Any comment will help my situation below V,
Hello Experts on this forum,
I started off my Junior year hoping my year would go smoothly and without fault, but as you know how life works…
That never happened…
I am into my 3rd week of third year Spanish and completely know the gap in the knowledge between many of students in my class. The main reason is having a completely different teacher for the last 2 years and learning nothing compared to other students who had a great teacher and know what they are doing.
I even have a presentation this week and panicking on what to do. Many students memorized his or her speeches in about 10 minutes, while I still have not even got the first few sentences down after an hour.
Should I drop the class? I feel like I am going to completely bomb the course or work myself to death in trying to keep up. Many students who are feeling the same as me (due to the previous teacher) are dropping the class or realized not to sign up the class.
I am currently taking 3 AP’s also. I am worried about losing focus on my core classes to supplement this class.
This is driving me nuts since I have 2 days to decide…
If I do decide to drop it, what will I lose? Is it any benefit of taking these open classes - choir, ceramics, food and nutrition, child development, and tutoring geometry.
Lots of colleges strongly prefer to see applicants complete at least high school level 3 of a foreign language. In addition, many have foreign language graduation requirements that can be satisfied in fewer courses to get to the required level of college course if you have reached a higher level in high school.
Are there any native or heritage speakers of Spanish among your friends who could help you in Spanish?
Sadly, none that I really know…
Most top-tier schools will require at least the third level of a foreign language, if not higher. It will most definitely hurt your admissions if you only have 2 years.
Honestly, (and I’m not trying to sound mean) you can probably handle the workload. 3 APs is not super heavy when it comes to top 50 schools (and I assume you’re applying to those schools, like most kids on CC). Out of curiosity, what are your 3 APs? I can maybe see your point if it’s Calc BC, Chemistry, and Computer Science; those are hard classes. But I personally know that most kids can handle a lot more than they give themselves credit for, if they learn the right study habits and buckle down.
A little anecdotal piece: I moved to a new school at the beginning of my junior year. Up until that point I had taken Italian for my foreign language credits (although I had a very weak comprehension due to years of bad teachers), but my new school didn’t offer Italian, so I had to switch into Spanish 3 Honors – a language I had literally zero experience with. Was it hard? Yes. It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I failed my first two exams. Did I feel stupid? Absolutely. I felt like everyone was making fun of me when I walked up in front of the class to speak. Hell, I had to look up what “yo soy” meant the night before my first presentation. But I stuck with it, and I learned so much about myself, my study habits, and what I was able to do. This year I’m taking IB Spanish SL and my teacher loves me, because I stuck with it. I’m even having her write my letter of recommendation. There are SO many resources for learning Spanish out there! It’s one of the easier foreign languages for English speakers since there are so many cognates. Make use of those resources. You say you don’t have anyone who could help you learn? There are tons of websites where you can chat on Skype with real native speakers, and it’s loads of fun. Then there’s apps like Duolingo, workbooks, etc… It’s all about how dedicated you are. And yes, I did all this in junior year while taking 3 APs, and I maintained a 3.9.
What I’m saying is, don’t sell yourself short. It’s in times of distress when we grow the most.
The 3 three AP’s that I have are Chem, English, and, and US History.
AP’s are not hard so far. It’s just the amount I homework I get is rather daunting…
I stay up until 12 every night and wake up for band at 6. 
Maybe you guys are more disciplined than me, but this stress is physically draining me…
Another concern I have -
Despite getting A’s for both years with the bad and now realizing I have to work extra time every night in order to keep pace, should I sacrifice that time for Spanish or spend it on SAT prep for the Fall SAT?
Adding to that I am deeply involved in clubs. I find best to be “well rounded” and not only focused on the books.
Academic Decathlon, Model United Nations, Leadership member of Robotics, and a club that works with a non profit.
Your burnout will only get worse if you don’t find a way to lighten up your schedule. Lack of sleep contributes to inability to concentrate and all sorts of negative things including depression. It is a misunderstanding to think that you have to be “well rounded” to impress a college – colleges want well-rounded student bodies, consisting of students who are specialists in various areas. I would drop activities that do not either relate to your intended major, show long-term commitment and achievement (awards, e.g.), or show leadership.
Regarding Spanish versus one of those open classes – if the open class you choose is a favorite activity of yours, it can actually be a stress reliever to help you tackle the rest of your load. For example, my daughter loves art, so she took an art class every year of high school and that helped relieve stress. However, if the open class is not in an area you know and enjoy, then it may wind up just as hard as Spanish and possibly more time-consuming.
Whether you lighten the academic load or the extracurricular load or both, you should try to find a way to get more sleep so you avoid total burnout. Prioritize based on your goals. My daughter needed academic scholarships to attend college, so for her the academics were most important, and she had to make some real sacrifices like quitting her climbing team which was her favorite activity, but also the most time-consuming. For someone else with different goals, the choice might have been to keep climbing and lighten the academic load.
Think about your priorities and make some adjustments to protect your health and peace of mind. Also think creatively. For example, you can always take Spanish over the summer (online, e.g.), and study for the SAT over the summer, do volunteer work over the summer (and drop the club that works with a nonprofit), etc. You do know that for all students aiming for college admission grades are more important than activities, so keep that as a top priority while you think this through.
Have you spoken to your Spanish teacher about this? He or she may be sympathetic if you explain that you don’t feel well-prepared after the last two years. See what he/she suggests.
Another option is to drop Spanish 3 and sign up for a Spanish class on-line. You won’t get high school credit for it, but you can put in you application that you did do the 3d year. D had to do this with math her senior year.
Last option - if this is really stressing you out that much and it’s jeopardizing your overall academic performance - drop Spanish 3 and take a demanding course that is more relevant to your future area of interest. Yes, it’s might be a negative at some schools that ‘recommend’ 3 years of a language, but if it’s clear that you aren’t slacking off and have an otherwise strong record, it’s not likely to keep you out of schools you would otherwise have gotten into. You can also start a new language although, again, it’s not the same as 3 years of one language.
Contrary to popular opinion ‘recommend’ doesn’t mean ‘must have.’ You just have to make a strong case for why what you did was better for you, given where you are trying to go.
Since you are three weeks into the semester, you will have a lot of catching up to do in any class you would switch into, you do need to be prepared for that.
Meet with your guidance counselor and find out what options you have. Provided there are other options, there is no reason to stick with a class that is not absolutely necessary for graduation or college admission and that is making you miserable.
If you find that it is too late to drop Spanish 3, then go meet with your teacher. Find out what you can do to make up for some of your gaps. Your teacher is fully aware that you (and probably anyone else who had your previous teacher) is not as well-prepared as some of the other students. Your teacher can recommend a tutor and/or self-study materials for you. For example, there are lots of free online activities for learning Spanish that you could work on at home.
Drop the class now. You can get into some colleges with only 2 years of foreign language. Yes, it may hurt with the tippy top tier of colleges, but most folks are reaching way up to even apply to the Ivies anyway.
Speak with your GC ASAP and see what your options are. You have time to build an impressive college application since you are just starting your junior year. ECs, outside activities in your church, community, etc. and personal passions can round you out to be an attractive candidate for college admissions.
Life is too short to stress like this for an entire year!
P.S. Do you have solid relationships with teachers/guidance counselor/youth pastor/scout leader,employers etc.? People who can write you outstanding recommendation letters? That is another important aspect of high school–demonstrating quality characteristics to those type of folks who can sing your praises to the college admissions office.