Hey all, So I’ve been absent, sorry! Here are some update on my life.
Thursday: won the sportsmanship award for varsity track
Friday: Nothing
Saturday: took sat 2 math 1, t’was rough
Sunday: studying for finals.
GTG study BYE!!!
anyone else been multitasking between work and watching copa? i have a math test tomorrow but i couldnt help watching brazil/venezuela 
Can I give a mini-rant? Oh well technically no one can stop me, so here I go. I strongly dislike class rank and weighted GPA cause I’m essentially pressured into taking many APs to keep my top rank. It would be cool if my school pushed kids into taking fun electives instead of another AP because so many kids are wasting their times getting C’s and D’s in AP classes. They also survive by re-doing tests (at my school there is a redo policy to relearn and retake an assessment). Thank you for reading if you have.
@DaEmmJay23 I get what you mean about class rank, but there needs to be a reward for students who take AP classes. For example, we don’t weight at my school. I have a B in AP biology and I could’ve easily gotten an A in regular biology, but I choose to challenge myself. I don’t think that it is fair for a student who never challenges themself to be at a greater advantage GPAwise. About class rank, I think the whole idea is dumb. Your class rank can depend on as you said, courseload, but varies so much based on the community you live in and what high school you go to. It also increases competition and causes excess stress. It should be based on grades and extra GPA points for students who go the extra mile.
@DaEmmJay23 My state has a terrible problem with unqualified kids taking AP courses. We have this thing where you need to pass your classes to be in extracurricular activities with the only exceptions being AP/pre-AP courses and regular chemistry. Many athletes/musicians join AP so that they can fail classes but still remain eligible for games.One of my classmates failed all of their classes except for choir/band and was still able to be apart of our UIL choir concert (lets our state know how well your choir teacher has prepared your choir for the year). I agree w/ @nyuhopeful44 . Rank is stupid and is basically tossed out automatically if you are in top 10%. Why can they do percentage intervals only instead of specific rank? Weighted GPA is necessary though or else the valedictorian would end up being someone who “gamed” the system (not really b/c it hurts for college admissions) by taking all of their classes on the regular track.
@ak2018 I just want to give you some words of encouragement. I really think that you should take the AP Chemistry class. I know exactly how you feel. My seventh grade Algebra and Geometry teacher always discouraged me in class. He literally laughed at me when I asked questions and was basically a bully. It made me feel so bad about myself and also my abilities in math. I thought I sucked at math and that I could never do well because I constantly got C’s or lower in that class. However, I went to high school and I had a great Algebra II teacher in ninth grade that always encouraged me and explained things until he was so sure I understood the concept. And I had an even better Precalculus teacher this year. So I really think you should take the class and also realize that you need to definitely work hard because Chemistry is hard. Maybe go over concepts this summer so you feel more prepared when class starts. Also about being a slacker and hard worker: I think that you can beat the slacker out of you. It’s really hard but write all your goals down and when your slacking look at them and remind yourself of where you want to go and what you what to achieve.
Lol I’m a tiny bit salty at all these robotics comments because I just got rejected from the team(you have to apply).But it’s alright I guess it just wasn’t for me since I have other extracurriculars that conflict. Oh well. I’m so happy to see so many people love robotics. I’ll cheer you guys on from the sidelines
Fighting! =D>
@DaEmmJay23 I get it. I also hate how taking extra classes, like a reular zero hour, brings down your class rank even rhough you are actually doing more work than a kid who wasn’t taking the extra class. I’m currently 14th in my class and I’ve taken 2 more APs than my friend who is in 12 and 1 more AP than my friend whos in 2nd (and my unweighted gpa is a 4.0)
@DaEmmJay23 I agree with @nyuhopeful44. For those who took the risk of taking APs and Weighted classes, and do well, there must be a reward. They challenged themselves, succeeded, and deserve to have to a higher GPA than those who didn’t challenged themselves. If someone was taking 4 APs, and gets As and Bs in them, and 3 regular classes, and gets A in them, they should have a higher GPA because while they may be getting Bs, they challenged themselves versus a student who took all regular classes and got all As and played it safe, too safe. Taking APs is life’s equivalent of making risks, challenging yourselves, and soaring to new heights, or falling to new lows.
@DaEmmJay23 I agree with @nyuhopeful44. For those who took the risk of taking APs and Weighted classes, and do well, there must be a reward. They challenged themselves, succeeded, and deserve to have to a higher GPA than those who didn’t challenged themselves. If someone was taking 4 APs, and gets As and Bs in them, and 3 regular classes, and gets A in them, they should have a higher GPA because while they may be getting Bs, they challenged themselves versus a student who took all regular classes and got all As and played it safe, too safe. Taking APs is life’s equivalent of making risks, challenging yourselves, and soaring to new heights, or falling to new lows.
@Cookiesandcreme I think its stupid that you had to apply to be on the robotics team, if it was FRC and FTC that kind of goes against FIRSTs whole mission of brining stem to as many people as possible. I hope your other activities go well though.
@snowfairy137 I know I was so upset because I really wanted to do it and I would have dropped my other extracurriculars to do it. But I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I feel kind of lost on the extracurriculars side 
@Cookiesandcreme Thanks for the encouraging words. I actually have an entire Chemistry Summer Assignment due on the first day of school, so I think I’ll be fine. In all honesty, I don’t really want to think about Chemistry that much this summer. That’s a really great idea about writing down my goals.
Also, I agree with @snowfairy137 . If they were a true Robotics team, they would’ve found a way to integrate you in somehow, even if you don’t know a thing about Robotics or what the heck a chassis (pronounced chassy) is. Also, I’ve watched some videos and FRC and FRC are not only about Robotics, they want to attract people who aren’t STEM-inclined as well. They want aspiring artists, business men and women, writers, they want everyone. I would to see if you can talk to however is in charge of your school’s team and see what you can do. They should have welcomed you with open arms. There is no such thing as “not enough room on the team” when it comes to FRC and FRC.
I actually like the idea of class rank at school, but I could see how people would not like it if they participated in ECs that required a class at school. I’m not really taking all of the APs that I am next year for class rank, so I personally do not feel like it pressures me into taking them.
What are your thoughts on standardized test prep classes? I have a chance to take a bargain class ($200 for 10 hours in 1 week-is this a bargain?), and my parents are pushing but I’m reluctant.
Also, how long are your summer breaks? My last day of school was May 26 and I go back August 2.
My break is June 16th- September 6th
Mine is June 3 - September 7
I had my Latin exam today. I think it was alright, honestly the myth and culture sections tripped me up more than the actual Latin sections. I also found out that I got a 93 on my final essay for AP Gov, so my first official second semester grade is a 95.
My break is June 11th - August 29th
My summer is June 4th to August 28th.
Are anyone else’s parents freaking out about preparing for the PSAT? My dad wants me to study for a least an hour a day for it.
@singingwriting Isn’t the PSAT in October? Thankfully my parents are pretty lax. It would be nice to get commended for my PSAT score, but I already know that for me getting SNMF or NMF would be a crapshoot. Even if you are going for them though, I don’t think you have to start studying until August at the earliest.