<p>[Disclaimer] The below is something of a vent rant with several aspects of non sequitur irony/humor. Read at your own risk, unless you don't like that kind of thing, then go read something else.[Disclaimer]</p>
<p>I took my subject tests a while back and got the results somewhat recently. While I was taking them I was seriously thinking about just standing up and walking out of the room (it was that bad), but the results weren't as substandard as I expected.</p>
<p>Math II: 710
Physics: 710</p>
<p>I know what you're thinking "he got a 710, why is this so bad?". It is "so bad" because it was pure luck I did that well and there's no possible way I'm getting better. I literally didn't know the answer to half the questions on the test, or even how some of the physics problems were set up. The worst by far was electricity. Practical electricity is a strength of mine, but the more theoretical questions on the test might as well be written in classical Greek (which I took two years of and still know next to nothing about; it was that or AP Latin).</p>
<p>I studied for these tests like a primate on something illegal, but there's only so much one can do when they are basically homeschooling themselves with only a laptop for company.
The high school I go to is extremely liberal arts oriented (my parents want me to go to a religious school) which is bad for an aspiring engineer like me. Can you believe I was actually the first person at my school to take a subject test? </p>
<p>The "science department" at my school consists of one guy who worked at a chemical lab and never even took physics at a college level; I knew more about most concepts than him and had to correct him several times. The math teacher (teacher, singular) is much better. They've managed to find someone who is really good at math (she aced the math section of the SAT and still had half the time left), but she also works a full 40 hour week at another job and so is never around except for two hours every day to teach Trig and zero hour AP calculus. They unload all the other math classes onto the history/literature teacher that drew the short straw that year. </p>
<p>It always comes back to the "engineer who doesn't know about science". I love building stuff, math is my favorite subject (except for science), my personality screams "enginerd" as loud as it can; but I always score lowest on the math and science portions of standardized tests simply because I've never been able to learn them properly (self study is never as good as classroom instruction, at least for me).</p>
<p>I'm just worried colleges will see that trend and think it's because of a lack of talent or dedication. You want to know the worst part; the school I attend is located down the street from a technical charter school, so I get to pull my hair out when I pass it twice daily.</p>
<p>Alright, the rant switch firmly secured in the off position (the irony needle is still pegged though, I broke off that switch a long time ago). Make of it what you will. Maybe you empathize for me, or are even in a similar position (doubtful); maybe you just want to tell me to suck it up and get a life. Even if this post doesn't get any replies I'll sleep easier knowing I got it off my chest (weird saying that, wonder if some ancient guy somewhere got a giant mosquito attatched to his chest or something).</p>
<p>The End </p>
<p>P.S. You ever take so long crafting a post that the forum times you out before you can hit "submit"? I'm the master of that.</p>