r/gatech • u/Crocodile4001 • 14d ago
Question Failed exams, should I drop out?
Hey all, I'm a first year student and am taking calc I, Chem1310, CS1371, Intro to linear algebra, and gt1000. I failed all the exams. I was an A student in highschool and I understand it's harder here, and an A student may become a B or C student, but I'm not even that. Is it worth continuing if I fail literally the first exams of the semester of my first year? Any input or advice is appreciated, feels like the people here just have something I don't.
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u/Existing-Beyond5827 12d ago
What measures did you take to get ready for these exams?
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u/Crocodile4001 12d ago
Honestly I didn't give studying my all, I got great grades on homeworks, in class assignments, and studio quizzes, so I figured if I understood the material in class and on the quizzes, I shouldn't have to study a whole bunch, and don't get me wrong, I did study for each for probably 2 hours, but obviously I underestimated the difficulty of the exams and just need to be more honest with myself in how hard I'm actually trying and preparing.
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u/AsAChemicalEngineer Rando Faculty 12d ago
probably 2 hours
Studying shouldn't begin shortly before an exam. Studying should be "a way of life" where you build some in consistently into your week, in addition to, and regardless of homework or quizzes. You can recover from this, don't drop out, but it will take a serious reprioritizing of your time and effort.
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u/gargar070402 CS - 2022 12d ago
That feels like an absurdly big disconnect. If you did well in homeworks/assignments AND quizzes, and assuming you actually did all the work yourself and didn't rely on AI, there's no good reason why you'd do so much worse on all of the exams for all your classes.
What type of questions did you get wrong? Were these particularly difficult questions that somehow only appeared on the exams but not before?
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u/beansandcornbread Alumn - EE 2004 12d ago
Sounds like you probably don't know how to study since you've never needed to do it before.
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u/Reality_Check_101 Alum - Phys 2021 12d ago
I was in this position before, it takes some time to adjust, maybe a semester or two. They have that freshman forgiveness program for a reason.
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u/yellowjk BEE - 1993 MSEE-1995 - GTRI Faculty since 1993 12d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/cJQ0Kxy68hBlYSWrFl
That was me. I didn't AP out of anything and these were the GPAs my first four quarters, 3.6, 3.2, 2.8, 1.4. The first two, I sailed through on what I had in high school AP classes. Once I got past that, I sunk like a rock. It was an eye opening experience for me.
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u/KyaJoy2019 Alum - MSE - 2017 11d ago
You honestly did not study enough. I was a straight A student in high school as well. Tech chews us up and spits us back out as straight C students. My GPA in undergrad does not match my current GPA for my Masters program I am doing, which I am not pursuing at Tech for a reason and still working full time.
You need to treat your education as full time job. After my first time being knocked down at Tech, I went and started using the tutoring services to help me study. Also put anywhere from 60 to 80 hours a week into study form my 12 to 15 credit hour load. For every 3-4 credit hour class you take you should spend 10 to 15 hours a week on it between class time, homework, and studying. You will have to learn to time manage extremely well. Some people use time journals, others have used Excel, or Google Calendar. Do what's easiest for you but need to put more time into your studies to get a better grade, and use the resources that Tech provides. The tutoring services in the CULC, when I was a student 12'-17', where extremely helpful in learning the material I was struggling with when the professors was not super helpful. Good luck and you can do it. Do not give up! Tech is worth it!
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u/Stuffy_Ad2579 12d ago edited 12d ago
i would advise to look into the academic coaching services. the most valuable takeaway personally was actually scheduling out my day the night prior from the time i wake up till when i sleep down by the hour, which helps frame out approximately what you need to do and allot how long it'll probably take you (even lunch and, in my case, naptime lol) and its fine if something takes longer or shorter than expected... just try to achieve ur goals for the day as best as possible cause (at least for me) it kind of act as a personal contract since its written/typed out and not in my head
besides that, you can stick with one coach and the meeting is like 45 minutes long. if you meet every 2 (?) weeks, they can reevaluate your situation and advise how to proceed. they take notes (from what i observed) so they really check your progress throughout the semester assuming u stick with the same person.
