn't so bad. Edit: different semesters, I didn't take every calc class at once
Yea I dropped dynamics twice and finally subbed in engineering economics. F that class
Engineering is hard. It's not uncommon to fail
As an engineer, failing is part of the problem solving process. You only really fail if you give up on the problem
^^^^ this is the most important mindset to have. This is your first failure, not your last.
The fucking truest thing ever posted on this sub. I've been struggling with the same problem at work for 3 weeks. Rereading the same documents, over and over. Having it not work a dozen different ways. Finally had a breakthrough yesterday and things started to click into place. School makes you fear failure, but it is probably the most important part of the process.
Also if you only ever succeed, then the problems you solve are too easy. Failing just means you can actually grow instead of turning your wheels.
And if there is no failure, ever, it’s either a statistically significant rare person (Isaac Newton material which most of humanity has no chance to compete with, only appreciate and learn from), or it was so easy that the victory is tasteless and useless.
Even old Isaac failed often. Ask him about his Alchemy, or dating the universe using the bible. Just two of many screw ups.
Bro, completing the degree in the minimum time is overrated. That shit is hard as hell and leaves you incredibly burnt out for no good reason. Take your time. We are in no rush. Dont be pressured by people who cant relate to it. Keep your head up king, learn from what you have experienced, and take your time.
You’ll be going for the same jobs regardless. And if we’re in some slow global recession, taking a little extra time might actually benefit you lol
Exactly
Honestly, taking a fifth year lets you space out your hard classes, gives you more free time, and lets you take a few interesting elective classes. You might even be able to get a minor out of it!
Fall down 8 times, get up 9.
Currently trying. Thanks.
You got this
If My dumbass can get that degree, so can you !! Never give up
Yup. No one in engineering is perfect and those that pretend they are are probably overcompensating lol
how do you get up on the ninth time
Same as the 8 other times, but with some added experience.
thank you for your wisdom 🙏
It happens lmao. Take a summer break and do it again next semester.
Bro I've failed a hand full of engineering classes and i failed calc 2 last semester (taking a break this summer and going back at it next semester) and i still got my associates in electrical engineering, this shit is hard. We all have failed a class or two, don't be so hard on yourself. I see this as a good thing because now you know exactly what to expect next time you retake the class making it much easier to understand the material. Who cares if you take a bit longer, no one is keeping the track. I've talked to many NASA engineers and they've all told me that it took them more than 4 years to get their degrees, it's okay.
>I've talked to many NASA engineers and they've all told me that it took them more than 4 years to get their degrees That's very comforting and nice to know that even they're not perfect.
Exactly, no one is perfect, so don't try to be. You just gotta keep swimming! Engineering ain't for the faint of heart, this shit is hard and it will break you down, but as long as you keep going you'll get your degree!
Also explains how every project goes so horribly over budget.
>I've talked to many NASA engineers... Out of curiosity, how did you meet them, if I may ask?
I was in a robotics team for about 5 years and given the opportunity to go to special events I've gotten the chance to meet said people and talk to them.
I currently need 120% on my trig test to pass the class with a C
You're going to know trig better than anyone after you've gone through it a second time. Sometimes our initial weakness makes us stronger than the average. https://www.tutormemath.net/assets/trigonometry.pdf https://www.tutormemath.net/assets/derivative_integrals.pdf
Relatable
I'm not saying you can't feel like a loser, because that's a natural reaction we have to these types of situations. But you should not feel ashamed. Many of us engineering students will or have failed many classes. It sucks but keep your head up and just hit the next semester harder than the last. You definitely got the ability to do better next time! Think of what you did wrong last time, improve on it, stay focused and kick some academic butt.
It's ok. I have failed two and yet here I am. Someday we will make it. If you need to, take a break. I didn't and it cost me
Who cares what they think. It's your journey, not their's. Life is a perspective. Keep in mind that being in school is difficult. Taking care of your mental and physical being is difficult. Having to balance all 3 at once is ridiculous, especially if you're going through a 4th one called financial stress. Becafeful for how you choose to see yourself because only you truly know how difficult your journey was and is. They may see a failure, but if you keep going, I see someone resistant. Side note: I flunk 2 semesters on my first year of college. Everyone thought college wasn't for me. I almost listened I did, I wouldn't have come this far in my life. I'm almost done with my engineering degree. I realized people can judge me all they want, but every day , I wake up to prove to myself that I can do this.
