I need advice about my course.

Student3213

Hi. I'm having major problems with my course and I'm hoping someone can give me some advice. I started first year six weeks ago looking forward to studying my course. Pretty early on I started realising that maybe my course was a little too much for me (I'd rather not say what I'm studying). We're now half way through Semester one and I don't think I can cope.

I just don't understand the material on my course. I have 4 grinds a week for 4 different modules I'm struggling in. I go to every tutorial I can and I go to SUMS whenever I get a free hour. Every week without fail I'm doing assignments and studying until 1 or 2am regardless of when I finish college.

Is that normal? If so, how does anyone enjoy college? This next part is hard for me to say, but I think I may have serious depression and I feel I may be heading towards 'you know what' (I don't want to say it). There may or may not have been something going on in the back of my mind before I started college that my course brought to the fore-front of my thoughts, I'm not sure.

Basically my course is making me miserable, but I feel I have to keep going because of how happy my family were when I was accepted into it. It's a course that will lead to an area where I feel there is likely to be a lot of money in the future.

I already looked in to transferring courses but it looks like I missed my opportunity: http://www.nuigalway.ie/admissions/documents/first_year_students_transfer_scheme_v1_0.pdf

I'm really not sure what I should do. Surely you're not supposed to feel like this. What would you do if you were in my position? Thank you for your time.

AllCaps

It sounds like you have some problems you need to sort out that are more important than the college stuff. NUIG offers free counseling services to students. Your mental health is more important than keeping on a course to keep your family happy.

http://www.nuigalway.ie/student-life/student-support/counselling.html

Student3213

AllCaps wrote: »

It sounds like you have some problems you need to sort out that are more important than the college stuff. NUIG offers free counseling services to students. Your mental health is more important than keeping on a course to keep your family happy.

http://www.nuigalway.ie/student-life/student-support/counselling.html

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I appreciate the link but I'd really rather not speak to someone face to face. I think that if I could deal with my course, I wouldn't feel so down.

reap-a-rat

If you're nervous or shy about face to face contact, check out this site - https://mymindmatters.ie/. The NUIG counsellors use this to communicate with students through online means. Definitely worth a go, and can often build up to actual face to face contact if that is needed (and sometimes it is and can help massively).

I'd agree with the above poster that your mental health is far more important than anything else right now, and once you can get that into a better place you can be sure that the course and all other difficulties will seem to be more surmountable than they are at present.

Best of luck.

Student3213

reap-a-rat wrote: »

If you're nervous or shy about face to face contact, check out this site - https://mymindmatters.ie/. The NUIG counsellors use this to communicate with students through online means. Definitely worth a go, and can often build up to actual face to face contact if that is needed (and sometimes it is and can help massively).

I'd agree with the above poster that your mental health is far more important than anything else right now, and once you can get that into a better place you can be sure that the course and all other difficulties will seem to be more surmountable than they are at present.

Best of luck.

Hi. Thanks very much for the link, I'll definitely look into that. Though I think it's more that I feel the way I do BECAUSE I'm struggling so much.

100200 shih

I hated First year , I did a Bcomm and didnt understand a thing till after Christmas. Im now doing a Masters and love college, grab some pass papers and start doing them and u will see how much you do know !!!!! Good luck

Student3213

100200 shih wrote: »

I hated First year , I did a Bcomm and didnt understand a thing till after Christmas. Im now doing a Masters and love college, grab some pass papers and start doing them and u will see how much you do know !!!!! Good luck

That makes me feel a bit better. I'll try to get my hands on some papers. Thanks for replying.

100200 shih

https://www.mis.nuigalway.ie/regexam/paper_index_search_main_menu.asp

Here a link to past papers , you just need the course code , you dont need to fill out anything else on the page

I think on the long run you be better to try and finish the year and if you still hate it then switch !!! Let me know if you need anymore help and I try to help you out

Student3213

100200 shih wrote: »

https://www.mis.nuigalway.ie/regexam/paper_index_search_main_menu.asp

Here a link to past papers , you just need the course code , you dont need to fill out anything else on the page

I think on the long run you be better to try and finish the year and if you still hate it then switch !!! Let me know if you need anymore help and I try to help you out

Thanks very much. You think I should try to finish the year? I was thinking that too but the more time I put into the course, the more obliged I'll feel to see it all the way through. I may not have a choice though since I found out earlier the final date for transferring courses was last Friday. Thanks for your help.

100200 shih

Hi,
I just know from experience that the first few months are really hard and I would now be kicking myself if I had dropped out, Im 5 years in college now and while the work has got harder , college is a lot more fun now !

Mahogany Gaspipe

I'm in forth year now and would suggest that first year is maybe the most difficult year of college for a number of reasons.

