I’m sort of having a crisis right now. I received a 12/50 on a math test two weeks ago, and my current ath grade is a 46%. The quarter ends in two weeks. I dropped my language for this year (junior year) and am worried that not only am I getting bad grades this year, but that college admissions officers will think that I’m slacking off. With only two weeks left in the quarter, we have a few 10 point assignments, and maybe one more quiz, and possibly one more unit test. Is there any way that I can bring my grade up to at least a 60%, or am I screwed not only for high school, but for any hopes of getting into a decent college???
It’s only one test. You can still bring your grade up for this quarter, and especially for this year. Start studying, do the homework, do extra problems and see your math teacher for extra help.
You have to change what you are doing. Here are some ideas:
GO TO CLASS, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!
Go to Teacher’s office hours early in the semester and Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”
If you have problems with the homework, go to Teacher’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or any thing extra, go to them.
Form a study group with other kids in your class.
Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or chemistry whatever. Watch online videos (e.g., Khan Academy) about the topic you are studying.
If things still are not going well, get a tutor. Your National Honor Society will have some. Or ask a teacher for a referral.
Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.
For tests that you didn’t do well on, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study…there may be a study skill center at your guidance office.
How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? Is it enough?
If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the guidance counselor and talk to them.
At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The teacher may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.
Make sure you understand how to use your online class system…Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the teacher wants).
If you get an assignment…make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.
If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the teacher’s office hours…not the day before the assignment is due.
Take advantage of any “re-do” tests you may be able to take…your teacher wants you to learn the material. Future material depends on it so you need to have the foundation. By explaining what went wrong you really understand it. Take advantage of this.
Most transcripts don’t contain quarterly grades - just your final average for the year and maybe final exam grades. Since you are a junior, the odds are, colleges will never see your grade for this quarter. You need to figure out why you are doing so bad in this class and correct the problem so that you can finish with a respectable final grade in the class.
Follow all of the advice @bopper gave, but I would get a tutor right away. If you can’t afford one, find out if your school offers free tutoring and take advantage of it whenever you can (lunch, study hall, before/after school). Colleges won’t care too much about your quarter grade (if they even see it), but you’ve got to get back on track before it affects you next quarter.
What is going on in your life that has caused your grades to drop this much? Have you spoken with any trusted adults about your personal issues? Are you getting help with coping with those issues? Start there.
I have moderate anxiety, so sometimes it’s a challenge to focus on my schoolwork. I was blindsided by Junior year, which led to me thinking I didn’t have to pay attention and could keep getting good grades. Since this is most certainly not the case, it’s much harder for me to actually study for these things.
You are never screwed. That’s catastrophizing. There is always a viable path from where you are now to what you hope to become.
There are two parallel paths you need to engage: 1) Your mental health, and 2) the practicalities of what you have to do in HS to optimize your path forward. (2) may involve getting a tutor.
Get your parents to get you some professional help with a psychologist who specializes in anxious teens. This person will evaluate you and may recommend either talk therapy and/or will refer you to a psychiatrist who may suggest some medical intervention to help with your brain chemistry. You may also be able to get some accommodations from school.
Relax, it will be ok, really. But act decisively to engage both paths.
Yeah, I’ve been seeing a physiologist for almost a year now. I think it boils down to me getting distracted by social media and stuff like that. Additionally, most of my friends are very smart (4.9/5 GPA) and this often makes me become stubborn when I should get extra help, since I obviously hate feeling as if I am less smart than others
Unless you are sitting there watching your “smart” friends while they do their homework and projects, you have no way of knowing what their study process is.
Stop measuring yourself by them. That way lies grief. Focus on mastering the study skills that you need, and on your own grades.
Alright. Thanks guys. I just met with my grade administrator about my grades, and all of my semester grades are high bs and mid as. I have two Cs in total. If I work enough, my math grade can get to be either a very high F or a low D. I’m going to try hard to get this done