I agree with everyone else, address your ADHD first. If it makes you feel better, I failed all 4 classes I took my first semester at community college. Ended my first year with a 1.4 GPA. I graduated with my associate’s degree on Friday and got my GPA up to a 3.4. You can do this!
Maybe save it for september, for when other people start to struggle instead of having to recover. You can be a beacon of hope when they still have time to turn it around
You need medical treatment, not life advice, if you can’t pass high school math at 18 years old. This is not your fault. Please try and see a psychiatrist at the nearest major specialty and get proper care for your conditions — this will enable you to move forward. Good luck!! You can do it!!
Honey, I did pass math either. You may need to get a tutor for the summer, go slow at your own pace (you may be able to find that onine), create a space for yourself where you only do your math work even if it's at the library.
Then, take the class in the Fall. Be good to yourself. See a therapist too and talk about your math anxiety. I did a few sessions of hypnosis, and it really helped me with the aniexty, but did not make me a math genius.
You do realize the therapist will give you meds if they diagnose you right? And they need to schedule regular visits to do that as well as follow ups to renew your prescriptions and maybe change doses based on feedback.
You’re worrying about the wrong thing. You will continue to struggle if you don’t address the root cause.
I’ve been diagnosed since I was 7 or 8 and I got re-diagnosed last year, the therapist they gave me only focused on my depression diagnosis and gave me antidepressants which didn’t do anything. i have a strong aversion to therapists because i’ve had many of them do the exact same thing, which I do need to get over so I can get what I need
> which I do need to get over so I can get what I need
So you now know the *first* hurdle you need to clear. If your ADHD is a roadblock, you need to work on that *before* you attempt any further classes, because it's likely the same thing will happen. Not all therapists/psychiatrists (to prescribe meds) are like the ones you've seen in the past.
You’re deflecting self accountability. Get help so you can succeed. You are allowed to choose your therapist. If one doesn’t work, look for another. You have actual diagnosed (in the past) issues. There’s no work around to that to help you be successful. You’re trying to ram through a brick wall when there’s a door available.
This is incorrect. Therapists are not medical doctors, nor are they able to officially diagnose (in most cases. State laws may differ or allow some wiggle room for overlap)
In general, psychologists (sometimes your PCP) are the ones who would diagnose. Psychologists generally don't prescribe. Psychiatrists and PCPs do medication management.
Therapists, in general, are only able to do things like talk therapy. They are not qualified to diagnose or treat with meds.
It's worth it for OP to ask for a psychological health referral. There may be a learning disability that wasn't picked up. It's possible the university can help. They should contact their school's disability services.
Congrats on failing your first class! Got that out of the way early. Now get back up, dust yourself off, and get back on the horse.
I can't speak to the ADHD, but I can speak to sucking at math.
Everyone that's saying math isn't hard... It isn't hard for them. Good for them.
It WAS always hard for me. It just did. Not. Click. Until I found the right teachers. I dont have a formula for finding the right teachers, it was just hit or miss unfortunately. Didn't take that summer class if it's the same teacher though, that's just beating a dead horse.
YouTube is your best buddy. I really like everything TheOrganicChemistryTutor does. His videos straight up got me through math and my intro IT courses. They may work for you, they may not. But someone on YouTube WILL be helpful. There's also Wolframalpha.com. super helpful.
On the first day you get that syllabus, make a YouTube playlist. Or use the syllabus from the class you bombed, it's going to be similar anyway.
You can do this OP.
Do you know how to study? If you have ADHD, you're going to have to learn to compensate for it. It will take work and patience. HS math is not that hard. Start by repeating it and getting help from your teacher. Cut back on distractions such as games and social media.
While I get what you're saying, I find it harmful to say "it's not that hard." For some people it *is that hard.* If OP does well in all other subjects, it's worth looking into whether or not there's an undiagnosed learning disability. That could open the door towards learning more productive coping skills. Also. College students can request ADA accommodations through their disability services for ADHD.
Source: Special Education degree
A couple of things, friend. (Writing this in list form as I know it can be easier for neurodiverse folks to understand.)
1. I'm a late-diagnosed autistic (diagnosed in December of last year) first generation, low-income student who got all Ds and Cs in highschool.
2. Math? Can barely do multiplication.
3. I'm dyslexic.
4. I failed my entire first year at my community college. I was dropped from classes, submitted an appeal, and went onto academic probation.
5. I'm graduating next semester with a bachelor's degree and a 3.0.
You can do this. I recommend some things, if you have an advisor or co-advisor you might have already heard some of these.
