I am about to go into my junior year of high school and I’ve always been a “good” math student. I was placed in Algebra 1 in 8th grade and was recommended to do college level geometry over summer by my teacher . I did a class over summer to “skip” geometry and got an A in that class. I started freshmen year with Algebra 2 where I got a high B. sophomore year I did Pre-calculus but I moved schools and other things happened in which I ended up failing Pre-Calculus (I got an F) first semester. however next semester I had a B but I moved schools AGAIN and the new school suggested I shouldn’t continue Pre-calc that year and that I should take it over summer at the local college. So I dropped Pre-calc despite having an B and planned to do it over summer. The college I was planning to do my class in gave me a CollegeBoard approved test to measure my mathematical standing. I scored a 97% on the College board math placement test and the college placed me in Calculus 1 (the highest they offered) rather than pre-calc. My family talked to the school and the school said I should do Calculus 1 and forget about a low grade in Pre-calc.
The college course of Calculus 1 at the college was a six week course in which my teacher was gone for a week and a half. Lots of students dropped out and everyone in the class got Fs so he curved it slightly. Despite the curve me (as well as other students) all got an F in his class. Now on my transcript I have Failed Pre-calculus and Calculus 1 but I have a College Board placement test of 97% and loads of teacher recs. I’m not a bad student generally but my transcript says I am. I am so worried and confused on what I should do next. I didn’t slack off at all and in both pre-calc and Calculus I worked my butt off and honestly tried my very best but still failed against all odds. I had good homework grades, its just the tests that brought me down.
As junior year starts, I can re-do Pre-calculus and improve my gpa but all my extra work would be pointless then. Or I can talk to the school and show them the placement test which will place me in AP Calc AB at the school. Which is the better option at this point?
I don’t know what I should do now?? please help.Thank you.
I suggest taking precalc again. Hard work can never be “wasted”, and now you have no excuse not to get an A because of all that experience. This will raise your GPA and prove that you can do better and won’t give up on a class. I have no idea what that college board placement test is, but I doubt colleges consider that compared to your poor grades in precalc. You’re only a junior, and many kids take precalc at that time.
Since you’ve failed math more than once now (albeit due to extraneous reasons), I’m worried that Calc AB won’t go over well for you, or you’ll get a bad grade and make excuses again. I’m not trying to accuse you of lying about your circumstances, but you need to know that your reasons are not enough for colleges to excuse you. In the end colleges care more about GPA than being one year ahead in math, so I suggest you do too.
Retake precalc and do AMAZING next year. Then you will set yourself up for a successful year of Calc AB as well.
Retake pre calc. I understand why you may think you should go straight into calc, but getting a better math foundation is very helpful. Secondly, I took pre calc as a senior and even that is perfectly acceptable to college as I simply took the next course in math sequence. You’re gpa has suffered, but this is recoverable and considering your post, I’d say you are a hardworking student and that will pay off, maybe not immediately, but it will, so keep your head high and move forward.
Tests brought me down in math too compared to things like homework, the thing about math is simply doing the homework to do it, does not work. Who cares about the grade? Do the work for the knowledge and the grade will usually come. It may not come, and you know what? That’s fine. If you can walk away and said I tried my best then what more could you have done? Ican BS my way through homework with Google, but not during a test. This is something I learned in a difficult and stressful way after a variety of college courses,I now know this really is true.
Good luck! I’m sure you will have a successful high school career and be able to go to a great college!
I think you should look at taking calculus…talk to the math department head about your situtation. Ask what would make them think you ready for Calculus…like would the 97% be enough? Study some pre-calc this summer with Khan Academy and ask if you can start in Calculus and drop down to pre-calc if that doesn’t work out.