Everything is going wrong, everything is ruined

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>I'm a junior in high school. Before this year I had a 3.13 GPA, not great obviously, but a 2.6 the first semester of freshman year definitely brought it down.</p>

<p>I came into this year thinking everything would go well. First semester was ok, 3.2 ish GPA, I was very disappointed because I ended up with a C in Chem and a C+ in Algebra, yikes. But I was doing well enough in my other classes, lowest grade was a B- in AP Lang which obviously is weighted.</p>

<p>This semester...it's awful. And it keeps getting worse. Somehow everything has gone wrong and it's supposed to be the most important semester of high school. I got overwhelmed by participating in the musical, which I played a big part in, and not understanding the material in Alg and Chem but not having time to see my teachers. I ended up failing both classes and have been struggling since March to get them up to B-s. Those are counted as 3.0s in my school, so it wouldn't be that bad even with the minus tacked on.</p>

<p>I got my Algebra and Chem grades up to C-s by working my butt off -- seriously, they've both gone up 20+ points. But it's not good enough. I don't know what to do - the lowest test score I've gotten in Alg since trying to bring my grade up is an 86 or something, and Chem (which is immensely difficult and I had to get a tutor for) I've earned 85s+ on assessments and turned in all the homework thoroughly completed.</p>

<p>I'm trying my best, I swear. But my AP Euro grade dropped down to a C (75) and I don't know how to make it go up, we haven't had many assignments this semester, mainly quizzes and tests. AP Lang was at a B- on the cusp of a B (and I mean very cusp - last week I had an 81.99 when an 82.00 is a B) but for some reason a group assignment that was turned in late is still a 0/50 and now I have a 77 in the class. Algebra and Chem just aren't going up fast enough. And my French grade dropped to a B from an A because of a misunderstanding.</p>

<p>ON TOP OF ALL THAT, I missed an appointment for LINK crew and have been removed from the club. I also missed a meeting for Thespian and I might not get inducted as an International Thespian despite having more than enough points to qualify, I still don't know yet.</p>

<p>There are only 2 weeks left of school and this is the lowest my GPA has been since freshman year. I don't know what to do. I'm trying my best to get my grades up and I work for hours every day but nothing's happening and I'm afraid that no matter how good the grades I get for the last couple weeks are, nothing will happen and I'll get rejected from every respectable college.</p>

<p>I'm disappointed in myself and I take the blame for falling behind. But I'm being as responsible as I can trying to catch up, and I don't know if anything will get better.</p>

2

<p>Working hard vs. working smart.</p>

3

<p>NO, DON’T YOU WORRY. Remember if you can’t get into your top choice this time, you can always TRANSFER. Don’t beat yourself up too much. Considering your grades, you’ll get into college.
If you tried, there’s nothing you need to be sorry about. If that’s your limit/abilities, just work harder and do the best YOUR abilities can go up to. Don’t compare yourself to others…(although it’s kind of hard to…I know :wink: )</p>

<p>Yea, I should probably start taking my own advise. lol</p>

4

<p>wcao9311 - I don’t know what you mean by that. I’m putting in the effort but not getting the results I want.</p>

<p>I actually calculated it, and the highest grade I can possibly get in Algebra by the end of the year is a 77.5…and that’s if I get a 100% in the current unit…so it’s not looking good for me.</p>

<p>SeniorPanic - It is hard to. And I don’t know how to explain it to admissions people because nothing major happened that would make my grades slip so drastically.</p>

<p>I did just recently get diagnosed with ADD (not ADHD, I’m inattentive but not hyperactive), but I feel like some people would use that as a scapegoat so it might not be a good enough reason. I’ve been put on medication and my work ethic has been a lot more consistent since. I always thought that I was just lazy or unmotivated, but I’ve struggled in school my whole life and I’m just not sure if my reason is good enough.</p>

5

<p>My recommendation is to talk to the teachers, tell them what you just put here, and how important these grades are to your future. Maybe they can help you. Extra credit perhaps. Your AP Euro grade will be higher once is weighted. Good luck to you! Don’t worry too much, just do the best you can. Next year, the first two semesters count, so perhaps change your schedule to your academic advantage</p>

