<p>Trying to be the valedictorian means stressing over every test you take for your next 3 years. I’d rather get a 3.8 or 3.9 GPA and that’s good enough. That should be the only goal. Keeping in the top 10% would be great too.</p>
<p>If it means that much to you, have your parents talk to administration about it. If that doesn’t work, ask if you can take online CC courses by yourself and have that count as credit, or see if you can take summer classes or something. I hope everything works out for you, but at the same time, remember that:
a) there’s more to life than grades. I know you said this is your only outlet, but it really shouldn’t be. It makes me sad that you feel like friends and socialization aren’t possible for you/aren’t important.
b) you’re a special snowflake, and don’t let anyone tell you any different. I know everyone has said this, but allow me to beat an already dead horse. No one cares about valedictorian, starting the day after you graduate. No matter what happens, you’re awesome and you should feel happy living life.
Don’t feel like you can only be validated by good grades/rank. In the grand scheme of things, it’s just not important. Go out and laugh with some friends, do something stupid (not drugs, for the love of God), and make some memories that you’ll smile at 20 years down the road.</p>
<p>@17Angel What you said was beautiful. Thank you so much. You’ve changed things to the better. </p>
<p>I don’t see any need for you to be stressing about Valedictorian so much. I pretty much completely agree with 17Angel. Don’t define your life by being Valedictorian. I get that you are frustrated. I was too when my school said that I couldn’t be Valedictorian even though I was #1 in my class but I was graduating in three years instead of four and couldn’t be considered for it. But my goal is not to be Valedictorian, it is to learn to better myself. People will see your hard work even if you aren’t Valedictorian. So cheer up and keep working hard, but don’t needlessly stress yourself out over things beyond your control.</p>
<p>I personally think being a valedictorian is an awesome goal to shoot for, but as others have said, you shouldn’t define your life solely around that or let it consume you so fully that it becomes a destructive obsession. The frustration’s understandable, but in the long run life isn’t always fair. Focus on school, but don’t just game the system to be the best if you’re not genuinely interested in the classes you’d dual-enroll in or any AP courses you’d self-study. You’re only young once; going to a school dance or sporting event once or twice in your time in high school won’t doom you to an eternity of not being a high achiever. Make memories now so when you’re older you won’t regret missing out on something to cram in just one more study hour. Besides, you have a bit under three years left; a lot can change in that time. And one last thing: if you can’t change it, let it go. Why stress yourself out more than necessary?</p>
<p>Bump this is one of the funniest things Ive ever read</p>
<p>Sorry, but it is not funny at all. It is easy for young people who have little life experience or perspective to become obsessed with things that really just don’t matter at all, whether it’s valedictorian or the latest silly melodrama at school, and go through a lot of very real personal anguish over it. I just hope she will take the words of all the other students to heart, who have posted that really it’s not a big deal and certainly not worth stressing for years over and sacrificing her personal happiness. Just like no one now cares what grade anyone got in 5th grade English, in a few years it will be meaningless and the OP will look back with regret on not having done the things she is now giving up–that would have held a lot more lasting meaning for her–for this singleminded obsession.</p>
<p>I tell my kids they should worry more about what they are learning and that grades matter only to the extent that they enable or prevent you from doing what you want to do in the future. If you need to be valedictorian because you will get a large scholarship for it and you need that scholarship to attend college, well that’s one thing. But I think very few kids are in that position. I don’t see any other reason to worry about it. I don’t know of any college that requires you to be valedictorian to be admitted. It’s sufficient to have great grades, and this is apparently not a problem for the OP, so no reason to stress.</p>
<p>I have sympathy for the OP about school rules. School rules sometimes are stupid. The school administrators know it but they cannot officially change the rules because it’s involved with the bureaucracy of the whole system. School rules are usually not created for some special students. However, sometimes the school can bend the rules if you can present your case. When you talk to school admins you should tell them the strong reasons why you want to make a special case. The most important reason is educational need. You may want to bring your parents with you in the fight.
