Advised to take an unnecessary class that I'm now failing? Please help? I'm desperate

Applying to College
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<p>Let me start out by telling you that I'm terrible at math. Like I literally can study and be tutored and even understand it in class and then I'll get a test and I can't score above a C.</p>

<p>Every blemish on my transcripts is in a math class or a science that is basically all math (Chemistry, Physics)</p>

<p>Point is, I took my 4 years of math required to graduate with an advanced diploma. I signed up to take another AP History course in lew of taking a fifth year of math. But apparently (according to my guidance counsler and my parents) I would look better taking an AP math. So I sign up for AP Stat thinking "Hey, I'll do my best. I'm sure it'll be fine."</p>

<p>I was wrong.</p>

<p>My teacher is a grading Nazi. He took 10 points away from me on a test for writing TOO MUCH work out. In addition, I'm the only one in my class who went from a regular math class to an AP one. So I get a C for the first 9 weeks and I was okay with that. I figured I'd be able to muster a C for semester and since it's an AP class I'll be forgiven a little bit for having that on my transcripts. Well exam time comes. I go to review sessions, I study, I do practice problems, I walk in there, I do the test, it's easy, I walk out feeling like I at least got a C. I get it back and I got a freaking 60 F. A 60 F ON MY EXAM WHICH IS 20% OF MY SEMESTER GRADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! </p>

<p>I did some math, with the help of some friends since I can't do math by myself for some reason unbeknownst to me, and found out I can probably pull out a 74 C minus for the semester. But it's going to be very hard and I can't do much more than what I'm doing now. I fear that I'm looking at a D for my semester grade. I don't know what to do because I'm already having a terrible time in Honors Physics for the same math related reasons and I failed that exam too but luckily that teacher is nice and sees how hard I try to no avail and helped me out so I'll get a C for my semester grade.</p>

<p>Now to get to my point after boring you will THAT sob story.</p>

<p>Will the college admissions people take into account that all my bad grades are in courses with heavy math? I get A's and B's in everything else (AP English, AP Government, Honors Spanish 4, Theatre 3, and AP Psychology)</p>

<p>I want to be an English major. I hate math. I hate it. I don't know what to do.</p>

<p>I talked to one admissions counsler already who let me into his school even with my bad math grades and he said my bad math grades were overlooked because everything else was good and my courses were tough and I wanted to be an English major. But that was an easier school to get into. I want to go to James Madison University.</p>

<p>I know there's nothing I can do except for to continue to seek help and work hard for the rest of the semester and pray for the best. I'm just so stressed and depressed that this is happening so close to acceptance/ denial time.</p>

<p>I just want to know what I'm facing at this point if, God forbid, things to awry and I end up with that D.</p>

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<p>I have several questions/suggestions. First, have you (maybe with the help of your friends more gifted at math) determined the impact a D or even a C would have on your GPA? I’d recommend determining the best and worst case scenarios there; it’s possible one bad grade won’t impact it as much as you think. Assuming that it’s way too late to drop a class without it being reported as such, it seems like you’re doing all you can right now. It’s hard for me to assess how damaging bad math grades are for your college chances. Given your interests, I think most colleges will look upon bad math/science grades with sympathy and understanding, but there’s no denying that it will have a negative impact if it drags your GPA down. I’d advise you look at the average GPA range of your colleges. Hopefully, you’re still safely inside their GPA interquartile range (if you know what that term means you’ve definitely learned something in stats!). I’m so sorry about your situation-- I can only imagined how stressed out you are. But the best thing to do is try your best in the rest of the class and look objectively at your chances even with a D; no use fretting until you’re sure of the implications. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>I totally understand your story. I suggest possibly switching out of the class. Dont forget, this is an AP and idk about your school but at my school AP classes bear much more weight on your gpa</p>

<p>Sent from my HTC One S using CC</p>

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<p>I have no advice on whether or not to continue with the class, but talk to your guidance counselor and see if she will include a note in your mid-year report to mitigate the grade.</p>

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<p>You could talk to your teacher (surprised no one’s mentioned this). Some teachers are hard graders but very kind and understanding people. Worse case scenario, he says no, but if he takes points for “showing too much work” then surely you could haggle with him to get a couple points that might nudge you up to a C? (in my experience teachers don’t really differentiate all that much between C, D, F - he might not be so accommodating if you tried to haggle him from a B to an A though!)</p>

