Sooo....frustrated

[Screaming_Emu]

So here is a mindless rant about something that is admittedly partially my fault, but also very much the effect of some of the school's policies. I was about to head to bed tonight, but I decided I'd check my grades before heading to bed. Not a good idea, way to upset (both with myself and school) to sleep right now. Here's what's goin on.

I was taking 414 this semester (CFI for those who dont go here). My parents had recently completed a move from an airbase in Japan to our home back in Maryland. All of the associated costs and such made things tight on the whole family financially. We tried to get me a loan this summer to pay for my flying, we were turned down due to my lack of a credit history and my parents' previously poor (but getting better) one.

The parents said they'd help me out as much as possible and that we should be able to get through the course if I worked to support myself as much as possible. Unfortunately I ran out of money about half way through the semester, and only got a little bit every once and a while up until the end of the semester. I got about 18 of the lessons done, but UND has a rule that if you dont get 28 lessons done in this course, you fail the 5 credit ground school. So We finally scrape some money together towards the end of the semester to make a mad scramble to finish, but the weather was absolutely horrible. We got all but 2 of the briefings done, and had about 8 flights to complete.

The end of finals came, I wasn't done my flying and I figured that I'll just finish my flying next semester and take ground school again. I had the option of dropping the class earlier in the semester, but figured that I'd have to retake it one way or another.

Unfortunately, one thing I overlooked was what an F in a 5 credit class could do to your GPA. Now I'm .02 below what is required to enrol in a flying course. Anybody know if they'll even let me finish my flying with a 2.48? Another thing that adds to the frustration is that I did so well in the ground school. The lowest I got on a block exam was an 84, and most of them were in the mid 90s.

To add to the frustration, I wouldn't be in this situation had I done better in my other classes. I had previously taken Aerospace Law. As everybody who has taken this class knows, at the begining of the semester you're given a huuuuge stack of paper that is filled with court cases. You're expected to randomly be able to talk about these cases when called upon once in the semester. If you weren't there when your name was called, or you didn't read the case, there was a huge amount of your grade taken away. Either one letter, or 5%, I dont remember.

So the first time I took the class, the first day I decided I was gonna risk not going, guess who's name was called. Yeah, I know, very much my fault. Also in that class, I decided to put off another project to the last minute. We had to go observe something in the court and then write a small paper about it. Once again worth 5% of our grade. Of course when I show up the day before it was due, they say "oh, there's nothing going on in the court house today". So I wrote a paper about that, but obviously got a 0 on that...hey, was worth a shot.

So I ended up with a D in that class, and wasn't at all surprised by it. Unfortunately if you get a D in the aerospace department you have to retake the clalss.

So this semester I re-take it again. Decided to choose a different professor to change things up a bit...only to find that we covered teh EXACT same material in the EXACT same order. This time I got my court report done, did my presentation, but missed quite a few classes. Of course every time I missed class, there was a pop quiz. I missed every single one, but figured I'd do well enough on this group project at the end to make up for it...instead I got a 76% on that, which gave me a 73% in the class. In most other school's that's a C, but here a C doesn't start until 76%. Had I gotten 3% higher I probably would still have a 2.5 and life would be good. Instead, I'm going to have to petition to get into the class another time, and make sure I go to class every single time...so I can listen to all the stuff I already know again...did I mention I got a 96% on the final?

Every time it looks like the light is starting to show up in the end of the tunnel, somethin like this happens that leaves me so ready to just pick up and go somewhere else. But I've been through transferring before, it sucks and probably wouldn't be worth it. Not only that, I would really like to beat this school. If I tranfer I feel like I failed and will probably always have to answer the question "so why the transfer so late in your college career?" on every interview.

Anyway, thanks for reading the rant, if anybody has some words of encouragment or suggestions I'd love to hear them. Until then I'm gonna sit around and pull out my hair for the rest of my freakin break. So looking forward to telling the parents about this tomorrow.

[TXaviator]

excuses aside (we all have them!)...if youre not good friends with Doc Jensen already, now may be a great time to introduce yourself

i cant say enough good things about him, and he's helped me out of a similar GPA pickle....

give him a ring or swing by his office in Odegard, you'll probably be glad you did.

best of luck

(and i KNOW ALL ABOUT the money issues man.... so i definitely feel you there! trying to fly on a shoestring/nonexistant budget SUCKS. such is life though.)

