I’m a high school sophomore and failing almost all my classes. I performed decently in 9th grade (first semester 2 A’s and 5 B’s, second semester: 3 A’s and 3 B’s), but totally messed up this year. I failed first semester( PE: F, English: D, Algebra 2: F, AP World History: D, Instruments: A, AP Bio: F, Spanish 3: F), and am about to fail this semester too (Current grades: PE: F, English: F, Algebra 2: F, Honors World History: F, Instruments: C, English10A Credit-Recovery: F, Spanish 3: F). Please don’t tell me to just work hard or do extra credit because there’s only 3 weeks of school left. I have these grades because I’ve been absent for about 75 percent of the school year because of getting sick a lot. I came to school like once a week, and as a result got dropped out of my AP classes too. I want to take homeschool next year so I could finish both 10th and 11th grade together and then go back to my high school for 12th grade and graduate with my friends. How would the messed up year affect my chances of getting into a good university? I really messed up this year but I want to finish HS in 4 years total and graduate in 2018 at my school because I really like it there. Please give me some advice.
PE a F?
Ya…I have it for Zero Period and I was always absent
Make an appointment with your guidance counselor tomorrow.
Why did you go to school only once a week? Why no intervention? Skipping school?
What makes you think “home schooling” will work for you? Do you want to attempt home schooling without parent help?
It sounds like you want to get motivated, but you are going to need some help. Get some help from your school.
There was just a lot going on. My parents are splitting and I’m the oldest of 3 and have a lot of pressure on my head. My mom thinks I’m just making excuses but I genuinely feel sad and have actually had really bad headaches. My counselor is kinda hard on me at the moment. He has been making me turn in daily progress reports since about Mid-April and my attendance has been regular. I skipped a few days kinda but my mom doesn’t know. She has meetings with all my teachers tomorrow and I’m beyond scared.
I wanna homeschool at this place called “Options For Youth” because you have to go 2 times a week and that’s it. I think it’ll work because I genuinely want to get myself together and prove that I’m not failing just because or for attention.
If you have a problem showing up to class, what makes you think you’ll succeed in a good university?
In your original post you said you were sick a lot. In post #4, you say you “skipped a few days kinda”. Are you truly sick when you are absent, or just feeling sad? Has your parent taken you to a doctor to be evaluated for these headaches? With the drastic difference between freshman and sophomore year, it looks to an outsider as if your situation is tied to stress.
I emphasize this above your current performance because, until you get a handle on the situation, there is no chance that a school setting where you are held even less accountable (i.e., homeschooling) will work. You’ve let things go WAY too long to salvage this year. At this point it would probably be best to identify the reasons behind your situation and work to correct them over the summer, then re-take 10th grade. I can’t foresee a situation where trying to cram two years into one in order to graduate with your friends would be successful.
I’ll be blunt. You can’t wave away this past year just because you’re sorry or that’s what you want. Look, it sounds like you fell into a bad pattern of behavior due to a bad family situation. Sadly, whatever the cause, the behavior has its consequences.
I understand your parents split but your response is on the extreme end. It looks like you tried and adjusted your course level downward mid year, but that didn’t help. Even your one A declined to a C. So, whatever the issue, it’s not academic.
CC often counsels college students to take a break to address emotional and mental issues/breakdowns. I think the same advice can be extended to you. .
Please give yourself the gift of time. Focus on you, not your grades, not what year you will graduate from HS but you. Seek counseling, therapy, because you obviously have goals but you aren’t sure how to accomplish them and what you’re doing is moving you away from them. After you learn how to deal with your family situation so that it doesn’t cripple you, then figure out how best to complete high school and go to college.
good luck.
We homeschool in NYS. While there is flexibility on the level of materials we can use for each subject, there’s none for cramming multiple grade levels into one year. If you fail 10th grade in public school you have to repeat it if you homeschool, so it would take you 3 years to complete high school either way.
You aren’t a good candidate for homeschooling. There’s too much upheaval in your life right now and homeschooling requires a certain level of self-direction that you don’t seem ready to handle yet. I’d suggest talking to someone about how you’re feeling; since you were previously a good student this could be the effect of stress and/or depression. You need to get your health sorted out first. Talk to your mom about what’s going on and mention the headaches.
I don’t see any way around repeating 10th grade. When you get back on track and graduate, your guidance counselor can write a letter about your family situation for your college apps. There are a lot of great schools out there, but you have to focus on your high school education to get there.
First, stop worrying about the effect this may have on college admissions. You need to focus on the present, not the future. I agree with others that homeschooling yourself does not appear to be a good choice for you. I think you will need to repeat your sophomore year. I don’t see any way around that. Once you get yourself back on track and get the grades back up, then you can start thinking about colleges.
Oh my, please speak with your counselor immediately. In all honesty, in your position I might consider repeating the year. Your friends will still be there for two more years, and you will get to know other kids better. You will have to repeat many of your failed classes. Whatever you consider, PLEASE don’t think of homeschooling yourself. I guarantee you it will not work. Homeschooling works when you have a very invested parent guiding and doing things the right way, and it sounds like you don’t have that right now.
You can also consider perhaps making up some classes during the summer, maybe at community college. But I agree with others that you need to focus in your mental health right now and don’t worry about college. You need to be in a better place mentally so that you can embrace your education. You have taken a good step by asking for help here, so please continue the positive track and talk to your counselor, who is really the only way you will be able to get yourself back on track academically. If you can, please also talk to your parents, becasue maybe they don’t realize how much their split has derailed you. Or at least talk to a trusted adult. Is there an aunt, unlce or grandparent? You need to be proactive now and fine ways to get back in track. College isn’t going anywhere, there will be a college for you, but you do need to take steps to see that it happens. Good luck, and big hugs.