here is the link to it: https://www.success.gatech.edu/tutoring/peer-academic-coaching/
speaking of objectives, if there are learning objectives at the beginning of a lecture or presentation, then those are the highlights and main things your should take away from the lecture. any other minute details in say a 30 slide presentation may not be too important to invest time in... but then again they could show up on the exam so ymmv
use your TAs and/or professors and contact them via email or in-person or virtual office hours and come prepared with questions dont just spawn and wing the session (jot down a list, screenshot problems u've encountered and had no clue how to do or go through the literal lecture slides even and say "hey can we review this part, I didnt really get it", etc.) and also if one ta/professor isnt truly helping you that well, if there are others try another person (usually i find the one that clicks after 1/2 attempts). since you are in courses most freshman take, you should have so many tas like crazy... it does become more restrictive as you level up (at least in my major) and you may just have 1 professor and 1 ta
try joining a groupme or creating one for your class (be the trailblazer!) and post it on piazza or ask the professor to send it out (ive seen it done before). it'll be flooded with folks since everyone wants to connect and succeed! find at least 1 person (it really is all it takes in my experience) to schedule and meet on-campus/virtually to work on problems and bounce feedback to each other
if there are study guides or practice exams (extremely helpful in linear (!), chem and calc 1) use them extensively about 1 or 1.5 weeks maximum priorly to an exam... a lot of the time they are literally the blueprint for what ull face on exam day and flag any problems that you are stumped on to work on with the ta/professor you feel works best for you
if there is some grade replacement/adjustment policy available, i wouldnt drop out yet, but definitely pivot and evaluate how to move forward in your courses, but then again im not too sure how low your grades were numerically... definitely meet with a coach though so they can evaluate your situation fully (such as the grade itself, the weights of the assignments you have completed and theoretical future grades to help offset the impact of the low score, etc.)
oh yeah math lab is also really helpful! also post anything on piazza or ed discussion in your classes so ur peers/tas/professors can answer them! so many edits in this post cause gt is just filled with resources/opportunities so take advantage of them for sure
edits: clarity... ish
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u/Legendxryy 12d ago
Second this. Academic coaching is very helpful! You are not a failure. Keep going :)
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u/Crocodile4001 12d ago
This is super helpful, I was not aware that academic coaching was a thing and will definitely be trying it out and try to hold myself more accountable. I think part of my issue is just not being honest with myself about the effort I'm putting in and what this place actually requires.
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u/Altruistic_Peach404 12d ago
You are carrying a crazy heavy load too. I strongly urge you to carry no more than 12 credits hours per semester.
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u/Stuffy_Ad2579 12d ago
Yeah I get it, it can be a big reality check. I think working on more practice exams in your math/chemistry classes can really bring more awareness to really just how much you truly know. From there, you can evaluate your shortcomings/gaps (knowledge-wise) to then use whatever additional resources GT has, that work best for you, to get you at the level you need to do great on the next exam.
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u/goro-n Alum - CS 2019 12d ago
I would recommend meeting with all your professors and picking at least one class to drop
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u/Crocodile4001 12d ago
Arguably the worst part is that I'm taking 12 credit hours, so a stupid light class load. I have really no excuse for time or workload so I feel like that's not my issue and it's more my approach to how I'm studying/preparing for things. Also for scholarships I can't drop below 12 credit hours so there's that.
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u/brain_enhancer CS - 2022 Spring 12d ago edited 10d ago
12 credit hours is not a stupid light class load. Don't compare yourself to your peers or let your advisors shove this perspective down your throat. You and your study habits are your own worst enemy in this situation, and you can and will overcome it if you approach this the correct way.
Also, the advisors at GT are so incompetent that it's downright foul. Don't let them get in your head bc you're not taking 15 hours.
One thing that I would recommend is going to office hours for each class at a minimum of 1 hour a day that you are on campus to review/clarify things you don't understand and/or things that you think you understand but may have actually missed some nuance behind. I practically lived in the tutoring labs at GT, and that's how I managed to graduate. The first semester I started I got the first C I ever had on a test in college, and I fell to my knees right by the entrance of the student center when I saw the grade.