[Philip]

that sucks dude, I'm sure they'll let you retake once you jump through enough hoops since that class will bring your GPA back up. Just don't get a C in the damn thing. If not doc J you might swing by student services and talk to idonna, she's pretty helpful too.

[TonyC]

Here's a tip:


Don't skip classes.









(It seems obvious, but it's an expensive lesson that you seem to have missed from the first attempt at Aerospace Law...)




.

[TXaviator]

Originally Posted by Philip

that sucks dude, I'm sure they'll let you retake once you jump through enough hoops since that class will bring your GPA back up. Just don't get a C in the damn thing. If not doc J you might swing by student services and talk to idonna, she's pretty helpful too.

*cringe*

surely you must be kidding?

i dunno, i cant say ive had any problems with Idona, but something about her just kinda rubs me the wrong way. i found it much more pleasant to talk to Doctor J

could be just personality issue

[Philip]

Originally Posted by TXaviator

*cringe*

surely you must be kidding?

i dunno, i cant say ive had any problems with Idona, but something about her just kinda rubs me the wrong way. i found it much more pleasant to talk to Doctor J

could be just personality issue

Really?
she was always nice to me, but I worked in scientific computing awhile and fixed her machine once or twice, maybe that helps.
I had very few little hiccups at UND, the only one that worried me was xferring in a math credit from lake region (on the air force base) my last semester, I couldn't fit it in at UND and it was the last thing I needed to graduate, some rule about your last XX credits have to be at UND, she got it straightened out and I escaped ASAP!
Now, rubbing the wrong way, that would be ken polovitz. He just seems... sleezy.

[CRJDriver]

Gotta love those UND policies & procedures. I'm sorry Joe, that really sucks man. I'd say just take a break, don't even think about it for a while, enjoy being at home.

[TonyC]

Originally Posted by UND_Flyer

Gotta love those UND policies & procedures. I'm sorry Joe, that really sucks man.

You're kiddin', right?


It's UND's fault?!?!?







.

[CRJDriver]

I didn't say that.

[BZNflyer248]

Originally Posted by Screaming_Emu

So here is a mindless rant about something that is admittedly partially my fault, but also very much the effect of some of the school's policies. .

I'm sorry about your predicament but you simply have to take ALL responsiblity on that. The financial part is unfourtunate but you really need to plan that out and figure if you'll have enough to run the semester before you get started. Without some of the "negative motivators" we have there would be MANY students not finishing on time. This doesn't allow labs for people behind you to open up and also doesn't give instructors new students etc. etc. Basically when students don't finish on time there is a negative effect all accross the board - for faculty, instructors, fixed costs etc. etc. This also makes it more costly for the individual student trying to finish up because it usually requires review flights during the next semester to get back to where you left off. As far as other classes are concerned you HAVE to show up. School is also your job so you need to treat it as such. Would your employer be pleased if you didn't show up one day without saying anything? no. Instructors don't like that either - and you're BOUND to miss something THEY feel is important (belive it or not, even IF all the notes are online!). Transferring wouldn't fix those kind of woes either because without total committment you'd just bring the same issues elsewhere. I personally am for really tightening up academic standards at UND - I've seen far too many people get pretty far in their training and classes and DEEP into the $$$ and not be able to hack it. Aviation careers take A LOT of commitment AND work ethic. Just be glad you're not in the crowd that has completely flunked out of the 400 level stuff when they're already 35k+ into flight costs alone. Don't get me wrong - I"ve fallen below my own standards for classes etc, we all do - but turn it into a learning expirience and something you can overcome. Find a job someplace or work extra hours next semester if they won't let you fly and earn some extra dollars, retake law and any other class that could boost your GPA - you can also revise and continue studying your lesson plans to keep the technical knowledge there. Kick it hard and keep rockin. Now I'm done with my stupid rant.

[Foxcow]

I am pretty sure that they will let you re-take the flight course you failed regardless of your GPA. The same thing happened to me with 221. Goodluck man.