I just received my term grade for AP Calculus and I am extremely diappointed. I have been a great student for the entire year. My grade has never dropped below an A. I did better than almost all my classmates on every test.
I had a 93.6% in the class going into the midterm (in fact, one of the highest grades in the class). The midterm was 25 multiple choice questions. 8 points each. I needed 5 or less wrong to end with an A-. However, after I took the test, I knew I had screwed up severely.
I just got my midterm grade: 72%. Meaning, I missed 7 questions. I now have an 88.3% in the class. My teacher submits our scores tomorrow for the transcript.
I just know this grade is going to psych me out for the AP test. I won’t feel confident knowing my grade dropped over 5% from a midterm!
But…I feel like I should talk to my teacher. I missed one of the questions on the midterm because I had to use my scientific calculator, which is always in degrees not radians. I would have an 89.4% in the class with those extra 8 points. He might round that to an A-.
I just don’t know what to do. Part of me feels I should just accept my grade and leave my teacher alone. But I just know I will always beat myself up about this. That I couldn’t pull through in this one class. I can’t help but doubt my abilities for the AP test in May…
Should I talk with my teacher about my grade? Should I still take the AP test in May when I feel so unconfident?
No you should not talk to your teacher about your grade. Yes you should talk to your teacher about any concepts that you don’t understand or that you missed. If getting less than a A-range grade on the 1st half of the class has had such a devastating impact on you that you don’t think you can confidently complete a test in May then you have bigger problems than getting a B! Did you know that the most competitive colleges would rather accept a student who has had some failure experiences but has persevered than one that can’t handle a grade below an A and is s grade grubber? Do you know why? I’ll provide reasons. First, these colleges want students interested in course content not grade grubbing. Second, life entails encountering obstacles and set backs and figuring out how to work through them. Students who can’t deal with a B are in not position to deal with the vicissitudes of life. Further, more than one Ivy League college has experienced suicides by former high school valedictorians (ie. Tarrytown/Columbia) incapable of dealing with college. So, answers: No don’t mention the grade to your teacher. Stop the grade grubbing. It is sickening. Talk to the teacher about the material you don’t understand. Counter any insecurity by studying hard. Figure out why you are catastrophizing about a test that won’t happen for more than 3 months from now. The importance you ascribe to grades is out of whack. Your priorities are confused. Focus on knowing the material and you will be able to show your mastery on assessments. Take the focus off of grades1
Having now read your other posts I see that your focus seems to be beating out other students and grades and scores and competing and ugh!!!. Don’t you see your focus as unfortunate? Do you have any interest in scholarship? Ideas? Academic topics? The rise in students with your mentality (competitive, grade focused) is ruining the educational system in the US. I realize that there are factors that feed the mentality but it is a destructive one. Can I interest you in some great schools in Canada?
@anxiousenior1 Thanks for your quick response! That’s incredibly reassuring for the AP test and you are probably right about my grade. Thank you!
@lostaccount I’m sorry for your angry feelings. You are very passionate! I can understand your low opinion of me. I’ve actually changed a lot about my goals in the last year that you may have seen on my old threads. Now, I plan on intending a smaller, low-ranked private school that I love dearly with my 2 older siblings and I am not concerned with my GPA as much as you would think. What upset me was that my teacher and classmates were very confident in my success. And I just wanted to do my absolute best in one of my favorite classes, but I suppose it didn’t work out. Haha but I guess I have to taste the bitter to appreciate the sweet. I know I am very blessed to even be learning so much everyday and to excel at it even a little. I do not think I will be speaking with my teacher, if that makes you feel better. It was a long shot anyway. And now I know I will be fine on the AP test if I continue to work hard. Have a wonderful day and thank you for your responses!
@toolegittoquit I literally lost a letter grade (A to a B) over a silly mistake in a CS midterm last semester, to a problem I knew how to solve but simply goofed up. Maybe not 100% true since I could’ve made it up later on, but if I hadn’t made that mistake, with everything else equal, I would’ve gotten the A. Oh well…
But instead of worrying about grades, focus on really mastering the concepts and figuring out what you can do next time to not make those silly mistakes (since apart from the calculator one, there were 6 other mistakes). You can still definitely aim for a 5 on the AP test.
Update: My teacher actually said he will change the grade on my transcript if I rock the AMC 12 next week and qualify for the AIME. I’m incredibly lucky and fortunate. Hopefully I don’t blow it.
Awesome, your teacher must be a good teacher then. Prepare for the AMC12; it will help you in ways you may not realize.
But seriously, to do AP Calc just use your intuition to arrive at the answers. It’s not like the material is rigorous, so this kind of “trolling” actually works, I think.