Having a rough semester?

May 10, 2004

Many students experience some form of academic difficulty during their college career. For some students, they may simply struggle through a class or two or through a single term. For others, academic difficulty may be more severe and/or long lasting. Generally, there are 5 main causes of academic difficulty:

Motivational difficulties
Motivational difficulties can include difficulty adapting to and feeling a sense of belonging in a competitive academic environment.

Adjustment to college life
Balancing study with the new freedoms and responsibilities of adult living can be a difficult challenge. For some, it will take practice to develop the personal discipline required to stay focused at a large institution with so many opportunities.

Study skills
Students arrive at Berkeley with many levels of academic preparation. For some, the transition to Cal is seamless, for others, a real struggle. Weaknesses in academic preparation and an inability to organize study time can contribute to unsatisfactory academic performance.

Directions/Goals
Some students report having difficulty directing toward a course of study and or finding a subject matter that "fits" with their interests and abilities.

Personal Issues
At times and perhaps unexpectedly, personal issues can affect academic performance. For example, issues involving health, personal relationships, finances and family responsibilities may overwhelm a student's ability to perform well in classes. Academic advisers are specially trained to assist you as you assess the variety of issues that may have contributed to academic difficulty. In some cases, you may be easily able to determine the cause of poor performance, in others, there may be a combination of contributing factors.

Whatever the situation, there are many ways you can make connections with staff, faculty and fellow students that may help you overcome the difficulties you have been experiencing. There are a number of campus resources that can help you.

You can also visit the Office of Undergraduate Advising for help:

Drop-In advising is offered Monday through Friday at the College of Letters and Science Office of Undergraduate Advising in 113 Campbell Hall. Advisers are available from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Simply come into the general reception area of 113 Campbell Hall close to the start of the drop in cycle and request a drop-in appointment.

Scheduled advising appointments are also available. Appointments are scheduled beginning Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for the following week. Call the general information number for the College at (510) 642-1483 to schedule an appointment. Scheduled appointments are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.