<p>@Michelle, that’s not the correct use of the term interquartile range :stuck_out_tongue:
IQR is the absolute difference between Q1 and Q3, so if the school’s Q3 (75th percentile) was 3.5 and their Q1 2.5, the IQR would be 1.0. I think what you were looking for was “within one standard deviation of the mean” assuming the distribution of GPAs is Gaussian</p>

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<p>

That’s probably because you are not preparing for it correctly. It sounds like you’re studying for math the way you’d study for a history class. In history, once you understood the sequence of events you’re good to go. In English class, once you done the reading you’re ready to write essays about it. Math is not like that.</p>

<p>Learning math is more like learning to play tennis than like learning history. To understand tennis all you need to know is that you have to hit the ball inside the lines and it can’t bounce more than once on your side. Are you now a top-level tennis player? No! Understanding is not the important part, practice is. And math is the same. It is the hours you spend doing practice problems that let you succeed. </p>

<p>For some, especially at the HS level, doing the assigned homework might be enough. But once you get to more difficult levels in math it usually takes more practice than that to succeed. You may have hit that earlier than some, but I guarantee you that in college anyone that wants to do well at math needs to put in a fair amount of time. And so do you, now.</p>

<p>I bet you can see that in your own work. Look at your old tests. Those problems you missed or didn’t get full credit for? What if you did 10 just like them. Could you then do the one on the test? I bet you could!</p>

<p>Fortunately there is help. There are books called “problem-solver” for all kinds of math, such as “trig problem solver”, etc. Buy the one that matches what your classes covering. The book has thousands of workout examples. You need to sit down and start working out problems, then checking your answers against theirs. Work out problem after problem until you’re getting them right. This is the only way. You can sit down with your tutor and have him explain a concept. You can understand it perfectly. But understanding is not enough. It is only when you turn that understanding into solving problems that you have truly learned. And this takes practice.</p>

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<p>@michellel Well it’s an AP class so even if I get a D, it will count as a C. So it’ll change my GPA by like .5 of a point. I’m not too concerned about that. I’m just scared of what they will think when they look at my transcripts and see a D. :stuck_out_tongue: Thank you so much for your answer. I hope you’re right about the colleges being sympathetic considering I’m not a math/science person.
@Pinkpoet it’s too late to switch out and my school makes it impossible to switch out of AP courses. If I leave now I’ll get an F for the year. Thank you so much for responding though :slight_smile:
@purpleacorn Thanks for the advice but I tried that and she said she couldn’t help me.
@maomao123 I talked to him and he said since I work hard he won’t let me fail but not failing in his book means a D. I’ve talked to and my mom has talked to him…it’s pretty hopeless. I’m just hoping homework grades and such might help close the gap and allow me to recieve a C. Thank you for responding though.
@mikemac haha Thanks for that! I actually do my practice problems. I just never understand it at a level where I can successfully complete problems anytime anywhere. My parents think I’m actually learning disabled in math but since I’m a senior in high school it’s a little late to have me tested and get special assistance.</p>

<p>Thank you all so much!</p>

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<p>Question. In speaking with the admissions counselor, did you suggest dropping the class? What was the reaction to that? Sometimes they would prefer you hang in there all the same. Really, your GPA’s major relevance is getting in to college, so what it may or may not fall to by the end of the school year is not of major importance.
Did you apply EA to JMU, or RD? If it was EA, you’ll likely hear from them before the mid-year grades- and this grade- cross their desks. If you are admitted, I’d send a note with the grade as they may ask you to explain it (assuming you are admitted early, which I hope you are).
I think a chat with the teacher is wise. Maybe you’ll be able to make headway. At the very least, perhaps you can get him to write a note to the school saying, “JMUClassof2017 is trying very hard; taking advantage of review sessions, staying after school, doing extra problems, and generally working very hard. Unfortunately the grade does not reflect the effort, but this is not a case of a senior who does not care, but rather a student who is truly working at a class yet not getting the grades to reflect that effort” or something. If the teacher would do something like that, perhaps it could help.
Best wishes to you.</p>

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<p>@89wahoo I can’t drop the class. My school has a “No dropping AP’s” policy unless I have a solid F. I’m hovering between a low C and a high D. If I drop it I’ll get a 0 for the year. If I feel like it’s going to be a problem I might get my teacher to write a letter but I doubt he will and even if he does I don’t know how much of a difference it’ll make. Thank you for your response!</p>