You should not ask why someone else can do but you cannot. That question should be the last resort.</p>
<p>You deserve the earn the val title if you are able. But like others said it’s OK if the school rules don’t favor you. The most important things are your educational goals. My kids had dual enrollement because they needed to. Their school did not give credits for the college level classes they took. </p>
<p>@mathyone Actually ur right, its not funny, its hilarious</p>
<p>Sal ain’t bad </p>
<p>Interestingly, the OP hasn’t said anything about educational need. The OP said she wants to take dual classes to boost GPA.</p>
<p>“School rules sometimes are stupid.” Yes, they are. And the way in which the valedictorian is determined is one of them. Depending on the rules of a particular school different students would be chosen. Does that make them any better? </p>
<p>At my school it’s so stupid. The val for my grade cheats in most of his classes and a high class ranking isn’t determined by how smart you are or how hard you work, but WHICH TEACHER you get.</p>
<p>YOU have to stand up for what you want, BUT, get a parent involved. My son wanted to take extra AP classes in Sophomore year and the school said no. I went in and said it was OUR choice, not theirs, and they allowed him to do it. I did have to sign a form for it to override their views. He will be valedictorian this year. ALSO, the same can be done for dual enrollment. If they won’t allow you to dual enroll, take ALL AP’s. Maybe he will get one B, that’s all he needs to get you raised up to his level with all AP’s. </p>
<p>@mathyone Some school choose valedictorian based on club participation and school involvement. I sometimes really really wish that my school’s valedictorian was chosen that way. It would encourage involvement in things other than obsession over grades and gaming systems for GPA; and plus, it would be a productive way to enjoy high school as well. But it doesn’t… and there’s not anything I can do about it 
I actually don’t think any schools in my county pick that way. </p>
<p>I heard some schools are taking away the ranking system, though! How do colleges feel about that? </p>
<p>@mathyone By the way, I decided not to dual enroll! I thought about it a lot and I was even offered a class but the one I was offered is the one he is taking: engineering. I heard he is not even interested in that subject. I’m not, either; yet he took it to boost GPA or whatnot.</p>
<p>I decided I don’t want to take it. I truly have no passion for engineering! To be honest, at some point or another, it’s not ethical or right to take something just for GPA (like you said). Why should I go bend over backwards on a subject I don’t even want to study just for a stupid rank? </p>
<p>If I become valedictorian, I want it to happen purely and naturally and with the normal path of hard work. I want to look back and know I enjoyed my life and also worked hard to the best of my abilities, not scrambling around hunting for GPA classes, and even obtaining some through fighting and bribing and pleading schools to bend rules. I don’t think EVERYONE wins things that way; the one who obtains things through ethics and correctness can be successful. </p>
<p>In the end of the day, I just want to be happy and have a clear conscience about everything I did for what I received as a repayment of my hard work. We all get what we deserve, that much is clear. So whatever happens, happens! Not saying I won’t try 
</p>
<p>But I just want it to happen in the right way. I am sure I made the right decision not dual enrolling. Quite honestly, dual enrollment is a choice people make if they seriously need the college credit or the application bonus. I don’t think I need or want dual enrollment at the moment. I have enough credits and things like that. But I’m certainly not really wanting to take it just for GPA. I thought I did but then I realized I would just become the same type of person as him and then there would be no true difference between me and him.</p>
<p>I think I should do my own thing. I learned from this ,though. </p>
<p>@ZBD5421 That’s what I’m going to do If he decides to dual enroll all he wants, I’m just going to take lots of AP Classes, and do my own thing. The school assured me that I have twice the amount of credits and GPA than he does and after the first semester of sophomore year, the rankings are going to surprise everyone. It kind of calmed me down that I don’t have to go run around and perform things against my own will just to surpass him. </p>
<p>I loved your advice, thank you! That gives me lots of faith and truly the belief that I can do it! We can do anything we set our minds to. Anything is possible!! Thank you!!! </p>
<p>Really, no one can predict the future… anything can happen :))))))) #happySally</p>
<p>Plus I really enjoy taking AP Classes. It’s a lot of fun and I’m able to handle it and stuff. I heard him talking about how he thinks AP is hard and he hates it so much, but I have never ever felt that way about any class before! I truly love the classes and I won’t have any problem taking them. It’s enjoyable.</p>
<p>Plus, believe it or not guys… he tried to sabotage me for an entire year. @tacoperson123 knows :-/ Idk I guess he thought since I’m a girl and he’s a guy he could attempt to distract me from the whole school situation by doing really weird things. He tried being my friend but the whole time he constantly wanted me to give him my homework for him to copy and he would always ask me what tests were before he would take them, and I would never tell him any of it because I was really suspicious as to why he was suddenly being my friend conveniently AFTER he would hear about my grades and success in classes. I didn’t want to believe it was sabotage or for the valedictorian title but then he started asking obviously suspicious questions like “how important are grades to you” and “what’s your ranking, please tell me” and I was kind of getting wary. And then he randomly confessed that he loved me :)) and I thought that was funny because he barely knew me and his questions and actions were really, really weird. And it started becoming a frightening situation because people would tell me he would constantly ask people in the class what grade I would get on so-and-so assignment or test or what I did during the weekend, instead of asking me. I was getting seriously creeped out.</p>
