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School problem...
School problem...
Hi guys, I am a straight A student, in high honors, and in NJHS (National Junior Honors Society), but I have been getting terrible grades lately. Every test and project that I double check and I am confident in, I fail. It is not the teacher’s fault either. I talk to them about my grade and look back at mistakes and it doesn’t help. My overall grades are at a C or lower, and I have no idea why, or how to improve. I really need your input/advice. @Admins, you can help too if you can.
Thanks, I really appreciate it.
- An 8th grade in Junior High that is being piled on with homework
I think what you've done by talking to the teachers is a good first step. Remember that C is not a "bad" grade. C should represent average work. Maybe as you get older the work is getting more difficult. Or maybe these teachers are just stricter graders than the ones you've had in the past. Are others you know having lower than usual grades?
Admin
submitted by AutumnArtist(A.A.), age 13
(November 2, 2017 - 10:33 am)
(November 2, 2017 - 10:33 am)
NJHS! *High fives* Me too!
I've been piled with homework lately, also. It seems that teachers think something along the lines of; "Okay! Almost in High School! Here, complete these few thousand worksheets for homework!"
Have you forgotten to hand anything in? Is there any extra-credit you can do? What subjects are you having trouble in? If you're really confused, try going to see a teacher in Study Hall or staying after school for extra help. Studying a lot will also probably help improve your grades.
(November 2, 2017 - 4:58 pm)
Thanks, Evergreen!
I don’t forget to turn things in, I’m thinking it’s something else. Most of my teachers don’t offer extra credit, which is a bummer. But, we do have Spirit Weeks where we get extra credit for wearing school colors, but it’s not much.
(*high fives* I can’t believe I found someone on Cricket that is in NJHS!)
(November 3, 2017 - 8:04 am)
I hope you get back up soon!
(November 3, 2017 - 8:19 am)
Umph. Middle school. Yup, I feel your pain. And I can tell you that it won't get any easier in highschool. Struggling in school isn't abnormal.
In fact, at the start of last year, I barely made it out of Algebra class alive. My grade would have been absolutely horrible if I hadn't worked every weekend on extra credit stuff. Even though I totally struggled in math, I learned a lot of good study tips like; use your weekends wisely, spend time combing through the stuff you thought you already knew, and talking to your teachers on the best way to ace her class. This year, I have the same teacher for Geometry. And now I'm actually doing well in math for once
.
The moral of this story....ummm...I don't know. I think I was going somewhere with this. Oh yeah! Little things make a HUGE difference. So? My advice?
1. *sings* Taaaake a break* take a walk. Read a good book. Cool down. And then get right back at that stack of homework.
2. Start trying to use your weekends wisely. If you have freetime, work on your projects. If you have other activities, bring one of your school books.
3. Review, review, review!! Even if you think you know something, look back and make sure. Especially if it is for a test!
4. Talk to your parents and teachers. Look for extra credit options. Ask your parents for help on some things.
5. Try to pinpoint the reason you've been stressed or your grades haven't been so good. I know this is hard, but it really helps get to the root of the problem. With me, it's time management focus issues.
6. Ditch the temptations. It could be a new book or a new episode of your favorite tv show or webesries that you absolutely HAVE to see, but remember to not spend too long on those things. et up a reward system to start getting those temptations out of the way of your study time. ry doing something like a chapter of science (or whatever else is pressing) and then reading a chapter or watching an episode.
And when you get stressed with your homework again? Take another break. Don't worry, you can do this.
So, I know this seems like basic stuff, but it goes a long way. I hope that you can send those grades to the top!
(November 3, 2017 - 2:10 pm)
(November 7, 2017 - 4:39 pm)
Study and participate. That's all I can think of. Show all your work in math and science, explain even the things you don't need explaining in paragraph answers, exhaustively research everything for projects, be punctual and pay attention, take notes in class, study before tests and quizzes, continue talking to the teachers, ask for help when you need it, put in all the effort you can. Effort tends to count for something. Are you taking English and/or any Literature? I've heard that all of the answers are correct and you need to choose the ones your teacher thinks are the most correct. They also apparently like it when you read a lot into everything. In science, extreme detail in lab reports and projects may be good. History, do extra research on your own. Art, try to understand what you're supposed to learn from the assignments and do it to the best of your ability, even if you don't want to. In all things, try to be patient and understand, and learn as much as you can. That's the point of being in school: to learn.
Hope this helps!
(November 4, 2017 - 6:10 pm)
(Ayy, I'm also in NJHS!)
I'm sorry you're struggling, AA! Outside of the fantastic advice everyone else has given you, I can offer one other thing: ask questions. Lots of them. If you find yourself confused, go to tutoring sessions or office hours if your teachers have them. See if your teachers are available at lunch or another free period (if you have those). Email them if you need to. If your teachers are just totally inaccessable, try asking a parent for help, Googling something (especially on sites like Khan Academy), or even talking to another student who has a good grasp on the subject.
Oh! Also, really, work with other people. It helps. Try to get together with friends at lunch or after school and study. Quiz each other. Set up a group study sheet on Google Docs, maybe. Saying things out loud, rewriting things, and being quizzed by someone other than yourself really helps. You'll be able to expand your reasoning with them and think about what you're actually doing.
Good luck! I hope your grades improve!
(November 4, 2017 - 7:07 pm)
I'm sorry if tis does not help, i'm homeschooled and i don't know much of anything about it but:as the admin said:C=average i mean, i'd probably be getting Zs or something XD, and maybe you should do a littlle less cricket.(sorry, CB, but it's true.)
(November 5, 2017 - 9:04 am)
(November 7, 2017 - 4:38 pm)
(Also NJHS! Wow, there are a lot of us. I don't really like it though, it makes other people feel bad.)
I think you might be exaggerating. I've thought that I'm failing and it's turned out that I'm doing fine. I know that's the most annoying advice ever, because my mom gives it to me and I hate it, but it might be true. You sound like a great student, reviewing with teachers and doing everything you should. I'm not sure I know what's going wrong, though. It sounds really awful and I don't really know how to help you. If you don't understand the work, though, I guess you can go over it with the teachers?
Sorry I didn't have better advice.
You're amazing. (That was my attempt at saying one of those "keep being great" things that other people say. I don't think it sounded right. Let's try again.)
Remember, you're really smart and we all support you. Really.
(November 5, 2017 - 7:37 pm)