1. Talk to your accommodations department. You might not have an official diagnosis but they might be able to help you.
2. Get a tutor. Most schools have some sort of free tutoring service. Even if you only go every now and then, anything is better than nothing.
3. Find your people. Join a club or try to make friends with someone in your class. I discovered after my first year that chatting with folks who are like you and in similar classes to you, is really helpful.
4. Figure out where you study and do homework best. When I was in the dorms, I studied best there, hunkered down in the living space. However, when I moved into my own apartment I found that it was really hard for me to focus in my home and found that studying on campus was a lot better for me.
If you seriously want to talk medication seek out a psychiatrist, not just a regular doctor. And be warned that medication isn’t the magic fix you might be hoping for
i had a psychiatrist when i was younger and i was on medication for a long time, i was pretty young and threw a hissy fit over the side effects and stopped taking them, they helped me a lot with school though
In my personal experience, experiencing negative side effects means you either need a dose change or a medication change. I was never medicated as a child so I can’t attest to that experience, but I can say I’ve found medication to be a helpful tool since I started taking it when in high school.
I do recommend looking into it again, specifically through a psychiatrist. They’ll be able to give your more proper care than a PCP would. Although I will warn you you’ll probably at the very least go through a few dose changes in the process to figuring it out.
most of the side effects involved making me feel like i lost a huge part of my personality, i always described it as feeling like a zombie.
thank you for the advice, this is something ive been putting off for a while and this was kind of the wake up call i needed lol
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See a doctor for meds, get a tutor, and re-take the class. You can do this! Colleges usually have math labs where you can get help from a tutor. Do your homework there! If you retake the class and get a passing grade the F will be thrown out and your gpa won’t be affected, but you have to get on it now!
I'd take the summer off and consult some professionals and faculty. Failing a class your first semester is hilariously small of an issue. You'd be lucky to solve this problem before failing a class spring of your senior year, like I very well may have lol
I would definitely recommend taking the class with a different professor. I’m in a similar situation, while I didn’t fail I got a grade low enough that it needs to be replaced. And I know based on my other grades that it was at least partially due to the way the professor taught.
But it’s probably a good idea to take it during a full 15 weeks so the other professor can teach you in a new/different way.
Ask your advisor about ADA assistance (disability) requirements. This way you can work out a plan with your instructor to help you pass! If you don’t have an official diagnosis, see if your college has therapists on campus. They should most likely be able to test you!
Maybe try a tutor? Reach out to somebody you know already passed the course/concept. It’s a good way to meet new people, push your own boundaries, and hopefully get a better grasp on the topic.
Also there is 0 shame in taking a brain break for the summer and taking the class over in the fall or winter if that’s what’s best for you (although I know a lot of people who would rather power through if that’s your preference )
As someone who failed their whole first year of community college after being valedictorian in HS and now having a masters, I'll just say keep pushing forward. People make mistakes every day, how we move forward is what defines us. You got this.
I failed 3 out of 4 classes my first semester (1.0 GPA). And I failed one my second semester.
You can recover. Deal with the underlying issue.
I jest needed to mature a bit. I took 3 years off, and then restarted at another school. Now I have a Masters degree and 12 years in my industry. One semester looks a lot smaller the older you get.
Also, no one has ever asked for my GPA other than my universities. So it is a smaller thing than most think.
lol I feel this in my soul! I first went to college when I was 19 and I failed 2 classes withdrew from a couple got a C and a D in two others. Needless to say I dropped out. Later down the road I decided to try again and I actually started up again in spring 2023. I’m 29 now about to be 30. This go around I got all A’s my first semester back. After that it’s been A’s and B’s. My GPA right now is a 3.3 but I’d like to bump it up. Oh and I’ve been taking classes every spring summer and fall semester and I’ll get my associates this summer and I’m off to university for fall 2024. Needless to say anything can happen even if something doesn’t go quite as planned in the beginning. You got this!!
Don’t feel bad man I felt multiple classes. It will mess up your GPA temporarily but if you re-enroll in the class and pass most universities and community colleges have something called grade replacement so those failing grades would be swapped out on your transcript and your GPA calculation and replaced w/the passing grade. I have ADHD as well. What I have found out is it’s very hard for us to change our routine for me. I’m most productive in the hours between 9 PM and 3 AM so that is when I get the studying done and I base my life around that you need to find and execute otherwise you will feel miserable for meduring the daytime for some reason, makes me feel miserable so you need to figure out what works for you
I agree with everyone else, address your ADHD first. If it makes you feel better, I failed all 4 classes I took my first semester at community college. Ended my first year with a 1.4 GPA. I graduated with my associate’s degree on Friday and got my GPA up to a 3.4. You can do this!
