<p>It’s embarassing, but here’s the story (it’s long, too, sorry):</p>
<p>Like you guys, I got in around the beginning of third quarter. And, like some of you, I came down with a case of senioritis. It wasn’t totally debilitating – I still ended up with a ~91 overall (only two less points than my second-quarter average) – but it was still worrisome since I had dropped in nearly every single one of my classes. The only thing that saved me was a 100% in Participation in Government. </p>
<p>So, okay, I drop in most of my classes; it sucks, but I’m not that worried because I end up with a 91 overall. To be safe, though, I decided to really give it my all during fourth quarter – it’s largely worked out since then. My pre-calc average is up several points; same thing with English, and I’m expecting a 5 on the AP.</p>
<p>There are three caveats, though:</p>
<ul>
<li>Participation in Government. The class that saved me last quarter isn’t looking so good anymore. Let me explain:</li>
</ul>
<p>We had a choice of three different final projects – a policy paper + a videotaped interview; three of four potential “components” (which included attending a city council meeting, four hours of community service, a video presentation, and designing+teaching a class to grade schoolers); or ~25 hours of community service. Since writing is my strongest talent, I went with the paper – without realizing that we had to videotape an interview along with it. For each of the projects, the deadlines are spread out; component one is due on this date, component two on this date, or taped interview is due on this date, actual paper due on this date, and so on. Since I had chosen the paper, I had to submit the taped interview by the first due date. It’s hard for me to keep track of things sometimes, and since it was my responsibility to check the calendar for the first paper due date, I missed the first one. </p>
<p>I got a second chance, though; since the first due date for the component project hadn’t arrived yet, my teacher suggested that I switch to the component project. Of course, I missed the second deadline. The class is kind of a joke – that’s why I got a 100 last quarter – and you can usually make up for anything by writing an essay which will replace your lowest grade with a 100. I thought the same would apply for one of the components, and it wasn’t until after I missed the due date that I found out you couldn’t replace parts of the final project with essays. </p>
<p>This is why my PIG average is currently low (though I’m not exactly sure how low yet). I may be able to get out of it, though; I spoke with the department head, and he’s considering allowing me to do all four components (rather than the required three) and making up for my missed component that way. If he doesn’t let me, though, my PIG average for fourth quarter could be a B. </p>
<p>Not too bad, right? I can deal with a B, except…</p>
<p>AP Biology. I’ve never done exceptionally well in this class (and neither has anybody else, really; it’s extraordinarily hard compared to other AP bio classes (from what I’ve heard, anyways)) but this quarter, I’m doing even worse for two reasons. </p>
<p>1) We do homework questions before our tests (usually between ten and fifteen), and turn them in for a grade. We consolidated two tests into a single two-chapter test (on 31 & 51), and consequently received two homework assignments. Problem is, only one counted (31), and I (of course) did 51. These aren’t short homework assignments, either; even though there might only be ten questions to answer, the assignment may take a few hours and will number at least four pages in length (single spaced). Even though I took maybe ~5 pages to answer the questions on 51 (which was, again, part of the test), my teacher wouldn’t take them and I got a zero for the assignment. It’s a comparatively small grade, though, so it wouldn’t normally have been a problem, except…</p>
<p>2) I did poorly on the test. Not only was it more difficult than any test we had taken so far (the class average was a 67%), but most of it was on chapter 31 (the part I didn’t answer questions on). So, granted, other people in the class did poorly too, but that doesn’t make my 63% (on the test, not overall) any more helpful to my GPA.</p>
<p>But neither my setbacks in PIG or Bio can compare to the problems I’m facing in physics. A bunch of unlucky things (combined with my own apathy / idiocy – take your pick) add up to give me a D. </p>
<p>I’ll give you two examples:</p>
<p>1) I didn’t do the first homework assignment of the quarter. This is entirely my fault – I chose to go to bed instead of finishing my work – but while I was prepared to accept the consequences, I had no idea how severe they would be. That little homework, maybe fifteen or twenty problems long, was worth as much as a test. I still don’t know why this is, but it’s a huge problem; since grades aren’t posted every day, I had no idea the homework was worth so much until a week after it was due – long past the period during which assignments can be handed in late. I’m stuck with a zero on an extremely heavily-weighted assignment. </p>
<p>Second example:</p>
<p>2) Last Thursday, determined to turn my grade around, I head to the library right after school to do physics work in advance along with the work that is due the next day. I finish several assignments and start feeling optimistic, but predictably, I forget my physics folder at home and am unable to turn them in on the next day. On Friday, I (truthfully) insist that I’ve done my work, and beg my teacher for a one-period extension. I promise to drive home during my next period (a study hall), grab my assignments, and give them to her ASAP. She’s a nice lady, so she agrees, but when I try to call my parents to release me from school (since we’re not technically allowed to leave campus until lunchtime), I can’t get hold of either my mother or father – for the entire 80-minute period. It’s not a huge problem, though, since I have lunch the next block (albeit only a 40-minute one); I’ll just run home then, I decide, and explain to my teacher what happened. </p>
<p>Lunch comes, I sprint to my car… and I end up behind a schoolbus. I still don’t know why a schoolbus was taking the same route that I take to go home in the middle of the day, but it ultimately didn’t matter since we both ended up in a traffic jam. By the time I discovered what caused the jam, it was already 12:45 and I wasn’t even home yet. There were police officers around a roadblock; they explained that the middle school (which I pass on my way home) was closed down and that I would have to take a lengthy detour. Since it takes me 20 minutes to get from my house to school (on a good day), I decided to turn around and head back so I wouldn’t be late for biology. I made it to school just in time, but my physics assignments were still at home in my room.</p>
<p>Happenings like these have defined my fourth-quarter physics experience. Granted, yes, I slacked some at the beginning – but I’ve also been supremely unlucky since then. I’m going to try my absolute best to ace the final exam, but it’s a rarity for anyone in the class to score above a 90% because our teacher, bless her heart, grades like a witch. Even if I did somehow manage an A+ on the final, it wouldn’t matter; final exams simply get their own column on the report card, as if they were an extra quarter. Like I said, I currently have a D. My last hope is a test that we’ll take sometime this week, but even if I get a perfect score on it, I won’t be able to bring my average above a low C for fourth quarter. </p>
<p>So.</p>
<p>From you guys:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Any suggestions? I’m really starting to worry.</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve heard on this board that on the form that’s used to submit your final transcript, there’s a box that says to check it if “any of the student’s grades convert to a C or lower.” My question is this: if this form does exist, is it Cornell specific? Or was it from that person’s high school guidance office? I asked my counselor; he told me that our school didn’t use a form like that, but that some schools send their own forms for the counselor to fill out. Has anybody else heard of a form like this?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks a lot, and sorry for the really lengthy post.</p>