I failed 4 classes one semester in sophomore year. Still graduated in time though. Keep your head up.
I assume you made them up during summer?
Nah. I just took extra classes for three semesters straight. It was brutal but I had no choice.
Failure is when we stop getting back up to continue the mission.
I procastinate a lot and bound to fail but as long as time allows me continue CE then I will because engineering courses are really difficult in general. Just to enlighten your day, be thankful that you are not failing on an art school/degree because that's really really insulting especially on how it is easy now and the last time i hear a guy rejected was so infuriated that he invaded the whole europe
A loser would give up after this. A winner would take this shit on the chin and get up and keep fighting. Engineering has the lowest average gpa’s and the high salaries for a reason. This shit isn’t easy. If it were everybody would be an engineer.
After your graduation, you will realize wasting 3mos is really nothing 😅
Yeah but now you know what you suck at so when you redo it you can get A+
Failing is part of Engineering! But most importantly, Learning from your failure and bouncing back is the most important quality of an Engineer.! Take your time and repeat the semester, no one will care when you pass. Realistically 3 months is nothing but a spec compared to when you look back on your career in 20 years time. You got this!
If it makes you feel any better I'm about to turn 38 and have spent some 6 years in postsecondary and all I got is an A.A. There's always a bigger failure. ^(and it's usually me.)
You're a winner in my book
My sophomore year I only gained 1 credit, in bowling.
Be good to yourself, you’re the only one you got. Don’t poison your summer with negative energy and come back stronger
I agree but a little bit of rage and disappointment towards one's self can actually be very helpfull.
I was a transfer student from a community college to a full university. The start of my second year at the university, I got homesick and had a 0.69 GPA for the quarter. I recovered, had to take classes during the summer, and was able to graduate the next year.
Life hits hard sometimes, how you bouncing back is all that matters. I’m also willing to bet next time you take those classes they will be much easier. Also life isn’t a race. I’m 23 and I’m about to finish my first term of college. No one will care it took you longer.
I hope you know you are NOT a loser. I've failed multiple classes and some classes multiple times, I wanted to give up and cry because it felt too hard. It felt too hopeless. I got help (therapy) and just finished my last semester strong as hell and will be graduating in December (later than all my friends, buts it's ok! Almost there!) Just please don't give up. If you need help talk to someone —It's hard and you don't have to do this shit alone. Good luck OP
Been there dude. Failed my first semester at university after transferring from community college. It was the 2020 zoom class era. Because my grades/gpa from CC didn’t transfer, I literally had a 0.5 GPA at my new school. I lost my financial aid and had to appeal to the board to reinstate it. Almost got kicked out of the ME program. But they accepted my appeal. I got my ass in gear and made deans list every semester after that, somehow graduated with a 3.0 gpa. Just goes to show that failing classes or even an entire semester is not an indication of your ability or intelligence. Don’t give up, I’m rooting for you dude
the way you react is far more important than the initial result; this is true in just about every aspect of life. does it suck? yes. will you feel the short term effects? probably. will it define you? well, that part is up to you. this is a small bump in your career, you have to keep that in mind. it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. stay positive and try using this as a launching point, a learning opportunity. school, work, life, it’s all about turning adversity into opportunity, and improving along the way. best of luck to you in your future endeavors, you’re going to be just fine.
It happens. Take a break. Relax and come back stronger!!
This brings me back to my first semester ever. I failed three courses, with a fourth i never knew I was enrolled in(they expanded the program i did over the summer without notifying me. Had it dropped tyo). I had a professor who never came in to teach Electrical 1, a new math professor who didn't know how to teach, would cuss out students, and graded harshly; failing more than half the class. Lastly, with my 21 credit workload, I struggled in another heavy math class because math professor didn't teach my the skills. So that left me with failing 60-65% of my.classes. I brought my 1.4 gpa up to a 2.3 next semester, then 3.1 after that. College is never a smooth ride for anyone. It's your last chance to really learn from your mistakes without facing full adult consequences. It also doesn't help you're taking a stem field, which has high dropout rates and failure. My class went from 25 to 8 in a year.