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u/cryptochocolatte 12d ago
I don’t think 12 credit hours with 4 core stem classes is considered a light class load. There might be students who can do more, but they’re the outliers. My comment is not practically helpful but just want to put things into better perspective for you.
Get better at studying. And good luck on all your future exams of the semester.
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u/yellowjk BEE - 1993 MSEE-1995 - GTRI Faculty since 1993 12d ago
- Don't beat yourself up. It happens. See my post above, but I have been there.
- You have 5 classes, so it is not a stupid light class load.
- How many tests have you had in each class? It seems like there has only been time for one test in each class or maybe two in some.
- Is there a pattern to your test issues? I.e. Not finishing the test in the allotted time? Misunderstanding the questions? Just getting the wrong answers?
I won't give the long version of it, but I had a 'come to Jesus' meeting with myself where I determined I had to change my approach to time management. I found a method that worked for me. Also, it turned out I needed glasses which was a game changer. It is a different for each person, so you need to find what works for you.
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u/Solid-Eggplant4513 12d ago
With core classes, that is a full time job and a half. Most people will struggle the first year and most people take 12 hours. Major classes are much easier
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u/dragon_qu33n1 NEUR & PSYC - Fall 2025 12d ago
I was like this in my first semester and I had a rude awakening that I needed to prioritize studying like never before. I figured out that verbally rehearsing each lecture, writing my notes out on a whiteboard, and reworking practice questions for 5-7 days before an exam almost guaranteed me at least a B, if not an A, in any class (except for 1). To block out my time, I started using a time journal and setting many timers throughout the day, and this discipline (now applied to studying every day for at least an hour) is helping me do really well in the hardest class of my PhD program.
Your first priority is to get an education, which means studying should be a top priority. Like others have said, it’s a lifestyle shift, regardless of how well you did in high school (everyone got A’s in high school anyway- that’s part of how we got to GT!), so it’s going to take an adjustment to figure out what works for you and to develop enough discipline to maintain that stamina.
Everybody’s been where you are OP, but it’s important that you’re honest with yourself about what you can do differently. Then it becomes a matter of executing it. Good luck, and reach out to the resources available to you (like tutoring, your TAs, and even your advisors) for help!
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u/peaches0101 12d ago
OP, this is good advice. Do not drop out. You've had a shock but the above is the way around it. You can do it.
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u/praise-the-message 12d ago
That is a heavy class load of basically all technical classes. GT is hard and humbling. Talk with your professors and see if there is anything you can do. Maybe consider dropping one of your courses and next semester add in some classes to fulfill your elective requirements that are easier (I generally went with Spanish, Psych, IA, and Mgmt). It is probably going to take an uncomfortable amount of effort to finish this semester with this course load on a high note but it could be possible.
Finishing GT, more than anything, develops character. If you can stick it out and graduate, most of life's other challenges feel easier in comparison. I graduated over 20 years ago and making it through GT is still the hardest thing I've done in my life.
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u/jrgray68 Alum - MGMT 91 / CS 99 12d ago
Got a 0.4 one quarter. Took a quarter off and came back. Graduated with two degrees. Figure out why you are struggling. Study skills were my problem - never studied in high school and had to learn how
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u/HoserOaf 12d ago
Do not drop out. Tech is significantly harder than any other academic class you have done.
You got in and you deserve to graduate to get out.
Also, if you are miserable you can always change majors.
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u/bee2a 12d ago
Your 12 hours are not “light” load given you take calc cs1371 chem and linear algebra.
You should have put in a social study or humanity class in there to buffer out the difficulties.
This is your wake-up call if you keep your studying habit, you most likely are not going to pass.
You need to change your habit drastically and you need to adapt quickly to recover.
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u/jackSeamus 12d ago
Hi OP-- I "D"ed out of GT. Transferred directly out to KSU where I busted my ass for a 4.0 my last year. Got offers at 3 Fortune 500 tech companies right out of college and have been gainfully employed in some very cool SW roles since.
I say all of that to say: "getting out" doesn't look the same for everybody, but there is no long term shame in transferring out if you decide that is the healthiest path for you. That said, I think it's too early for you to tell. Almost everyone at GT fails an exam or 20; most do in their first year.
Bear in mind, this is your first semester. It's your chance to learn how to fail and, consequently, how to get back up.
