Problems

[lunavulcan]

So I've always wanted to study and help provide technology to help clean the environment or prevent any further harm. 
However but I get discouraged by my freshman and like one class from my Sophmore year {I did poorly in Differential Equations}. I'm raising up my GPA but honestly I don't know what to say to people when I'm going to apply. I feel so out of place when I look at their sites and it is like is it even worth applying when I know I probably won't get it.
I've made like a list of schools I'm going to apply to by next year and it's around 10 now, :/ 
I've always visited these forums but really this is really scaring me now.
I'm taking 16 credits right now and I'm minoring in environmental engineering. My courses aren't so hard actually but the initial few semesters were horrid.
Has anyone overcome this?
How did you motivate yourself through last few years in undergrad and how did you explain your bumps.

[ck926]

I am not in your field so this may not be especially pertinent, but I can tell you that I graduated with a 3.0 overall GPA from undergrad in December and just started my PhD this semester. My overall GPA was pretty low at 3.0, mainly because I was stupid/immature my first two years. Something snapped and I woke up at the start of my junior year, so my upper level and major GPAs were very high. When I applied, most of my programs told me that they consider the highest GPA (e.g. either last two years or overall). Again, not sure if programs in your field will do this, but it may be something to look into. During my junior year, I got involved in research. I got very involved very quickly, and was given opportunities to present and publish work, so that helped to buffer my low GPA as well, since research experience is the most important aspect of your application (so long as you don't have horrid GRE or GPA scores, etc., of course). Getting involved in research and building relationships with advising professors is key as well in order to secure glowing letters of recommendation. Generally, you want at least 2 out of your 3 letters to come from professors who know your propensity for research. 

 

As for explaining your shortcomings, there is mixed advice on this. Many will tell you that you can have a professor explain it for you in their letter of recommendation. Others will tell you not to mention it- just let your achievements speak for themselves. I chose the latter option, and it worked out for me. I think this is because there was such a drastic, obvious divide between my work in my first two and last two years- I think the committee could see that and it spoke for itself. If this is truly what you want to do and you work hard, I'm sure things will work out for you as well. 

Edited September 25, 2014 by ck926