I<code>m currently taking IB HL Math, which is the hardest math class offered at my school and also its considered as the hardest HL course in all of the IB program… It</code>s really killing me!! The teacher does not teach and the tests are super hard. I<code>m working my ass off and I pulled off a B last semseter, but I got a D- in one of the tests recently…
I dont know if I should drop it or not. I want to go into the sciences, and my Bio teacher told me that taking HL math wil be the best option if I</code>m thinking of going into science.
How is HL math regarded by colleges??? Should I risk getting a low grade or should I keep working hard and try to get atleast a B?
Any advice??
<p>bump.......??</p>
<p>Obviously stay with it.</p>
<p>Go in for help, get a tutor, don't accept defeat. You are smart enough to do this but need a little help. Sometimes smart kids need to learn this skill because up til now they were the ones that got it easy or who helped others. Ask for help...it that doesn't work, ask for more help....Let the teacher know you care, ask questions that show you try..... ie. "I get to this part of the problem and then I am not sure what to do next"...as opposed to whining "I don't get it!" Which gives the teacher nothing to work with.</p>
<p>Good luck....You can do it.</p>
<p>Stick with it. You can do it. </p>
<p>Something similar happened to me in the advanced chemistry course that I took in spohomore year. I bombed one of the first big tests of the second semester (which really hurt me since they were worth half of each of the quarter grades), and like you, I considered moving into the easier class. However, with the help of the advice of my teachers (one in particular) to stay in the harder class, I decided to do just that. It turned out that I was able to bring my grade back up to a score with which I was capable of living (even without the help of extra credit since my teacher didn't believe in it), and now I think that I'm actually a stronger person than I was before that incident happened since I proved to myself that I can sometimes do things that I originally deem impossible. </p>
<p>If you decide to stay in the class, there will be a lot of work to do over the next few months (no joke), but it will be worth it.</p>
<p>what is it? what do they teach you in it?</p>
<p>math is not the hardest thing...some people are better at it than others. GET OVER YOURSELF. you are not special because you are taking HL.</p>
<p>I am a senior in HL Math. It can be tough, but generally I really like it. Many students from my school switched out this year. There is always concern that struggling students won't pass the IB math exam (notoriously tough) and it will prevent them from getting the IB diploma. Check out your school's HL Math pass rate with your GC. If you are a full diploma candidate and you're truly struggling, be cautious. Switching to Methods (Calc AB) is not the end of the world. HL English is a great course and you could do that HL instead. Good luck.</p>
<p>thanks to all who replied! i guess i`ll give another shot at it!</p>
<p>Do you preview material for the next lecture? Sometimes if you have a clue as to what will be covered in class, even poor teaching makes sense.</p>
<p>Math HL is good stuff, imo....but i've got a good teacher with the average IB exam mark around 6.7 . However, I can see how this course would be difficult with a bad teacher. A good book that might help you out: Understanding Pure Mathematics AJ Sadler/DWS Thorning, OUP. That book has some good exercises/explanations. </p>
<p>Good luck : ) : ) : ) it'll be worth it.</p>
<p>Ummm...aren't you the person who posted in the parents board about dropping IB physics? I wouldn't drop both and frankly, I think colleges would rather see someone working hard and pulling B's in IB classes than someone dropping classes because they received poor grades.</p>
<p>Especially since you already have a grade for one semester of it (versus dropping it in Sept, they wouldn't be the wiser), but it doesn't look good to colleges if you're dropping a class just because you aren't pulling an A.</p>
<p>(carolyn - who are you talking to in your last post?)</p>
<p>Mea, I'm talking to The original poster - Japstudent. I doublechecked and yes, it is the same person who posted about having trouble with IB Physics on the parents board. It occurs to me, since the poster mentioned on the parents board that he/she had just transferred into IB physics, that he/she might have just transferred into the entire IB program. In which case, I think it is likely that there is going to be some adjustment to the increased rigor of the IB curriculum and pace. Japanstudent - if this is the case, it may take a while for you to adjust, and I think the best thing to do is to talk with your teachers about how to ease the adjustment.</p>
<p>(Ah i see, thanks for the clarification)</p>
<p>japanstudent - wanting to go into the Sciences but having trouble with phys and math is not a problem. However, if you're aiming for the top schools / top sci career you'll probably have a hard time if you don't get good at maths and sciences to a high level. So, yes, once again, stick with it -- there's no shame in getting some help.</p>
<p>If you want uni credit, you need HL. If math is really still screwing you over, switch to Methods!</p>