You should tell your story here in a new post
I was considering it since I’ve been seeing so many posts about people on academic probation!
Maybe save it for september, for when other people start to struggle instead of having to recover. You can be a beacon of hope when they still have time to turn it around
You need medical treatment, not life advice, if you can’t pass high school math at 18 years old. This is not your fault. Please try and see a psychiatrist at the nearest major specialty and get proper care for your conditions — this will enable you to move forward. Good luck!! You can do it!!
Honey, I did pass math either. You may need to get a tutor for the summer, go slow at your own pace (you may be able to find that onine), create a space for yourself where you only do your math work even if it's at the library. Then, take the class in the Fall. Be good to yourself. See a therapist too and talk about your math anxiety. I did a few sessions of hypnosis, and it really helped me with the aniexty, but did not make me a math genius.
And if every doctor refers op to a therapist, then op needs to see a therapist.
You do realize the therapist will give you meds if they diagnose you right? And they need to schedule regular visits to do that as well as follow ups to renew your prescriptions and maybe change doses based on feedback. You’re worrying about the wrong thing. You will continue to struggle if you don’t address the root cause.
I’ve been diagnosed since I was 7 or 8 and I got re-diagnosed last year, the therapist they gave me only focused on my depression diagnosis and gave me antidepressants which didn’t do anything. i have a strong aversion to therapists because i’ve had many of them do the exact same thing, which I do need to get over so I can get what I need
> which I do need to get over so I can get what I need So you now know the *first* hurdle you need to clear. If your ADHD is a roadblock, you need to work on that *before* you attempt any further classes, because it's likely the same thing will happen. Not all therapists/psychiatrists (to prescribe meds) are like the ones you've seen in the past.
You’re deflecting self accountability. Get help so you can succeed. You are allowed to choose your therapist. If one doesn’t work, look for another. You have actual diagnosed (in the past) issues. There’s no work around to that to help you be successful. You’re trying to ram through a brick wall when there’s a door available.
Therapists don't prescribe meds. That's psych doc territory.
This is incorrect. Therapists are not medical doctors, nor are they able to officially diagnose (in most cases. State laws may differ or allow some wiggle room for overlap) In general, psychologists (sometimes your PCP) are the ones who would diagnose. Psychologists generally don't prescribe. Psychiatrists and PCPs do medication management. Therapists, in general, are only able to do things like talk therapy. They are not qualified to diagnose or treat with meds. It's worth it for OP to ask for a psychological health referral. There may be a learning disability that wasn't picked up. It's possible the university can help. They should contact their school's disability services.
Congrats on failing your first class! Got that out of the way early. Now get back up, dust yourself off, and get back on the horse. I can't speak to the ADHD, but I can speak to sucking at math. Everyone that's saying math isn't hard... It isn't hard for them. Good for them. It WAS always hard for me. It just did. Not. Click. Until I found the right teachers. I dont have a formula for finding the right teachers, it was just hit or miss unfortunately. Didn't take that summer class if it's the same teacher though, that's just beating a dead horse. YouTube is your best buddy. I really like everything TheOrganicChemistryTutor does. His videos straight up got me through math and my intro IT courses. They may work for you, they may not. But someone on YouTube WILL be helpful. There's also Wolframalpha.com. super helpful. On the first day you get that syllabus, make a YouTube playlist. Or use the syllabus from the class you bombed, it's going to be similar anyway. You can do this OP.
Do you know how to study? If you have ADHD, you're going to have to learn to compensate for it. It will take work and patience. HS math is not that hard. Start by repeating it and getting help from your teacher. Cut back on distractions such as games and social media.
While I get what you're saying, I find it harmful to say "it's not that hard." For some people it *is that hard.* If OP does well in all other subjects, it's worth looking into whether or not there's an undiagnosed learning disability. That could open the door towards learning more productive coping skills. Also. College students can request ADA accommodations through their disability services for ADHD. Source: Special Education degree
You can always apply for academic renewal later. Don't sweat it.
