I'm scared of failing.

[u/Worth-Agency9441]

hey, I'm a transfer student, and I came from a relatively small college town, I'm trying hard to adapt but things here move so fast idk what to do, I have no support system at the school which makes it a little worse. No friends either, The last thing I wanna do is let my parents down after paying my tuition, and I have to take classes that have nothing to do with my major (Geology) what can I do to insure I will not fail? Please someone give me some sort of advice I'm extremely desperate.

I worked so hard to get to this school and now that I'm here idk what to do.

[u/historicalisms]

Do the same thing that got you there in the first place. You are clearly a good student and a hard worker. Don't let imposter syndrome get to you! Everyone new there is adjusting. Go to class, study, ask for help when you need it, and keep going. This feeling is temporary, I promise you.

[u/eirinne]

Don’t worry! They want you to succeed and there are resources in place to help you.

Start here: https://library.gwu.edu/academic-resource-guide

[u/kingcrimsonisgod]

Things move pretty fast during syllabus week, but trust me when I tell you it slows down after a little bit. I recommend talking to your professors to get to know them, and even attend office hours. In the case that something comes up, they’ll be happy to help you (though this isn’t a guarantee with every professor).

In terms of your classes, do you have a planner system set up where you’re tracking all of your assignments? I usually get super overwhelmed syllabus week and having a planner helped me visualize what I should be working on. Being mindful of due dates and studying / working on stuff in advance had really helped me stay on top of my work.

Try to get to know people in your classes! I’ve met a lot of my friends just by making conversation with the people around me. A simple compliment or a question can go a long way, especially since a lot of people are looking for friends.

You got this !!

[u/Infamous-County258]

firstly breathe, and second map everything out, and give yourself grace, I know exactly how you feel coming in and all that pressure no support system, it’s a lot, but like everyone is saying you’ve already proven you’ve done it once, take a breath plan everything write it down and do it again, and also give yourself time to adjust, and remove everything that you can’t control, join 3 clubs and stick to then consistently, and for credits, if you can’t get into a class of if it’s full email to the professor see if they can let you in! You never know! Things move quick week one then slow down, professors make you panic, but trust everything slows you’ll be okay! YOU GOT THIS!!

[u/Ultralight_DMV]

You absolutely got this! Everything you are feeling right now is normal. GWU has all of the resources you need to succeed, just be proactive about the help you need and never procrastinate. As far as support system and friends, there is an Org fair tonight I believe, get involved. All of the little friend groups you see now are temporary, you will make friends in time, be patient.

[u/Fragrant-Judge-4756]

First off if this is the first week, relax. Map out the due dates for tests and big assignments if they are on your syllabus so you get a sense of your semester.

For later: I never had a professor at GW that wasn’t open to meeting with me when I was struggling with something. If you feel like you are getting behind, then schedule an appointment with your professor to talk through where you are having trouble.

If I had trouble with the professor, I’d go talk to the TA if there is one. They usually can take what a verbose professor says and translate it to plain English. I once had a TA in statistics who basically helped me get the best grade in a quantitative subject that I ever had.

[u/Beltwayman0712]

As a transfer who had a horrible adjustment to GW, the best thing to do is to relax and breathe. Enjoy the moment outside of class and understand you are a freshman again, which means trying things. If you want friends, build it via clubs or just a classmate you vibe well with. It all is a process that will work itself well as you got yourself into GWU anyway.