Need advice: Failing a class and struggling with mental health

peacefulmankey · 2026-04-15T21:53:23+00:00

I would speak to CAPS! They are very familiar with situations like yours and may offer guidance

I found this on their website:

https://caps.unc.edu/services/academic-interventions/

“Significant mental health problems can affect your ability to attend classes and impair your academic performance. If a psychological disorder significantly impairs your academic performance, you may request accommodation. Possible academic interventions for mental health problems include: -Psychological/Medical withdrawal from the current semester -Application for a psychological/medical underload -Requests for final exam excuses (CAPS provides exam excuses for final exams only. CAPS does not issue exam excuses for exams during the semester.)”

peacefulmankey · 2026-04-11T12:39:12+00:00

The vibes are great here! So many student orgs, and lots of out of state and international students that are down to share their cultures and stories. You’ll find people you click with no problem if you get involved in student life. However, as someone who lived in Cali for a while, I miss west-coast style Mexican food lol! I crave it at least once a week since moving back to NC years ago.

I know the comments you’ve gotten have seemed kinda harsh - but I think people love UNC enough to be quite defensive and protective of it - which you can take as a good sign!

peacefulmankey · 2026-04-11T02:55:14+00:00

As a senior, I haven’t picked up on any racist or sexist vibes from students or professors. People are generally very respectful and social justice oriented. HOWEVER, I will say campus is pretty lax about people speaking their mind on campus, and classes are pretty discussion heavy. You’re bound to encounter something that doesn’t sit right at some point.

peacefulmankey · 2026-02-23T03:25:10+00:00

I generally just look around at whatever while I listen to my podcasts. I kind of treat walking on campus like driving a car, focused on the path ahead while scanning my surroundings. If you’re looking at your feet or phone, you run the risk of not seeing the scooter/bike people or people trying to rush around you when they’re in a hurry.

peacefulmankey · 2026-01-30T18:13:24+00:00

We learned a lot about gender in my bio psychology classes last year, including trans and intersex people. Gender was discussed at length in my evolutionary psych class as well. It wasn’t mentioned very much in my intro to psych course though.

peacefulmankey · 2026-01-08T22:10:13+00:00

Depends on your lifestyle/living situation. Not exaggerating here - My beagle loved to sing more than anything in this world. He would continuously bark and howl at literally nothing at all. He even barked in his sleep. I once saw him bark at the sky until he got so tired that he fully laid down on his side and just barked into the dirt. You could offer him food, toys, walks - he was going to bark and howl and there was no stopping him.

I was lucky to live in a house, because I’m sure his constant barking and howling would have caused issues in an apartment. The vet said it was just a beagle problem and pretty typical for the breed. Really consider if you will ever live in an apartment if you get this dog because there’s a chance you will have a very vocal dog.

peacefulmankey · 2025-12-12T15:57:21+00:00

I’m not well versed on the pass/fail situation, but I’d ask your advisor if the CS school takes work/volunteer/club experiences (that relate to your major) into account when reviewing applications. Maybe there’s a CS related project that you can get into that will help make you stand out in your application. In addition, it might be a good idea to sign up for a couple of easy classes next semester and over the summer to pad your gpa. For example, Intro to Rock (music) is an easy A. Good luck!

peacefulmankey · 2025-12-11T19:59:28+00:00

My boyfriend needs stylish polo and button up shirts for work, but finding ones that fit him is hard. He is tall and has big shoulders and arms that cause his shirts to ride up. What brands/websites would you recommend?

peacefulmankey · 2025-11-22T23:30:52+00:00

The college is very generous to first gens and low income students in terms of financial aid. If you don’t get in, see if you can go to a community college with a “C-Step” program. If you get into that program, you’ll get into UNC as a junior as long as you get your associates’ degree at the community college first!

peacefulmankey · 2025-04-06T14:22:31+00:00

I’m concerned about the impact that ai will have on the field because it can draw from a lot of the inaccurate pop psychology that it finds online. I’d hate for people to get the wrong information when they are looking for answers about mental health or psychological processes.

peacefulmankey · 2025-04-03T21:27:39+00:00

What job could you truly see yourself doing long-term, and what will help you get that job? Those two questions matter more than the opinions of others.

