<p>Okay so, I am going into my sophomore year of high school and attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. I decided to take Summer Honors Chemistry… over the summer, and currently have a 70%. Finals are in a week, and I am faced with the dilemma of: do I Withdrawl Passing, or take whatever grade I get? According to the teachers at my school and the principal, WPing is not a huge deal. My grade will not show up on my transcript, nor will how long i was enrolled in the class. Nor the reason why I left. So, theoretically, i could have only been in the class for 2 days, had my grandmother die in a forest fire, and not have been able to complete chem. First off, is this true? </p>
<p>Next, so if I WP, I will just take chem next school year, probably get a B+ or an A because I already know the material, and then have to switch around some of my scheduling but move on with my life. But… I’m worried about how all of this would look on college apps. I’m probably going to apply to a Performing Arts college. But I want it to be one with high academic standards also, so I don’t want a D+ in this class on my transcript. I might do well on the final, and it might end up being a C, which would not be that bad. But, if I do badly on the final, like my teachers seem to think I will, I suppose it would be possible for me to get a D, or even fail. Which is definitely not so good.</p>
<p>So, I suppose my point is: which looks better on my transcript, a D in chemistry, or a WP in chemistry and then an A?</p>
<p>I’m no expert here but it sounds like a no brainer–take the WP, retake the course for a B+ or A. TJ is very competitive as you know so a D would really hurt class standing (if they have it) and gpa.</p>
<p>First off, I agree you should withdraw. However, I wouldn’t be so sure you’re going to get an A on the second round (speaking as a former HS chem teacher). Unless your D is a sheer-laziness D (you didn’t turn in any of the assignments and never studied), it indicates some serious misunderstandings about chemistry. You will have to correct them to get you A.</p>
<p>I agree with DMD. This is a no-brainer from my standpoint. Not because it advantages your class-standing and GPA, but because it gives you another chance to really dig in to chemistry and understand it well. Even for performance majors, chemistry is a basic high school requirement. You must do well to consider entrance to the types of colleges TJ sends its kids to. Just one question, I always thought TJ was more of a math/science magnet. What is a performance music major doing there?</p>
<p>Dear Jaded:
Take the advice of your excellent Guidance Dept. They have placed dozens of kids with atypical science grades over the years into perfectly good colleges, and you are also strong in a field that many kids are weak in. Listen to them. Drop and do it again. Don’t overschedule with extracurriculars this year so you can master Chem to your best ability. Work very hard for at least a C. 10th grade and 11th grade GPAs matter. Buy something like a Chemistry for Dummies book and read it before school starts to give you your best shot at grasping the material in round two. Don’t expect to make a B or an A without a lot of personal private compenations/study. So you have an Achilles heel…many great people do. Some people can’t learn a foreign language easily and some people are tone deaf. Not every student at TJ is a science savant.<br>
The key to life it to Know Thyself and this task takes a lifetime. It ain’t easy. Performing arts is a wonderful avenue but it is tough for most people. You will be facing college list-making in one more year…and in order to make your list, you will want to understand your learning style, strengths and weaknesses. Don’t avoid dealing with your Chemistry glitch. Face it and also take stock of your talents. There are several super college choices for your future even if a C turns out to be your best effort, but don’t accept that D at this age when you have options. Do it over. I am thinking of a boy I know who flunked Physics at a good college not far from you. He took it over in the summer and returned to school. Right now he is fielding med school offers because perserverance and facing up to trouble spots is a skill he had. He did not hesitate to repeat his coursework but it wasn’t fun and it was a bummer at first. good luck and keep in mind that you are a talented person with a great life ahead.</p>
<p>Well, essentially i’m there because though performing arts and the humanities are my strongpoints, i wanted to be well-rounded and do personally enjoy science (even if i’m not particularly good at it by TJ standards), so, i thought that going to an overall great school would suit me. And, I got 100% on the acceptance test in verbal, so though i didn’t do amazingly on the math section, they let me in anyway. We don’t actually have class-standing at TJ, but the GPA’s certainly are competitive. a large percent of the class will probably have above a 4.0 when they graduate.</p>
<p>the majority of the people i have asked at my school say that i should just take whatever i get and move on, but the opinions on here just seem a lot more… logical to me. i mean granted, i Will have to do summer school next summer And the summer after to compensate for taking chem during the year, but both of those summer school classes are ridiculously easy so i’m not concerned.</p>
<p>The reason for my grade is most likely because i simply cannot absorb material that i do not have a natural affinity to this quickly. We have a test in this chemistry class every two, three days? Thus, I do excellently on the homework and a lot of the quizzes, and then when it actually comes around to the tests I panic, (because I do on tests), and because it didn’t have a decent amount of time to imprint in my mind everything I know about chemistry goes flying out of my brain and i’m forced to rely on answering the questions on the test from the other questions on the test itself. A lot of the material in this class is at the AP Chemistry level, whereas during the school year it is at normal chemistry level, simply because more than half of the people that take summer chem take AP their sophomore year. granted, i didn’t know this Before I signed up for the course.</p>
<p>In addition, I take a lot of how I study and how I take notes from teachers specific teaching styles… and four teachers teach summer school chem. they switch teachers, and thus teaching styles, every chapter or two. and that is something that i am finally starting to be able to adjust to… but at this point that doesn’t really matter because i’m so close to the end of the course. But, this is yet something else I wouldn’t have to deal with during the school year.</p>
<p>I think you should take the WP. In the meantime, you need to figure out why you are doing so poorly in the class in case you actually decide to take it again.</p>
<p>Agree that a WP is better than a D. Can you take a regular chemistry rather than an honors class during the year? Doing well in a regular chem class would look better than getting a mediocre grade in an honors chem class for a student who wants to go into performing arts.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if both your future summers will be taken up with required course work outside your area of interest, will that prevent you from pursuing summer performing arts opportunities that might be more gratifying and beneficial for you?</p>
<p>Hi, Jadedinoblivion…I’m a TJ parent (or was; my S graduated this past June)…I know that TJ’s GCs will move heaven and earth to get you the help you need to be successful at chem (or any other course for that matter), especially if your issue is the material/type of teaching, rather than slacking off…there are all sorts of study aids…8th period tutoring, lunch-time tutoring, special 8th period programs to get a handle on how to compensate for particular study problems.</p>
<p>So…my advice:take TJ’s advice! Take the WP, and get help next year w/choosing the right level of chem, and with actually learning the material. You’ll find the GCs and teachers (and fellow students) all sorts of willing to put in vast amounts of time helping you conquer this challenge.</p>
<p>Tisch is pretty selective–you don’t want a D, even tho chem will not be a sensitive subject area for them…so, talk to your folks (make sure they are ok with you having spent the money to take a class you will not get credit for taking if you take the WP), talk to your GC right away, and be comforted to know that the TJ teachers and your fellow students will help you all you need to succeed in this course…</p>
<p>actually, even though tj is a science/tech/math magnet there is a large population of performing artists and humanities focused kids. i for one came for the intellectual environment, more than for the science.</p>