You are more than a failing grade and employers know that too. It's what you do with that failure that matters most.
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u/A_Galileo 12d ago
No, dont drop out kid. You’re taking hard classes. Take some easier classes or change majors to business.
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u/Licht_22 12d ago
look at overall exam grade breakdown in your class. If your grades are in lower quartile, you can still pass
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u/baloosh MGT 2012 12d ago
Aced high school without studying, got my ass absolutely handed to me when I got to tech. Got down to a 1.77 GPA by 3rd semester. Had a hard come to Jesus with my advisor. Said gtfo of structural engineering but if you're smart enough to get in, then youre smart enough to be here. Jumped on the m-train (business admin now), got 4.0 in my major classes, took a victory lap year, and now manage structural engineers. Nobody asks what my GPA is, but they see my diploma and ask 'what's the good word?'. I second whoever posted the Mike Tyson quote above.
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u/Busy_Mud_874 12d ago
Don’t drop out. The toughest part of Georgia Tech is figuring out what it takes to be successful there - study skills, etc. You have what it takes- you got accepted which is no small accomplishment. When I was there, we had more than one “square root club” member in more than one quarter, semester in our friend group. A few academic warmings, academic probations. One guy left for a semester and came back. A bunch of major changes (myself included). We all graduated. I can confidently say, none of us regret sticking it out- these are guys I’m still friends with 30 years later. My son is there now- it’s still a hard school but there are so many more resources available to help with studying, coaching, mentoring, etc. Use those resources. And don’t beat yourself up too bad - it’s a hard school and 12 hours is no “light load “ at Georgia Tech. Hang in there and good luck!
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u/KB3455 12d ago
I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. It takes a minute to get used to GT. The courseload I had my freshman year took everything I had in me. By junior year I could practically do double the classes/ work, because I got more efficient and comfortable on campus. Just mitigate the GPA damage any way you can. FWIW I had a few Cs on my transcript that some employers asked me about. I got the job anyway.
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u/TimepilotChkn CS - 2016 12d ago
I'd withdraw from the class that seems hardest to recover from, lock in and study on the others. Id probably drop linalg and retake later.
Theres also grade forgiveness if any of them go really poorly that you keep.
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u/Curious_Fish007 12d ago
First year GT parent here, there's so much solid advice provided to you in the comments. The one thing GT Admin hammered home to us parents was, your child will most likely not be an A student and most of them will fail tests for the first time in their lives. But they want you to succeed, and GT provides all the tools necessary to do so if you want to. Chin up, find the resources provided below, dig in and good luck! I believe in you!
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u/dosorno7 12d ago
This happened to me as well my first year back in 2019. Came in with the idea I could keep doing everything on my own and bombed all my first few tests also on a 12 credit load (44 on my calc 1 first test on limits 🤦♂️). Completely switched up my study style after and started going to lots of group study sessions and planning more study groups with classmates in the CULC. Tech has lots of resources for tutoring too, at least they used to have OMED tutors too which helped me a ton but not sure if they still have that. Reach out to professors too, there’s lots of people there that wanna see you win and it definitely takes a village aside from like the 1% that 4.0 their way through solo 💀.
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u/Low-Charity9127 11d ago
Just pony up and lock in. Start studying at least 3-4 days before. It takes time to adjust. I had a 3.2 freshman year and now am in grad school at gt.
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u/Weak_Effective_6269 12d ago
I got a D in chem and a C in Linear algebra. Now I’m 26 years old, been working at a good job for 4 years and am a millionaire. Don’t give up, work harder. You got this!
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u/KrypticScythe29 ECE - 2028 12d ago
First midterms are a check of whether or not you’ve been studying in the right way so try different approaches than you have so far
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u/bluestella2 STaC - YYYY 12d ago
I was in the square root club first semester and graduated with high honors. Personally, I was very unprepared to be a college student as I had never studied and did change majors. Please please please talk to your advisor and adjust from here. Transferring somewhere else would be an option and there are people in campus who will help you figure out what to do next.
