Discouraged

[Yoshi]

So maybe I'm just having a bad day and it'll pass, but I'm feeling more and more useless as the days go on.

Background:

I go to what I'd like to think is a pretty good college, but I feel like I'm wasting my time. The academics are so challenging that my GPA is literally begging for mercy. It's too late to transfer and I just feel like I'm wasting my parents money on an education that won't help me get a good job.

The food here is terrible. I want so badly to be able to cut grains out of my diet and to lower my dairy intake, but there are so few options that it's nearly impossible. [i'll be cooking for myself next year, which will be good. I'm just frustrated knowing what I'm putting in my body.]

Also, my workout yesterday kicked my ass. I started crying because I usually do 3 sets of 8 for most things, but I had to switch to 5 of 5 so I could finish everything... That sounds like a really dumb reason for crying - I think it was just the synergy of everything.

I don't know why I'm posting this. I think I just want someone to say I'm not useless - but I hate being that person who sulks all the time. I think instead I'd prefer some feedback from anyone here who has graduated from college. Did the school you went to matter? Did your GPA matter? Are you happy with your job? What do you wish you did? [stuff like that.]

It's cool if no one responds to this. I'm just being a downer. :/

[ETFnerd]

i am actually screening college resumes for internships this summer. competition is brutal as the economy is in the grinder. i'm tossing aside harvard and yale students with GPAs north of 3.7/4. i received 300 resumes for 3 positions. so it matters. it may get better by the time you graduate, but you should do the best you can while in school. i don't think i could get my present job today if i had to apply for it.

you only get one go around at college and doing well presents you with opportunity. if you give up you'll have to travel a different, tougher road to get to certain places... it all depends on what you want to do... but certainly it will limit you in certain respects.

don't give up on yourself, whether its diet, fitness, study, work... it all starts from the same place... the desire to be the best you can be... now get busy studying so that you have no more free time to sulk...

[Morrigainz]

We all have those days - it's ok! You're not useless...and I sulk a lot too...ETF is right. You have to make yourself so busy that you don't have time for it!

I am still finishing up college and I think if it was 10 years ago, maybe your GPA wouldn't matter as much. Today...it probably does. However, you can also differentiate yourself in other ways...internships, volunteer activities, things like that.

What's your degree going to be in?

Re: the workout...I had a tough one yesterday too....it's okay. Some days we are stronger than others, depending on how we slept, what we ate, etc etc etc. The important thing is that you got it done.

Hang in there!

[Fink]

Everyone feels like that from time to time. When I have a bad workout or a crap day at work I try and use those as tiny motivations for the next day and keep moving forward. Think about small changes you can make each day to start improving every area of your life. If your struggling with a workout, try lowering the weight or a different exercise, if your grades are slipping, are there study groups you can join or other resources. Dont give up

[morethanjustamom]

Hang in there, yoshi, and don't worry about the reps...5x5 is actually one rep more than 3x8 at the same weight, so you actually rocked it out!!

[airen123]

I graduated college with a horrible GPA, and have a pretty good job, and so does my hubby. I think his GPA was probably more worse than mine. They are just not listed on our resumes. What counts is the degree, I think. Some jobs are specific if they want to know the GPA.

Just stick with it.

[wildross]

I've seen a number of studies that say most of us are either working in a field unrelated to our degree, or not actively using the things we studied. This is absolutely true in my case. I'm a long way from Electrical Engineering Technology. Agree with the others as well. Even with the issues with the academics, find the things that make your eyes light up and use them to brighten the rest of your life.

[Book]

Hey Yoshi... I think we all know about the ups and downs. Just remember, there's another up coming. You're far from freaking useless. I would definitely echo the sentiments expressed here about finding other people to study with/keep motivated with.

Now, let me preface the rest by saying that I graduated college 20 years ago. As for GPA/School, your GPA only matters for your first job, particularly if you get it straight out of college (like, through the school's resources). After that, it doesn't matter at all. As airen said, you just don't put it on your resume. Having said that, it really does matter for that first job, and getting your first job through your school's resources is by far the easiest way to get it. And definitely get an internship if you can get it. It's a foot in the door, and an amazing thing to have on your resume.

I went to an amazing college. And... my GPA suffered for it. Worse, I then moved to a different country where they barely recognized the quality of my college, and it certainly didn't help me get a job. After that, things do get complicated. When I finally did get career-type work, the quality of my college did make a difference, I think, and any consideration of my GPA was long gone.

If I were you, I would look at the overall experience. The food is probably not going to be much better anyplace else. The place I went to is in the Northeast US, and has challenging weather. My freshman year, I went on a visit to UC Santa Barbara. Beautiful place. I seriously considered trying to transfer there. And yes, all other things equal, I think I would have done much better there, and set myself up better for the rest of my life.

Having said that, I would bet that you are perfectly capable of achieving great things at your current school with some slightly different strategies. Do you have a faculty adviser? Mine helped me out so much. Most colleges have a wealth of other resources you can tap into. It may just be that, like so many others, you just weren't quite ready for the college experience, and have some new skills to learn, which is a good thing, and kinda the point of college.

Lastly, don't ever feel bad about posting that here. Sure, if you get too whiny we'll kick you in the butt . But err on the side of whiny rather than on the side of feeling helpless. We *want* to help.