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<p>I think your biggest mistake was taking AP classes. In my opinion, I don’t think it’s very wise to take AP classes unless you’re sure you can get an A in them, or at least have a good chance at it. The best thing you can do is to go to a community college/ non-respectable university, work your ass off, then transfer. You haven’t screwed everything up, just make sure to get good grades in college.</p>

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<p>soonmtnest - Thanks. I tried to talk to my AP Lang teacher and she said she’s not going back on the 0/50 grade no matter what, but I did get a 110% on our last quiz so it’s at least a C+ now instead of a C. She also hasn’t graded our last essay and I’m pretty sure I did well on it.</p>

<p>nickxx - I actually really prefer taking AP classes, I think most normal classes (except for math/science ones) aren’t very challenging for me and I like being in an environment where students have similar goals to me. I think my mistake was underestimating the amount of time I needed to put into the classes to really excel in them. I’ve learned my lesson and I feel more confident about taking APs next year.</p>

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<p>Sounds like you are stretched too thin… Maybe consider dropping the thespian stuff and concentrate on academics. At my son’s school, (public) they have the option of taking some classes on line, would that be an option for you? Maybe talk to your counselor about taking one class on line over the summer, so you would have a lighter load next year? It costs extra though. You also need to not tell yourself stories. My oldest son used to do this. He would not study enough for a test and tell himself, “well it’s ok, if I still get a 100 on the next test, I’'ll be ok… You need to study for every test like it’s your last test”. What about your parents? Can you enlist them to help you stay on task, so you don’t miss any more meetings etc. You should definitely go talk to the thespian honors person and explain why the meeting was missed. Good Luck!</p>

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<p>So here are some things to think about:

  • You said you “didn’t have time” to go talk to your teachers. Huge mistake. Clearly you can’t dig out of this hole by yourself, and that is the best starting place in high school. You should be going in regularly with concepts you didn’t understand from class. If you are really still having trouble, are there tutoring sessions available at your school? Or are your parents willing to pay a tutor? It doesn’t matter if you spend hours every day if you can’t figure out the material on your own, get help.<br>
  • You are stretched too thin. Either drop some ECs, or drop some AP level classes next year, or both. For whatever reason, you can’t juggle as much as you have taken on. Lightening your load is part of learning to manage your life.
  • It doesn’t matter if you like the atmosphere of AP classes, you need to take a level of classes you can succeed at. You certainly aren’t going to meet whatever goals you have with more Cs in AP classes. And I don’t see that you have “learned” any lessons that indicate that you will be more successful in APs next year. Take APs in the subjects you are strong in, and drop back in the rest. A 3.1 GPA student probably shouldn’t be taking a lot of APs, maybe go for two next fall max.
  • With only 2 weeks left, you are not going to gain a lot of ground. But start asking for help and do what you can to improve your finals grade. Regroup and plan a lightened schedule for next fall.
  • You haven’t mentioned test scores, but if you are still working on your standardized tests, work on prep over the summer. A prep class might be good for you (since studying on your own isn’t super productive in your coursework, you might not be as effective at self study for standarized tests). A decent test score can hep offset a lower GPA a bit. So work on your test scores this summer, and lighten your load for the fall so your GPA is better first semester next year.</p>
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<p>I work at a high school and this is so familiar at the end of the year. Your priority was keeping LINK crew and getting into the International Thespian Society. The colleges don’t care what your GPA is in these activities. They care about how you performed in your classes. </p>

<p>Even if you were diagnosed with ADD, there is no reason for you not to have kept up with your studies. Once you are diagnosed with ADD, you typically get a case manager who helps you turn your studies around. You cannot procrastinate on your coursework because each chapter relies on the previous material; this is why your scores haven’t gone up. You didn’t approach the teachers to ask what you didn’t understand so the grades didn’t go up. AP coursework is hard for you to manage; take classes that are challenging but in which you can succeed well. You didn’t take your SAT yet, so you need to do that to see where you stand. You fit the profile of a community college student; the universities like students who have their act together in academics. </p>

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<p>@ZBD5421 I’m not willing to drop Thespian tbth. It’s my favorite activity in school - I love the blood, sweat, and tears of putting on a show, I love performing, I love the arts, and I love the sense of community when you’re part of a cast. I have lightened up on it, though, I didn’t participate in the last show our department put on and instead I worked crew for it which was a lot simpler. I don’t know if we can take things online but I’m already doing a summer school course (swimming) because it’s mandatory to graduate and I won’t have enough PE credits otherwise. I agree with the latter part of what you said, though, I always make excuses for myself which leads to me not doing as well as I could.</p>

