Dropping AP Lang

I am so unprepared for this class, and I have a 43 in here. My guidance counselor said I’ve got to fail for 2 weeks to get out. When I get put in the other class I’m gonna have an F to start out cause that’s the only way out of the class. How am I gonna bring that up after 2 weeks of failing everything. This is so frustrating i don’t understand why I can’t just transfer out.

Why do you feel like you can’t do well and the only option is purposely failing out? You probably need to think about your priorities and how much effort you’re willing to put in to achieve your goals.

School just started, correct? How many grades have you gotten that average into the 43? If you truly want out of the class, you (or your parents/guardians) should escalate to the next level and talk to your GC’s department head or supervisor. If you really are trying your best, it’s silly to tie your hands with a poor grade. However, if you are panicking after receiving one bad grade, it might be better to talk to your teacher about study strategies and get extra help or tutoring if those resources are available to you. We’ve been told by parents and kids who have been through it that some teachers start off tough to shock you into paying attention in class and developing a good study strategy early on.

I am trying in the class and we have 3 grades in. I’m taking 3 other ap’s and 2 honors. I am not ready for the total work load and I already asked my guidance counselor about getting my parents up there and she said it won’t help. My teacher has to say I am not academically ready in order for me to get out. If I’m in another week with an F I will be removed, but the grades will transfer over and I will have to bring up the F. I don’t know why they are making me dig a deeper hole and won’t just let me out now. She knows I took regular last year, and I have absolutely no idea what we’re doing. It seems like I’ve skipped 2 years of english.

I would have your parents escalate to the administration. If you went from onlevel to AP that can be a big jump. I remember when my eldest took ap language alot of students in the class had a rocky start and some of them were moved down and others continued and improved as time went along. Some classes it is a matter of doing the work but there are times when you are just not ready.

Also, I really do not recommend taking AP classes for college admission purposes but because you really like the subject and it is a strength.

You have plenty of time to bring up your grade with dedication. It will work out.

" My guidance counselor said I’ve got to fail for 2 weeks to get out. "

WHAT? Tell your parents about this. They would be able to do everything they can. I know if i told my mom she would be in school on Monday morning.

How did you end up in the class? Placement, recommendation? Didn’t you get an A last year in English?
What have you done since you got the first F, so that you can improve the grade?
What percentage can those three grades be - it’s just one week, I bet they barely add up to 3-5% of your total grade!
Have you talked with the teacher every day this week to determine what you’re missing and what you should be doing?

The reason they won’t let you out before 2 weeks is because they want you to try really hard and do everything you possibly can rather than give up. This is an important class. If there’s a chance you can do well in it - and you wouldn’t have been placed there if you couldn’t get a B or higher - you should try your best to reach the potential your teachers saw in you.

I am trying in the class, but like I said, I feel like I have a huge gap in knowledge compared to the other kids in the class. We’ve just gone straight into analyzing articles in a way I’ve never done before and I am seeing things that just seem like a massive leap from last year. I think if I took regular this year then I could possibly be ready to take a college level English senior year, but for now I can’t just bridge a gap that large while also keeping up with the stuff that we are currently doing. If I tried really hard I could probably pull a C, but I don’t want that at all. And yes I did get an A last year in regular, but this is just a HUGE leap.

Are your only options AP English and regular English? No in between option? In 10th grade, was everyone in regular English, or was there a more advanced option you didn’t take?

My kid reports that AP Comp appears to be a big step up from honors 10th grade English. The kids who take on-level English in 10th grade followed by AP Comp in 11th were on the honors track in 9th, but dropped down a level just for 10th because the 10th grade honors teachers had a reputation for being hard graders.

Most of the kids last year took honors, but I didn’t because I hate English. I’m not even sure why I signed up for AP. And, no, there isn’t anything in between. There’s no honors English 11. Just regular or AP

Talk to your teacher today. Ask what you need to do differently, etc.