<p>^^ I think that is exactly what my D is struggling with in her integrated Physics/Analysis class this year. She has a 4.0 - has always worked diligently for her grades, but most things have come pretty easily to her. This class - not so much. And she seems to be almost paralyzed. She is not taking the proactive steps we’ve advised - talk to the teacher, get a tutor, ask a friend for help. We’ve even told her if she is still struggling after seeking help, she can change her schedule to regular math and science classes, even though that means giving up the “most rigorous curriculum” designation. Apparently some days the class/teacher is more comprehensible, and that gives her a ray of hope that she can succeed. Stay tuned…</p>
<p>I totally agree with others that this is a great opportunity to learn to ask for help, a skill that will serve her well in college, and that is why I haven’t stepped in to “fix” the situation.</p>
<p>DH and I have a meeting with D’s GC to go over her schedule. There may be a chance she’ll have to give up her “most rigorous” curriculum status, as well. There’s only so much time in the day and D’s sport is demanding timewise. </p>
<p>Good luck ldwendy and D, you are not alone!</p>
<p>lilmom - My D’s sport is competitive hunter/jumper horseback riding and she is competing at a level to ride horses for a D1 team in college. This is the first year D was allowed to have ISPE. This means she finishes school after 5th period (like all the school athletes for school sports). On the days she does not ride during the week she now has an extra hour to get her homework done. D goes to the barn 3 days during the school week which is usually 3 hours out of her day plus the weekends that she rides. D is taking the most rigorous curriculum for English and History and is in the regular classes for math and science and is a page editor on the school paper.</p>
<p>My D was also in tears a few days ago. She’s doubling up sciences, AP Chem and AP physics. She was so confused with her chem teacher. It takes all my strength to not get upset when she does that.</p>
<p>ldwendy: I agree with IJust Drive. also, have your D get an AP Biology study guide from Barrons or PR, etc. After reading the chapter in the text, go find the corresponding chapter in the study gude. Read that. Then do all the AP questions on that material. Read their answers. Write them down in her own words. It takes time, but it wll get her in the mode of writing detailed AP answers.</p>
<p>My son had a similar experience last year with his first AP, World History. After a lifetime of straight A’s, he was shocked to fail the first test (on the three summer reading chapters). He stuck with it and did get B’s all year in AP World (he would get a C on a test, followed by an A and so on most of the year). He somehow, still managed to pass the AP exam (with a respectible 4) even though he didn’t really do much extra studying for it. I still think that the experience was a valuable one about learning how to do massive amounts of reading (of a subject that he found downright boring). This is necessary college skill. That said, although this year he is taking 5 AP classes, he opted (at my suggestion) for Honors American History instead of APUSH. He is not into history.</p>
<p>showmom858, thanks. My D also finishes after 5th per. but she is carrying all AP/honors. I think that’s what we’ll be talking about with GC. D golfs and is out on the course right after 5th per. This is golf season so she has been out there everyday sometimes until 6:30. She is exhausted. I know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for the school season but her own golf goes year round. If only I could blink my eyes and see this fall be over with!</p>
<p>lilmom - Good luck with getting your D on a schedule so that she can do her sport and still survive school. It is so important for our kids to find a balance that allows them to also have a life while in high school.</p>
<p>My D has always known what her strengths are and those are the classes she chose to do AP’s or honors in. She is not a math/science kid and stuggles in these classes if they are honors so she sticks with the regular classes. She is a super writer and really wants to work in journalism with a fashion or PR emphasis. D has a college list that is not too long because she is only interested in schools with D1 equestrian programs and she has a state safety school. She has a GPA of 4.2 in her classes and should be in the running with her practice SAT scores to get into the schools on her list. She has worked extremely hard in her sport to get to the level of competition she is now at so that D1 schools will consider her.</p>
<p>Many thanks for all the good suggestions. We will certainly get the Barron’s book. </p>
<p>Here in Maryland the kids had today off (many schools were polling places for the primary elections) so that gave D1 sometime to decompress and work on chapter 5 of the AP Bio book.</p>
<p>That must have been a welcome break. Hope she got to rest and catch up. My D got over her difficulties with her AP Chem. Now all is good to my relief.</p>
<p>Trying not to stress DS out so I am putting together a list of colleges based on my ideas. Yep, this is all about me, LOL! I won’t even show it to him till he is ready, and then he will probably just roll his eyes and move along. It really does make me feel better, though. I wish DS would decide Marine Bio/premed or just Bio/premed. It sure would make picking schools easier. The number of schools that offer Marine Bio as a major or as a concentration for a BS is very limited. There as so many great schools that could give him a wonderful education and college experience if he were looking for just a stepping stone to med school. I like small LACs with great science programs. Not sure what he would like! Time for some campus visits I think.</p>
<p>geogirl1 – If your son has an interest in marine biology he’d be wiser looking at schools that offer a strong Bio program rather than at the limited number of colleges offering the specialized (and limiting) marine bio degree.</p>
<p>D was stressed last night because her topic for her two pages in the school paper was not coming together well. This morning we brainstormed on the way to school as she really needed a new direction and I think she came up with a good one. She is going to have her staff writers work on how the recession has effected kids at the school. Then have an article with the top 20 ways to stretch you dollar in our city. I think she will be able to get some good information. She was supposed to have a co-editor for her two pages since they are the largest section of the paper, but the person who was chosen last school year has left journalism, so D is doing this on her own.</p>
<p>Thanks HudsonV51. DS thinks he wants to go to med school. In addition, he enjoys marine bio. He competes in the National Ocean Bowl, is taking Marine studies as an elective in HS and is a scuba diver (when he gets the chance). He also likes to eat. Unless he decides to become a professor, a career in Marine Bio doesn’t give him a secure future livelyhood. So, a BS in marine bio lets him decide whether he likes Marine Bio enough to forgo a secure financial future or if he really does want to be a doctor. BTW, he wants to be a doctor b/c he likes helping people and he thinks he would like to travel and be involved with the UN or Doctors without borders. He just knows that if he chooses to, being an MD means he will be able to afford a middle class life style, which he likes. </p>
<p>That being said, there are only a few schools that offer the Marine Bio concentration or major: U of Miami, U of New Hampshire, Brown, Cornell, and some of the UC schools. Brown and Cornell will be a major reach for him, while U of Miami would be a match. However, there are so many more bio schools that could be really awesome college experiences for him. He does have a year or so to figure it out for himself. I’m just excited for him and would like to have everything mapped out as soon as possible. I’m a planner, can you tell?</p>
<p>geogirl - I’m working on spreadsheets too, and my son’s interest level is about on par with your son’s. We’ve a had a few preliminary conversations about what he’d like in a school, and he knows he wants to major in math, but he’s not real eager to start visiting schools or looking into anything seriously yet. We are planning a trip over fall break (2 days), and it will just be schools within about a 3 hour radius, which means our state flagship and schools a little out of his reach like Northwestern and U of Chicago. I started the same way with my older son, at the same time, and that first trip included the same two just-out-of-reach schools and also two safety school he didn’t like AT ALL. Nonetheless, he came away with a new interest level in both the college search AND tweaking those grades just a little higher. Hoping for the same results with S2!</p>
<p>Thanks PinotNoir - it makes me feel better (ok, less crazy) to know that there are other parents out there who are like me. I like your plan - I think we should go look at some of the universities over the next break. Just a few, like you are doing.</p>
<p>D1 received her first? college mailing. It was from WUSTL. She hasn’t taken the PSAT or the SAT yet. How did WUSTL get her name? What a marketing machine!</p>