<p>Well, like many other juniors being pushed to get into good colleges, I feel super stressed about school. I go to a magnet school, so it feels like everybody is competing aganist each other. Even with 4 APs and all honors classes and lots of extracurriculars, it feels like it's never enough. My mom's getting really pushy about school lately (probably been talking to my aunts). She's always telling me what to do and stress me out and won't let me handle my own work by myself. She's like, "Oh, I really want you to get a 2400." And everythinig just feels so hard compared to last year. School doesn't make sense anymore. My grades are dropping so much, and I feel so ****ed about them even though i'm trying so hard to keep them up ( i have 2A's, 1C, the rest B's) and my GPA is going to go down (3.85 right now). It just makes me feel worse that I'm letting down my own expectations plus the added stress from others. Plus the PSAT is on Wednesday, but I'm not really worry about that since i know i won't get commended since i didn't study enough for it yet. </p>
<p>I feel like I'm losing touch with the real purpose of school. I wish I can just get away from it and have a life. But of course, there's no time for life when I have all this stupid work.</p>
<p>Anyone can relate, add some sympathy, give advice, and/or add criticism?</p>
<p>You dont need to worry about the PSAT at all. The P is there for a reason, practice. It’s high school. You have 60+ years left in your life, dont worry about these 4 years. They are a very small part of your life. If you still feel stressed after a while, go do something fun. Watch some TV, watch a movie, go out for an activity. You will be ok. Stress wont kill you.</p>
<p>Your first step should probably be to leave this forum.</p>
<p>I mean it provides some useful information on schools and the process of applying but it’s the epitome of everything that’s wrong about the college admissions process, most likely the things that are stressing you out. Perfect SAT scores, flawless transcripts, obsessing over details, the glorification of top-tier schools, pressure from parents… These things have a strong presence here.</p>
<p>So do your self a favor and go do something that makes you smile. Make high school a memorable experience that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. The college thing will work itself out in time, I promise ;]</p>
<p>Tell your mom that she (and your aunts) can sign up for the SAT, too, and as long as you get a higher score, she and your aunts will have nothing to complain about. But, you sure will. </p>
<p>Try not too worry too much. It sounds impossible, but really, sometimes you need to relax and take a break. I totally understand, right now it feels like junior year is destroying me in some ways, but just try to keep your head up and do the best that you can. Because that’s all that really matters: working hard. If you do your best, and care about what you do, it will all pay off in the end. Good Luck! :)</p>
<p>No one studies for the PSAT, or should. There is no reason to. My daughter was shut out from it, along with a couple of friends, because they had an athletic conference the day of. On makeup day at another school, they were denied the exam by a technicality. It did not affect anything for high school or college.</p>
<p>She had taken it the year before ‘for practice’ and did well. no studying for it. She also did not study for the SAT–no time. She also did not study for the GRE-- no time.</p>
<p>Don’t give these tests a second thought. Just be well rested, well fed, calm and know your stuff. Yes do a review of what will be asked, so to be prepared, but your entire school life prepares you for it, not a study program.</p>
<p>As for your mother anticipating a perfect score, tell her now that you won’t get one and you don’t need one. All you need is ‘good enough’. Once you pass into the top percentile, doing better doesn’t help you. All the school looks at is a hurdle, better scores are not even considered imo.</p>
<p>Talk with your guidance counselor about dealing with this kind of crazed parental behavior. Chances are that they have seen it before and will have some ideas for you.</p>
<p>You need to be doing your best and, at the same time, enjoying high school. Not everyone can or will score a 2400, or even a 2100. Not everyone will cram their schedule full of ap’s and ace all of them. It should be enough for your mom that you are working hard and giving it your very best shot. In the end, that is what will make you successful not just in college, but in life. Try to sit down with your mom and have a heart to heart with her about this. She might be so excited about what an excellent student you are that she is becoming a “stage mom”. I am a mom of three (one a high school junior) and it is easy to want your children to succeed so much that you start putting undue pressure on them. I am sure she is proud of you. Let her know how you feel.</p>
<p>As a parent, I have only empathy for you, no criticism. I feel very sad for students these days with all the pressure and the ridiculous amount of homework. While colleges want to see kids who pursue their passions, the fact is, that you have to take all this stuff you have little interest in. Also, the acceleration of knowledge means that what you are learning in high school is what used to be taught in college, and it really doesn’t have much meaning for a lot of high school kids.</p>
<p>These should be times when you are discovering who you are as a person, enjoying a social life, while learning some sense of responsibility. </p>
<p>I went the other extreme from your parents, trying to not have my kids feel the pressure, and now that their “resumes” aren’t as strong as some others, I have a twinge of regret, but not really too much, because they are who they are, and in the long run, they will be the better people for it. </p>
<p>Are you comfortable in sitting down to talk with your mom? Or, would it be best for you to find a therapist? Many people don’t like the sound of that word, but it provides a totally safe, private place for you to express your thoughts and emotions and to get an objective perspective. </p>
<p>You are in a tough situation, because the high school pace and pressure doesn’t leave much wiggle room for the normal angst of adolescence.</p>
<p>ps., don’t worry about that stupid PSAT. I purposely didn’t have my kids study at all, so that we could use it as a baseline for where they stood heading into the SAT. And, they managed to make the Commended thing anyway! But, frankly, I don’t really think it makes a bit of difference other than an ego thing.</p>
<p>Not true. Wise students who could have a chance to get scores high enough for National Merit, National Achievement (high PSAT-scoring black students), or National Hispanic Scholarships do study for the PSAT.</p>
<p>If you have time, you could work through the sample PSAT exam tonight, and see if there are any things that are particularly tricky for you. That way you can make a plan about which questions to devote more time to, and which ones to just skip over. I had Happykid do this last year, and her numbers were so bad that there was no way she was going to reach the score necessary for any scholarship money (about 200 for commended, more than that for nmsf). She skipped the exam entirely.</p>