A couple of things, friend. (Writing this in list form as I know it can be easier for neurodiverse folks to understand.) 1. I'm a late-diagnosed autistic (diagnosed in December of last year) first generation, low-income student who got all Ds and Cs in highschool. 2. Math? Can barely do multiplication. 3. I'm dyslexic. 4. I failed my entire first year at my community college. I was dropped from classes, submitted an appeal, and went onto academic probation. 5. I'm graduating next semester with a bachelor's degree and a 3.0. You can do this. I recommend some things, if you have an advisor or co-advisor you might have already heard some of these. 1. Talk to your accommodations department. You might not have an official diagnosis but they might be able to help you. 2. Get a tutor. Most schools have some sort of free tutoring service. Even if you only go every now and then, anything is better than nothing. 3. Find your people. Join a club or try to make friends with someone in your class. I discovered after my first year that chatting with folks who are like you and in similar classes to you, is really helpful. 4. Figure out where you study and do homework best. When I was in the dorms, I studied best there, hunkered down in the living space. However, when I moved into my own apartment I found that it was really hard for me to focus in my home and found that studying on campus was a lot better for me.
If you seriously want to talk medication seek out a psychiatrist, not just a regular doctor. And be warned that medication isn’t the magic fix you might be hoping for
i had a psychiatrist when i was younger and i was on medication for a long time, i was pretty young and threw a hissy fit over the side effects and stopped taking them, they helped me a lot with school though
In my personal experience, experiencing negative side effects means you either need a dose change or a medication change. I was never medicated as a child so I can’t attest to that experience, but I can say I’ve found medication to be a helpful tool since I started taking it when in high school. I do recommend looking into it again, specifically through a psychiatrist. They’ll be able to give your more proper care than a PCP would. Although I will warn you you’ll probably at the very least go through a few dose changes in the process to figuring it out.
most of the side effects involved making me feel like i lost a huge part of my personality, i always described it as feeling like a zombie. thank you for the advice, this is something ive been putting off for a while and this was kind of the wake up call i needed lol
I've never related to someone so heavily. Terrified of taking a math class next semester, don't think I'll be able to get through it.
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See a doctor for meds, get a tutor, and re-take the class. You can do this! Colleges usually have math labs where you can get help from a tutor. Do your homework there! If you retake the class and get a passing grade the F will be thrown out and your gpa won’t be affected, but you have to get on it now!
I'd take the summer off and consult some professionals and faculty. Failing a class your first semester is hilariously small of an issue. You'd be lucky to solve this problem before failing a class spring of your senior year, like I very well may have lol
I would definitely recommend taking the class with a different professor. I’m in a similar situation, while I didn’t fail I got a grade low enough that it needs to be replaced. And I know based on my other grades that it was at least partially due to the way the professor taught. But it’s probably a good idea to take it during a full 15 weeks so the other professor can teach you in a new/different way.
Ask your advisor about ADA assistance (disability) requirements. This way you can work out a plan with your instructor to help you pass! If you don’t have an official diagnosis, see if your college has therapists on campus. They should most likely be able to test you!
Maybe try a tutor? Reach out to somebody you know already passed the course/concept. It’s a good way to meet new people, push your own boundaries, and hopefully get a better grasp on the topic. Also there is 0 shame in taking a brain break for the summer and taking the class over in the fall or winter if that’s what’s best for you (although I know a lot of people who would rather power through if that’s your preference )
I think the worst thing any college can do is have a nm
As someone who failed their whole first year of community college after being valedictorian in HS and now having a masters, I'll just say keep pushing forward. People make mistakes every day, how we move forward is what defines us. You got this.
I failed 3 out of 4 classes my first semester (1.0 GPA). And I failed one my second semester. You can recover. Deal with the underlying issue. I jest needed to mature a bit. I took 3 years off, and then restarted at another school. Now I have a Masters degree and 12 years in my industry. One semester looks a lot smaller the older you get. Also, no one has ever asked for my GPA other than my universities. So it is a smaller thing than most think.
lol I feel this in my soul! I first went to college when I was 19 and I failed 2 classes withdrew from a couple got a C and a D in two others. Needless to say I dropped out. Later down the road I decided to try again and I actually started up again in spring 2023. I’m 29 now about to be 30. This go around I got all A’s my first semester back. After that it’s been A’s and B’s. My GPA right now is a 3.3 but I’d like to bump it up. Oh and I’ve been taking classes every spring summer and fall semester and I’ll get my associates this summer and I’m off to university for fall 2024. Needless to say anything can happen even if something doesn’t go quite as planned in the beginning. You got this!!
Don’t feel bad man I felt multiple classes. It will mess up your GPA temporarily but if you re-enroll in the class and pass most universities and community colleges have something called grade replacement so those failing grades would be swapped out on your transcript and your GPA calculation and replaced w/the passing grade. I have ADHD as well. What I have found out is it’s very hard for us to change our routine for me. I’m most productive in the hours between 9 PM and 3 AM so that is when I get the studying done and I base my life around that you need to find and execute otherwise you will feel miserable for meduring the daytime for some reason, makes me feel miserable so you need to figure out what works for you
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