<p>well what i said although might be a little harsh but it's true. Sure u need some consolation and advice. But after u r up and ready after that, u need harsh comments to motivate u. I'm sorry if what i'm saying is harsh but APs rn't college level courses as in top tier courses. So if u r struggling with them, college isn't really looking too bright for u. So my advice is to just try to get the hang of it for now and sort of condense ur ECs right now if possible.
I had like a 72 in math 8th. i hated the subject but in 9th grade i literally spent like 16+ hours with math for a particular reason. The result? i love math and am quite good at it. So just stick with it and who knows it might be ur passion.</p>
<p>"college isn't really looking too bright for u"
As in any college? </p>
<p>My AP teachers say that they teach us and treat us as if this is a college class. on the first day of school my ap calc teacher said "welcome to harvard!" </p>
<p>I sucked at/hated math too, and then in 10th grade I magically loved it (yay for geometry). And I still love it. It's weird how things happen like that.</p>
<p>well cc-level college or top tier college more likely. Come on everyone said that. My calc teacher said that class takes a lot of work but it was totally easy. EVERYONE SAYS THAT! if a teacher said this course is easy how would the students do? slack off most probably.</p>
<p>lol my calc class is totally not easy. And if you think I'm saying that because I'm dumb as hell, take it from all these kids with 800s in Math SAT Is and IIs who get 70s and 80s on tests consistently.</p>
<p>r u saying my calc class was easy? 80+% people got 5s in the BC test FYI. Besides getting 800s in Math SATI is easy not to mention Math2c 800 is also easy as well. Let's see how many of those 70s, 80s kids take AIME? that's a more qualified test much harder than SAT maths all combined</p>
<p>NO. I wasn't. I was saying mine wasn't easy. Kill me now, I'm tired of this ****.</p>
<p>Everyone is smarter than me and you all make a point that I should just drop all of my classes and all of my classes are easy and I will not survive college and I should pretty much just die, because I'm not worth a cent of Upenn's financial aid.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So if u r struggling with them, college isn't really looking too bright for u.
[/quote]
I love how so many people are quick to say how stupid peachykween is in this thread despite not knowing her at all in the real world, and how said people also can't help but say how smart they are in the same breath. (I also like how said put-downs and comparisons of intelligence are often done with improper English, but I am easily amused.) I just hope everyone who's doing it is having fun exerting superiority on an anonymous message board where they obviously look so cool for doing it.
Now I know some people will keep trolling here, but I'd just like to point out these people for who they are for a minute. Come on now: everyone knows that a calc test can be written at such a level of difficulty that even a mathematics professor at Harvard couldn't pass it. "AP" designations are also subjective when compared to a college course: one of the teachers at my high school who taught BC calc took great pride that her tests were more difficult than the ones at Carnegie-Mellon University. So what are you accomplishing by coming into a thread like this repeatingly putting down the original poster? Nothing at all constructive, but I will question your intelligence should you actually believe what you are saying and question your motivations for posting such comments in general.
Alright, I'm done for now. I just felt that the ad hominem attacks should be revealed for what they are by a third party as all peachykween is doing is looking for advice here!</p>
<p>Yeah I see both sides.</p>
<p>I remember on the first day of honors precalc last year, the teacher was standing by the door as we were walking out of the classroom and he had scared us with a lecture about how hard the class would be. As we walked out, he was like "leave your NHS cards at the door", but it turned out no one got below like an 85 or so in that class. </p>
<p>You will do very well in many schools and you may do fine in UPenn, but I'd advise you to consider if you want your social life to be eaten away by studying. Anyways, good luck! and the people with the rude comments are just....well, rude.</p>
<p>Peachykween:
I completely sympathize with your situation! You are taking a quite difficult schedule, participating (or were until recently) in a varsity sport (a time consuming proposition), playing an instrument seriously, and trying to maintain some semblance of a life. This kind of schedule is extremely rough on your body (I know how you feel: my sophomore year, I literally got a sinus infection, strep, and bronchitis back to back and that was a typical winter for me). I have a few suggestions, which I hope will help a little:</p>
<p>1) Is it too late for you to drop Advanced Web Development ? You said in your original post that you could have had a study hall then and, if it's possible, that could help a little.</p>
