Can I Do Anything About My School/Parents Screwing Me Over?

Applying to College
1

<p>i'm in the 11th grade & i'm only in Algebra 2 because of bad teachers. </p>

<p>you don't have to read the story if you don't want to, ujst look for the * at the bottom of the page :)</p>

<p>In the 6th grade we took a test to see if we would be in Pre-Algebra or Algebra 1 the next year. My test had a few pages missing & i didn't relize it till the end so i had the last 10 answers 20 spots too far up(#50 in the #30 spot, etc.) i didn't tell my teacher because she told us not to talk & she got angry some times, so i didn't want to bother her. even with 20 missing answers(i filled them in randomly, when i saw the test they were all wrong lol) that i was STILL only a few points from being in Algebra 1!
now i know how you could say it's my fault right now, but keep on reading! :)
Now i was in Pre-Algebra in the 7th grade, i didn't really think it was a big deal because thats what most of my classmates were in. My teacher was horrible! he was strict about how he wanted us to write & stuff, sometimes i forgot. he also told us we could turn in all of our homework at the end of the semester, thats what i did(i did like 100 pages in a night both semesters too!) a few other people did that too. i had an A in that class but because my teacher didn't like me he said i wasn't "ready for the rigours of algebra!". there were kids with Ds that got to be in Algebra! i wasn't able to make a complaint about him because he switched school districts.
In the 8th grade i was, of course, once again in Pre-Algebra.
i breezed through it even better the second time(surprise, surprise) the kids in that class were soo stupid & my teacher never taugh(teaching my self is actually how i learn better, so it was good for me!) & we didn't have to turn in homework because 90% of the kids were losers that never did their work anyways(alot of them were heldback too). my teacher thought i should be in atleast Algebra, but she never did anything about it because my parents refused to let me go to Algebra;they think the school can do no harm, that it never makes any mistakes & because on the gifted test i only got a 96(97 means youre gifted), i didn't even try on it & put the wrong answers on 1/2 a section because i wanted to make a picture :) lol, so my parents didn't think i was smart enough for algebra. I got an A in pre-algebra the second time too.
9th Grade was HORRIBLE!
my teacher in the 9th grade was bi-polar & yelled at everyone, she sent a girl to detention for talking before the teacher called her name(the teacher looked at her, said yes & was about to say the girl's name, but the girl started talking already) the class i was in had no heater(it was also the coldest winter on record in my town) & no airconditioning(that had nothing to do with the teacher's behaviour either) so it was hard to learn because we were constantly being verbaly abused & braving the elements! lol i think i got a B or a C that year because i had no textbook :P this is when math became touture
10th Grade was getting Better.
in the 10th grade(geometry) i always had atleast a B, the people in the class were the biggest idiots i had ever met in my entire life. i just read everyday, i never did any of the work or listen to my teacher. on days when i didn't have a real book to read, i would read the math book(remember how i learn best by teaching myself?) & on the state test i got advanced, to the amazement of my teacher!(my teacher didn't like me because i never listened to him & would always acuse me of cheating :P)
my mom said i could take algebra 2 in summer school so i would be somewhat caught up with my classmates, but then she decided that we were gonna go to hawaii & it interfered with summer school :'( last year i was going to apply to a boarding school for smart kids, but i didn't have time to get an application done, i didn't even know about the school until a few days before! i would have been able to get to the level of math i am ment to be at.
this year, 11th grade is the WORST!
so as you know, i'm in Algebra 2, i'm failling because not only does my teacher not use textbooks, she uses work booklets that just have problems, not the name of what we're doing! everybody in my class likes it but me, byt then again they all just go to the teacher's desk & have her do the work for them! i hate that class soo much! i'm deaf in my left ear & can't hear my teacher, she talks really quietly & has a hick accent so i never understand her either, i mean shes nice & stuff, but that doesn't help me at all. i have no motivation to do better, actually i have motivation to do worse because the arrogant princple(who also doesn't like me) thinks i'm an idiot because i only take 1 AP class(i'm a figure skater & anemic, i don't really have the time or the energy to take any more) & if i do better in math, that would make him look better(something for him to brag about, i've googled him, he barley passed college!) & i can't let that happen, i can't let people who are rude & tell me they don't like me to my face succeed. Algebra 2 is actually extremley easy & i get it when i read it, it's just when i have a not-so-good teacher i don't even listen.</p>