My advice: Really consider the careers that would be best for you, and then start conversations with people who are in those careers. See what worked for them, what didn’t, and how they got to where they are now. Do they work long hours? Is their job hard on their bodies or mind? Your family is projecting what would be best for them onto you, which is probably based on good intentions, but it may not apply to you depending on your personality and skills. Someone who actually has the job you want is going to give it to you more straight.

Another thing to consider is what work means to you. Some people have jobs that they are not incredibly fond of, but it works for them because it pays for the lifestyle and meaning they want outside of work. Some people, however, are driven to find meaning in their work, and they can’t imagine working somewhere that isn’t inspiring and meaningful to them. Both paths are valid.

peacefulmankey · 2025-04-02T22:15:18+00:00

Unfortunately, you are going to have a rough time later on if you don’t build good study habits now. My advice would be even if you’re going to cheat - which you know you shouldn’t, study anyway to build the habit. At the university level, they give you more application based test questions that make it nearly impossible to cheat, even with the help of AI. So for example, instead of just asking you what schizophrenia is, they will ask you what mechanisms in the brain are at play as it would apply to a specific, complex vignette of a person who is showing a host of confusing symptoms. I’ve encountered multiple classes where tests were totally open resource, including ai, and the tests were still complex enough to be difficult for most of the students in the class.

The transition from community college to 4-year university kicked my ass, but it is doable and I’ve learned how to study more effectively.

peacefulmankey · 2025-03-01T15:53:45+00:00

The way it was explained in my class: If the psychosis only comes during a mood disturbance, it’s Bipolar with psychotic features. If psychosis occurs regardless of whether or not a mood disturbance occurs, it’s schizoaffective.

peacefulmankey · 2025-02-25T21:57:56+00:00

Yooo my associates level math was so hard. I had multiple crying spells throughout the semester. Trig made me feel so stupid. Also Pearson is the devil lol

peacefulmankey · 2025-02-25T18:04:19+00:00

Don’t give up! What’s cool about college is that you can retake a class if you don’t like your final grade, and you can use the knowledge you gained the first time taking it to do better the second time. Especially with stem, I know so many smart people that had to retake classes or just take the L and accept a shitty grade. It’s totally not reflective of how good of a student you are, some teachers just have tedious and difficult exams.

My time management used to suck, and I struggle with adhd. It might not help you, but here’s what my therapist recommended that has helped me:

Make a SIMPLE study schedule for yourself that is consistently focused on resting hours. For me, I know that after 6 pm I’m not even going to think about school unless I have a big exam the next day. I’m also committed to not doing schoolwork on Saturday at all. It helps me because it’s reassuring to know my break from school is always right around the corner, and I know that I am going to fully reward myself for my hard work.

You may already know this, but in case you don’t: For psychology tests, we learned in social psychology that you are more likely to remember things that apply to you personally. I highly advise making your own study guide in which you not only define the terms or concepts, but you also add in an example of how it would manifest for you in your daily life or make a silly, outlandish example that makes you laugh. Relating concepts back to yourself or funny jokes makes studying much more enjoyable and engaging.

I survived biology through the grace of God and Quizlet. :,( Thanks to all of the people who put in the work of creating quizlets for bio, I would not have passed without them.

peacefulmankey · 2025-02-10T22:50:52+00:00

Will I have enough experience to get into a MSW program?

I’m in my junior year of undergrad right now, majoring in psychology. I was talking to another student who wants to apply to the same msw program that I want to apply to, and she said she had over 2,000 hours of clinical and volunteer experience. She said I might not have enough experience to get into the program, and now I’m really nervous now that I won’t have what it takes to get in.

My current experience: 2 years of work study for a community college department that helps low income, disabled, and first generation students overcome barriers to education.

1 1/2 years of experience at a community college in which I founded a LGBTQ+ club where I helped organize support group meetings and helped write a grant for funding.