<p>2) I wonder about how you're studying for Calculus. Are you working on reviewing formulas and concepts or are you practicing problems? I'll admit I am not in Calculus (and believe me, there's a reason for that), but it seems to me that if you "understand everything, and have gotten consistent 100s on the quizzes" and yet still need three to four hours of studying before each exam, you may not be making the most effective use of your time. If you have a thorough grasp of the material (as I am sure you do), it might be more advantageous for you to practice problems rather than look over concepts.</p>
<p>3) In physics, it sounds like you could use a suplemental textbook of some kind. I'm not very familiar with physics, but a "Physics for Dummies" book, a Princeton Review-type AP review book (even though I know you aren't in AP Physics, these types of books can still be helpful for getting major concepts), or even just a different textbook than the one you have now might help. It sucks that you have to teach yourself, but it seems like having a different resource might be helpful. </p>
<p>4) Your AP English class sounds like it has a truly ridiculous workload. However, although I'm sure it feels necessary, I wonder if your 5-hour essays are a place where you could shave some time. Think about whether the difference between the essay you could produce in two hours and the essay you could produce in five hours is great enough in terms of grades to be worth the extra time. This is also a place where when you write makes a difference-- if you are working on these essays when you are tired, they will take much, much longer than if you are energized, so it might be helpful to try writing your essays before doing other work, when you are fresher.</p>
<p>5) As far as AP Spanish goes, reading the literature might be another area where working on it earlier in the day might help. </p>
<p>6) In thinking about college, consider this: at almost all colleges, you will only carry four or at most five courses a semester, rather than eight. Also, it seems to be that your outside class time is similar to what most college students spend per class (in terms of your three AP classes), but you are doing that in combination with a high school class schedule (7ish hours a day in the building, five days a week), rather than with a somewhat looser college schedule that is designed to work with the kind of outside class time you are currently putting in. So, in that sense, actual college courses might be somewhat easier than high school AP courses. You are obviously a very intelligent and motivated student, and I really admire you dedication and ability to focus (something I, unfortunately, lack-- I'm supposed to be doing statistics problems right now), so I don't think you should be concerned about whether or not you can handle the workload. What I'm more concerned about is whether the toll it would take on you to do so would be worth it, especially if you want to continue doing music. If going through the stress of a high pressure college experience is worth it to you, absolutely go for it. But if you are already this unhappy and your health is suffering, it is at least worth some serious consideration whether or not you really want to sign up for four more years of a pressure-cooker.</p>
<p>I hope that you can find a happier medium and get some sleep. Good look with your UPenn application!</p>
<p>stargirl - thank you, you made my anger at my own thread go away.
cheaper - yeah, my social life is kind of bleeh right now, lol. But in all actuality, it always has been and my nickname when I was little was "social moron" (even though my sister totally takes that back).
megblum - thank you! I was seriously thinking about the supplemental physics book thing. Unfortunately, it is too late to drop WebD. I DO do my english essays when I'm tired (I save them for last). Thank you for the advice</p>
<p>yay, I feel better. Time to study for physics! lol. But not before I watch grey's anatomy...</p>
<p>You guys are crazy. I barely ever do homework outside of class and I don't study for tests. I just play computer games and other games all the time. Yet, I still have a 4.0 and 5's on APs and a 2200+ SAT score. My friend is almost as bad as me and he got a 1600 on the old SAT and a 4.0. Is school really that hard for everyone?</p>
<p>you may have nerd smarts, but you're ignorant. lol</p>
<p>Advice: first, remember this is only through mid-year exams and then all you have to do is get Bs. or even an occasional C. Okay, you have more time now because you are not doing soccer.
You have finished your music auditions, now CUT BACK ON MUSIC. It is already on your college resume. If you don't pick up an instrument again until after mid-years colleges will never know or care. And you won't forget how to play either.
If you get into UPenn you will do fine there. Or at any school. They are only as hard as the courses you take. Our school sends several B students a year to Princeton (althletes) and they always do fine. We have one recruited athlete at Duke now doing great and getting credit for "latin dancing".
If "the worst" happens and you don't in Penn, you will probably like wherever you go and have a wonderful life. Or you will transfer. Don't let these people on this board psych you out (actually you seem to be psyching yourself out).
