Berlin bound and thriving

“I felt really defeated and disappointed in myself,” Josh Bissett said. “At that point, it’s real—there's no way around it.” 

The third-year economics student learned of his academic suspension at the end of his second year—a moment that made him question whether he would return to campus at all.

Yet, just one year later, he’s packing his bags for Berlin, Germany. 

Growing up in Avon, Colorado, Bissett devoted more time to martial arts and lacrosse than to his studies—a pattern that followed him into college.  

In his first semester, the challenges of maintaining a rigorous CU lacrosse training schedule and academically demanding courses like physics and applied calculus quickly overwhelmed him. 

“I struggled a lot, I thought I could just get by with going to class and attempting the homework,” said Bissett. “I did go to office hours, but then I stopped going, because I was a freshman and I wanted to experience all that Boulder had to offer. Lacrosse was also a big thing. We had practice in the morning and weight training at night. I'd get home from that and it was very difficult to motivate myself to be able to get my schoolwork done. At that point, I didn't know how to ask for help.”

As he approached midterms, Bissett dropped several courses that were not progressing as successfully as he had hoped. This turn of events led him to pursue a business degree, believing the coursework would be less challenging. 

In his second semester, after struggling with his Mathematical Analysis in Business course, Bissett’s approach to his academics caught up with him. 

“At the end of my freshman year, I was put on probation, but nothing really changed with the fact that I was just being lazy. I wasn’t doing my schoolwork and I was letting outside distractions dictate where I put my time in,” said Bissett.  

After quitting lacrosse following his freshman year—feeling the experience didn’t align with his expectations—Bissett was unmoored and unmotivated going into his sophomore year, causing him to be formally placed on academic suspension. 

At CU Boulder, academic suspension bars students with a GPA below 2.00 from enrolling in main campus classes in the fall and spring semesters until they raise their GPA. 

With the threat of dropping out looming, Bissett was forced to consider his options until a fateful email came from Continuing Education academic coach Pam Epstein. 

In the email, Epstein explained that Bissett could take Continuing Education Online or Evening Credit classes to get back into good standing and advised him to enroll in the Resiliency Program. In the program, students are encouraged to find their strengths and address their educational barriers through specialized coursework, peer connections and dedicated coaching, with a scholarship offered upon successful completion of the program. 

With little left to lose, Bissett registered for EDUC 1500: Success Strategies in Higher Education. 

“I felt so much guilt until that point because I saw the rest of my friends doing well, or good enough, academically and I was struggling,” said Bissett. “So it was nice to be in a class where everyone else is in the same situation.”

Determined to earn the program scholarship and get back on track completing his degree, Bissett fully embraced the program, taking advantage of weekly study sessions, engaging more with his program peers and taking inspiration from the program’s peer wellness coach and his Resiliency mentor—former Resiliency students who had successfully completed the program. 

However, the true turning point came halfway through the semester when Bissett began meeting with Epstein on a weekly basis.  

“We would brainstorm different study techniques and think about why they would work or wouldn't work. The next week, she would check in and ask how the techniques from the previous session worked,” said Bissett. 

“She really pushed me to try and find answers myself and it was really frustrating at first, but then I realized without that frustration, I wouldn’t have learned and just gone back to my same old habits. She encouraged me to not be scared of asking for help and going to office hours.” 

After a hard-fought semester taking online classes, Bissett returned to good standing in spring 2026. 

“Coming back was a huge sigh of relief—I had just been digging myself a deeper and deeper hole that got harder to get out of until the Resiliency Program,” said Bissett. “I left the program with study techniques and ways of motivating myself to succeed, which I have been doing.”

“With the help of everyone at Continuing Education, I'm doing really well in classes, and I have an exciting internship, which I never thought I would be able to get.”

This summer, Bissett will travel to Berlin for an internship focused on real-world market research—an opportunity he once doubted he would have. Now, uncertain of exactly where his path leads but confident in his ability to navigate it, he’s moving forward with renewed perspective.

“As of right now,” Bissett  said, “there's only a bright future ahead of me.”

If you or your student is facing academic difficulty, academic suspension or academic dismissal, Continuing Education Online Credit or Evening Credit courses may be able to help you return to good academic standing. Schedule an appointment with a Continuing Education advisor to learn more.