<p>Sorry For The Sob Story! </p>

<p><em>If You Skipped The Entire Thing, Here Is A Good Place Tpp Start!</em>
If i had been in algebra in the 7th grade, like i was supose to be in, i would have been in at least Calculus by now; possibly Calc 2 if i would have gotten to do summer school(my mom always told me i could do a math class during the summer, but the highest summer school math my school has is algebra 2, so it's out of the question now :P)
even if i had a normal teacher, i would have been in Pre-Calculus right now!
since i'm only in Algebra 2, the only colleges that want me are the crappy ones & it's all my school's(& somewhat parents) fault for putting me into that position.
is there anything i can do?</p>

<p>p.s. i can't do pre-calc next year because my schedule is full :(</p>

2

<p>If you have not excelled in the math classes you have taken, then it is unlikely you would be doing that well in calc, etc.</p>

<p>There are plenty of kids who do not take calc and end up at good schools. Just do the best you can in each subject, get extra help in the classes you may need it, and hope for a good SAT/ACT score as well.</p>

<p>What is your GPA? What schools are you interested in?</p>

3

<p>OP, frankly, you sound like a whiner. Get a grip, kiddo. Or better yet:</p>

<p>Get a tutor. Work hard. Pass Algebra 2. Take higher math at a community college, or online. Study hard and do well on the SATs.</p>

4

<p>Agree… and the excuse about your schedule being full is nonsense. You always have room for most important academics at your level. What’s it filled with? Electives?</p>

5

<p>You’re living a reality TV show.</p>

6

<p>Just look yourself in the mirror and decide that you will not treat yourself as a “victim” anymore. Take charge of your life, accept responsibility and stop blaming others for your outcomes. If the math class means that much to you, sign up for a class at the cc over the summer.</p>

7

<p>Figuresk8r, you need to re-read what you wrote and see it as others see you. I agree with what others have said. You are acting like a victim and that nothing in your math life was due to your attitude or actions. Life is not like that … students that get all A’s don’t mysteriously only get the amazing teachers. When you get a teacher that doesn’t teach the way it works for you, you have to put more effort into it. Look at the Khan Academy dot Org website to get free help in math topics. </p>

<p>Pull yourself together and stop being a victim of life. You are spoiled and you need to shape up.</p>

8

<p>The simple truth of the matter, is that people who have an aptitude for math (the kind of aptitude that would get them through Calculus 1 and 2 while still in high school) can teach themselves all the math that they need to learn to get through that level. Without ever attending a class. There are any number of textbooks available either for free at your public library, or for cheap through used-book dealers, and there are any number of web-based instructional materials that also are free or cheap. You are very unhappy with your teacher, so go make friends with one of the other math teachers, tell that person that you need help understanding Algebra 2, and ask for that person’s recommendation for specific materials and strategies that you can use to master this subject material.</p>

<p>If you cannot teach yourself this material, and you do indeed need help from an instructor, there is no need to be ashamed about that. However, since you aren’t getting it in class, you are going to have to hunt down someone who can help you learn the material. Start with the most friendly math teacher at your school, and get help locating a real, live, human tutor. This may cost you some money, but if you have no money and your parents have no money, find out what you can do in exchange for the lessons - skating lessons perhaps?</p>

9

<p>Okay, first you need to print out your post and put it away somewhere for about 30 years. Then, when you have a couple of teen-agers at home, you can pull it out and read it again. You’ll find it interesting.</p>

<p>Now, on to what you are asking: “since i’m only in Algebra 2, the only colleges that want me are the crappy ones”</p>

<p>I assume the real issue here is that you believe that because you aren’t at a higher level in math, no good school will want you, right? That’s not correct unless your definition of ‘crappy’ is any school not on some magazine’s ‘top 10’ list. There are many excellent schools that will accept someone who hasn’t studied calculus in high school. There are many excellent schools that will be fine with your placement in Algebra 2 if you have a strong GPA and do well on your ACT and SAT (neither of which requires calculus, by the way). Beyond that, what will matter are the letters of recommendation that you get (I assume you have at least a few teachers whom you respect and who you think can provide a good reference), your essays and what you’ve accomplished on your ECs. </p>

<p>College is a clean slate. Approach it from that perspective and you’ll be fine. As others have said, it’s time to stop thinking about yourself as a victim and decide that you are in charge of what happens from now on.</p>