IGet the book "Blink"- then don't spend so much time on those English papers.</p>
<p>Hi Peechykween,</p>
<p>I dont post often but ive been reading through ur thread (procrastinating haha) and i just wanted to say that u are not alone. I often feel like i am in the exact same position as u, i go to a private high school in pittsburgh, and am taking 4 AP classes. i have so much work in my classes that i dont have so much time for several ec's and have to limit my time to working on the yearbook (am co-senior editor). anyways, i dont want to talk so much about me but i want to give u some advice which i hope will help (people tell me i give good advice, even though i dont follow it myself lol):</p>
<p>1) dont listen to the people on this thread who say that they are taking "nth number of APs and have time to do everything else." think of their possible test scores which are the ultimate outcome. case in point-my friend got a 3 on the AP Euro exam but a C in the class and she goes to my school. her boyfriend got an A in the class but a 1 on the exam (he goes to a well-known public school). the scores on the exams speak volumes.</p>
<p>2) relating to point number 1: u can't, under any circumstances, relate ur grades and ur situation to other kids cause they dont go to ur school. this is precisely why guidance counselors send out the "school report form" or "school profile." ask ur guidance counselor if u could see the one that he/she send out. i got a copy of mine and it puts things in perspective. also, if the college knows of ur school and knows its reputation that will work in the same manner and since upenn is so close to u they probably do know of ur high school and the curriculum there etc.</p>
<p>3) just chill out once in awhile! this past wednesday i came home and just had the worst breakdown ever (and trust me ive had lots of them). i dont know why i had it either but everything was just building on top, waiting for ea college decisions, applying to other colleges, yearbook deadlines, grades, homework, feeling obligated to go back to crew, convincing my parents to let me go to egypt, cleaning etc. everything just fell in top of each other. i called my sister and was hysterical and she said that she never remembered herself being this stressed out. that put things in perspective for me because my sister is incredibly high strung! and i realized that enough is enough. i took a mental health day the following day cause i felt physically sick when i looked at my back pack. i watched disney movies, ate ice cream etc, was a kid again! moral of the story: have a good cry, take a day off (one when u know u wont be missing a lot), and just lay on the couch and do something that u truly enjoy. it helps to just say **ck it sometimes. in fact, my teachers all know that we seniors never stay home cause we are sick rather, we stay home to keep our sanity.</p>
<p>4) talk to ur guidance counselor if u need some reassurance that a B or whatever in an IB class wont hurt ur chances of admission. they are the professionals, not the people on this forum, and while it helps to talk to people who are in the same situation as u but not biased, they are not the end all, be all. also keep in mind that many schools (esp. the ivies) bumd up the letter grade of an advanced course (AP or IB) so a B is really an A, a C- is really a B- etc. </p>
<p>5) i really would suggest dropping something. for example, i decided to drop the crew team this year. it wasnt worth it. im not rowing in college, i hate the people on my team, and my coaches dont coach us. i realized that i want to spend my last year of high school with my friends (who are my fellow peers). we've been through a lot together and i dont want to feel obligated to do something.</p>
<p>6) if ur close to any one of ur teachers please please talk to them. im not sure about a public school, but at my school we are all extremely close with our teachers. honestly i would talk to them about a problem before i would talk to my parents.</p>
<p>hmmm, ill probably think of some other things but i really hope that everything turns out for the better. keep in mind that some people just have the motivation to work really hard (thats you lol) and that is what really matters. talent can only get a person so far...BUT u need to relax now and then, take a weekend off. break is coming up soon, dont do anything for a week, watch movies, eat dessert, go shopping, do whatever makes u happy and then get back to studying ;)</p>
<p>feel free to PM me or IM me, my sn is: Screename633</p>
<p>i'm going to say, that i don't have much high school experiance to my name (i'm a freshman), i find that it's a lot easier to get on during school by paying a whole lot of attention during class, and actively participating... even with that, i get 4-6 hours of sleep... but just try to toughen through it, at least until winter break, and then decide if you want to drop a class... right about now, the teachers get really nervous that they won't cover all the material for the midterm and try to push their classes, so just stick it out :)</p>
<p>to the op, i'm in the same boat as you- it's 1:30 right now, and I have to finish reading an economics chapter for a test tomorrow and I have to START (read, START) studying for physics. I wake up at 6 usually. I also have a calculus and english test tomorrow. Not too worried about either since I have band tomorrow, so I'll just put my notes on my stand while I play. I haven't completed a single app. Not even one. I stay after school every day for ECs, (usually til 4:30 or so), come home, take a nap for an hour or so, and then start hw. Sometimes, I have to go back to school for clubs from 7-9. Then the cycle repeats. It's sooo unhealthy, but I think this is the home stretch. </p>
<p>I REALLY wish I had ED'd to princeton/columbia/brown though. One of my friends told me she got into Columbia on Thurs. I'm soooo jealous. She can turn the hardcore grinding down a notch now. </p>
<p>Also, my school reranks the top 5 kids after the first semester. I was #1 when the year began, but now I've slipped to 2 (which I don't mind, it just seems like the entire student body is pressuring me because they don't want the current #1 to be val. whatever). AHHHHH. i need red bull or something.</p>
<p>Sorry if this isn't coherent. I am SO tired right now, I just want to hibernate until summer.</p>
<p>I know how you feel. I study so hard in chems, but no matter what...I always get Bs. Everyone struggles in that class, but a lot of my friends manage to get As on the tests. Am I too stupid to be in the class? Maybe, but at least I am being challenged. </p>
<p>As far as the essay thing goes...I am in honor English, and I write a 2 page paper in about 30 minutes. Last year I was in reg. English, but it took me an hour. Freshman year: about 1.5 hours. 8th grade: 3 hours. Have I gotten smarter? Well obviously with age...but my teachers have become easier and easier. You really really can't compare schools or teachers. </p>
<p>And for those cocky, condesending brats who have an even harder schedule but still manage to sleep for 12 hours... "college isn't really looking too bright for u."</p>
<p>peachykween, i can sympathize with both sides of the arguement, because a)I've been in your position and b)I finally got fed up and had to learn how to spend less time on homework and studying, and more time going out.</p>
<p>Junior year I was totally in your position, with the heaviest courseload my school offers, a varsity sport, a job that I worked 25+ hours per week, and a bunch of other EC's and commitments. I would get home from work at 10:30pm on weeknights and begin my homework, while still trying to maintain the same "perfect" academic standard that I had until that point. I would be up doing homework until at least 4:30, up at 7, and off to school. I'll admit that I've never really studied for more than an hour for a test or quiz (except like the actual AP exams), but I do have the same problem as you with writing papers, and even outlines. For AP U.S. History last year, we outlined about 3 forty-page chapters/week, which may not sound like a lot to everyone, but they actually took me at least 3 hours to do (thoroughly), and papers generally take me several hours as well. Anyway, I totally burned myself out, so I knew I had to make some changes.
