I'm taking 2 AP classes and an Honors class and I have D's in all 3 of them; although I am close to a C in an AP class, only one point away. This freaking sucks. In the honors class, chemistry I'm lost 95% of the time. I haven't passed or come close to passing a single test this semester. And the AP classes are tragic too. I've never had to analyze stuff like they expect so that's a struggle. Ugh. I'm having such a hard time with this crap. It's really frustrating. It's like I'm having to relearn how I learn because what used to get me A's in CP classes clearly isn't cutting it for AP one's. Grrr. Too bad they don't have a class for socializing. I'd pass that with flying colors.
im not sure what you're asking so my advice is probably not going to help anything but here goes . dont worry. study lots and hope for the best - theres not much else you can do. if you go into a test knowing youre doing your best you cant do anything better.
Haha. Thanks I wasn't really asking for advice; just venting. But I appreciate it anyway. : ) I feel better now, I'm just trying not to think about it too much it just irritates me all over again. But I'm going to just have to study harder I guess. Or spend my lunches in tutoring. Joy. >_>
Hi there! Not sure if you are asking for advice, but the first thing I suggest is that you talk to your Chemistry teacher and ask him or her if you can redo assignments or do an assignment for extra credit so that you have a chance of passing the course. For the other courses, it seems that you have learned that you need more time to complete assignments and study for tests. You know what you have to do and what is expected of you. Maybe start dividing your time accordingly and prioritize. In other words, go through your course materials and have a look at how much you have to do for each course and give yourself enough time to study and prepare for assignments and exams for each of the courses. Get a calendar or make yourself a weekly schedule until the end of the term. Then plot down every due date and what you have to do for each of the courses. Divide your studying/preparation time accordingly. If something is due sooner but requires you to put a lot more time into it, start with that. Try to work on it a couple of hours every day. If you can don't leave everything until the last minute. If you have a week before an assignment is due or before you write an exam, start studying for it. The sooner you start studying for it, the more time you will have to ask the teacher for clarifications, and/or help with the material. You will also have enough time to review the material again before the exam, which can help you in understanding the material and placing it in its proper context. When you are studying or are working on an assignment, try to have only the things you need for studying or the assignment on your table. Don't have books or assignments from other courses on the table. Just what you need. This will allow you to keep focused on what you are doing. Also, if you start feeling that you are getting tired or feel overwhelmed by the material, take a break from studying and go for a walk around the neighborhood for 10 minutes or so. This will allow your brain a rest but also to begin processing the information better. Sometimes when you take a break and gain distance from the material, and go back to it then, you will see some connections that you haven't seen before. It will also allow you to gain a better understanding of what it is that you might need to work on more or need to ask some questions about. If you need help in understanding the material ask your teacher for help. Make an appointment to see the teacher after class or school for some extra help. This is what teachers are there for: to help you to understand the material. If you can make that appointment. Also, ask your class mates. I hope this helps a bit.
Even though youre not asking for advice, ill give mine. Try to study and work as hard as you can. Do youre best. If youve tried this and still cant do well, then talk to a counsler about maybe switching classes or figuring out why you can understand the work. Good luck!!
I just want to say that AP classes help a lot in college. I think they are worth taking because they save you a lot of time in college. Trust me, they have helped me a lot. If you dont understand the material try talking to your teacher or find a classmate who could help you. Sometimes it is easier to understand something if your classmate explains it to you rather than getting an explanation from the teacher. And remember, always keep a balance between social life and studies. It is nice to hang out with friends but dont forget to study as well. Good luck with your classes!
Thanks for the advice. I'll just have to try harder. But I'm feeling a little better about things. I'm going to try to study in a different area so maybe that will refresh me a little bit.
The only way to do well in those classes is to work harder than everyone else. You don't have to be the smartest person to pass, just the most stubborn (trust me, I graduated last year with 44 credits from AP and Concurrent Enrollment and I'm far from being the smartest person my high school). Notes is the key thing, I found it really helpful to read the book and use sticky notes to (a) summarize the main idea of a passage in my own words (b) mark where I had questions (c) make up questions based on the reading to study from (and cover the answer in the book with the sticky note so you just have to lift it up to see if you're right). And don't feel bad if there is one subject you just simply don't get. I graduated with a ton of credits, but only 3 were in math (and that was statistics) because I'm simply not a mathematical person. Hope this helps!