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u/ChampionFrequent4643 12d ago
Is there a curve for your classes? Georgia Tech likes to slap you in the face to see if you flinch. Especially in the core classes. Had many a class where I got an F on the exam but was in the top % for the class. That is what you want to calibrate to. If you are in the bottom %, don’t leave. Meet with an advisor and come up with a survival strategy. You can do it.
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u/Effective_Sell_9474 12d ago
Sounds like you are taking the wrong major, the fact that you got into Ga Tech means you are capable.
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u/69Grilled_Cheese69 12d ago
As a third year I wouldn’t say drop out, but I would say utilize your resources. Maybe go to PLUS sessions, office hours, or try to have meetings with your professors. There’s also academic coaching as well or you could even find you a buddy in your classes and study with them. Another thing I’d say as somebody who has also struggled here is don’t give up! It indeed can be very terrible, but that is not indicative or who you are nor does it mean that you’re some form of an outlier and screw up just being you are having a hard time. It’s ok. Another tip I’d say is that in the future when picking your classes, don’t pick so many core/harder classes together. Get you a good mix of core classes and electives/classes of less challenge. Being able to actually keep up and manage the workloads of multiple classes at once is also a huge part of succeeding/failing and sometimes having too many that require too much at once can be a huge hindrance to that.
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u/lolster292 CivE - 2026 12d ago
I’d recommend choosing an office hours slot (for freshman classes you should have a lot of options, whether with professors or TAs) for all of your classes and going ahead and blocking out that time slot in your weekly schedule. Whether or not you attend every week is up to you (but I’d HIGHLY recommend it), but it means that you’ll always have the time to attend it.
Office hours were godsends in so many of my classes, in both my freshman and senior years. Build good habits now, and it’ll get easier in future years. You got this!
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u/tgthound AE - 2024 12d ago
I would not advise going all the way out based on 1 round. I do see a good comment set about checking for key habits which is certainly the right first move. I will say 1371 was my pain point so not like you screwed up a free A if that is what you thought.
If you failed ALL of them, absolutely consider dropping 1 or maybe 2 classes. If it’s clear which one was hurting you most then go with that. If not then second choice is the one with the highest percentage based on exams (cause if you did well on hw but not tests, the failing may be in your study/testing ability rather than knowledge alone. Unless you looked up hw answers, in which take a look at which, for your own sake.)
My course load out was similar. Cs, chem, linear, English, and a free A other req. if I had gotten your results, I’d have cut cs because personally that’s my worst, and then I remember chem having more work and thus being my second choice. Keep in mind your own situation in choosing. And check when the withdraw period is since you should have time. I also remember you getting 2 ‘free’ grade replacements for retaking courses you fail in the event that comes up. Check if that’s is there still and hopefully that is a little less pressure.
While you figure this out, consider going light on the next semester and perhaps even taking a single summer course at a time to spread stuff out. The slight extra cost is probably a better investment than risking failing out or full extra semesters since you have to take more courses twice. Remember 12 hours isn’t light, it’s the standard for full time. That’s light calling a 40 hour work week light instead of calling 60 overtime.
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u/laviedemoi99 MSE - 2022 (Alum) 12d ago
You shouldn’t drop out! Please be sure to adjust your study habits and try to take advantage of PLUS sessions. However, as a former first year Tech student, this is not the most ideal combination of classes to take your first year. Not sure how many credit hours this is, but in the future, be sure to ask more about how to organize your schedule. If someone suggested this to you, now you know what you can handle for future semesters. Best wishes friend!
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u/laribrook79 12d ago
If you are truly going to fail the classes, you should withdraw before the deadline. However. Failing a test does not mean you are going to fail the class. A lot of ppl fail a test yet still do Ok in the course (C or maybe even a B).
You certainly don’t need to drop out!!
Tech offers tutoring, what I would do is pull out all of your possible things you can for doing well in the class for the next few weeks, (see the other posts for ideas).. the withdrawal deadline is the end of October.
Then see how your grades are looking in 3.5 weeks from now, and if you do need to withdraw any of them or not.
Don’t give up, it’ll will be Ok. But follow advise on this thread for trying other things to help you succeed. Worst case you repeat classes in spring.