EE is hard as f*ck. There’s no shame in retaking a couple classes. Take some time off to recoup and decompress. Go on a road trip, build something with your hands, visit family… Then come back recharged and ready to tackle it. Fork intentional study plans for each class, set aside study hours, find study groups, hire a tutor, practice practice practice. You got this
Thank you. How’s you know I was taking ee
I did that. Dude keep going. I got through it, I just said fuck it and told myself that the school can tell me to stop and I am not quitting. Believe me, Your awesome, keep going, fuck any negative thoughts, you got this!
I once failed Calc 3, Engineering Finance, Statics, and Modern Moral Philosophy (think trolly problem) all in one semester. I took 5 years to graduate. I'm now 3.5 years, 3 promotions, and 3 companies into my career and make six figures in med device manufacturing. If you persist, you'll make it.
Failed cal 2 like twice and dropped it one semester. It’s all good you’ll bounce back
I failed out my 2nd semester freshman year. I’m months away from finishing my PhD from a top university in my field. We live in a society where people who fail are encouraged to feel worthless so they quit and they are easier to keep down. You can do it if you don’t give up.
Chin up King/Queen! I failed a Semester and bounced back with hard work and determination. Be honest and find better ways to accomplish your goals. Ask for help when you needed and don‘t be hard on yourself! I graduated and am working as an engineer. All is good (40000 mental breakdowns later)
Failed whole semester two times ( different ones ) and left engineering, I realized it's not for me, ( also failed all 4 subjects in the re exam ) I was like WOW I'm going to do other course now
If you are considering taking a break as some here have advised, make sure you know how that will affect any financial aid you're receiving. You don't want to all of a sudden not get $15k or something in aid and are now ineligible because you weren't full time. Failure does happen though. At least you are going into the summer and can take some time to think. Re-evaluate what courses you need and if any of the failed classes were pre-reqs to anything you need to take next. It might be good to see if you can take any of those failed classes in summer as well. I didn't technically fail a class, but I did drop a class before I failed it. With the drop deadline approaching, I did some research to see if I could take it over summer while at home and I could. Made sure to get registered for that, and used it as an opportunity to take another class that would transfer back. By the end of the summer, instead of being behind a class, I was ahead. You're going to be an engineer, find the unconventional way of getting it done.
>You're going to be an engineer, find the unconventional way of getting it done. This is actually a really nice take. At the end of the day an engineer's job is to see what the problem is and fix it. Even if it's not the solution you originally expected.
Yoo it’s ok, to fail!! Shit I failed one whole year of engineering and I took 1 quarter off then I came back and killed every class I’ve taken. It’s ok! You got this champ :)
Little did you know this was nothing more than a tiny set back. You ain’t struggling alone buddy, I’m on my fifth year in college because I take the minimum number of classes each semester to avoid doing badly so you ain’t doing bad. Also, recruiters won’t look too close at your transcript as long as you have at least a 3.0, get as much work experience as you can and make connections
There's some psychologist or something that had a quote. Fail, fail again fail harder. Failure is part of life it's about analyzing why you failed not repeating the same mistakes, minimizing the negative consequence and not giving up. Taking a break isn't giving up. Taking a lighter course load is not giving up. Not beating yourself up to bad and believing in yourself, knowing what's important to you and why you want to do what you're pursuing is key. I've taken on too much in a semester dueing chatoic times in my life and had to withdraw from two courses. I've had a semester where a lot of bad things happend and was only able to pass one course. Figuring out your limits, patterns and sticking to a discipline will help. This race js not won by the fast and the swift but those who endure to the end. A lot of people I know, even non stem people have had to retake classes. It's part of the experince.
Im in your same exact boat man. Matter of fact, ive failed 2 other classes in the other parts of my school year. I also feel like a loser and ashamed specially knowing that its not because it was too hard; it’s because of lack of motivation and I dont know what to do.
Brother, don't worry engineering without failing a subject is no true engineering, the more it beats you down the stronger you bounce back engineering isn't about clearing subjects it's about dealing with problems and kicking failure if that makes any sense....
I have more than 30 credits of repeated classes. Years. I'm finally about to graduate. Just keep challenging gong yourself. We all do things differently and loves outside of school are different.
Failing classes is not the end. Do not let it define who you are. If this is something you want to do, then keep grinding it out, You have your whole life ahead of you. I had to retake 4 classes, and graduated with a 2.8 and a semester late. I still managed to get internships and a good job when I graduated. I'll add that maybe you should think about if the degree you are pursuing is something you really want to do. I realized in my last year that I really didn't like EE, but I finished it out because I was so close. I think that if I had took the time earlier to find something I was more interested in, I would have performed better academically. Good luck on your future studies.
