Hey I just need some advice on moving up in Math

Intellectual_Anomaly
Sat, 25 Oct 2025 18:15:24 +0000

My story with math is perhaps worth talking about since I see a lot of similarities between my story and yours; however, the liquidity (in this sense I am referring to the ability to transfer math classes) is admittedly lower.

I started my misfortune of an eighth grade in a private school, and I was in regular mathematics (in this case Pre-Algebra). It is worth noting that I had started my education at a public school and the teachers were quick to accelerate me, but upon being the only one in advanced math at the private school upon transferring, I saw it in my best interest to be in regular mathematics for the next three years.

When I transferred to the public middle school after the alluded-to misfortune, I lasted about a month and a half in regular 8th-grade math before my teachers suspected that I should have been in Algebra I the entire time. Therefore, I moved up and was momentarily satisfied until I realized that if I had stayed in public school the entire time, I would have been in Geometry due to the nature of the advanced math program within the district. So, I learned some Geometry, some Algebra II, and even some Calculus (very little) in eighth grade, determined to tell my future high school counselor that I should be skipped to Algebra II. However, it was eventually determined that I would have to “double up” in math as a freshman in order to return to my previous path.

I did double up in math. I do not highly recommend it, as it is a tedious process, especially with the annoying schedule system of my school (I would either have both math classes on the same day or no math at all). However, upon finishing it, I felt the most elysian and blissful sense that I was where I was “meant to be.” Now, I’m a sophomore in AP Precalculus, and I am successful (at the moment). I tell you, though, that the class is infested with Algebra-failing individuals, a byproduct of the somewhat flawed grade school Talented and Gifted program. I even managed to obtain a 35 on my PreACT Math section around a couple of weeks ago.

…

It’s great that you are academically motivated, but motivation is not translatable to a tangible success in the eyes of your counselors. Counselors work like the general economy: they want to maximize school grades, GPAs, and standardized/AP test scores, not satisfy the student. They’re somewhat collective-minded in that manner, but it would be foolish to blame the individual counselor for such misfortune. If she “doubts” your ability to move up, shame on her (but it’s the system that is at fault for such conclusions). I cannot personally assess your math ability, nor do I rank math as an interest of mine, so I cannot determine the validity of your assessment nor the breadth of your studying. If your school may offer a choice to double up (I would see you definitely doing that) or if it offers placement tests, take advantages of those. Subjective will must be quantified by objective data.