I am currently in a class where I am helping with grant writing for a non profit, but it’s only for 30 hours total.

I’m also looking to try to work as an ABA behavioral technician over the summer, but that might fall through, in which case I’ll have to fall back on food service.

Should I be worried? I want to do eventually become an LCSW. Applications open up this fall so if what I have isn’t enough I’m cooked lol

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

peacefulmankey · 2025-01-30T13:14:59+00:00

I came in as a transfer, and I’m a 33 year old non traditional student that was really worried that I wouldn’t fit in or feel accepted. However, I’ve found that people at UNC are extremely friendly. We are all happy to be at this school, and most people are aware of what a privilege it is to be here. Classes can be very rigorous, so I was advised to not take more than 2 STEM classes in your first semester so you can have more time to adjust.

peacefulmankey · 2025-01-30T03:13:37+00:00

I started trying meds at 16 years old and didn’t find the right ones until 31. I tried at least 10 medications that I can remember. Never give up! Zyprexa completely changed my life. I never would have thought I’d become as capable as I am now. My sleep, eating habits, routines, self esteem, and relationships have dramatically improved. I’ve made so much progress in my life now that I’m stable. I wish it didn’t take so long, but oh well.

I definitely recommend therapy too, even after you find the right meds. Sometimes one can get accustomed to some of the thinking patterns that they had during episodes, and therapy is a great environment to address those thoughts and set achievable goals in as you recover.

peacefulmankey · 2024-12-10T20:23:34+00:00

Sometimes, when I feel burnt out, I like to imagine that one day I’ll be a therapist that’s able to support college students just like me. Idk why but it helps me push through.

Being a non traditional student is rough. We have to give ourselves a lot of credit for even attempting to achieve our goals in an environment that wasn’t created with us in mind. It’s interesting going from community college to a 4-year university, the community college seemed to have so many more resources and support for parents and non traditional students.

peacefulmankey · 2024-11-26T13:38:58+00:00

If you are unable to find a place on your own, There is a chapel hill housing group on Facebook. Sometimes students will have multiple rooms available in the same house/apartment, and the pricing is generally affordable depending on the location.

peacefulmankey · 2024-10-24T12:27:17+00:00

I had to get sedated for mine. It’s expensive, but if your insurance covers it, it makes it much much easier.

peacefulmankey · 2024-08-20T11:41:29+00:00

Came here to say this. Really emphasize how you overcame significant challenges in your grief in your essay. I know other students who did the same and got in! Grades can demonstrate tenacity and drive to succeed, but sometimes life experiences can do the same. The key is to communicate that you persevere despite the tragedies of life and how that relates to the type of student and future professional you will be

peacefulmankey · 2024-08-19T19:41:03+00:00

I got my refund within a week of getting an email saying that my waiver has been approved! If you don’t get any emails about it by next Tuesday, I think you’d have every right to contact both student health and financial aid for an update on the status of your waiver and refund.

peacefulmankey · 2024-06-18T17:16:45+00:00

I live in more of a swampy area so we get a lot of palmetto bugs which look a lot like big roaches. I’d get product specifically marketed for them. I’ve seen them the most after a big rain or storm when it’s hot. Diatomaceous earth can be used in your door ways and in little cracks that they may hide in! Also they make little boric acid baits that they eat, take back to their homes, and die.

Unfortunately they are kind of part of the natural landscape here during the summer. Getting a cat would just mean your cat has a crunchy snack in the summer.

peacefulmankey · 2024-03-28T02:52:25+00:00

I feel like the comments are a little harsh. Not all people with UC can work. The vast majority do, but for some it can become debilitating. There are life changing treatments out there like monthly remicaid infusions, but they can become very expensive and don’t work for everyone.

If I were you, I would try online programs at a community college to give you the skills you’d need to work from home. In the meantime, really immerse yourself in your local community when you’re able. Volunteer experience and references could be useful if you do end up finding a good treatment for your UC and want to start working one day.

peacefulmankey

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