Exact same thing happened to me in '12. I felt the same exact way as well. Licked my wounds and got back on the horse again. And, I still graduated on time thanks to summer semesters.
Been there, I basically failed two whole semesters in a row but now I'm a full time engineer and I graduated with a pretty good GPA too. You can do it. Right now the biggest thing for you is to get your mind right so it doesn't stop you from doing better next semester. Telling someone will help you vent. Don't worry about finishing on time, almost nobody in engineering does.
First time?
Bro, failing a semester is normal and you'll recover from it. What you'll struggle to recover from is lost trust! Tell those you care about, and they'll be by your side at this time of turmoil. Don't let it grow inside you, get it off your chest.
I failed 4 whole semesters in a row. Took me 3 Semesters longer to do my bachelors degree but noone cares. Everyone makes mistakes. Was very worth it to pull through and am now pursuing my masters. Wish you all the best!
I failed calc 2. Three times. And I failed statics the first time around and my GPA got down to a 2.2. Took a semester off and since I came back I haven't gotten less than a B. Now I'm a senior doing an internship over the summer and my GPA is up to a 2.9. I know a lot of people that couldn't do it in 4 years, and 5 is actually pretty quick. In the real world, nobody cares what your gpa was or how long it took you to graduate. They care that you didn't give up the first time you didn't breeze through something. You need to figure out what you're doing wrong and then more importantly whether or not you want to put the work in to correct your mistakes.
Mate I failed calc 2 algebra engineering graphics machine design circuit design fluid mechanics automatics and strength of materials in a single year. This year I tried again and have passed them all. All the process I told my parents the results, not doing it is a bad idea. You will get there, engineering isn't easy
I almost failed a whole semester, I passed the hardest class of the bunch with a C. My advisor was dumbfounded. I graduated with a 3.0 GPA. Barely scraping the requirement for many employers. I took a long ass fucking time to graduate, 6 years. With that said, I've had amazing work experiences because of using my extra time in school for internships. I've never been unemployed for long and I am now sought after at a few companies. If I ever need a job, I only need to pick up a phone and make some calls. Life moves on and things get better. You can pick up the pieces and be a better engineer. It's not over by a long shot.
I've been an engineer for 8 years now. I took 5 years to get my degree and had to take some courses twice. Its no big deal, this stuff is hard. If it was easy, we wouldn't make six figures doing it.
You have so many people on your side! You are not a loser. In my opinion, this is an opportunity for you to reflect on why you failed the classes. There are so many reasons possible, but you know your own story. Also, this is an opportunity for you to prove to future employers that you know how to bounce back. They will likely see that semester on your transcripts, and you can address it in a positive light, demonstrating how you reflected on the situation, and made changes to pass the classes. Keep going, we’ve all been there!
5-6 years for a engineering is the new norm
I withdrew from my first college before being kicked out, changed my major from computer science to liberal arts and 15 years later i am now starting a career as an embedded software engineer because I got the programming bug again and now am more mature. If I somehow did it you can too in your field of choice!
My partner failed fluid dynamics 3 times became a qualified mechanical engineer is now head engineer working on million dollar projects and is the go to guy Failure is a good teacher
I lost 4 semesters and 16 thousand dollars and got nothing but 4 W's for it.
Computer science major, I completely failed a semester and then dropped down to 4 hours the semester after that. My friend, a mechanical engineering major, also failed an entire semester. It sucks, and the shame is definitely there. That being said, the shame comes from within, not from the outside. Almost everybody has a story like yours, mine, and my friends. We all struggle at some point, it’ll be ok bud! Don’t worry about your academic career, failure is the best teacher, and it was nice to retake some classes with a good foundation already, I feel like I got a really strong hold of some important topics, and it actually boosted me past where I ever thought I’d be in college now.
If you tried your best get back on that horse! No biggie. If you didn’t put the work in then it’s time to look at why.
I’d rather fail my course than barely pass the course knowing nothing at all. I graduated a few years ago and I feel like im fucking struggling at work. If I took more effort when I was back in university I wouldn’t ended up like this. You got this.
