Hello, I am writing on behalf of a sibling. She is someone that has done orchestra for a large part of her life, including the first two years of high school. However, she is considering dropping it because the teacher holds a grudge against her. As a result, the class is having a slightly negative effect on her GPA. How would dropping this class after two years look to colleges? She does not plan to major in music and intends to replace it with AP Statistics. GPA and feelings aside, would it look better to continue this class for two more years or replace it with an AP class?
First, I would talk to the Guidance Counselor about this issue. Maybe the teacher has a problem…maybe it is yoru sister, and maybe it is the two together.
If Orchestra makes your sister miserable…why continue? Or can she continue in a forum outside of school? Like a community orchestra or something? Or play at your house of worship if you have one? Or just continue lessons and do competitions or recitals?
I’m going through the same thing. Don’t suffer through 2 more years of it if you hate it, go for something you will enjoy!!
You wouldn’t take an academic class like AP Calc BC if you heard that the teacher was bad or if you had that teacher for something else and he/she didn’t like you (unless that was SUPER important to you). Luckily, she can continue music without a class in the school day, so if talking to the counselor like @bopper suggested doesn’t work, I would drop it, too. I don’t know what the scene is like in your area, but there should be some opportunites like a youth/community orchestra, competitions, honor bands, etc, so she can continue music that way if she would like.
Best of luck!
Electives should be enjoyable. Students have very few opportunities to take elective classes and they should enjoy the opportunities they do get. If the experience of orchestra is not enjoyable have her drop it. If she enjoys the class, despite the teacher she should continue it despite the small effect it may have on her GPA.
As a parent I hate to see students drop something they like just because it has some small effect on their GPA.