<p>I go to a really competitive high school, I think it's the 15th in the entire nation? But ever since the year started…I've been slacking. And now the consequences are coming to me.
I went from getting A's on every single assessment to B's. My GPA was a 4.0 though, so I was fine all until today. I now have an A- in my history class, and I'm 99% sure I got a 60 on my chemistry test.
Even though these classes are honors, I don't know why I'm doing so poorly. I don't really enjoy school life. I feel stupid and I know a main reason I'm getting such subpar grades is because I procrastinate and spend too much time with friends instead of studying. But still…I don't know if I'll be able to keep a 4.0 by the end of the trimester (which ends in mid-December).
What should I do? I've been thinking about transferring back to my town school, but my parents would never allow me to do so, and it'd look bad on my transcript for college, wouldn't it?
I want to attend an Ivy League, Stanford, Duke, NYU, etc., and I don't want to jeopardize my future by continuing to act the way I'm doing.
Please, I need advice ASAP. </p>
<p>What’s more important - friends or going to a top school?</p>
<p>Are you a 16 yo Junior? When people say Junior Year is the hardest year, it’s not (just) the courses, it’s this! You need to set up some accountability time management tools, and maybe incorporate your friends in the accountability. Tell others of your goals and maybe make it a competition (accountability increases when you publicize your intent). Do some physical exercise, something that works up a sweat and releases endorphins for 20 min (or more) per day. Set tangible short-term goals, and check them off each day. Slice things into tinier and tinier slices. Maybe use a “point system” with a reward at the end of accumulating a certain number of points.</p>
<p>Know that you are not alone in this. Enlist the help of your parents.</p>
<p>No, I’m a freshman. I feel so embarrassed for doing so poorly just in Freshman year. I am having trouble adjusting to high school but I did not know it would be this bad.
Also, how should I get my parents to help me? They wouldn’t understand what I’m going through…I know it’s my fault I focus my attention elsewhere but I just don’t know how to get myself together. </p>
<p>I am a parent. I was young once. Your parents were young once, too. They can help teach/guide you and can hold you accountable.</p>
<p>Organization and time management tools/skills are vitally important to success at competitive schools/jobs/etc. They are not second-nature, but benefit from being learned explicitly. Count it as a blessing that you will be learning them now. Time management will give you the ability to maximize your enjoyment and to be mindful in your activities.</p>
<p>We always think something is “our fault” and we just need to “try harder.” That is not always true. You need tools: systems and habits that help you to organize and manage your available time so that you have time for social/leisure and time for work/school, and for athletics. These tools need to be systematically learned and incorporated.</p>
<p>This is a huge field with tons of books and systems, all of which work. It is obviously a pervasive problem, even for adults. Just choose one system and implement it. The key is not to cut out any categories (sometimes people cut out ‘fun’ or ‘socializing’ which in the end is really punitive and counter-productive), but rather to be mindful of how much time you allocate and what you do with that time, so that your highest priorities are taken care of, and so that you don’t scrimp on any.</p>
<p>“Getting Things Done” by David Allen is a classic book in this genre.</p>
<p>Hold on you’re getting A’s and B’s at a school that’s ranked 15th in the nation?? And you think that’s bad?? Dude that’s frikin amazing!! I get that at a school that’s ranked like a hundredth in my state. But anyways if you want to do better manage time better. Study more and get help from teachers in classes you’re struggling with. </p>
<p>but seriously you’re doing great good job☺️ and don’t waste four years trying your best and giving all your time to trying to get in a school that you might not get into. I mean trying your best is what you should do but don’t put all that time into something if it might not happen. </p>
<p>Instead of thinking “I need to ace this test to get into (insert Ivy League school name), think I’m going to ace this test because I studied and I know the material.” If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen.</p>
<p>This might be sucky advice for you but it’s what I believe. Good luck!</p>
<p>You could go discuss this issue with your school social worker or guidance counselor. </p>