I’m slow at math and maybe I should have waited before giving myself a chance to completely alter my whole future by some stupid class. I wasn’t getting algebra at the start (70s-76) avg, and i brought it up to a 89 and then i just i dont know i think it was something more mental that happened and now its a 85 term avg and a 81 semester average. I’m literally writing this before a test i’m worried about. How will this affect my college application if i’m trying to go to a decent school, and how can I make up for this failure?? If i can’t handle this can I handle highschool?
Please don’t worry about this in 8th grade! (Or any grade.) No college will see 8th grade grades, but more importantly, worrying about a college application 5 years before you apply isn’t good for your mental health. Do your best on that test and that is more than enough. It’s important to care about your future but not at the expense of your present.
You’ve got this. Getting an B in math is not a failure—not by any definition of the word. And your future is going to be very bright.
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This is the first semester of this course in grade 8. Get a tutor. Having a solid foundation in math is critical…and algebra is the cornerstone of that foundation.
There is nothing wrong with a B grade either. But if you aren’t sure what you are missing…get a tutor!
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With the right perspective, this will be nothing but positive in terms of your preparation for college. Including admissions, but also, and even more importantly, doing well in college itself.
For context, it is unrealistic to expect you will never experience any sort of struggle in any class, either during high school or college. Indeed, I would dare say if that never happens, you probably are not challenging yourself enough.
So a big part of scholastic success is learning how to productively deal with situations like this. And there is a lot involved.
Most obviously, you have to learn how to identify the nature of the problem, and get appropriate help as necessary.
But just as important, you have to learn how to deal with all this mentally and emotionally. Without going too far into a long digression, humans evolved to have a stress reaction because it was helpful in situations where we were trying to chase down prey, avoid predators, and so on. Our brain chemistry literally changes in ways designed to help us do critical physical activities.
In modern civilization, that stress reaction can still be triggered. Like, in this case, good grades are juicy prey, harsh graders are dangerous predators, and so on. But we don’t always have good ways of moderating that reaction and completing what is sometimes known as the stress cycle. Here is one illustration of that concept:
OK, but good news, if you feel stress and anxiety in situations like this, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. And with some deliberate practice you can get much better at dealing with stress, and completing the stress cycle. Different people find different things work for them (see the box “Engaging the Ventral Vagus”), so it can take some experimentation to learn what works for you.
But that means the sooner you start that process of learning how to deal with these situations more productively, the better! And so what you are experiencing now in 8th grade is happening plenty of time in advance of actual college, such that you can learn a lot and be very well-prepared when college comes along. Indeed, you can probably get quite far down this path in high school, before you are actually applying to college.
So seriously, it is good and not bad you are experiencing something like this now. Just focus on how this is a great opportunity to start building some really important skills and habits not only for future scholastic success, but really life success in general.
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It depends on how your school and district calculates high school GPA. I teach in a Texas public high school. Our district calculates high school GPA by adding up the semester grades of all high school credit courses (regardless when and where it’s taken) with weights, then divide the sum by the number of courses semesters. If you were in our feeder middle school, assume you will earn 100 in Algebra next semester, assume you get 100 on all your high school courses (7 each semester for 8 semesters) with no additional weight, your grade sum would be 100x7x8+81+100, divide it by 58 course semesters and you get your GPA. You’ll see it almost doesn’t matter.
what does matter is how well you master algebra. If you leave any small holes now, it’s much likely that you’ll have difficulty when you take higher level math courses. If you plan to take anything beyond pre-cal, this is the time to make sure your algebra foundation is rock solid.
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It is too early to worry about college. Your focus now needs to be on getting a solid understanding of algebra. Math is sequential in nature and you don’t want to move forward with a shaky foundation.
Some things you can do: go to the teacher for extra help, use online resources, get a tutor.
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It’s too early to worry about college. If you are struggling with algebra, get some help so you understand the concepts well. That is more important than what grade you are getting as an 8th grader.
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Thank you so much! I live in Texas as well. So If I get a 96 next semester I can also just average my final grade to a 90…
I also would not be concerned at all about what impact if any this might have on college applications.
Algebra is however important preparation for a lot of courses that you will take in the future. It is worth the time and effort to learn this well because you will be using it quite a bit.
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Thank you! I mean atleast this struggle is happening first semester and not second, so I still have a chance to average this out as well…Since i have ADHD i have an attention problem, which is so frustrating because the mistake i make will not be not getting it, it will be like a simple mistake like putting the wrong sign. And my math period is around the end of the day…so it doesn’t really help, plus my accomidations are completely overlooked. I’ve been begging my parents to take me out of Geometry and just tutor me, but they won’t listen to me. I do have a algebra book, so should I just study beforehand? I had an amazing understanding of equations last summer and at the start of this year I was on a roll!
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I hope so! Thank you so much.
Yeah but its a highschool credit…
My son, who is a junior in HS with ADHD, has found that he sometimes makes simple math “typos” that affect his grades. He does “get it” but his brain doesn’t slow down long enough to circle back and check his work. He has found that it takes real effort—and sometimes an extended test taking time—to make sure he double checks everything.
If your accommodations aren’t being met, that is something your parents should follow up on at school. They are required to meet your accommodation needs if they are documented in a 504 or IEP and they should be reviewing those accommodations every year.
It’s good that you are learning what you need to be successful. Another amazing lesson is to advocate for yourself when you need to. I hope your parents can help and support you here—it’s a tricky lesson but worth learning.
Good luck!
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Is the grade issue about algebra….or geometry? You mention both in the bove quoted part of your message.
If you have a 504 or an IEP, your accommodations are mandatory. Please see your case manager ASAP about this.
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Saying this as a current high school senior: please, please, please don’t stress about college right now. You’re only halfway through 8th grade; you have four whole years to think about higher education. There’s no sense in stressing about details like first semester grades now, especially when colleges won’t even see them.
I absolutely agree with other posters that you should seek out tutoring, because struggling in math is a frustrating feeling. But don’t do it for a school that you won’t even apply to for a few years. Do it for yourself, and your own education. I can tell you from firsthand experience that worrying about college so early on will only lead to burnout and overworking yourself.
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It won’t but math is foundational - you might be smart to repeat it in 9th.
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