Down but not out

Think that campus life is a breeze? Think again. Five students who failed out - or nearly were booted out -- of their universities tell how freedom, friends and overconfidence can actually prevent you from graduating.

Paew [not her real name] was nearly expelled after her first semester at Thammasat University. She has since graduated and, at age 25, is working as a newspaper journalist.

"When I was in high school, I only studied the night before an exam and got high scores. At university I did the same - and failed," she says.

Paew says the transition between high school and university was more difficult than she expected. "I had thought the exams would be multiple choice like in high school. But I was wrong. University exams require a proper understanding of subjects and strong writing skills. I didn't have a clue what to write on my answer sheets," she says.

Paew's had a 1.9 grade point average (GPA) her first semester, meaning she could fail out of Thammasat after her second semester. "I was shocked. I always thought that once you got into a university, you had a 100 per cent chance of graduating," she says.

Studying hard her second semester, Paew pulled her grades up. She realised that her goal wasn't simply to graduate, but to graduate with a high grade point average.

Students need high grades to get an advanced degree or to land a top job after graduation.

"Good grades reflect your efforts and responsibility," Paew says. "The grades on your CV are a company's first impression of you."

Away from home for the first time, Tuck [not his real name] took advantage of his freedom. Instead of attending engineering classes at Kasetsat University, he hung around the soccer fields or went drinking with friends.

"I was from the province and wasn't used to so much freedom," says Tuck, now 29 and a banker. "If I had more discipline, I wouldn't have disappointed the ones I love."

Away from his parents and excited about campus life, Tuck paid little attention to his grades. His first semester GPA was 1.9, which meant he risked expulsion. But this didn't deter him.

"I was over self-confident," he says. "I thought I would improve without much effort. I continued in the same vein, despite warnings from friends." He scored 1.9 his second semester and only 1.5 his second year when he was expelled.

Tuck was determined to succeed. He took the university entrance exam again, was accepted, and ultimately graduated from Kasetsart with a degree in business administration.

"It's about self-discipline," he says, saying it's foolish to skip class. "It's especially important for students to remain vigilant if they're not staying with their families. I've never felt worse than the day I had to confess that I'd been expelled."

Put [not his real name] made a different error as an engineering student at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. He failed to ask for help when he didn't understand and fell behind in his studies.

"Instead of seeking advise from teachers or friends when I didn't understand something, I simply avoided the problem by showing up late for class or skipping classes altogether," says Put, 23, now who is about to graduate from Burapha University.

Put had a 2.1 GPA at the end of his first semester. He felt that was normal for students from the provinces, whose schooling was often inferior to their Bangkok counterparts. But as he fell increasingly behind, he abandoned his hard-working ways and instead stayed out late at night, drinking and watching soccer games on TV with friends. He would wake up late and not attend class.

"When you're away from your family, you really need to be self-disciplined. I wasn't and my grades got worse," he says.

During his second year, Put chose electrical engineering as his major. It's a very competitive programme, and he couldn't keep up despite the help he received from teachers and fellow students.

"When you have problems sort them out them immediately instead of leaving it until it's too late," he now says.

Waris "Fon" Kanchanachongkol, 25, failed out of Thammasat University. He was supposed to be studying journalism, but spent nearly three years hanging around shopping malls instead.

"I rarely showed up for class. I studied just before the exams hoping to pass," he recounts. While he had a 2.0 GPA his first semester, he followed with a 1.0, 1.5 and 1.97 the following three semesters.

"By the time I realised I was on probation, and was in danger of expulsion, it was too late. My grades were too poor to fix," says Fon, who mistakenly thought he could transfer his class credits to another university.

"I had to start again at Bangkok University. Not even a single credit was accepted because I had been expelled," Fon says. As a result, he spent more than seven years earning his bachelor's degree.

Thritti "Doy" Nonesrichai was nearly expelled from Chulalongkorn University because he devoted too much time to sports. A player for Thailand's national soccer team, Doy now says that all students - especially athletes - need to properly manage their time.

"You can enjoy extra-curricular activities, but you must know how to limit and manage you time," says Doy, a political science major, who managed to graduate by extending his studies by a year.

Athletes often have difficulty balancing training, competitive events and studies. "Many athletes I know were expelled," Doy says, "but I survived because I had the help of teachers and friends who loaned me lecture notes and tutored me."

Doy says teachers were sympathetic to the pressures he was facing because he kept the lines of communication open. "When I knew I was to miss a class, I would go and tell the lecturer. He'd understand my situation and give me advice and allow some flexibility."

By Worawan Thanamongkol