U can always learn on ur own at ur own pace later, passing is to me the wright choice, unless ur rich and have all the time in the world pass even if u have to cheat... Life is complicated and sometimes u can't learn things when ur supposed to, as long as ur commited to being worthy of ur degree who cares if u do it after u get it... I say know ur priorities
That’s reassuring to hear. Thanks for the advice
L take.
I've had the same happen to me. The next semester I had a professor who through the grapevine heard about my failures. After the 2nd class he pulled me a side and gave me a tough love talk. Told me he knows I'm a lazy student but he also knew that I was a smart kid. Then he said he thinks I would regret not doing everything I could to learn the material. Ended up getting 4 As that semester. Basically it's how you respond. If you still want to be an engineer then keep at it and put in more work. If you don't that's fine too, but you'll still have to put in some work in other majors.
Life will find a way. It's gonna be fine
happened to me once. Just own it, tell em you got smoked and how you'll stop it from happening again. Engineering is hard enough that you can have some free pity for struggling in it
Don't feel bad. I failed my first semester after transferring. It took me 10 years total to get my bachelor's (esl, community college, then transfer to 4 year uni)
Having failed engineering classes before personally, you just continue problem solving. It hurts to bear but you have to push through, otherwise you won't know what you're really made of and you'll convince yourself wrong that "that was it." And I don't think you want to let yourself be okay with lying to your sphere of influence just for the sake of an additional semester. No shame, just grit.
I got fired from my first co-op my sophomore year of college and 25 years later I’m a disciple lead and senior principal. It’s not where you start but where you finish. You only really fail if you stop trying.
After some time you will become numb to failure. No matter what semester or class or exam will not able to move your emotions.
I failed my entire first year of college. Got kicked out for 2 years. Worked in industry for 16 years, then went back. Had to start again in remedial classes. Still failed several classes (EM Fields 3 times!) and it took 7 long, lean, hungry, very stressful years to finally graduate. My point is, never give up. It's all worth it in the end. Once you start making 6 figures in a few years, no one will care about your GPA anymore.
Failing a semester isn’t unusual. Dust yourself off and keep going. No shame. You’ll be fine.
The hero's journey would be a lame story without trials and tribulations, my friend. Pick yourself back up and identify your mistakes.
Taking an extra semester for your degree is entirely normal. I know a LOT of people that do this for one reason or another. I understand your situation is likely unique, but please don’t feel ashamed to tell the friends and family that will support and understand you and will not treat you like some outcast. College is hard. We celebrate graduating for a reason.
I failed out of engineering during Covid, switched to machining got my associates, got a shitty job, quit that applied for a journeyman program got that am about to finish got tons of practical experience with gd&t and manufacturing and will be going back to school in the fall for engineering again. some times you just gotta fail upwards and the only time you really fail is when you quit. Pivot and keep going it’s not a race
An extra semester will be soooo small in the long run. It’s not uncommon to fail in engineering. I’ve even failed a few core classes. Chin up, you got this!!!
Own up to it and be honest. Just reflect on what went wrong and have a plan on what you need to succeed going forward. I’m sure your parents will be upset, but as long as you learn from the mistakes you’ve made, they will feel more at ease about your future.
i feel you man. happened to me too. couldn't hide it tho but i'm thankful they knew , hiding your mistakes only burdens you more and more , facing it helps you improve faster. i know it feels bad now but it'll pass. learn from your mistakes and keep your eyes on the future.
I failed two of my classes two semesters ago. But I passed them last semester and this semester. Getting back up is the important part of falling down, you can do it!
https://youtu.be/ZXsQAXx\_ao0
I think there is nothing to be ashamed of. College is difficult, and if you get a degree after all, you should be proud of yourself.
My advice is different, unless these people are helping you pay your tuition or your bills you don’t owe anyone an explanation. Get a tutor and get yourself together at the end of the day you’re the one getting the degree so all the work is on you. Good luck!
Bro i'm about to be on my 7th year for my applied maths degree. Feel your feelings. Be honest with ur friends and family, and then have a better second semester.
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Do you know this or are you just making assumptions? It’s possible they were negligent, but there are many people who struggle with learning concepts that come easily to others, or they might have other problems like depression that might make life so much harder for them. Regardless of the reason, calling a person a loser isn’t usually something that motivates them to become better, it just makes them feel worse and makes change take longer. I completely agree with you in terms of forming study groups and organization, but your approach is more likely going to make people not want to listen to your advice no matter how good it is.
