When your mostly A student brings home a straight B report card

Parents Forum
1

<p>I wasn’t quite sure where to ask this, but I know sometimes parents are helpful. I’m a rising high school junior, and thanks in advance for any available words of wisdom. </p>

<p>I am mostly an A student. I spent my first two years of high school at a competitive Catholic school with very difficult classes. Freshman year, I got through first semester with two Bs (Honors Algebra II and Biology) and second semester with one (again in Honors Algebra II). </p>

<p>This year, (my sophomore year) I managed two Bs and a C+ first semester (Bs in math and RELIGION, a C+ in AP euro) and for my second semester, I managed straight Bs, with the exceptions of my music electives, where I got 100% grades. I actually got an F on two finals (Math and Religion - the religion final is based on the bible scripture, essentially using the bible as the textbook. Not going to lie - I hated the class, hated the topic, hated the teacher, but didn’t expect to fail the final). I’m not sure how to feel. I’ve always been an A student. I don’t straight out fail tests. My cumulative weighted GPA is now at about 3.6 and my unweighted is a little above a 3.5. All of my comments say that I am attentive and creative, my only negative comment was from my religion teacher who commented on my absences from school. I missed some school for music related events, and I also missed a lot of school for being sick this year. </p>

<p>I had an overall bad experience with my school this year, and will be transferring to a public school for my junior and senior years in the fall. I just feel so dumb, and don’t really know how to handle being an A student for all my life, then having a horrible sophomore year, failing easy classes. How do you fail a class about the bible? How would parents handle a similar situation with their child? My mom was upset, and basically told me to hide my report card from my father. I plan on entering a conservatory level music program for classical voice in college, but I know my academics are still important. What if I decide that I want to go to a more academic institution (Northwestern, Carnegie Melon, University of Michigan, and Rice all have decent music programs) Would the poor grades that I received during my sophomore year be an issue? I really hope to be able to get my GPA at least up to a 3.7 by the end of high school. I know that I am capable of a 4.0, but I feel maybe it is a motivation problem… I can’t pinpoint what happened. I’ve really lost all my enthusiasm towards school this year. I never want to be there, and when I’m at school, I’m miserable. I hope that changes at my new school. I just don’t know how I’ll explain to guidance counselors, etc. How I managed my straight B report card. I think it is kind of a BS excuse to say that I lost my enthusiasm for school, and was very unhappy, thus got low grades…</p>

<p>Sorry for my rant, I have a question somewhere in there, but really just needed to talk about this. Please just give me any advice or words of wisdom you can on the subject, it would be so much appreciated.</p>

2

<p>ImThinking, hang in there. You’re growing and at your age your brain is on the fritz from time to time. I’m serious about that. Breathe in the fresh air during this summer break, get plenty of rest, exercise, eat right, and head to your new school ready to go and to make the most of the opportunity. :)</p>

3

<p>Have you talked to the religion teacher to find out why you failed, just as a learning experience (if you’re on speaking terms)? My S tended to do poorly when he & the teacher “locked horns” and disagreed about the subject matter. </p>

<p>Do you feel the problem is more a time management issue? You mentioned missing a lot of school due to illness–have you been on medications? Sometimes those can affect our mood and ability to concentrate as well, mood and motivation as well. My kids missed a lot of school due to illness throughout middle & high school; unfortunately it DID lower their grades as well. :frowning: I’d ask your doc for a full physical to be sure ALL your hormones, Human Herpes Virus-6, mono, thyroid and other bloodwork is normal–sometimes these can be abnormal & affect a LOT (that has been the case for both my kids).</p>

<p>S & D were still able to go to a very competitive & well-respected U where they have been happy, even tho S was ranked about 50%tile of his graduating class with a 3.5 and D was significantly lower (she went to CC & transferred into dream U).</p>

<p>Good luck with your new school, and yes, it’s important to try to keep up in ALL your subjects–even musicians benefit from being able to write & do math and other subjects to be successful.</p>

4

<p>First, you are not dumb. Clearly. Second, the Bible is possibly the most challenging book ever written – not to excuse failing the final, but that topic is not a piece of cake.</p>

<p>I’d like to see you do some thinking about why things went so sour for you at that school. Hoping it will go better for you at the public isn’t enough. You need to identify as best you can what the problems were, so that you can address them. Were there social problems? Are you sick of the rigorous academics? Were you possibly rebelling against the religious emphasis? Or maybe you’re just experiencing the totally normal emotional ups and down of being a teenager.</p>

<p>Do you have a trusted adult you can talk to? I’m thinking someone besides a parent; I know you love your parents and they love you, but sometimes they’re just TOO close, know what I mean? Find someone who will listen, who won’t judge, and who you respect – maybe a youth pastor, an aunt, a family friend.</p>

<p>And give yourself a break. A “B” report card is not a mark of shame. If I were your mom, I’d be more concerned about what’s behind the loss of interest in school than about the grades per se. Once you hit your stride again, you’re going to be fine. :)</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>Just a sideline, but I despise teachers (and there are many) who draw negative inferences from excused absences.</p>

6

<p>Here is my advice:
Go to your health care provider. Ask to complete a depression screening inventory. Ask to be screened for any underlying medical issues. Talk to your health care provider about whether you have friends, how you interact with them, whether you use substances, whether you have relationship issues with parents, peers or significant others. If anything shows up, your health care provider can make the appropriate referrals so that you can get treatment.
If none of these things indicate a problem, then think about how this was a mismatched educational situation for you. For example - AP Euro as a sophomore? Is this normally done in that school? If so, what are they thinking? If that class is being taught right, it should have the same reading as Columbia University’s core curriculum with a very high level of analysis, synthesis and discussion happening around it - and is much more suited to older students. Sophomores may be extremely intelligent but just don’t yet have the background or the brain synapses to put AP Euro together. It is developmental, not a measure of intelligence.
And, religion? Do you have the Catholic background to understand all of the nuuances? If not, you are at a disadvantage relative to the Catholic students. Do you disagree or have another opinion and this is why you are being graded like this?
In any case, it would be worthwhile to think carefully about how you learn, and what classes in the public school will allow you to succeed as a student.
Congratulations on giving this thought, on having goals, and on wanting to improve your academic success. It sounds like you are already having a lot of musical success, which is fantastic.
Most of us parents would not choose to go back to our teenage years! Hang in - you will get through this!</p>

7

<p>I agree with the comments above. Hang in there and make a fresh start at your new school. If you have the talent for a conservatory-level music program (admission will be VERY competitive), your audition will matter more than your grades. However, please know that programs such as Rice will be challenging academically and will require good study and time management skills. You seem like a very bright and concerned young person. Keep us posted.</p>

8

<p>Although GPA is important, schools look at trending grades, etc. If you can bring your grades up for junior and senior year, you’ll have a much better position from which to argue that you just weren’t a good “fit” at the previous school. Religious schools aren’t necessarily for everyone; if your grades were affected by excused absences for music-related absences, clearly it was not a good mesh against your musical aspirations. Hang in there. This coming year will be very important to you in terms of your college apps.</p>