<p>@intparent‌

  • Not having time really wasn’t my fault, though. I’ve always made a point to go in to see my teachers when I can, whether it’s to chat, have them explain something to me, go over a test, ask about schedule, and I email them as well when I’m going to miss something or need something. My problem was that 3/5 days of the week, I have no off hours (study hall/lunch), it would be 7 hours of class after class. That’s not hard for me to deal with, it just makes it more difficult to see teachers. And during the run of the musical I had rehearsal every day right after school, so it wasn’t possible for me to see my teachers most of the time. I have a chem tutor and I do private voice/theory lessons with my music teacher, and now that the musical is over I go in when I don’t understand something.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>There’s a lot I want to do still in high school…I’m not willing to drop most of the classes I’m signed up for next year, but I did just go and swap out two class I wasn’t as crazy about for two much easier ones. I don’t know what else I can do.</p></li>
<li><p>That’s what I’m doing next year. AP Lit, AP Music Theory, AP Psych. All courses that I excel at. The problem I had with the APs I took this year (AP Lang and AP Euro) were that I had a problem with writing under a time limit and history isn’t my strongest subject although I am very interested in it. As for next year, I’ve always excelled as a reader, I want to study music, and I got an A in both Psych and Sociology last semester. So I think I’m making smart choices about which AP courses to take.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>So while I agree with most of what you’re saying…there’s really no way for me to lighten my load. There are required credits at my school that I need to graduate, and that’s why I’m going to have a packed schedule. The only challenging courses I’m taking are ones that I’m good at; I’m taking the easy math course (Prob/Stat instead of Trig/Precalc) and I’m dropping science altogether (instead of continuing on to Physics).</p>

<p>@aunt bea Let me clarify, I was diagnosed last month, and I didn’t receive a “case manager” although I have been put on medication. I was diagnosed too late in the year for my grades to do a complete 180, but they HAVE increased since.
Community college for me is akin to failure, no offense meant to anyone in community college, but I know I can do much, much better. The only reason I’d go to community college would be to cut down on costs and transfer junior year, but that’s literally THE last resort for me.</p>

<p>Apologies if I seem very argumentative in these responses, I really do appreciate all of your input and am taking all of it into consideration, even the parts I disagree with.</p>

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<p>Is there any way to drop something and get a study hall into your schedule next year? I insisted that my kids have a study hall (even a “skinny”, as they call it at their school, they have one short period) if they were going to be pretty active in ECs. It didn’t hurt their college admissions – better GPA more than made up for it. I understand you have to meet graduation requirements, but you can’t conjure more hours in a day than actually exist. I do agree that those APs sound like they play to your strengths, so that is good, but consider whether you should drop even one of those or something else. There are ways to lighten your load, I expect, you just aren’t willing to do them based on your own comments above. To me it seems like one of your biggest problems is time management. And the first step to time management is creating a schedule that HAS time to do what you have to do.</p>

<p>I can see that you really want to attend a four year college, and it seems like you probably will be able to do that. But don’t pooh-pooh the community college route too much – my ex-husband attended CC after a less-than stellar high school career in terms of grades, transferred to our state flagship after two years, and ended up a graduate of Georgetown Law. It isn’t the end of the world.</p>

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<p>@intparent Preview schedules will be going online soon so I can see how my schedule might fit together for next year and if I’ll have any off hours, which is good. The only one I’m willing to drop is POSSIBLY AP Lit, but if I really can’t fit anything into my schedule then I’ll drop the advanced Theater class I’m signed up for. Also, one of our Lit teachers isn’t going to be here next year and the one who remains is known for being more about class discussions and lighter on actual homework/coursework. Also, thankfully, the advanced womens choir I got into is 2 days a week, as opposed to advanced mixed choir, which is 4. I’m going to do my best to make sure I have 1 off period every day though. It would be so much easier if I didn’t have to take practical arts or phys ed classes, but unfortunately that’s not an option :/</p>