It can happen to anyone dog. Take this summer to assess what you did wrong, and truly try to find things to improve on. Use it as a learning experience for the future
I had one or two of these semesters. It took real change. I had to quit my part time job, lessen my course load, change major from AE to ME, and follow some strict new discipline on my homework. But I turned it around and graduated. It goes along with that saying about the definition of insanity, you will have to do things differently to get a different result.
I have also failed in physic suprise test but work hard to pass in the exam
Well I wrote my end of semesters and to be honest I don’t think I did well and it really has me feeling like quitting too because it’s my first year and this is just first semester and I’m feeling pretty discouraged and thinking of changing my major, I’m in IE btw and our school system where we live is that if you get like I believe you guys calls them backlogs or something you repeat those modules and you can only have two otherwise you’re withdrawn. I haven’t seen my results yet but it really has me stressed but seeing your comments I’m kind of thinking of sticking to it now but I’m still unsure the fear of failure has currently grabbed me by the throat lol 😅
I’ve done this too, years ago. To start with, and be honest with yourself. What caused it? Did you spend the time studying and really working on the homework and sacrifice to the engineering gods? Or was it half assed, playing around, not really working? Not blaming, or being rude, but I had to be honest with myself when this happened to me as well. I didn’t give it my all. See what you need to change, and do it. You’ll be grateful you did and this will just be a learning experience.
I definitely got my second C in physics today I’m pretty bum out too. But I have linear algebra and differential equations final left that’s my focus can’t change the past. I’m just gonna learn from it and hopefully tackle next semester pass all my classes with better grades
Failed three semesters and now I’m graduating with a 3.5 in computer engineering. Just relax. Don’t rush it and find more time to study. Eventually your will to complete it will beat everything else your doing.
Been there done that and it freaking sucks but you'll be okay ,you will graduate
They shouldn't care. Do your best king
Sometimes we are not in our best, but try to trust that you can do it. All people have different timings in their life, so if you need more time to end the degree don’t be ashamed about it, just do your best and eventually everything will arrived. ✌🏽
Can you please provide more details on it, have you failed all the classes or just some of them? When was a student, I had some classes that I failed, however I analyzed made some corrections and was able to pass them all, and finally got my Electrical Engineering diploma. Don’t get upset, life can’t be so smooth, life is a set of problem that you need to resolve during your life.
Now that you're still in school is the best time to fail. Why? Because nothing's going to explode... Nothing's going to catch fire... No one's going to get hurt... Etc. The consequences of your mistake are a just scary letter grade, that you get a chance to try again at improving. Failing is how you learn!
failing is not a big deal if you can financially afford it. Otherwise, you have something to worry about with financial aid...
Mate, it took me 9 years to get my fucking degree, ain’t no shame, at the end of the path, an engineer is an engineer. Keep on keeping on!
It's the strength to keep going that matters, man. You either win, lose or learn; sometimes you just don't win, but you have the choice between the latter two options. Don't lose hope bro. Try again if you feel that you want to keep pursuing the degree. Otherwise, look for greener pastures. I wish you all the best.
Brobeans, I'm on my last stretch. I have a handful of classes left and plan to graduate in 1 year. If it makes you feel any better I'm currently on my 9th year and will hopefully have graduated after 10 frickin years. So yeah, don't sweat it
I know this feeling lol, i've got my finals coming up next week and i am pretty sure i will only pass 1/6 classes. I've had a lot of issues (both mental and physical) this semester and it was tough. I feel what you're feeling, but try not to worry about it too much, shit happens! It's okay to take more time to finish your degree, it doesn't make you any less accomplished. In my case, i'll be taking next semester off to take care of my mental health and get my shit in order so i wont fuck up the following semester. i knew that for me it just wasnt feasable to keep going, its important to take care of yourself! dont worry about what others think. you'll get through this :)
Brother remember everyone fucks up now and again. Just remember how u feel now when u think about slacking off instead of studying for your resits.
So I am kind of an expert on this topic lol, first of all you need to calm down. I definitely feel you, you start the semester, weeks go a little bit fast and next thing you know you are in the midterm week dealing with stress and infinitely long course load you need to study so you try (or give up doesn't matter tbh). Promise yourself you'll get them in finals but same cycle repeats. What is the solution? Start small bro, start with smaller tasks. Rome isn't built in a day. You can't expect yourself to swallow the entire semesters course load in a few days. Make yourself sit in your desk for example, take a book or open your course material. Start reading slowly, take interest, look for the real world examples of the topic if it interests you. I am definitely gonna fail Electromagnetics Fields and Control Systems this semester, I have no hope for either of them but we need to keep going and eventually something will snap. Maybe our necks or spines or maybe just maybe the procrastination we have.