Firstly college life in itself is probably a whole new experience for you. For example I found it kind of difficult to keep to my timetable.
Also you may be studying a wide spectrum of subject that may not seem to have much of an overlap; at times I found it a bit of a challenge to apply myself across such a range of modules.

Adjusting to, and completing third level semesters can be a challenge; and that is one of the great things about going to college.

I think that maybe you are being a bit hard on yourself.
You have got yourself into college and if you are going to all the lectures, tutorials and getting your CA's submitted you will certainly pass the year.

Its a long journey so dont let your head down, it will get better!

Student3213

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

I'm in forth year now and would suggest that first year is maybe the most difficult year of college for a number of reasons.

Firstly college life in itself is probably a whole new experience for you. For example I found it kind of difficult to keep to my timetable.
Also you may be studying a wide spectrum of subject that may not seem to have much of an overlap; at times I found it a bit of a challenge to apply myself across such a range of modules.

Adjusting to, and completing third level semesters can be a challenge; and that is one of the great things about going to college.

I think that maybe you are being a bit hard on yourself.
You have got yourself into college and if you are going to all the lectures, tutorials and getting your CA's submitted you will certainly pass the year.

Its a long journey so dont let your head down, it will get better!

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to reply. The thing is, I'm attending everything possible, but I'm still struggling to the point where I only got 25% in the last exam we took in a certain subject I'm having trouble with. It's just the course material that I can't grasp. It's almost all Maths. I think I'm just straight up not good enough at Maths to be studying this course. I don't mean to keep blocking any helpful words people are giving me. These are just the thoughts that come to mind.

Mahogany Gaspipe

I guessing that there must be a math pre-requisite to gain admission to your undergrad course?
If so you must be fairly competent at maths to have gain admission? And from what I can remember of 1st and 2nd science maths at least, it wasn't all that more difficult than LC maths.

Regardless, if you can just dig deep and pass the year then next year you would probably be able to change to a more suitable course; although if you enjoy the subject matter maybe it just a case of soldiering on through the difficult times that undoubtedly wont last forever!

Student3213

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

I guessing that there must be a math pre-requisite to gain admission to your undergrad course?
If so you must be fairly competent at maths to have gain admission? And from what I can remember of 1st and 2nd science maths at least, it wasn't all that more difficult than LC maths.

Regardless, if you can just dig deep and pass the year then next year you would probably be able to change to a more suitable course; although if you enjoy the subject matter maybe it just a case of soldiering on through the difficult times that undoubtedly wont last forever!

I passed H.L leaving cert Maths but didn't make the C3 grade so I had to do the Special Entrance Exam. I passed that too but I honestly feel like I got very lucky on both occasions. If it gets any more difficult I don't think I'll fare too well. I don't think I can try much harder to be honest. As an example of what I mean: I get off at mid-day on Tuesday but I'm still studying at 2am. It's the same story Thursdays. I don't take breaks other than to make food.

Based on my grades, I'm clearly either not working hard enough or I'm just not good enough with Maths. I feel I've tried all that I can and maybe that's why I think I have depression. I'd just like to add that I appreciate your reassurance to no end.

Mahogany Gaspipe

Well from what I can gather here, you've pass HL LC maths and the entrance exam so academically speaking I'd imagine that you have the required smarts.

Also by the sounds of it you are definitely putting in enough hours.

I can recall thinking, at a point during the 1st maths course, that the lecturer couldn't possibly throw anymore calculus as us; and he didn't; exam time and the end of learning the curriculum comes surprising and welcomeley abruptly!

To the academic end I would advise looking over pass papers, and familiarizing yourself with the format of the exam; there will be certain topics and certain questions on those topics that will be on the paper; knowing the format is a great reassurance.


I do think though that you sound like a great candidate for availing of the NUIG counselling services, I'm afraid I cant tell you much about them but I think that following the link posted in the thread above would great opportunity for you to start enjoy your time at college.

Student3213

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

Well from what I can gather here, you've pass HL LC maths and the entrance exam so academically speaking I'd imagine that you have the required smarts.

Also by the sounds of it you are definitely putting in enough hours.

I can recall thinking, at a point during the 1st maths course, that the lecturer couldn't possibly throw anymore calculus as us; and he didn't; exam time and the end of learning the curriculum comes surprising and welcomeley abruptly!

To the academic end I would advise looking over pass papers, and familiarizing yourself with the format of the exam; there will be certain topics and certain questions on those topics that will be on the paper; knowing the format is a great reassurance.


I do think though that you sound like a great candidate for availing of the NUIG counselling services, I'm afraid I cant tell you much about them but I think that following the link posted in the thread above would great opportunity for you to start enjoy your time at college.

Sometimes I think that too, how I've passed the required exams to get here, but that makes me wonder more why I can't keep up when other people are pointing out problems to the Lecturer that I didn't even realise existed.

