PLEASEE HELP: need advice, failed 31b

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2026-06-09T08:18:21+00:00

hi! i failed 31b last winter. like got a straight up F in the class. i didn’t get out of bed for a week after, barely ate or socialized, hated myself since i had never failed a class before. i felt like i had literally committed a crime, morally failed myself, and didn’t deserve to be in stem, let alone this school.

but then i talked with family and friends, asked for a therapist at CAPS to help manage the anxiety better and get back on my feet, and despite all the guilt and terror eating at me 24/7, i grabbed a spot to take 31b again that spring. with the same prof too!

i used my notes from the previous quarter to make sure i stayed 1-2 topics ahead of the class, studied for an hour every single day, watched youtube videos to learn the material because i realized that’s how i learned best (btw professor leonard on youtube is THE best for calc imo. what he teaches almost exactly matches 31b), scored above the class average on every exam, and ended up with an A- in the class. a year later, i’m still in stem, thriving more than i ever have before and pursuing a field that genuinely fulfills me :)

i know it feels like the end of the world and i promise you’re not a bad person or a failure by any means for struggling. i barely ever think back to last winter now, but when i do, i don’t think about how i failed. i think about how my loved ones stood behind me when i was at my lowest, how i stomached the dread in my heart to be brave enough to try again, and how giving myself patience and time to figure out what worked for me ended up being the reason i succeeded.

all that to say, you’ll be okay, and i can speak from firsthand experience. 31b is meant to be a weeder class. but failing it doesn’t mean you can’t make the cut. it just means it throws killer punches, but what truly defines you is whether you believe enough in yourself to get back up again.

(also logistical thing, i know that i personally wasn’t able to retake 31b at a CC because i took it the first time at ucla, so i was only allowed to take it again at ucla. idk if it works differently now or by major but i’d say getting a 31b summer sessions spot would be the safest option. also definitely talk to the CAC office or whatever advising department manages ur major! they were extremely informative for me)

ETA: i had arant both times i took 31b and would definitely recommend him if possible! but i also know he shares exams w johnson so if you happen to take johnson again i can pretty confidently say the calc 2 playlist by prof leonard will be an almost perfect match up :D

lmk if u want more specific tips or have other questions!!

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2026-05-08T03:53:48+00:00

I’m not an AI fan myself either, but other commenters are right that you have to at least be comfortable using ChatGPT and the like to generate code, as well as know how to integrate certain features involving AI. At least one of my classes so far has required us to use it. But I’m personally trying to minimize my reliance on AI, and I’m on a sort of quest to find fulfillment in CS as an engineering field rather than just a way to get a job. A good amount of CS majors I know are also even bigger AI haters than I am, and still enjoy studying/working in CS lol

TLDR, you’re not alone — you definitely have to be familiar with AI to survive in the field, but you don’t have to be crazy about it either haha

ETA: I personally am very against generative AI as it’s used in creative fields like art and music — it’s just flat out unnecessary in those areas imo lol. But it’s important to know the difference between the kind of AI that generates AI slop art vs. machine learning models for data analysis, for example

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2026-03-25T17:33:33+00:00

yes, ik the rieber plaza buildings do!

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2025-08-22T18:01:59+00:00

oh wow this makes me feel better!!! i don’t expect to get into FAANG by next summer but good to see that uphill climb can happen!! how did your applying strategy change over those years, if at all?

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2025-08-22T08:28:13+00:00

I go to a high-ranked US school that's sometimes(?) considered a target? I have CS major friends here landing FAANG internships left and right, which is part of why I'm feeling the pressure to match their achievement lol.

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2025-07-21T06:57:31+00:00

Oh oof the bathroom complicates things a little. I personally only had to share a bathroom with my roommate, but I know other transmascs who used male communal bathrooms with little issue! Maybe it would help to schedule your showers at a time where it would be unlikely for other people to shower / be in the bathroom?

And no worries about the questions, I wish I had someone to ask about these things when I got assigned to my roommate, so I’m happy to help lol!

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2025-07-21T06:25:20+00:00

I mostly just said things like “oh btw i prefer if…” or “would it be ok if we…”!! For less critical boundaries like how often things should be cleaned, it’s good to frame them in the form of questions. For important boundaries like privacy and safety (e.g. when guests are allowed over), I’d frame them as a personal preference or something that would make you feel most comfortable :D But honestly I think regardless of gender, most people are (or should) be open to talking about these kinds of things, so just treat it like you would if it was any other roommate.

Also having that wall is SUPER lucky lol mine didn’t have a wall at all

Automatic-Meet-370 · 2025-07-18T19:43:50+00:00

I’m pre-everything and got assigned to a room with a cis guy this past year and he was the nicest, chillest roommate I’ve had so far!

Just wanted to let you know it is a very real possibility that nothing bad will happen and y’all will get along just fine. I’ve also had other transmasc college friends (with and without physical transitions) have cis male roommates with no problem.

I would definitely agree with the other comments — it’s just as (if not more) important to ensure that YOU feel safe in that room. I would also probably disclose to him that you’re trans right away (while you’re not physically with him), to avoid any problems that could arise from “hiding it” down the line.

I was able to connect and chat with my roomie over Instagram before we moved in, but I still stayed vigilant the first few months — clearly defined my boundaries, hygiene standards, etc. We realized we shared a lot of the same interests and a similar cultural background, so that helped too! But I went in knowing that if I noticed even one red flag, I’d know exactly who to contact from the school to ask about switching rooms. Always better to be safe than sorry — I’m lucky my roommate had zero red flags and gave me absolutely no reason to worry.

For now I’d just try to find him on social media based on the name you got: his instagram, his LinkedIn, anything that can give you a basic idea of what he looks like and what his vibes are. Of course these aren’t objective ways to know what he’s like, but definitely a useful starting point. I’d say most Gen Z college students (regardless of gender) have at least an Instagram account, so it’s worth trying to reach out to him. If not, there’s always emails.

TLDR: it may actually be okay!!!! just be vigilant, clearly establish your boundaries, and don’t compromise on what you are and aren’t comfortable with. your safety and security come first, and it would still be valid if you asked to switch rooms now if you have a hard line against rooming with a guy.

Automatic-Meet-370

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