EDUCATION

What to do if on Academic Probation or Withdrawn from School

Academic probation is a warning given to students when their GPA drops below 2.00. In most schools, when a student’s cumulative GPA drops below 2.00, such students are at risk of being withdrawn from the college, polytechnic, or university.

Most schools set a minimum GPA for academic excellence. If at all you as a student are on probation, this means that you may likely be withdrawn from the school if you fail again in the next semester examination.

The major cause of probation is poor academic performance, which may be a result of carryovers. When a student scores more than 5 C/O, such a student is at risk of being withdrawn.

So if you are probably one of those students on probation, failure is not the end of your academic journey. You can still bounce back on track and graduate with your colleagues. No student prays to be on probation, but sometimes it happens, and what if that happens? Here are three things you should do if you are on probation or have been withdrawn from school.

1. What causes your failure?

What was the reason behind your probation? Is it that you don’t attend your lectures regularly or that you didn’t prepare well for the exams? You must identify your weaknesses, as this will enable you to bounce back on track. For example, if you are in the engineering department and you have problems with calculations, you may have to consider changing your course since you can’t cope with the workloads in the department. When results are released, the school will list what you scored in your c/a and exams, this will expose you to know the actual areas you need to work on.

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2. Put in more effort.

If you are on probation, don’t withdraw yourself voluntarily; instead, put in more effort. Yes, you can still bounce back, depending on your seriousness. All you have to do now is concentrate more on your studies and study hard. Read as if your life depends on it.

Make friends with other successful students so they can explain some areas you find difficult in the failed courses. I have friends who started with a 1.88 GPA and graduated with a 2.20 GPA; some even made it out with a 2.55 GPA. If you have the determination to succeed in your studies, you will surely achieve it just by believing in yourself and working hard.

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3. Start over again.

If you are on probation and your GPA is so low that you think you might not be able to cope, you should drop out and start all over again. You might think this is a stupid thing, but trust me, it is the best decision ever. Yes, failure is a ladder to success. Sometimes, for you to succeed, you have to fail.

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And if you have been withdrawn from school, pick yourself up again. Resit for Jamb and UTME. Choose a course that you can cope with. If you think sitting for Jamb will be hectic for you, why not try part-time programs that don’t require Jamb? In fact, part-time programs are easy because the number of units of course you are permitted to offer in a semester is low compared to full-time.

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One of my classmates was withdrawn over poor academic performance after he was served probation. Some of our colleagues then mocked him, but he was wise to sit for another jamb, and he was offered admission to FUNAAB, and now he has graduated. Had it been, he gave up because he failed in the polytechnic, he couldn’t have been a university graduate.

So you should learn from my friend’s story. Your course mates might be mocking you today because you have been withdrawn from the institution, but you should be more concerned about your future.

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Can I bypass probation?

Of course, you can bypass probation. Probation is just a warning that you risk losing your studentship if you don’t perform well in your next exams. Bypassing probation is 50/50, meaning you either win or you get withdrawn. So, right now, you have to get serious with your studies.

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How Can a Student Avoid Probation?

The best way to avoid probation is to avoid carryover. The more carryover you have, the higher your chances of being placed on probation. It is advisable that you take your academics seriously, as that is the best way to avoid probation.

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