Failing classes

[Denis20202020]

Long story short. First year grad student, did not like my program.

I'm a psychology student in a mathematical psychology program, the course works I am taking are rather ridiculous: I am taking qualifying classes with the math graduate students!!

I have an ok math background, but I am certainly not as good at math compared with math grad students. And unlike them, I was put directly into the medium/high level classes. I felt like being thrown into the deep side of a swimming pool, and I am not good at swimming.

I applied for an actual psychology program, and was accepted, so I will start over this coming fall at a different university. Here is problem: I am extremely unmotivated in the course works i am taking right now, especially since I know I will leave the current program, and will never need to worry about theoretical math again. Plus I had serious problems understanding the lecture and following the course material, I am failing the classes.

Will the transcript at my current school impact my future career in grad school?

David

[Gunner24]

Any transcript you may have to provide for future applications could absolutely impact your future career in grad school. Regardless of their relevance or how far in the past they are, failed marks on a transcript will need to be explained somehow. You can't leave it up to an adcomm to interpret those grades- you will want to frame it in a certain way to where it will minimize the hit against your overall app. This is all IMHO. Good luck to you.

[kaykaykay]

I am actualy not sure. I transferred and I was worried about my grades (they turned out to be ok) because I was highly highly unmotivated after I got accepted to my current program. Mosty I was watching videos about the new place etc. When I got to my new PhD dept nobody ever asked for my transcript from my previous year in PhD.

[emmm]

Is there any way you can drop these classes?

[rising_star]

Will the transcript at my current school impact my future career in grad school?

David

In my experience, yes. I have had to send transcripts this year to apply for a number of fellowships and scholarships. I imagine they don't ask you to send them unless they plan to look at them. If you stick to applying for just the NSF DDRI, you should be fine. But other things I have applied for require "all graduate transcripts," "transcripts from the last two years," and "transcripts from every institution you have attended." In all of those cases, you would be sending them a transcript with a bunch of failing grades on it, which may knock out your application. Also, sometimes on internal fellowships (like travel grants), I have to list my graduate GPA for the last year or overall. Again, in your case, that would include a bunch of F's.

Try to pass your classes. Maybe even take an incomplete or two so you can spend the summer doing as much as you can to get a better grade. Or withdrawal if there are no penalties for that.

[Denis20202020]

I contacted the graduate office concerning how will my current transcript impact me.

The reply is

"Your G.P.A. at your current university will not be reflected on ... transcripts. The transcripts from your current university, however, will be used to determine whether you will receive any transfer credits from your previous study."

I do not want any transfer credits, since the two programs are completely irrelevant. Am I off the hook at least on that part?

===

At this point, it is impossible to drop or apply for incomplete. And I will not be able to retake them, since I am leaving the current institution after the semester ends (in about 20 days).

Edited April 15, 2011 by David200000000000

[Teelee]

I agree with rising_star, your old transcript will matter when you apply to external fellowships and any other situation where your transcript info is mandatory.

[notgoingwell]

Just curious what the class is your taking. I'm going to start my PhD in mathematics soon, and if it's theoretical math, maybe I can help a bit. Those classes are really confusing when you first encounter them, so don't feel alone in that sentiment. Personally I never got anything from lectures in pure math courses (and still don't), I learn from the books. Some books are fantastic but others are very difficult. If you let me know the class maybe I can recommend some good texts to study from as well. But personally, I would try my hardest to understand and pass. I think almost any pure math course, even if you leave it feeling like you didn't learn crap, is useful to take if only because you really begin to challenge your mind and your conventional way of thinking. You won't even realize it until later on, but studying these sort of courses really re shapes the way you think!

Edited April 15, 2011 by notgoingwell