10

<p>I think the most important thing to be learned from this story is that you’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t advocate for yourself. You can’t just sit around and take things like missing pages on a test or not being placed in the correct class. You have to fight them. If you can’t learn to advocate for yourself and get what you need, you’re going to have a hard time getting anywhere in life.</p>

<p>Also, blaming your problems on everyone else isn’t going to get you anywhere.</p>

11

<p>Just re-read the whole post, and two things stand out.</p>

<p>The OP hears only with one ear. That is cause for a 504 plan and formal accommodation in the classroom. Go see your guidance counselor and get that set up. And get yourself moved to the front of the class so you can hear the teacher.</p>

<p>Secondly, get yourself treated for the anemia. You aren’t going to learn much of anything if you are in poor health.</p>

12

<p>It’s not just math. The English part of your post gives me a headache to read. No capitalization?</p>

13

<p>“If you have not excelled in the math classes you have taken, then it is unlikely you would be doing that well in calc, etc.”</p>

<p>actually i never said i was doing poorly in any math class except for algebra 2, thats only because my teacher doesnt use math books & cant hear her,i refuse to do the work.
when ever i ask anybody what we are doing in math, i get it right away, the fastest in the entire class. i think calc would be a breeze, just like every other math class i have ever taken in my entire life.</p>

<p>“It’s not just math. The English part of your post gives me a headache to read. No capitalization?”</p>

<p>this is a forum, there is no need for anything to be proper on a forum.</p>

<p>i am taking iron for the anemia, but it doesn’t really help that much :(</p>

14

<p>“Agree… and the excuse about your schedule being full is nonsense. You always have room for most important academics at your level. What’s it filled with? Electives?”</p>

<p>well i wouldn’t call 5 AP classes & track/cross country electives.</p>

15

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<p>Oy, do I disagree with this! You came to an online forum asking strangers to help you. Don’t you owe them at least the courtesy of making your request easy to read? It’s not just Dr. Google; your post makes my eyes and brain hurt, too.</p>

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<p>Well, you also said you took pre-algebra three times. And you said you didn’t do that well in Algebra I.</p>

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<p>You refuse to do the work? That’ll really show her!</p>

<p>The rest of this paragraph just doesn’t make any sense. If you “[got] it right away,” if “every other math class” had really been “a breeze,” then you wouldn’t be in the predicament you’re in.</p>

<p>Pretty clearly, you have a multi-part problem. For one thing, you have been struggling in math classes since middle school. Your approach to this problem seems to have been to blame your teachers and to refuse to do the work. I’m not sure why you think that will work well. For another thing, you don’t seem to be listening to, or at least to believe, what other people tell you about your situation. If you’re under water in Algebra II, I guarantee you you’re not ready for calculus. Success in calculus requires a lot of algebra, including a good understanding of exponential and logarithmic functions, and a sound knowledge of trigonometry. Based on the way you’ve asserted that calculus would be a breeze when there’s much more reason to think it would be a perfect storm, I’m inclined to think your middle-school teachers were right, and you were mistaken, when they said you weren’t ready for algebra.</p>

<p>It’s possible that your math problems stem from your bad pre-algebra class years ago; maybe if that class had been better, your path through school would have been different and easier. But I have to think there’s more to it than just that if you had bad experiences in pre-algebra (more than once) and Algebra I and Algebra II. When the problem is either “you” or “everybody else in the world,” it’s usually at least partly your fault.</p>

16

<p>Thank you, Sikorsky, for addressing the grammar. God, using no capital letters and abusing punctuation makes my eyes cross. </p>

<p>The actual content of the post, though, makes me raise my eyebrows a little. What, FigureSk8r, is it that makes you do so poorly? It seems to me that you have more, worse teachers than I’ve ever heard of in the majority of public schools. Forgive my snark, but do you attend Mogadishu Public High School? I didn’t think so; no, your problem is much more internal, I believe. The only way to rise out of this is to stop. Messing. Around. Really, if you’re serious about overcoming your deficiencies in math, it’s time to be proactive. That teacher who never did anything even though she though you ought to be in Algebra? Maybe you ought to hound her and prove that you’ve got the fire for Algebra. That test of giftedness that you bombed (on purpose?!)? Yeah, you’re gonna want to never do anything like that again. And this garbage about “sticking it” to the principle? Whatever. You’re making excuses here and throughout your post. Get treated for your anemia, find a solution for your partial deafness, and get motivated.</p>