[Yoshi]

Thank everyone. You've all been really helpful. [And I'm usually not like this.]

I think I'll just have to stay motivated. I'm a Biology major, so that another another level of difficulty. I think that's why I'm upset. It's hard to take someone in this field seriously when they have a GPA like mine. I'm ok starting outside my field for my first [few] job. I just want to make a difference, discover something, etc. And until I got here I was led to believe [based on my high school grades] that I'd totally be able to do that.

So I'm telling myself to get everything I can out of this experience so one day I can get there. Thanks again.

[The Tin Man]

You are in no way useless! Well all have down days, down weeks, and down months when nothing seems to go right.

5x5 is a rep scheme that many do on purpose and, as morethanjustamom said, you did one more rep than you would have on 3x8.

Regarding college: I graduated from a state school with a pretty good GPA (3.5). I'd say success with relevant experience is more important than GPA. I think that would also go with the fact that you're at a challenging school. A lot of that depends on exactly what school and what field you're in/looking for work in. I'm pretty happy with my job, which is great on paper and a good experience but I don't know if I want to be here in five years.

[Guest Snake McClain]

Can't speak for college but...

You ARE somebody. You ARE important. You ARE loved.

That is all.

[DustMite]

If everything feels uphill, it's because you haven't peaked yet.

I don't know if this will help, especially since you probably know how to study if you got into a tough college, but it helped me: http://artofmanliness.com/2012/01/03/ace-your-exams-study-tactics-of-the-successful-gentleman-scholar/

The fact that you are studying a challenging subject, exercising, and pay attention to what you eat is impressive. That's more than a lot of college students (the ones that aren't on these forums )

[Ryan Sannar]

You've got this. Because your one of us.

[BadWolf]

Hang in there. It is tough as hell, but you just gotta push through. Your degree may not help you get a great job, but it may be the difference between a job and no job. You just never know what is going to come your way, so hang tight. Like you said, next year you can cook for yourself, so just make due with what you've got. Just keep thinking about the positive things you are getting out of college, okay?

[Arashi]

I think the school you go to matters, and here the GPA does not matter for someone in my field (Journalism), but in Biology it might. Anyway, we all have bad days. If you love what you study and work hard, you're halfway there. The world needs more people like you, who are willing, even eager to make a difference, to contribute in some manner for the progress of humankind, instead of only caring about themselves.

As for the workout, well, I think that even working out less is better than not working out (and in the end, you did an extra rep). Don't get so stressed with that, it never helps. You're working out? So it's OK. It might take longer to get there (lose/weight/gain strength/whatever is your goal), but you will get there.

[maegs]

I'm about to finish my fourth year of uni, and I think that first year was actually the worst, because I didn't know what was expected of me, how to research, how to write in the proper style, that sort of thing. People in more science-y/math-y programs have also said that first year is harder because you're building the foundation that everything else will be based on. Once you have the basics down, other stuff is elaborations and variations on what you already know.

I'm guessing you're in first year because you mentioned getting to cook for yourself last year and the lack of options available, it sounds like you're living in residence and most people (at least in my experience) do res 1st year then something else for 2nd year on. So once you've got first year done with, you'll have a foundation of knowledge that will help everything else. It'll still be lots of hard work, but I thought it was easier once I had that base.

I don't really know much about GPA/job prospects, since I'm in a completely different field (History & Cultural Studies) and since in Canada as far as I know GPA isn't such a big deal - I don't know anyone who's had to put GPA on their resume (ETFNerd mentioned resumes with GPAs on them). But, as wildross said, most people aren't working in a field directly related to their degrees. Skills you'll learn like how to write, critical thinking, etc. will be just as important as the skills related specifically to biology. Additionally, people seem to be moving between jobs more now, rather than working for the same company for their entire career. So if you don't find your ideal job at first, don't get discouraged. You'll be able to find something you really enjoy if you keep looking for it.

I hope all that helped!

[unicornassassin]

Can't speak for college but...

You ARE somebody. You ARE important. You ARE loved.

That is all.

That is so sweet! My heart is warmed.

Ditto! You are somebody, and just do the best you can. That's all any of us can do

[GreenEyesBright]

I totally had this day yesterday Yoshi and I hear you on the Biology major. Some days its like the information just won't sink in! Just keep pushing yourself. Its days like these make or break us. Keep pushing and you'll make it. Take an hour, do something that will energize you (For me its creating an escape route for when the zombies come), then take that energy and apply it to your 2nd hardest task on your to do list. The energy from there will get you through your hardest one and your little ones will be a piece of cake after that.

<3 Nerd Love <3

Go Big or Go Home! Sent from my Atrix using Tapatalk.

[Yoshi]

Thanks guys. I'm so overwhelmed with how supportive everyone is on here. I really hope I'll be able to provide it back when you all are having struggles.

[Fryinbox]

You haven't been here much longer than I have Yoshi, but if you're anything like me, you joined for the camaraderie. The success. You wanted to make yourself better, and you want to make sure everyone can hold you accountable for what you've been doing.

I can understand being in a bad eating situation. I'm in the same right now, so I can empathize. Just know you can do anything if you set your mind to it. Yeah, things may be shitty now, but just apply yourself, push through it, and promise yourself that you'll be even better than you were yesterday.

We're here for you buddy. Keep your head up.