# Summer School Stress. Drop Out?



## Genuph0bia (Feb 16, 2016)

Hey, so I decided to take physics during the summer so that I won't have to do it next year. However, I didn't anticipate how hard it would be.

I'm absolutely lost. I can't keep up with the lessons at all, and there is absolutely no time to catch up. I'm the dumbest person in my class. The only lab partner I had went and sat with a smarter person, because both he and I were struggling. So now I am left alone. I had to awkwardly ask to join groups for labs, and I had so much anxiety. My face goes all red, and my hands start shaking like crazy.

I know I won't do well in this class. I'm too far behind to catch up, and I just don't understand the concepts. I have no friends in that class, or if I did, they left me for a smarter person.

I feel useless. I'm an emotional wreck. I would only get 4 hours of sleep, and I would only be able to make it through half of my homework because it is that hard for me to understand.

It's only been the first few days, but there is more to come. My parents are giving me the option to drop the class, but I feel weak if I do, and I also want to take this class.

I don't know if taking it during the school year would help much because again, I have no space, and there are even more labs and group work.

I don't know if I should drop out, take it during the school, or maybe take it next summer after I have more experience. 

I will never forgive myself if I drop out because of this, but I am so stressed out to the point where it's getting unhealthy.


----------



## shyguy07 (Mar 22, 2015)

Hmm, if it's bothering you that much and you feel there's not much you can do at this point, it might be better to just drop out. Could you see the instructor for tutoring or join a study group? Again if you're too far behind it might not help. The best thing may be to try again in the fall and start from square one, getting help and understanding each part. If you know someone that still needs to take it, maybe you could take it at the same time and you could study with them.

I wouldn't beat myself up for dropping a class if it was just too much. Some classes are really hard. I came close to dropping out of Calc because it was so hard. I squeezed by with a C, but barely.

Physics I probably would have had more trouble with had I not taken it in high school.

One more thing, maybe if you do need to retake you could do it next summer so you aren't trying to keep up with other classes. Or are you planning to graduate before then?


----------



## Genuph0bia (Feb 16, 2016)

I was planning on taking it next summer if I did good in other science courses.

I don't necessarily need this course, but I thought it would be a good course to have to keep my options opened.

I've never taken this course before either. My only concern is that I worry I might recieve a penalty for dropping out of the course, such as recieving a 0 as my final grade.


----------



## eeyoredragon (Jun 27, 2016)

Hey Genuph0bia.

Are you still within the time frame to drop without a "W" on your transcript? If so, then if I were in your position, then I'd drop the course and sign up for it again next summer. That way, since you already have a copy of the syllabus, you can study the material at your own pace and prepare before the class even starts. Anyways, summer courses tend to be fast-paced given the limited time. Plus, don't be too hard on yourself should you decide to drop; taking care of your health is more important than school/class.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Genuph0bia said:


> Hey, so I decided to take physics during the summer so that I won't have to do it next year. However, I didn't anticipate how hard it would be.
> 
> I'm absolutely lost. I can't keep up with the lessons at all, and there is absolutely no time to catch up. I'm the dumbest person in my class. The only lab partner I had went and sat with a smarter person, because both he and I were struggling. So now I am left alone. I had to awkwardly ask to join groups for labs, and I had so much anxiety. My face goes all red, and my hands start shaking like crazy.
> 
> ...


If it's early, you can still ask for help or start a study group. Physics is one of the tougher courses out there.


----------



## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

Genuph0bia said:


> I will never forgive myself if I drop out because of this, but I am so stressed out to the point where it's getting unhealthy.


What difference is there going to be during the regular school year?

If you think you can pass it, stress notwithstanding, then stick with it.

Think of how glad you'll be to have it done with and what benefit it will bring going forward.


----------



## MobiusX (Nov 14, 2008)

I don't believe in summer school, it's a shorter amount of time to learn something that takes half a year or a year, I had to go to summer school in junior high, it was so depressing that some guy when the teacher left he jumped out the window (1st floor) then ran and hoped over a fence, she came in and saw him climbing the fence and was laughing because she said it was stupid for him to think he wouldnt be caught since he was wearing a bright yellow shirt


----------



## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

Well, hopefully you've decided something now since 2 weeks have passed..but, health over school(I should follow my own advice). You also wouldn't want this to affect your GPA..so just take the 'W'/dropped grade mark and move on.

I'm taking *two *summer graduate-level classes.I'm sadly only taking them because I needed the financial award money to help pay my expensive rent.Sad to admit but whatever. Summer classes are just rushed classes that are squeezed into a tiny time frame.

I'm now taking this mandatory class that doesn't relate to my career path and has me stuck with all of these MBA people (I'm not doing an MBA).So, I feel dumb like you too. Then, the summer classes are a 6 week time frame....this one professor piled an unrealistic amount of readings on us in such a short span.Then,he also always runs out of time to cover all the material...I don't know what the hell he was thinking.


----------



## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

On another note, the advantage is that you might be ahead if you stick with the class. I know when the Fall semester starts in September, I'll be kind of ahead and could probably get away with taking only 2 classes instead of 3 or 4. That's what totally I need in graduate school right about now. So, weigh out the costs and benefits.


----------



## BAH (Feb 12, 2012)

Summer courses go through the material quickly and the term is very short. Next time you'll have to prepare yourself before the summer session begins.


----------



## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

So yeah, so I withdrew from one my summer courses after giving it a go for 4 weeks- International ECON Trade Theory to be exact. It's not even in my field but mandatory.It was too rushed and heavy for a non-MBA student like me.I even texted my mom about it. But then again,I'm in grad/postgraduate school and my parents don't give a damn what I do in that regard lol....

Life happens and I'll just retake it in the Fall or Spring, where this is less of a rush. I'm still sticking with this other course though-as it pertains to my field of expertise/career interests.


----------