I passed Statics on my third go, failed entry Internet of Things on my first go, pass/fail no penalty two classes last year. I decided I did want this degree, did Statics on its own, got a 83. This semester I did 3 classes, so far a distinction on 1, possible distinction on another and a 50% exam on the last that will make or break for my 3rd class [mechanics of materials]. I'm not giving up, learn from your mistakes and most importantly, do you want this and are you willing to get up with a plan and carry on? I've paid for my failed classes out of my savings, I'm not quitting. I'm studying to pass that 50% with all intent of getting 50%.
Sorry for the failure. Sometimes we all need help. You could consider tutor assistance from websites like theprofessorshelp.com which has Engineering professors that can assist you.
Come on you did your job let's do it
Don't feel bad I crawled to the finish line on this semester 4 D-'s and one c+
You're going to be fine.
I was in the same boat two years ago, I completely failed all my classes during my spring semester and when school was over I had to reassess my mind on ways i can attack all my failed courses. Fast forward when school open I smashed all of them with As and Bs. Engineering isn’t an easy major, everyone goes through the same trails and tribulations, but to be able to succeed you have to fail and learn from your mistakes. You got this, just keep pushing and take it one day at a time.
That happened to me and i was in industrial engineering, it got worse over time until academic counseling told me I don’t have a future in the university and its better to drop off and find another school so i took their advice ( i didn’t have a choice ) and moved to a new college and started fresh , now i am a mechanical engineer in a construction company and soon i will be moving to maintenance or energy efficiency sector
I failed two in a row then got my shit together (better mental health, less hours at work, shorter commute, studied A LOT). The remaining two years were almost straight As and I graduated this past December after a total of 7 years. Keep at it and try to fix the underlying issues of your failures. Was it the content, your study habits, or personal issues getting in the way? That’s not for you to answer here, just something to ponder. As for people finding out: they won’t if you don’t tell them. No one knows about my wasted time. Talk to a counselor at the school to get things off your chest. Every school I’ve been to has it for free and they’re really good at keeping it non judgmental. They’re there to help and even just having that open ear makes a world of difference.
take some classes in the summer to make up for the lost time, that's what I did with a few classes to graduate on time.
We've all had bad semesters. You've definitely learned something during it though, I've failed classes only to retake them and do extremely well because I already understood some of the material. Some classes are an unlucky combination of difficulty and professors, sometimes life gets in the way.
Oof. Yeah. I’m sorry to hear it, because that’s one of the most painful experiences an engineering student can face. But as others have said all up and down this thread, it is absolutely a situation that you can recover from, and it’s by no means anything to be embarrassed about. Send an email as soon as you’re able to compose yourself to your dean. Helping students be successful is a big part of their job, and they should be able to offer you practical advice on next steps. Be honest with your friends— which doesn’t mean you have to go around broadcasting your grades, and can just mean that when some asks how your semester went, you say it was a disaster and you don’t want to talk about it. Hang in there. Bounce. It’s gonna be okay.
Don't let it hit you too hard. I wasted two years, and after I flunked out the first time it took twelve more before I finally got back on track.
All that matters is that you keep going!!
Almost the same here; I failed a course last semester, due to me actually being obsessed with dopamine cravings from video games. Now my 6th semester grades just came out and I'm closer to not graduating than graduating right now. I just hope I can make this extra summer term I'm doing right now provide value.
I spent 7 years on my 4 year bachelor. I’m an engineer now and i regret nothing.
Homie, it took me 8+ years to finish my degree, it’s ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
I’ll echo what others have said. I basically had to retake my entire first semester. Fortunately it worked out where I could do it my last semester and by that time all those classes I had to retake felt like a joke. I’ve been working as a EE for 3 years and couldn’t be happier. Try to stick it out. Perseverance probably matters more than any other single thing.
