In my freshman year of high school, I got some pretty bad grades. My GPA was 2.92 unweighted, 3.26 weighted. Is it possible for me to bring it up to about a 4.0? I want to go into the UNC system, preferably Appalachian State University. What do I need to do to get in? I’d like to major in healthcare management.
What do colleges look for other than grades?
I have a procrastination problem. I wait until late at night to start on my homework on the day before it’s due. How can I stop procrastinating? How can I motivate myself?
I’m in the class of 2020, and it’s my sophomore year.
My schedule:
AP World History
Spanish 1
Honors Earth/Environmental Science
Honors English II
Honors Performing Arts
Math II
The only class that I struggle with, even when I try my hardest, is math. I’ve always been pretty bad at it. I’m in standard math. At the end of the quarter, I usually have a C. I turn in all of my homework, but I have poor test results. What can I do to get more math practice? Should I get a tutor? My school offers taking classes online, should I do that?
I wouldn’t take a class online in a subject you’re struggling in, especially if you are a procrastinator. Online classes can be great if you’re self-motivated and very disciplined, but otherwise it can screw you over by giving you a weak foundation, which is especially bad in a subject that is constantly building on old concepts. I’d recommend trying some online practice (like khan academy) to work on concepts if you feel like you can motivate yourself to put in the time.
If it’s an option for you, I think the best route would be to get a tutor. Not only would you have someone to help you with confusing concepts, but you would have one more person helping you get back on track and make sure you’re preparing properly for tests and learning the material adequately.
Best of luck!!
Don’t take any more APs until you can bring your grades up. Get a planner and use it. Where are you doing work? Try studying or doing schoolwork at the kitchen table, or the library to get it out of the way. Try khanacademy to work on math, and also try meeting with your teachers. Also: don’t take classes online.
I usually do my homework at my desk in my bedroom. Is that okay?
I’ll check with my parents regarding the tutor thing. Is it alright to take classes online in subjects that I’m good at? I do really well in history and science.
As for the first question, you can do homework wherever you feel both comfortable and productive. I usually do my homework at my dining room table or sometimes I do it laying on the couch. But there are other times when I know I really need to focus, and on those days I go to the library. My point is, you should do homework where you are comfortable but also avoid distractions. If you know that when you’re at your desk it’s time to do homework, then that’s a great place to work.
To your second question, I think that strictly academically speaking, it’s okay to take classes online in subjects you are strong in. I’m currently taking my math class online. That said, I do have a couple reservations; first, with your tendency for procrastination it may not be the right decision to take a class online. Taking a class online requires a lot of motivation and discipline because you usually go at your own pace. You don’t have a teacher on your back about late work or other students to answer to when you don’t pull your weight on a project (not saying you do either of these things, just that they are ways people are held accountable in normal classes). I’d try to work on the procrastination tendency before taking a class online. My second question would be why do you want to take classes online? I think it is generally better to take a class at school if you have a reasonably decent teacher because it’s easier to get help, easier to be focused in class, and you can do different types of learning (like activities).
My 2 cents…
I was thinking about taking some science classes online because it’s one of the subjects that I typically excel in. If I did that, I could get all of my science credits, which would allow me to take more electives.
It is possible to bring up your weighted GPA to a 4.0, but that would require you to do well in many AP classes throughout high school.
As for what you need to get in to the UNC system, search up their admission requirements (if they have any) and look on their website to see what they value in a student (extracurriculars, volunteering, grades, test scores, etc).
Besides grades, colleges look at extracurriculars, accomplishments, volunteering, letters of recommendation, and ACT/SAT test scores (if you can take those tests).
I used to have a really bad procrastination problem, and now it got much better. I stopped using my phone once I got home and would only go on it for a few minutes if a friend texted me or if I needed to text a friend for something. Also, if you have Google Chrome on your laptop, download the extension called StayFocused and it will literally change your life.
Use KhanAcademy and Youtube for more practice and to understand the concepts that you are learning in class. Go to your teacher and ask them for help - most likely they won’t refuse.
Tutors are not necessary but you can get one if you are struggling immensely and online resources aren’t helping. Also make sure you can afford tutors, since they can be quite pricey.
Do not take online classes for math since it will be more challenging to not have a teacher to ask questions to and other classmates to ask for help.