<p>I seriously should have cut him off a really, really long time ago because it could have become dangerous but well first off, I was naiive and second, I didn’t want him to be my enemy.</p>
<p>But I do want to say I did a good job of handling it. I wouldn’t ever tell him any information and I managed to make him believe I didn’t know my ranking and I didn’t have a goal for valedictorian or top ten. I don’t think he entirely believed me though because he wouldn’t give up!! He started trying to play emotional mind games and texting me 24/7 and if I wouldn’t answer, he would make a big deal that I’m “mad” at him, and it started being really annoying.</p>
<p>Do you think he was trying to distract me? Because literally, it was the weirdest thing I have EVER experienced in my ENTIRE lifetime. Maybe he was mentally unstable?</p>
<p>Well just recently some more stuff happened and he kept calling my phone to talk about “our relationship” except we don’t have one… so I was really creeped out 100%. I finally cut the knot and told him to please leave me alone and not talk to my friends, not talk to me, and to stay away from me forever. </p>
<p>I should have done that a long time ago!!! But what do you guys think? Was it too much of a coincidence?? In our school, if someone was to mention his name, an entire classroom would start freaking out and calling him a “true psychopath” and that he has a mental illness of bothering others for his own benefit.</p>
<p>AHHHHHHHH I think that’s what he was doing.</p>
<p>Sorry this got super long. I just wanted to tell you guys this because it’s another reason I feel this way. He did a lot of things to hurt me and my family and my friends and a lot of people in the school, and I had a terrible experience from him. There’s tons more, too, but it’s all too long and if I tell you guys, you might think I’m so stupid for allowing him to be my friend still. I do want to say though that I never let him use me for the grades and I never allowed him to actually succeed in distracting me.</p>
<p>We are in the same Spanish 3 class this year and after this first quarter, where he would do all these things, he got a 77 in the class ( A C!!!) and I got a 95. And apparently he got a B in AP Chemistry, while I got an A (This is report card by the way ahhhh…). So I really really didn’t let him get to me but apparently he ended up distracting himself…? … so is this the saying where, “you dig a grave for someone else, and you end up falling in it yourself?”</p>
<p>Let me know what you guys think :)) But just know the whole situation with him is over now, I ended a “friendship” I should have ended a long time ago but I never want to believe the badness in people. I wanted to believe he was actually my friend but ehhhhh I should have ended it the second I realized something fishy was up. </p>
<p>oh by the way I’m not talking about @tacoperson123 doing that! I mentioned him because I told him a bit of the story. The guy who did this (Valedictorian dude) is an Indian boy in my school. He’s the one I’ve been talking about, whose brother was valedictorian and stuff.</p>
<p>I never really had anything to do with him 
He just started a road of friendship and I would receive warning signs from time to time but then suddenly realized it and got rid of the situation before some serious sabotage happened. He was crazy :-?? </p>
<p>Whatever happens at the end of senior year… I’ll never forget any of this. 8-| </p>
<p>Thank you to everyone for the responses! You are all truly nice people </p>
<p>@SallyStephens, im glad that you realized that winning valedictorian isnt the most important thing in life. It sounds like your feeling a lot better since the beginning of the thread, and hey, your probably gunna be ranked 1st in the class now! You’re a real inspiration winning things ethically with hard work while still enjoying life. Its awesome how your still doing what you enjoy, but when it comes to competition its not always as fortunate. You cant ever be mad at yourself for giving a hell of a fighting effort that your satisfied with. After all, life is about the journey, not the destination.</p>
<p>I haven’t really faced any problems regarding valedictorian as my school removed it last year so its not being applied to my class. I like it because the people trying for dual enrollment are doing it either for college, for fun, or making room in their school schedule for more classes that suit ther interests. The top students can also freely talk to each other without considering someone trying to sabotage someone else. Or at least all but one student 
</p>
<p>I know a couple people with similar aspects to the guy your competing with. Its bad how the person usually the best isnt always a good person. In my school the smartest person has been preety mean to alot of people and lies too much for me to trust him. Its a good thing that you ended the “friendship” or whatever it was. I know it is always a really hard thing to do, but it really does benefit you in the long run and its quite a relief not having to constantly think about them. Red flags are serious indicators that shouldnt be overlooked. There is just people that aernt necessarily bad, but do alot things that you dont like and it can get extremely frustrating and you almost have too end the friendship.</p>
<p>Im not exactly sure if he was intentionally trying to sabotage you though. At my school its standard to ask to copy someone elses homework and to know whats going to be on a test so much that its looked down upon if you dont help even though teachers dont like it and its against the academic integrity policies. I dont really have enough information to judge the calling and relationship thing either. But that stuff can become quite distracting even if you dont immediately feel it.</p>
<p>There are definitely people with badness in some people and its actually good to be aware of it just in case their trying to do something bad. </p>
<p>I hope you continue working hard and doing what you think is greatness instead of everything that is needed. Good luck on the valedictorian race, I’ll be rooting for you! </p>