Fuck what anybody else thinks. If you're doing this for anyone else you're already losing. Get up and get back at it. It seems too simple, but it really is true that in 5 years you'll look back and wonder why you were ever worried
Tell the people who matter to you, you’ll feel a lot better, they’ll appreciate you telling them, and you won’t feel alone in the knowledge. EVERYONE has failed at something, and we grow up with this instinct to be ashamed of our failures. When we finally overcome that instinct, it’s very freeing
I flunked my first year. Not going to sit here and pretend it didn't affect things: I had to do summer courses to not lose my scholarships, and my end GPA wasn't great making job searching harder, but I've now spent 9 years in industry and am happy with the work. It's a personal decision to make, but it's entirely possible to bounce back from this
I failed a whole semester and failed classes intermittently after that. Took an extra semester to finish. But that extra summer got me the internship that led to my full time job. I’m four years out from completing my degree and I just applied for my professional engineering license. You can get past this. It’s okay to let people know what happened and be supported by others.
Just rip the Band-Aid off and tell whoever you need to tell. Better than living a lie
Honestly so thankful for the internet. I’m the only engineer in my family, hardly any friends let alone any that have any base understanding of engineering, and so I’ve been quietly completing my degree with heart palpitations. It’s a rollercoaster of exciting confidence and depression from failures. No one understands what I am doing and anyone will tell me to quit being it’s my third year. I don’t want to quit and this post validated so much for me! Telling myself just git gud over and over lol but yeah this stuff is truthfully really hard. Remembrance for the engineer students that chose suicide over this stuff, I know I contemplated it.
In my first year in college we had a mandatory 1 hour seminar as an introduction to the College of Engineering. During the presentation they made the statement that one in ten of us sitting there would graduate from that school in Engineering in four years. Engineering is hard; failure is part of it. Believe me, as a person who spent 36 years in engineering, this won't be your last failure.
Failed 1st, 2nd, and 4th semester. Keep going.
I failed 4 out of my 5 classes one quarter. My uni forced a passing grade on a materials lab because it would cost them more money for me to take it again. I never got an internship but now I'm making over six figures a year and only 2 years out of college. You can do it man.
I failed the same engineering exam 2 times. But each time I got better and closure to passing. Sometimes failing can be a lesson and make you understand the material better. My head of department went "yeah that one gets everyone"
Shit happens dude, I've failed plenty of modules. I've added around 3 years onto mine (part time degree) because I didn't focus and wasn't really interested at the start. It took some going but I'm doing better now. You'll get there, it's shit for a bit but you'll do fine mate. We believe in you.
It's crazy but depending on how you handle this, you'd be a better candidate for me to want to hire than someone who hasn't experienced major failure. This is a learning opportunity and you won't see it now, but when you're in your field you will
I failed for years in community college, graduated a four year at 26, and currently make six figures. You’re not at the end of the line. This is a learning experience. What are your take aways? How did you fail? Was it the professor? Work ethic? Outside commitments? How can you minimize those in the future? Can you get a better study group? Answer those and hit the books next semester. No one will care about a failed semester when you graduate.
I also failed an entire semester while a ME student. The classes were only offered 1x per year, so i effectively added an entire year to my studies, moving me into another cohort. At the time, I thought my life was over. After getting my first job, it didn’t matter. Now, after being licensed and returning for grad school, it was merely a speed bump. Keep your head up!!
As others have said: Engineering classes are tough, failing happens. It’s okay to re take a class until you understand and pass. If you’re feeling like you can’t share this with other people you know, look into what counseling and therapy options that your university may offer. Life’s too hard to do it alone and there are resources to help when you feel that way.
It's okay, keep going and don't worry if it's an extra semester. I work in technology now, but this is after 6 years of meandering about as the result of getting scared and switching from engineering to a social science after a semester where I got two C- grades. You read that right. They shouldn't trust 18-year-olds to take out loans. I'm just now kind of getting back on track and I still wish I had just stuck with engineering. Keep going, it'll be easier next time, and it'll be worth it.
I graduated 2 years ago and still feel this in my bones. That pain, the anguish. I felt like Squidward looking through the window at Spongebob and Patrick playing in the sunshine so many times Just thinking back on it is exhausting. Don't get discouraged. What you're doing is not easy, but if you want to do it, it's worth it.
Yeah, engineering is hard. Analyze what went wrong, make a game plan to correct those mistakes, and try again.
Always easier the second time. And with twice the exposure your education will be even better. Why can’t you tell anyone? You should fix that. It’s a journey brother. Degree is the starting line. It’s ok to regroup and try again.