<p>And I don’t mean to! My brother also did the community then transfer route, he’s going to be attending Colorado State in the fall and got generous aid, which is fantastic and I’m very proud of him. I just really don’t think community college is the route for me, I don’t think it would do me any favors. I’m not 100% ruling it out, it’s just that it’s the last resort for me.</p>

<p>You’ve been very helpful btw, thanks for your responses.</p>

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<p>How do you not have a lunch period? </p>

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<p>@Animefan1998 I just don’t. My school doesn’t have periods specifically assigned to lunch, any time when you don’t have a class is an off hour that you can use to get lunch or do work or leave campus or do whatever really. I generally either don’t eat or grab something during one of my classes with a lenient teacher.</p>

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<p>Your biggest problem by far is that you have not designed a schedule and EC commitments that give you a chance to succeed. It doesn’t matter what any other student in your school is doing. If YOU don’t have time to study, get help from your teachers, or eat (you haven’t mentioned sleep, but you also need to allow for that, and possibly family chores and activities), then you have loaded up with too much and need to reduce your load. One of my kids ended up (painfully) having to drop a couple of ECs her freshman year of high school because she could not keep her grades up with so much time spent on EC activities. And each time an increase in activities became an option in high school, we discussed the impact on her studies and whether it made sense for her to do it. She turned some opportunities down because of it, but kept some others.</p>

<p>High school is like a smorgasbord compared to middle school because there are so many more classes you can take and activities you can get involved in. But if you don’t pace yourself and limit yourself, it is a problem. You sound like you just can’t resist that one class that you so want to take, or that one activity that is so important to you. With the added pesky graduation requirements you have to fulfill. And college can be another step up in this respect, especially in terms of academic opportunities (so many classes, so little time!). You have to learn some self control and figure out how to build a schedule to stay within your capabilities.</p>

<p>It is a question of setting priorities. And honestly, it should go something like this:

  • Health & family - Eating, sleeping, family obligations - #1
  • Graduation requirements - #2
  • Core academic subjects colleges are looking for (math, science, English, social studies, possibly foreign language) -#3
  • If college is important to you and you haven’t got the scores you want on standardized tests, then test prep - #4
  • A small number of additional classes you are interested in (arts, non-core subject classes, etc) - #5
  • All the other stuff (ECs, hanging out with friends, internet time, etc) -#6</p>

<p>This year I think you got these priorities mixed up. You need to sort them out for the fall and for college.</p>

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<p>About next year’s schedule:
Please do not think of AP Music Theory as an easy class. I can tell you right now that it is not; while our high school has a terrific pass rate for the AP (something like 80%), the class kicks everyone’s butt. It is the first B my hyper-competitive, wanna-be-an-Ivy-leaguer kid ever got. It is also the first C. If you’re too stretched to study-- really study, with peers quizzing one another, notating melodies and rhythms flawlessly in your sleep, and spending lots of spare time doing extra listening exercises-- you will find yourself regretting the class. Consider taking the non-AP version if it’s offered, or another music or drama class altogether.</p>

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<p>@petrichor11 I don’t. I’m taking regular Music Theory now, I have an A in it. The teacher of the class is my private theory/voice teacher and my dad is a lauded musicologist, so I have a solid support system. Music is what I want to major in, it’s my passion, and if I’m busting my ass for any class I’m happy with it being that one.</p>

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<p>First of all, nothing is ruined. Your future is bright. </p>

<p>You sound like a great kid!</p>

<p>People who are afraid of failure can rarely be successful. You don’t have that problem. </p>

<p>You want to take on the world. You want brutally difficult classes along with theater etc. Now you’re flying a bit too close to the sun and getting a little singe. All is not lost really. Do the best that you can. </p>

<p>Don’t quit the activities you love. Have your parents and your medical team submit your ADD diagnosis so that the school makes accommodations (like being allowed to turn things in late). Your guidance counselor will note that your grades were adversely affected by a medical issue, but it’s been taken care of and you are returning to the normal you. </p>

<p>I disagree with the inparent’s post. Priority number #1 is to find balance in your life and be happy. </p>

<p>I think that you might benefit from easing up on the academic accelerator next year and prove that you can excel when you are not overloaded. </p>

<p>In the mean time, do the best that you can and don’t panic. There is a great college waiting for you. </p>