I just spent a little while looking at the exam papers. If I'm able to do them comfortably I should be ok right?

I'm not really sure about counselling. I feel kind of stupid even talking about how I feel here to be honest but I decided it was best to get advise from others. Thanks very much for your support though, it has made me feel a bit better

witnessrenegade

Theirs nothing a group of posters online can say about a course we don't know about and it's hard for you to get help with your depression if you don't meet someone and talk about it, it could be a case that both the depression and the course are making each other worse. Aside from the course being difficult, do you actually like what you are studying?

When I was younger my parents were so proud that I got into college considering I spent the whole of my leaving cert year shifting my ex gf. When I got the course in GMIT I hated it, didn't like anything I was studying but I didn't want to say anything to let down my parents. Finally I thought that I was going to college for me and not them and came clean that I didn't like the course I was doing and I was dropping out of it, and after some shouting matches, they accepted it. That was 6 years ago, and next week, im graduating from NUIG before I head off to Oz to travel a bit of the world. If you don't like what you are doing, it's better to speak up now then to say nothing

Depression is a dangerous thing made worse if you try and fix it yourself without talking to someone about it. Have you talked to any of the lecturers about how you feel? They could maybe give you a heads up about how the rest of the semester is going with questions and exams and you can suss out if you are able to do the classes. Also, if you are thinking of leaving your course, you have until the end of October to do it, if you leave after that date and you start a new course next year, you will have to pay full fees for half a semester which can be pretty pricey!

Either way hope all goes well for you, but you should really talk to someone in person about how you feel, it's great to get things off you chest and this can help you relax

Student3213

witnessrenegade wrote: »

Theirs nothing a group of posters online can say about a course we don't know about and it's hard for you to get help with your depression if you don't meet someone and talk about it, it could be a case that both the depression and the course are making each other worse. Aside from the course being difficult, do you actually like what you are studying?

When I was younger my parents were so proud that I got into college considering I spent the whole of my leaving cert year shifting my ex gf. When I got the course in GMIT I hated it, didn't like anything I was studying but I didn't want to say anything to let down my parents. Finally I thought that I was going to college for me and not them and came clean that I didn't like the course I was doing and I was dropping out of it, and after some shouting matches, they accepted it. That was 6 years ago, and next week, im graduating from NUIG before I head off to Oz to travel a bit of the world. If you don't like what you are doing, it's better to speak up now then to say nothing

Depression is a dangerous thing made worse if you try and fix it yourself without talking to someone about it. Have you talked to any of the lecturers about how you feel? They could maybe give you a heads up about how the rest of the semester is going with questions and exams and you can suss out if you are able to do the classes. Also, if you are thinking of leaving your course, you have until the end of October to do it, if you leave after that date and you start a new course next year, you will have to pay full fees for half a semester which can be pretty pricey!

Either way hope all goes well for you, but you should really talk to someone in person about how you feel, it's great to get things off you chest and this can help you relax

Hi. Thanks for replying. I'm reluctant to name the course because I wouldn't like anyone to guess who I am.

Do I like what I'm studying? At the moment I hate it. But from what I've heard it looks like it'll get more interesting in later years. I haven't spoken to lecturers but someone in this thread gave me a link to exam papers which I think will help a lot with the exams.

I admire that you could make the decision to leave your course in GMIT but I don't think I can. I think I'll try to work through things for now.

Congrats of graduating and I hope you enjoy Australia.

Student3213

Thank you to all who replied. I think I have gotten all the advice I need from boards on my problem and I'll continue trying to push through it. Thanks again for all your time.

Dman001

Just to reliterate what witnessrenegade said, meeting with one of your lecturers (or Course Director) and tell them with the problems you are having with the Maths may be a great help. They'll be able to help and guide you, and what to expect in the coming years in the course. If possible, maybe even try to organise some study group one your class mates (I know this can be very difficult however, depending on the class) where you can go over your assignments and material - it can be a great help and aid.

Also, I personally believe that studying a course that you've a genuine interest in and passion for makes the workload so much easier and enjoyable. I'm one that would seek a job where I'd get job satisfaction, rather than a fat check at the end of each month in a job I hate. If you decide that your current course isn't for you, it isn't the end of the world by any means and there are plenty of resources for you to change to another one if need be.

Best of luck with it all. Remember there are plenty of friendly people around the campus who'd be more than happy to help you out in whatever way possible.

Student3213

Dman001 wrote: »

Just to reliterate what witnessrenegade said, meeting with one of your lecturers (or Course Director) and tell them with the problems you are having with the Maths may be a great help. They'll be able to help and guide you, and what to expect in the coming years in the course. If possible, maybe even try to organise some study group one your class mates (I know this can be very difficult however, depending on the class) where you can go over your assignments and material - it can be a great help and aid.

