Hi guys,
I go to a top 15 bs on the east coast…I’m not all that smart A/B student but at home I did go to a really hard and competitive private school. I am a new freshman this year (not a repeat) I think that part of the reason i got in is because I am from a under represented state in the west coast and I have some interesting Ec’s. Grades just came out and I have been trying my hardest but I got a 3.0 goa while most of my friends got 3.9 and they are all taking advanced classes. I am in all the lowest level classes. Everybody is very competitor and trying to outdo each other and be the best and I am having a hard time dealing with this pressure…any advice???
It’s not easy, but you need to ignore everyone else and focus on your own achievement. If you would like to bring up your grades, meet with your teachers and ask if they can help you identify areas of weakness and provide strategies for improving. At a very competitive boarding school, a 3.0 is not a bad grade point average. Remember too that not all of your classmates have come to boarding school with the same background. You may be catching up. When you apply to college, most will not do more than glimpse at your freshman year record. You should be proud of what you have accomplished so far and use every opportunity you can to figure out how to make the most of the experience you are privileged to have.
Try to remember that you went to boarding school in order to make the best of yourself, not to best your classmates.
Talk to your advisor if you are having a hard time dealing with pressure. Advisors are great resources. Talking about it and asking for advice from people who have went through this is a good idea. Try to talk to your parents, advisor, or a senior you are close with. Don’t be afraid to reach out!
Please remember life is a Marathon, not a sprint. You are just figuring out how to go the distance. You’re doing fine. My DS is experiencing the same disappointment in grades you are, -he has same GPA as you - but as a parent, we know that if you just stick with it, good things will come. Best wishes -you are a hard worker and don’t need luck.
How’s the pressure this year? Are you doing better than last year? Do you feel your private school prepared you well for BS?
Yes! I think that being a new student is a major adjustment for anybody, whether your previous school prepared you for it or not. I think that over the last year I have learned much better time management skills and learned to better advocate for myself. My school has also done an amazing job working on helping the freshman develop smarter study habits and good skills for dealing with pressure and stress. Thanks for asking! @CaliMex
Kind of odd how this almost year old post by @cababe97 got new life after almost an entire year… not that the subject of stress and pressure is not a valid one I suppose, but still…?
@judbeeski I’m honestly not quite sure how this post got brought up after a year later, but I’m glad that it did:) Many kids struggle with these feelings and so if people looking at this thread could be helped out by some of the responses I sought out, then that’s great! I think that the first couple months as a new student at boarding school can be a rough transition. Homesickness, learning to manage a larger workload, adjudsuting to the academic rigor that I didn’t have back at my old school and some issues that were happening at home all contributed to the stress I was feeling. I would like to think that most students during their first months at boarding school, even if it’s just for a split second, will at some point feel some pressure and stress as they adjust to their new environment.
My school also makes sure to work with freshman in study skills and ways to manage stress. Stress is just a part of life and learning the tools to help control and manage my stress was extremely helpful to me. I figured out how I study best (in my room where I’m not as distracted by other students, turning off my phone and keeping it in a drawer, etc.). Also, I began to take advantage of the office hours and extra help resources that were provided to me. Last year, I was more hesitant to ask for help because I didn’t know my teachers as well. I learned though that it is important to be my own advocate and it’s my responsibility to ask for help if I need it. ;))
I’m actually glad @CaliMex revived the thread by asking if this year was better! Believe it or not, we parents are interested in BS kids’ successes/failures/overall experiences. And we definitely like to hear happy endings… things that worked, or didn’t, etc. you never know when someone else benefits from a simple post! Good luck @cababe97 ! Hope this year is a great one!