<p>Look, I have empathy for your unique medical situation; we all do, except the sadists and trolls. What I don’t care about is how this, that, and the other thing led to you not passing classes, because, frankly, that’s all a product of you externalizing your truly internal problems. Missing problems from a test? Go talk to the proctor! Have an opportunity to advance yourself? TAKE IT! This “My teachers and school and parents are screwing me over HELP HELP HELP!” drivel on an Internet forum just ain’t gonna cut it.</p>

17

<p>“Well, you also said you took pre-algebra three times. And you said you didn’t do that well in Algebra I.”</p>

<p>if youre not going to read, then i dont think you really deserve better grammar</p>

<p>obviously you cant read, i took pre-algebra 2 times(got As both times) even though i should have never even taken it in the 1st place.i had a teacher that didnt like me & i had a teacher who wanted to move me up, but my parents wouldnt allow it. i got a B(looked up my grades, know i got a B for sure) in Agebra 1, compared to an A, a B isnt good, but i also had the highest grade in the class.</p>

<p>the only reason im doing badly in Algebra 2 is because i cannot hear my teacher, even if i ask her to speak louder(i sit in the 2nd row, i cant move to the 1st because its full) & she doesn’t use a book, so i have no way to teach my self(she doesnt tell us what were doing, she just says page 1, etc.)</p>

18

<p>“Missing problems from a test? Go talk to the proctor!”</p>

<p>i told my teacher after the test & she just said “oh well!”, i didnt even really bother me that i was going to be in Pre-Algebra the first time
what really bothered me was that my 1st Pre-Algebra teacher didn’t let me go to Algebra only because he didn’t like me. he also had so many complaints(i never said anything, because i think thats rude, even if you do hate someone) he just moved to a diffrent school district!</p>

<p>you should come to my school, it is known for its “lovley” atmosphere(that was sarcastic btw). at my school, millions of dollars go in to athletics each year(that is no joke). 85% of the teachers are/were(if theyre old) sports coaches. the people who matter most are the sport dynasty families, the old boys as you might call them(all the kids, & the parents played a sport at the school) they get the best treatment, but thats just like at any school. every in my entire town hates my school more than the inter-city schools here. the school is so concervative(even more than the catholic private schools) & they refuse to change anthing.</p>

19

<p>Do you have a local community college? If so, take a math class this summer at the community college. They all have Calculus. You can take the placement test this spring to determine which math class you would place into. That will give you an idea of your aptitude and ability in college level math as well. </p>

<p>You said you self teach better, then do it. You can take an AP test without a class. Self teach Calc, or stats. “un-screw” your situation. You have that option.</p>

20

<p>“That teacher who never did anything even though she though you ought to be in Algebra? Maybe you ought to hound her and prove that you’ve got the fire for Algebra”</p>

<p>umm actually that teacher tried to get me into algebra, but my parents wouldnt sign the paper. you would have known that if you had been reading, not skimming & you know what, the proble isn’t about math, its about being around the stupidest people i have ever met! one girl asked what a square was! i dont get to be in classes with my friends & i never get to see them because theyre all working together on work together
the teachers think im stupid because of math & the kids in the math class wont talk to me because they think im some freak because they know im smarter. last year there was a rumour that i got a perfect score on a test the entire school took, most people barley passed it, i didnt get a perfect score(i missed 5) but i still had the best or second best in the school, that made everything worse in math.
i am trapped im my brain, i have no class, except history, where i get to use it. there is no intellectual outlet for me. i see things diffrently from most people, i can see the effects somthing will have, i can solve a problem a way no one has thought of(it will be more correct too). i am like a balloon, school is like a rock, its holding me down & i have no way to cut the string holding us together. here is just something that supports me, in science class this year, we made boats. mine was the fastest, that is untill i got sick. my partner destoyed the boat(she even made it go backwards! lol) i had about 20 minutes to fix it, i almost got it working again, but it was time to clean up already. this is what happens on every group project, 99% of the projects i have ever had had been group projects. i get pulled down by everyone else & i cant not be in a group, then some poor idiot would be all by themselves & teachers wont let that happen. i cant show my knowledge out loud, that would put people off, i have to make suggestions & go along with the stupid mistakes other people make. if i was assertive, i would have succesful projects, but i would have less friends in my classes with idiots & that would just be boring.</p>