Also, I personally believe that studying a course that you've a genuine interest in and passion for makes the workload so much easier and enjoyable. I'm one that would seek a job where I'd get job satisfaction, rather than a fat check at the end of each month in a job I hate. If you decide that your current course isn't for you, it isn't the end of the world by any means and there are plenty of resources for you to change to another one if need be.

Best of luck with it all. Remember there are plenty of friendly people around the campus who'd be more than happy to help you out in whatever way possible.

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. I have a genuine interest in the field my course will lead too. But I'm just finding that the Maths is extremely difficult to impossible for me to do. I have some thinking to do with regards to whether or not I can complete it. Can't think of much worse than getting to third or fourth year and failing the whole thing because of Maths. Thanks again for the advice.

LOSTfan57

Unfortunately without knowing you course its hard to help with the subject. The maths in each course is different.

edelg

I'm a first year in NUIG and I feel the absolute exact same as u. Only difference is your working your ass off and I haven't done one single ounce of work because what I'm doing is that unappealing to me. Its been the most depressing experience of my life. I HATE COLLEGE.

ShonyBoulders

Hi guys, if there's anyone having difficulty with maths, you should check out SUMS - Support for Undergraduate Maths Students. Here is a link to their website (http://www.maths.nuigalway.ie/sums/). Keep in mind it's not restricted to someone simply doing a maths degree, if you have any kind of problem relating to maths they'll let you know. Also, they won't do your homework for you, but they'll point you in the right direction.
I'm an Engineering student, and I found it to be a very handy tool during 1st and 2nd year. Like yourself Student3213, I didn't get the HC3 required for Engineering in the LC, I got in on the Special Entrance Exam too. The maths subjects never were my strong point in my course, but I found I really loved what I was doing so that kept me interested.
Posters above me have mentioned the counsellors already, so that's something you can check out.
In the meantime, I'd suggest asking around in your class to see if other people are having the same problem as you - this could indicate a problem with the course/lecturer's teaching methods and not be simply because of the individual.
Lastly, I'd suggest talk to your tutors/lecturers if you're really having trouble. I know it can seem intimidating when you're in first year, but remember that no one wants to see a student drop out.

Hope that helps!

Mahogany Gaspipe

LOSTfan57 wrote: »

Unfortunately without knowing you course its hard to help with the subject. The maths in each course is different.

The specifics of which course the OP is an undergrad on are not needed to help. 1st undergrad course aren't that specialised.
They would rather not say themselves; and that information isn't needed anyway.

There are basically five maths modules available to 1st years and most courses across the university with a mathematical element will offer at number of these modules.

There are so many student enrolled in each module across many different undergrad programmes. What may be helpful; and would keep the OP's anonymity intact is to say if there is a specific module(s) causing difficulties, say: calculus, algebra, maths physics, statistics etc.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

edelg wrote: »

I'm a first year in NUIG and I feel the absolute exact same as u. Only difference is your working your ass off and I haven't done one single ounce of work because what I'm doing is that unappealing to me. Its been the most depressing experience of my life. I HATE COLLEGE.

I wouls suggest if you hate your course you should drop out now before the end of october. You could go back next year doing something you like. Life is far too short to spend 3/4 years studying something you hate.

Student3213

LOSTfan57 wrote: »

Unfortunately without knowing you course its hard to help with the subject. The maths in each course is different.

I'd rather not give any specifics because I wouldn't like anyone to know who I am.

Student3213

edelg wrote: »

I'm a first year in NUIG and I feel the absolute exact same as u. Only difference is your working your ass off and I haven't done one single ounce of work because what I'm doing is that unappealing to me. Its been the most depressing experience of my life. I HATE COLLEGE.

I feel for you . If you really really don't like your course, you can choose to stop doing it. I think you will have to pay half the fees of you stop doing your course after the end of October.

For me, I just can't cope with the Maths content. I don't hate the course and I love where it could lead but the Maths is killing me.

I hope that whatever decision you do make turns out to be the best one for you

Student3213

ShonyBoulders wrote: »

Hi guys, if there's anyone having difficulty with maths, you should check out SUMS - Support for Undergraduate Maths Students. Here is a link to their website (http://www.maths.nuigalway.ie/sums/). Keep in mind it's not restricted to someone simply doing a maths degree, if you have any kind of problem relating to maths they'll let you know. Also, they won't do your homework for you, but they'll point you in the right direction.
I'm an Engineering student, and I found it to be a very handy tool during 1st and 2nd year. Like yourself Student3213, I didn't get the HC3 required for Engineering in the LC, I got in on the Special Entrance Exam too. The maths subjects never were my strong point in my course, but I found I really loved what I was doing so that kept me interested.
Posters above me have mentioned the counsellors already, so that's something you can check out.
In the meantime, I'd suggest asking around in your class to see if other people are having the same problem as you - this could indicate a problem with the course/lecturer's teaching methods and not be simply because of the individual.
Lastly, I'd suggest talk to your tutors/lecturers if you're really having trouble. I know it can seem intimidating when you're in first year, but remember that no one wants to see a student drop out.