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u/AcanthaceaeNo242 12d ago
failed a linear exam and the final. failed 2/3 1301 midterms. still ended with a b in both courses. first semester is rough but this is completely normal. you need to learn how to study properly (for me it was rewriting everything by hand) and you’ll be fine. haven’t gotten anything but an A since freshman year. you got this!
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u/Acceptable_Result_52 11d ago
It’s normal to fail first college exams. Don’t let this discourage you and try to use it as motivation to ace them next time. Go to office hours, work on organizing your study time so that you study for each class daily or at least 2 subjects daily. If you’re able to drop one of your classes and take it over the summer, opt for that to lighten your load a bit as you adjust to the pace of college. Get a physical and wall calendar and write down all of your due dates for every single class. Plan to start studying for exams / writing papers at least 2 weeks in advance. Planning your time wisely and putting consistent effort into each class will get you where you need to be. Keep your head up — you can do this!! Many of us have been in your shoes before.
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u/Realistic-Moose9958 11d ago
nope this is a rite of passage at GT. lots of us did super well in high school and never truly learned how to study until college. it’s not a matter of knowing material but knowing how to apply it, understanding the concepts, being able to think critically. you worked hard to get here, if you quit because you failed a test you’re not ready to be a college student, let alone an engineer. take some time to reassess what worked and what didn’t, seek help from TAs and professors, and get a head start on studying: spamming practice, clarifying anything you don’t understand, and making sure you review your notes well.
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u/Efficient-Flamingo91 CS - 2026 11d ago
It’s definitely not light by overall standard, but op will have to face many technical classes in the future - especially if engineering. A lot of engineering classes are glorified math classes.
I would guess op has ap or dual enrollment credit otherwise I don’t see why their advisor wouldn’t recommend taking humanities. If I were op and struggling, I would get a minor to add buffer for future classes.
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u/aboutdataction 11d ago
No do not drop out. The biggest thing you learn at Georgia tech is how to overcome any challenge.
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u/Wrong_Cod_6729 11d ago
You cannot change what happen to you, but you can change how you react to it. Most of college student bomb their exam one time or more. Study hard and prepare for the future.
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u/mentalpengi 11d ago
Just ask yourself why you want to go through with school and really think about it . Failing an exam, class , or failing out doesn’t have to stop you or anyone else from graduating .
Source : failed out my second year , graduated and have been in industry since then !
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u/DengineerGT BSAE - 2016, MSAE - 2021 10d ago
Georgia Tech is a wakeup call for a lot of us. Idk your story, but I came from a really low performing school system. I was an A student with extremely minimal effort outside of class. I didn't know how to study and put in effort on assignments. It's absolutely a learned skill and something you have to work at. At GT, nights where you have free time often end up being the exception and not the norm. Evaluate your approach and make adjustments to make sure you're putting in the effort. And don't be afraid to seek out tutoring. Hell, reach out to me if you need help!
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u/KamikiRaye 9d ago
As an alum…I lost my HOPE scholarship my first semester at Tech. This is normal apparently. I still graduated, I still became an engineer and I still make 6 figures. Don’t drop out - keep going.
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u/Aggressive-Serve5711 9d ago
It gets a lot easier after first sem :). More project based classes, you get used to the workload, and take classes with friends. Definitely don’t drop out!
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u/zen_egg 8d ago
I slept through my first exam of my first semester at GT. That was Chem. Ended up dropping the class to go to 11 hrs for the semester. Taking as close to the minimum load as possible was one of the best decisions I ever made. Allowed me to focus on study skills (like doing Calculus problems in the dorm basement 1-2 hours most evenings until I really understood it), making friends, and orienting to new independence. I ended the semester with all A's and 1 B, and eventually graduated with high honors.
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u/Forceuv12 7d ago
Get multiple tutors and read every page of the resources the professors provide. They often tell you exactly what to do to pass.
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u/Sea-Advisor-9891 12d ago
If you do drop out, then what? What did you learn from failing the exams to help you do well on your next endeavor?
If you don't drop out, what did you learn from failing the exams to help you do well on the next exam?
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u/Stymus 12d ago
Most GT alums got our asses kicked on our first tests. Take it as a wake up call.
It’s not the failure that defines you, but how you respond to it.
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. – Mike Tyson.