The Black Spiral

My freshman year could be compared to that of an academic train wreck spiraling out of control. The biggest mistake I made when I received my first letter notifying me of my Academic Probation status was being apathetic. At the time, I felt it was just a bump in the road and something that I could dig myself out. Oh how I was wrong. I never changed my habits and figured that being kicked out of school was nothing more than a far off nightmare. Little did I know that as the year progressed so did the difficulty in the classes. I spent most of my time hanging out with friends, spending countless hours playing Counter Strike, and studying at the last minute for midterms and finals. Soon enough I received my second letter notifying me I was again placed on Academic Probation.

A summer passed and I felt that starting a new school year would provide the motivation necessary to climb out of a large hole I had dug for myself. By the end of the fall quarter I received my third letter and this time I was placed on Academic Dismissal and was warned that if I did not keep my grades up I would be getting the boot. I was required to speak with an academic adviser from the Dean’s office and was given two options. I could either tough it out and risk being dismissed from the school or transfer out of the College of Engineering to another major providing me a contract so that I would not be dismissed for another 2 quarters to get my grades up. My academic adviser suggested the latter as my grades at the time suggested failure. My nightmare had finally arrived.

Getting out of Academic Dismissal status required me to finally realize that being kicked out of college would provide me a horrible future and humiliation for the rest of my life. Not being able to live with myself if I were dismissed, I changed my study habits and concentrated harder than ever to get the grades to get myself out. At the end of winter quarter I did not receive any letter and was found to be in good standing.

Don’t ever think that being on academic probation is just a small bump on the road of life. If you begin to be apathetic like I was by not changing your study habits and re prioritizing your life, you could end up spiraling out of control into a large black hole you won’t be able to get out of.