Hope that helps!

Hi. Thanks for replying. I've been regularly going to SUMS, but they assume a "basic" knowledge of the material they're explaining, which I don't seem to have. They'll explain everything and then go "so I think the answer would be c". But then I'll have the answer but not know how to do the sum.

I'm not saying they aren't good, I don't think I could do much if it weren't for them and they do help me to understand some things though.

I asked around earlier and some people said that they reckoned only 30% of the people in class understood the Maths. Which was a little reassuring but then I remembered how little places there are available on my course and I wondered if this was the colleges method of weeding people out. Am I right in thinking that? The NUIG website lists the average intake of my course as below 20. Buy on day one way over 70 people turned up for the talk.

Student3213

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

The specifics of which course the OP is an undergrad on are not needed to help. 1st undergrad course aren't that specialised.
They would rather not say themselves; and that information isn't needed anyway.

There are basically five maths modules available to 1st years and most courses across the university with a mathematical element will offer at number of these modules.

There are so many student enrolled in each module across many different undergrad programmes. What may be helpful; and would keep the OP's anonymity intact is to say if there is a specific module(s) causing difficulties, say: calculus, algebra, maths physics, statistics etc.

I don't think the Maths I'm learning is taught in any other course but mine, but I may as well admit that I'm studying Engineering since there are so many others I doubt it will affect my anonymity. I'm struggling with Mechanics, Calculus, and the calculations for Support Reactions.

The current Fundamentals Lecturer said that it will get a lot harder very quickly, which definitely did not make me feel better.

39steps

Hi there,
I really feel for you as I have been there, not with Maths, but with another subject that is fundamental to my course. I had moved out of home and found college overwhelming, the people, the subjects, living in Galway, everything. Everyone seemed so confident, so knowledgeable and so cool compared to me.

Of course, now that I'm a little older, I realise they were all dealing with their own insecurities. Don't worry about your parents, they would be horrified that you are this unhappy and disappointed that you couldn't share your true feelings with them.

I highly recommend that you call in to the Student Counselling drop-in sessions in Distillery Road. The hardest step is going through the door. I know it sounds like a cliche, but there is nothing they haven't heard before and they will help you to stand back from your situation and assist you find objectivity to re-examine your situation.

I also know of a guy that went to one of the chaplains who really helped him as a person (there was no religion involved).

Seek professional advice from GP, counsellor, former teacher at your secondary school, don't try to deal with this yourself. There is so much help available.

Student3213

39steps wrote: »

Hi there,
I really feel for you as I have been there, not with Maths, but with another subject that is fundamental to my course. I had moved out of home and found college overwhelming, the people, the subjects, living in Galway, everything. Everyone seemed so confident, so knowledgeable and so cool compared to me.

Of course, now that I'm a little older, I realise they were all dealing with their own insecurities. Don't worry about your parents, they would be horrified that you are this unhappy and disappointed that you couldn't share your true feelings with them.

I highly recommend that you call in to the Student Counselling drop-in sessions in Distillery Road. The hardest step is going through the door. I know it sounds like a cliche, but there is nothing they haven't heard before and they will help you to stand back from your situation and assist you find objectivity to re-examine your situation.

I also know of a guy that went to one of the chaplains who really helped him as a person (there was no religion involved).

Seek professional advice from GP, counsellor, former teacher at your secondary school, don't try to deal with this yourself. There is so much help available.

Hi. It's more that I don't want to disappoint them because of where this course might lead than anything. They've given up a lot for me so I owe it to them to succeed. And since I'm failing, that's what is making me depressed.

I really don't feel I can go to counselling. I feel stupid enough asking a question in private grinds let alone explaining my problems to someone. I appreciate your advice to no end and I want to take it, but I don't feel I can in this case.

It's getting to the point in this thread where I pass up so much help that people go "Well what do you want us to say", and I'm not really sure how to answer that. You know when you have an issue you can't solve yourself, but then someone with an answer comes along and everything's fine again? That's what I'm hoping for.

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply and I'll see if I can make myself talk to someone about this.

ShonyBoulders

Perhaps you could discuss it with your first year mentor? I'm one myself, and while it isn't our duty to actually do your work, at the end of the day we're just students like you and most of us would be happy to discuss subjects.
Maybe you could also look into setting up a study group for yourself and the other students in the class who are having difficulty? This has the benefits of being able to break up the workload into smaller pieces for everyone, then you can pool it all together, as well as having some friends in the class to help support you along.
If you don't feel comfortable stepping forward to do that ( I know I wouldn't have been in first year! ), you should contact your class rep.

