Uh. I'm so stressed out and don't know what to do right now.

Does prednisone mess with your ability to do work and all that? I used to be so good at school without trying really and now I failed my bio test(during ivig) did not well on a paper and could have done better on a lab.

Med schools aren't going to enjoy this at all. What should I do.

Please help.

I found college quite a bit different and more difficult from high school. I was in a professional program and almost every class was a high gear science one! I had the most trouble with physics!
Also the "teachers" in college are not licensed like school teachers are. Many have never had "teaching courses", and they can be dull, uninteresting, and not convey the subject well.
My first Chem classes had horrible professors...just horrible.
When this happens, you are on your OWN!

I think many students run into this adjustment problem.

What I did was psyche out each professor/or instructor and that helped alot. Notice what the teacher seems really enthused about and study THAT more for tests ... it always worked for me.

Our "biology" was divided into Botany and Zoology, one semester of each. I loved those the best, as they were my main interest.

Mrs d. Did you have mg in college?

You know Tyson, I really feel for you in many ways. I personally think you should have delayed college for one or 2 more years, since you are not stabilized yet. So I hope you consider this alternative.

However, many of the kids I knew back then flunked out in the first semester. 1/2 of my entry class in fact. And many from the dorm. None had a serious medical disorder than anyone knew.

College is just plain hard. And for kids with little support, even harder. I had a birth defect to deal with, and money woes, which necessitated working alot to pay for things. Also I had a serious case of mono then too. So I understand pain, fatigue and stress.

College is very stressful! I hope you avail yourself of the college counseling opportunities. Most good schools have free counseling for students, especially freshmen. Many freshmen without medical stresses do poorly their freshman year. And it does not get easier by any means. You might be eligible for a medical leave of absence...so your place could be held for you when you feel better. I'd investigate if that is available to you.

So I wish you the best, and that you will come to a decision that is best for you and your current health.

Tyson, I am so sorry things are not going well. The first two years of college can really suck. Sometimes you have to get a tutor to help you out. That's not cheating! It's like what Mrs. D. said, some teachers are horrid at teaching well. I'm a teacher, so I feel I can comment on that! You have a lot of challenges, far more than healthy students have. Because of that, you have to adapt your life.

I know there are things you don't want to give up but when you have MG, you either have to scale way back or make the decision to give up one thing so that you can excel at another.

I had MG while in college, which I didn't know about at the time. I did not have severe MG. I was always adapting how I did things but it was my normal. Perception is funny, sort of, in that I accepted how I was and made changes accordingly. I had clear cut goals for myself and wasn't going to let friends or partying or whatever get in the way of that. But that's a personal decision that only you can make.

Is this a situation of you wanting to have your cake and eat it too? You aren't normal anymore. You are sick. You are on big drugs that give you even bigger side effects. If you can't get a handle on all of that first, how can you expect to do everything else you want to do?

I'm not being harsh, just realistic. Only you can decide what you can handle or not. I think a good talk with your neurologist and/or internist would help. And go ahead and get a tutor, if you can. Set yourself up for success. You're smart and you can do well!!! It does take a lot of work too though.

I hope you can work this all out.

Annie

Tyson.

I do know something of what you are experiencing. I had to medically withdraw in my second year. I just couldn't get the grades I needed when I couldn't concentrate and was always dragging. (It wasn't MG - -it was severe hypoglycemia. Passed out a few times my readings would drop so low.)

It turned out to be a blessing - cause the grades that I was pulling would have irrevocably ruined my GPA.

Talk to your guidance prof and your doc. Medical school requires a solid GPA. Don't risk messing that up if you can't keep up while you are working to stabilize your MG. This is the big league now - - there aren't any do overs once those grades hit your transcript and your classes will only get more demanding with each new semester. (I was prevet and believe me, freshman year was a cakewalk. My 'do over' 3rd semester was calc, organic, physics, micro, and some silly 3 credit elective I can't remember!!)

It isn't easy - or fair. It just is. So you have to figure out what is best for you and your goal of medical school. If money isn't an issue, maybe you could withdraw and audit classes. This protects your transcript and yet would allow you to determine how much you can take on until your MG is stabilized.

Sue

Annie- Thanks for your condolensencs, they mean alot. I did set up a tutor session. Yet at this point i just feel as though im not READY to be in classes like this, my mind isnt ready I dont think.
There are people who drink all night, smoke all day and still get 90's on their tests. I hate that more than anything. Im sick, im abnormal, study, and party yet i do alot of studying and it just doesnt stick.

Im not sure if I can handle it. But what would i do next? What happens? I had this plan when i was a sophomore that I would move to north carolina, get into UNC, become a doctor, and life would be great. My gpa was a 3.6, i did so well on everything, now its all gone to **** to say the least..Not sure how.


Sue- Im sorry you experienced the same thing...it really does suck. Its a feeling that cannot be replicated any other way. I hate the way i have been feeling lately, mentally for sure. I just feel so ****** that my grades are the way they are, and im not getting better.

I had surgery, i did what i was supposed to, yet its still lingering about.

What can i do? ARH! Im going to email the Dean of Students and try to figure something out.


Thanks again

Tyson, something I realized when I went back to college as the age of 30 was that it was a good thing. REALLY! I had been accepted into a college in Minnesota that was darn hard to get into when I was 18. My fears allowed that to be set aside for a marriage. There are reasons other than health that sure can interfer with college and yes as the ladies said the grades are there forever. My daughter finally elected to drop out for a while when her dad passed away when a reduced load wasnt enough. I had 18 year olds in my class when I was 30 with all this fire. But if you want this you CAN do it another way. I am the poster child for that.

My daughter eventally got the rest of her degree after marrying and just started as the project manager for a successful company here. They sought her out because of her hard work, tenacity and spirit. AS for me I beat out 25 year olds for the job I ended up with because I had other work experience that made me more valuable than a young engineer just out of college.

Annie59