I’m a currently a freshman class of 2019 attending a high school in southern California.
The school that I attend is one of the most competitive in the state. This caused me to feel the need to join a ton of extracurriculars to “stand out”.
It’s almost the end of the semester and my grade in Algebra 2 honors is a D- and I’m freaking out and I feel really depressed about my grade. I don’t feel that the root of my problem is too many activities but it’s my own stupidity, bad time management, and unwillingness to ask questions until now. The last quiz I took, I received an 18/20 which was my highest all semester, which really motivated me to do well, however my most recent test I’m pretty sure I failed. This was an unfair case since the substitute only gave us about half the time our teacher normally does… I just really hate myself for not realizing the way to study well and actually ask questions…
I probably have time to raise my grade to at the most a C+ but I know I won’t get any further than that without persuading my teacher to allow me to retake a few tests or balling my eyes out…
Any advice? Should I drop this class (although it would “look bad” and I would be shamed by all my peers)? Should I consult with the teacher even though it’s too late? I know I’ve already ruined my chances at any great university so
Stanford used to be my dream school LOL but I’ve just tossed that down the drain
It’s about halfway through the year, drop some of the EC to have more time and in order to get enough sleep. Then talk to your teacher about help with math, is there tutoring available, can you study with some classmates?
When you do HW and get some wrong, have the teacher explain what you did wrong. Algebra is important for higher math so you need to have good mastery of it before you move on to more difficult concepts.
Yes I was thinking about dropping newspaper and a few of my clubs… I’m on the student council and 2 sports but I can’t drop those this year (nor do I plan to)
But the thing is it IS halfway through the year and I’m already messed up and I don’t know what to do
I’ve been coming in to the class more frequently asking for help so maybe this will show her that I care about my grade and persuade her to give me some leeway. There are some students I know probably doing as bad as me but show no willingness to improve their grade to the teacher (although I’m sure they want a better grade)
Algebra II is normally taken by juniors and honors sophomores, but you’re taking it as a freshman. I’m guessing that your high school is more challenging than your middle school. Maybe you weren’t sufficiently prepared for Algebra II, but someone jumped the gun and placed you there anyway.
If you don’t get an A or a B this year, I would recommend retaking Algebra II next year. You’ll still be a year ahead, and you’ll be able to take calculus in your senior year if you choose. Your high school probably won’t replace the bad grade on your transcript, but you’ll gain more knowledge and you’ll be better prepared for pre-calculus.
Quit your EC’s and keep doing what you’re doing ( studying, going in for help,etc) and hopefully you’ll pull it to a C+
if you don’t get a desirable grade, retake the course next year
Since you have A’s in your other subjects, you should focus as much of your time as you can to Algebra II. I’m not sure if doing bad in one class during freshman year counts you out of Stanford, but you’ll have to improve on your math in later years. Also have you considered switching out of honors and just taking regular Algebra II for second semester?
It’s better to join ECs relating to your interests. Drop all ECs that are unrelated to your interests and focus on the ones you care about. That would probably impress top colleges way more than joining a bunch to stand out. If you’re a science/math person, join all the science and math related ECs. If it’s writing, join whatever is related to ELA, you get the point.
Stanford doesn’t put much weight on to freshman grades so it’s not out, but focusing on Stanford is like focusing on winning the lottery as a way to earn a living (sure, Stanford is marginally more likely, but it’s still considered a “lottery school”.)
First, devote as much time to Algebra II as you can without cutting into sleep (7-8 hours MINIMUM, 91/2 recommended).
Ask questions, study, get a tutor, etc. See the teacher, ask for advice. Follow the advice. Go back to show you followed the advice and to check what else you should do.
Drop all the EC’s you’re allowed to drop.
It is not your fault at all. High school gets stressful to many people including I when I was a Freshman. I had always received all A’s in middle school and elementary school but now I receive B’s (I know it is not that bad but my parents always expect the best of me which really broke me down thinking I am a failure). Try going to study groups and sessions by the teacher, go above and beyond ask more questions and try to be more active. You are right on when colleges hate when you drop classes especially AP. Colleges do like active kids though. If it was between a 4.0 student who is extremely active and a 5.5 student who is not active, chances are the 4.0 student will be picked. Just keep moving on and trying your best a C is not extremely bad but study for the exam and you can raise your semester average.