And lastly, you should never feel shy to ask questions which you think you might be "stupid", odds are there are multiple people in the lecture hall who have the same question but are too afraid to ask it. I've found that all the students who are doing well in my year (1:1, 2:1 average) are the same students who kept asking questions in first year.
In tutorials, grinds and labs, you shouldn't be afraid to ask a question that you think might be too "basic". Questions are the often the only feedback that tutors about how well they are teaching their students, and they're usually very thankful for it, unless they're just normally a dick anyway. :P

Student3213

ShonyBoulders wrote: »

Perhaps you could discuss it with your first year mentor? I'm one myself, and while it isn't our duty to actually do your work, at the end of the day we're just students like you and most of us would be happy to discuss subjects.
Maybe you could also look into setting up a study group for yourself and the other students in the class who are having difficulty? This has the benefits of being able to break up the workload into smaller pieces for everyone, then you can pool it all together, as well as having some friends in the class to help support you along.
If you don't feel comfortable stepping forward to do that ( I know I wouldn't have been in first year! ), you should contact your class rep.

And lastly, you should never feel shy to ask questions which you think you might be "stupid", odds are there are multiple people in the lecture hall who have the same question but are too afraid to ask it. I've found that all the students who are doing well in my year (1:1, 2:1) are the same students who kept asking questions in first year.

There was a lot of trouble with mentors this year. Many people didn't get assigned one at all. I got assigned one but they never turned up the day we were all supposed to meet our mentors. I rang her and she said she had dropped out of college 2 years ago.

I did overhear that some students got together to study, I might speak to them about it.

I don't know about speaking out in class. There are hundreds of other people. Even if it was a genuinely good question I don't think I could ask it. I get private grinds and I don't like asking things there either. That's just me though I suppose.

I'm not sure whether or not I told you what I'm studying. I know I said I'd prefer not too but I figured it probably won't make it easier to guess who I am. I'm studying Engineering. Does that change any of the advice you gave me so far?

39steps

Hi there,
Please don't rate the concept of disappointing your parents ahead of depression and unhappiness in your current course.

You really need an external objective voice to clarify that YOU are not failing. You made a choice that does not at present suit you. Nowadays no-one has a career for life, we all reinvent outselves several times, by means of course choices, jobs, personal life decisions, etc. There are more courses and other colleges out there. You could speak with Careers Office staff for some general pointers.

As to finding a "magic" answer from us posters, while we are well-meaning in our advices, we are amateurs and I would strongly urge professional advice.

Be brave, speak to someone.

ShonyBoulders

Student3213 wrote: »

There was a lot of trouble with mentors this year. Many people didn't get assigned one at all. I got assigned one but they never turned up the day we were all supposed to meet our mentors. I rang her and she said she had dropped out of college 2 years ago.

I did overhear that some students got together to study, I might speak to them about it.

I don't know about speaking out in class. There are hundreds of other people. Even if it was a genuinely good question I don't think I could ask it. I get private grinds and I don't like asking things there either. That's just me though I suppose.

I'm not sure whether or not I told you what I'm studying. I know I said I'd prefer not too but I figured it probably won't make it easier to guess who I am. I'm studying Engineering. Does that change any of the advice you gave me so far?

I'm a third year Engineering student myself, and I've been through the some of the same experiences yourself, such as not making the grade in the LC and getting in through the Special Entrance Exam. I'll also have done the same modules as you.
If you want to discuss anything, feel free to give me a PM if you want to talk about anything. As I mentioned before I'm also a mentor for first year Engineering & Informatics students, and I've experience being a student who had some difficulty and being able to help other students with difficulties. We can keep as much anonymity as you like.

Student3213

39steps wrote: »

Hi there,
Please don't rate the concept of disappointing your parents ahead of depression and unhappiness in your current course.

You really need an external objective voice to clarify that YOU are not failing. You made a choice that does not at present suit you. Nowadays no-one has a career for life, we all reinvent outselves several times, by means of course choices, jobs, personal life decisions, etc. There are more courses and other colleges out there. You could speak with Careers Office staff for some general pointers.

As to finding a "magic" answer from us posters, while we are well-meaning in our advices, we are amateurs and I would strongly urge professional advice.

Be brave, speak to someone.

Hi. Thanks for replying It's not that I feel I've chosen the wrong course. I really really want a degree in this field, I just can't get to grips with the material no matter how hard I work. It's the fact I can't understand it that is making me feel the way I do.

I do appreciate that people need to reinvent themselves multiple times these days, but I can't think of anything other than this I want to do. Do you think I should just go for it and ignore the bad feelings until summer?