1) I told my employer that I could only work on Sundays... that cut my work hours down to about 8 hrs./week
2) I would write my english papers out in a notebook first, in my room where there are no distractions; then I would go type them... it took much less time than staring at a blank computer screen. I would suggest for you, don't worry about doing so much prewriting, unless the teacher requires you to turn it in; just write, type, edit and revise -- if you are a good writer, it will be a quality paper
3) I stopped worrying so much for tests; I learned to study for 15-20 minutes/night for a few nights before, then quiz myself or do practice problems for 15 minutes tops the night before. Then I would go in the next day and take the test, and usually I find that I do as well, if not better, when I haven't been cramming and stressing for it so much
4) I took days off when I needed them. When I felt like I was falling behind, I convinced my parents to let me stay home for the day. I would set my alarm clock for 11:00 or noon so that I wouldn't sleep all day, but no earlier than that... some days it's just nice to sleep until you wake up, no alarm clocks. Then get up, and do something relaxing and purely for fun... I would make a cappucino, and sit outside by the river for awhile (when it's warm out, haha). Once you have done that, begin your work... spending a day like this will give you a chance to wind down/de-stress, and if you start your work at about 12:30 or 1, it will be the same as getting home from school 2 hours early, so you will have that much longer to do that day's homework/to get caught up if you were feeling behind.
5) this year I decided to take a T.A. hour. I've never had a study hall before, and since the teacher I decided to T.A. for rarely has anything for me to do, I get to use it as a study hall. But for me it's better than study hall, because since I am the only person, it's basically an independant study hour to go anywhere I want or work on whatever I need. Some days my teacher writes me passes to go out for breakfast (it's my first class of the day), other days I do homework, do work for the teacher, go down to the counselor's office to work on college apps., catch up on reading for class... whatever. If you have an opportunity to do something like that at your school, DO IT! Drop a class, and give yourself a free hour! Even though my schedule is just as rigorous this year, I almost feel like I'm having a Senior slack year compared to last year, just because I have more time to get my work done. And FYI, I still have the same number of core academic courses as I would have without my T.A. hour... it took the place of an elective course, so no big deal.
6) give yourself at least one night off on weekends. Friday nights should be reserved for going out w/friends. And if you try really hard to give yourself enough sleep all week, you won't feel compelled to sleep all day on Saturday... then you can get up at a good time, get some work done, and go out Saturday night too. Then finish your work on Sunday
7) lastly, don't stress out if everything doesn't go perfectly. And don't listen to people who say that you are going to fail at college. You just need to work a little bit on time management. But lots of college freshmen suck at time management. The reality is (for me at least), that the amount of things that I am undertaking in High School, is not a realistic picture of how things are going to work in college. 7 classes per semester, practice right after school, straight from practice to work, do homework as soon as my shift is over... that isn't what college life is going to be like. In college, you won't have that many classes each day... the work load might be greater, but you will have more time to do it. Even if you still have a job & other activities in college, the amount of all those commitments added together, won't equal the amount of time you spend on them now in addition to school. So, you will have time for homework and still have plenty of time for going out and having fun, as long as you plan your time well. I do think you need to work on time management though.</p>
<p>oh and by the way</p>
<p>all-niter does not equal bed at 2AM</p>
<p>try, not bed, work til 6AM, thats an all-niter</p>
<p>run into those, and you'll really understand stress</p>
<p>Yes, I've done true all-nighters, and I know how much they suck.</p>