Here are stories from CSUCI students who successfully completed the academic notice process.
Time Management
“I was very busy one semester keeping up with classes, work, and family responsibilities, and my grades tanked. Still, the probation email was a shock. I hadn’t thought much about the academic notice policy before, so I didn’t realize I had let my grades get so out of hand. I was ashamed and embarrassed at first. How did I let this happen? After talking with an academic advisor, I felt a little better. Eventually, I saw that probation is CSUCI's way of making sure that everyone is doing okay. I can understand that, and I’m glad this process is there for students when we need it. This experience increased my awareness of policies and expectations, but it also connected me with mentors who helped me figure out how to manage my schedule. I ended up taking a leave of absence for a semester, and that helped me get back on track. Graduation is around the corner, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished at CSUCI.”
Mental Health
"A few semesters back, I was struggling with some mental health issues. I felt like I was barely holding it together. I couldn’t focus on my studies, so probation didn’t come as a surprise. But it did help me realize that I didn’t know how to deal with everything, so I reached out for some guidance from people around me including an academic advisor and a counselor at CI's CAPS office. They helped me learn how to manage my mental health better—to take care of myself and get support when I need it. I still struggle sometimes, but overall I’m doing better mentally and academically now, and I’ve learned how to deal with stress and hard times more effectively when they come up."
Motivation
"I have a few things to state that helped me get off academic notice. The first thing is I never missed a class day. I think it's important to go to every single class, because I know a lot of students that get lazy and start to stack off by not going to class. Also, another thing that helped me was I went to my professors office hours. This definitely helped tremendously. Next, setting goals in each class was my next step in my success of getting off academic notice. In addition, to get off academic notice I did a lot of extra credit and completed all my homework on time. In the end, I put my all into everything and I really tried to invest my time into each subject. I would say the most important thing is time management and motivation."
Poor Choices
"I love CSUCI--the experiences I've had, what I’ve learned, and the people I've met. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. But a while back, I made some poor choices, and my grades suffered. At first, I ignored the problems. I hoped they would just go away. Of course they didn't. Getting on probation was really hard for me, because I knew I could do better. Finding out that it could affect my financial aid kicked me into action. I went to the financial aid office and ended up talking with a counselor there about my options, like filing an appeal. Then, I set up a meeting with one of the academic advisors. She clearly understood people sometimes make mistakes but can learn from what happened and improve and grow. We strategized and made a plan. To be honest, it's been tough. But I’ve done it. And that gives me confidence that I can handle whatever other challenges the future holds for me."
Preparation from High School
"Coming to CI was difficult. I’d done well in high school, but I just wasn’t prepared for the way college works, how much reading some professors assign, or the fancy language some people use. When I ended up on academic notice, I felt like a failure, like I didn’t belong. After a while, I realized that probation didn’t define me as a person or limit my potential as a student. Yes, I struggled, but it wasn’t that I couldn’t do the work. I needed to learn how to do college. It took some time, but I made an effort to take advantage of as many resources as I could: I met with my advisor, repeated courses for grade forgiveness, went to tutoring, met with my professors and started spending more time at the library. Now, I’m on track to graduate and I know that I deserve to be here just as much as anyone else."
Family Commitments
“Being a student is really important to me, and so is my family. That’s a huge part of why I’m here at CSUCI- to be able to create more opportunities for my family in the future. One semester, there was a lot going on at home. That, on top of work and school, was just too much and I did poorly. When I got the academic notice email, I wondered if maybe I should just give up. Thankfully, though, I talked with a friend who encouraged me to keep going. I talked through all my responsibilities with him and that helped me make a plan for how to get done what needed getting done. I started talking with professors and tutors early on in my classes to get tips about how to be strategic and efficient. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of what I’m doing for me and for my family.”
Transfer Student
"When I was at community college, I easily took 15 units, with a part-time job, but when I got here, it was really hard to juggle working part-time and going to school full-time. I was devastated when I was placed on probation. I felt alone and overwhelmed, and so for too long I just didn't do what I needed to, and ended up on probation another semester, and I lost my financial aid. It was a huge wake-up call so I decided to ask for help. I talked with an advisor, who told me about all the resources available on campus, and I also talked to my faculty advisor, who let me know about tutoring in my major classes and gave me other tips. When I went to the group probation workshop, I met other students, who were struggling, just like me. That helped so much, because I knew I wasn't alone. Throughout the process, different people gave different advice and eventually I figured out what made sense for me. Looking back, I wish I had started talking to people earlier, when I first got on probation. I think I didn't, because I was embarrassed, and I worried how people would view me. But I see now that most people at CI really want you to succeed. And that means a lot to me."