Regardless of whether you're amateurs or not. I cannot thank you all enough for your support. The amount I've gotten is phenomenal. 3 pages? I thought I'd be lucky to get one or two replies. You really are helping me so much. (I just put that in bold so that people would know I wasn't ungrateful.)

Student3213

ShonyBoulders wrote: »

I'm a third year Engineering student myself, and I've been through the some of the same experiences yourself, such as not making the grade in the LC and getting in through the Special Entrance Exam. I'll also have done the same modules as you.
If you want to discuss anything, feel free to give me a PM if you want to talk about anything. As I mentioned before I'm also a mentor for first year Engineering & Informatics students, and I've experience being a student who had some difficulty and being able to help other students with difficulties. We can keep as much anonymity as you like.

I don't know if I already mentioned it or not but I didn't get a C3 in the LC. I got in through the Special Entrance Exam but I can't shake the feeling I just lucked my way into this course. Thanks very much for your support

hillbloom

Hi Student 3213. I read all the posts & you got great advice. I am a parent, my children all went to college & were successful. My advice to you is, you should discuss your problem with your parents. At first they may be a bit disappointed. Engineering is a very tough course but you must put your health first. If your health breaks down, you wont be able to continue college. I don't know the deadline for dropping out or transferring without loosing reg. fees etc but someone mentioned the end of October. If its the end of October you should seriously think about your future. Will you be able to handle the Maths in future years, they wont be getting easier. My son did an Engineering course, there wasn't any special level of Maths required, he has 200 points over the limit to gain entry but he did struggle with the Maths for 4 years. I often asked him would be be able to continue. I feel really sorry for you & you are very hard on yourself doing all that study. There are probably people in the class struggling more but not taking it as serious. Please talk to your parents!

mrkiscool2

Hey Student123, I can't give much better advice than what everyone here has given. This is the reason that NUI Galway is great, you get such great support from everyone, we are all in this together and I am sure at some stage in all of our courses we have had issues with our course and mental health!

I would say though go to the counselling service. I can understand you don't want to talk to someone in person about this, but I went when I was struggling with depression. They are amazing, completely confidential and are just there to support you! I would totally recommend you head over and talk to them.

Student3213

hillbloom wrote: »

Hi Student 3213. I read all the posts & you got great advice. I am a parent, my children all went to college & were successful. My advice to you is, you should discuss your problem with your parents. At first they may be a bit disappointed. Engineering is a very tough course but you must put your health first. If your health breaks down, you wont be able to continue college. I don't know the deadline for dropping out or transferring without loosing reg. fees etc but someone mentioned the end of October. If its the end of October you should seriously think about your future. Will you be able to handle the Maths in future years, they wont be getting easier. My son did an Engineering course, there wasn't any special level of Maths required, he has 200 points over the limit to gain entry but he did struggle with the Maths for 4 years. I often asked him would be be able to continue. I feel really sorry for you & you are very hard on yourself doing all that study. There are probably people in the class struggling more but not taking it as serious. Please talk to your parents!

Hi, thanks for replying I over the last few days I've discussed it with my parents and we ended up deciding that I should continue until the end of the year and see what happens with my exams.

If I can't handle the Maths now, I don't hold out much hope for the Maths that I'll be doing in the years to come. I can only take it one section at a time for now, I might get the hang of it at some point. I thought that there was only Maths for the first 2 years (with the exception of Fluid Dynamics n 3rd year). The timetables give that impression anyway. Maybe there's a Maths module disguised under a name I wouldn't recognise as being associated with Maths.

Student3213

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

Hey Student123, I can't give much better advice than what everyone here has given. This is the reason that NUI Galway is great, you get such great support from everyone, we are all in this together and I am sure at some stage in all of our courses we have had issues with our course and mental health!

I would say though go to the counselling service. I can understand you don't want to talk to someone in person about this, but I went when I was struggling with depression. They are amazing, completely confidential and are just there to support you! I would totally recommend you head over and talk to them.

I agree, the support I've gotten here has been amazing. I'll think about counselling Other people need those slots more than I do though. I can get through this if I ignore the bad feelings. I know it's probably not good to do but once Summer comes I can forget about this course for a few months.

mrkiscool2

Student3213 wrote: »

I agree, the support I've gotten here has been amazing. I'll think about counselling Other people need those slots more than I do though. I can get through this if I ignore the bad feelings. I know it's probably not good to do but once Summer comes I can forget about this course for a few months.

Don't think that way. There are always slots at the counselling service and even if there isn't there is still the walk-in service you can use, which is also great! They are really amazing in there, and never think your mental health problems are worse than anyone else's, that's the problem in Ireland at the moment, people don't think their mental health issues are as "important" or as "big" as others, and that's what causes so many suicides and attempted suicide among young people in this country. Please, for the sake of everyone that has commented here giving you support, at least go to one of the walk-in afternoons and talk to someone!

39steps

Hi there,
I'm so pleased that you discussed your situation with your parents. It was a brave first step to take and I hope that the process of sharing the burden helped you a little.
I agree with all the other posters, NUI Galway is a very supportive environment, but you have to look for support; people (staff/mentors/SU) do not offer if they think you are ok.
Counselling is not as big or scary a prospect as you may think, essentially it's talking to someone who helps you see your situation from an objective standpoint and leads you to a course of action that suits you. Help is there.
Good luck, you sound as if you have great parents,
39steps

TheCosmicFrog

Student3213 - great to hear you discussed this with your parents. I'm sure that took some of the load off your mind.

If you ever feel like things have gotten too much for you to handle, please avail of the walk-in service that the Counsellors offer. You don't need to call ahead of time or get an appointment, just walk in and chat with the receptionist about speaking with one of the counsellors for a few minutes.

There's some more information here:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/student_services/counsellors/

No matter how silly or trivial you think your problems are, it can usually be a massive relief to just speak about them in confidence with someone. Remember, your mental health is what comes first

Student3213

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

Don't think that way. There are always slots at the counselling service and even if there isn't there is still the walk-in service you can use, which is also great! They are really amazing in there, and never think your mental health problems are worse than anyone else's, that's the problem in Ireland at the moment, people don't think their mental health issues are as "important" or as "big" as others, and that's what causes so many suicides and attempted suicide among young people in this country. Please, for the sake of everyone that has commented here giving you support, at least go to one of the walk-in afternoons and talk to someone!

I think I should try one. I just failed my second Mechanics test in a row despite upping my study since the last one and I feel worse than ever. I'll try to build up the courage to go.

Student3213

39steps wrote: »

Hi there,
I'm so pleased that you discussed your situation with your parents. It was a brave first step to take and I hope that the process of sharing the burden helped you a little.
I agree with all the other posters, NUI Galway is a very supportive environment, but you have to look for support; people (staff/mentors/SU) do not offer if they think you are ok.
Counselling is not as big or scary a prospect as you may think, essentially it's talking to someone who helps you see your situation from an objective standpoint and leads you to a course of action that suits you. Help is there.
Good luck, you sound as if you have great parents,
39steps

It did for a while. I don't feel too bad when I'm out of class and not studying when I can try to forget how I feel when the stuff I can't get my head around is staring me in the face. I agree that NUIG is very supportive, I had no idea how much until I was in need of some help. Thanks very much for your advice. And yes, I do have great parents

Student3213

TheCosmicFrog wrote: »

Student3213 - great to hear you discussed this with your parents. I'm sure that took some of the load off your mind.

If you ever feel like things have gotten too much for you to handle, please avail of the walk-in service that the Counsellors offer. You don't need to call ahead of time or get an appointment, just walk in and chat with the receptionist about speaking with one of the counsellors for a few minutes.

There's some more information here:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/student_services/counsellors/

No matter how silly or trivial you think your problems are, it can usually be a massive relief to just speak about them in confidence with someone. Remember, your mental health is what comes first

Hi. It helped for a while. Could you tell me what sort of ways counselling could help me? I'll admit I tried before a long time ago for something else, but I was too set in my ways for them to have any effect on me. I believed one thing, and whatever they said to convince me otherwise was beaten down because what I believed made so much sense to me. Nothing else could be right.

If I try it again I might be met with the same result and then I'd be back to where I began. Will they advise me?

TheCosmicFrog

Student3213 wrote: »

Hi. It helped for a while. Could you tell me what sort of ways counselling could help me? I'll admit I tried before a long time ago for something else, but I was too set in my ways for them to have any effect on me. I believed one thing, and whatever they said to convince me otherwise was beaten down because what I believed made so much sense to me. Nothing else could be right.

If I try it again I might be met with the same result and then I'd be back to where I began. Will they advise me?

Hey. It can help everyone differently. Trust me, almost everyone is set in their ways, and it's not the job of a counsellor to convince you to think differently

What they do offer is a confidential place to be listened to. As some previous posters have said, they'll have heard from hundreds of students over the years about their stress and struggles with subjects and college life in general making them feel down. It's somewhere to go to take some of the load off your mind. The counsellors also offer great information about help you can get, academic or otherwise, and can answer any questions you might have, or advise you on where to go to find them. I hope that helps

Ficheall

It's also important to remember that dropping out of a course isn't the end of the world.

If you are sticking with it, know the past exam papers inside-out.

Suil Eile

I was talking to a lecturer I know personally and she told me that you wouldn't believe the amount of people that come to their lecturers about mental health problems. She said that lecturers can give alot of leeway when it comes to grades if you're struggling with something like depression. You're definitely putting in the work and if you got in, you've got the smarts, so don't underestimate how much your depression is holding your grades down and how much people in the university can help you.