I am not doing well in High School?

[Tigrane]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So I am in my Sophomore year of High School, and I'm not doing well at all. Freshman year I got 3.7 both semesters which is iffy, but Sophomore year I got a 2.1 GPA! Now that is utterly terrible, I was not prepared, my math teacher sucks at teaching, but not only my math teacher, my Java teacher (I hate Java), my Literature teacher (I hate Literature), and my Spanish teacher (I'm no good at learning new languages even though I speak perfect fluent French). The second semester has started and we're a few weeks in. I already have a D in Java, because I got a 1/4 on a code I thought I did perfectly, but then again he doesn't teach, he just throws instructions at you thinking you're the best coder in the world. In Math I have a C now because I got a C on a test, the thing about our Math class is that we have a student teacher teaching everything and he SUCKS. He's always making mistakes on problems, mixes me up so it seems like I walk in knowing more than when I walk out, and he's obnoxious as holy hell. And the rest is B, A, B, and another C... Now you see my problem. How can I raise all of these to an A? I mean, taking into account the ****ty teachers I have...
(This ended up not being a doctor related question, but I'm posting it anyways I guess...)

 

[hmockingbird]

You might not like my advice at first but I am going to be honest.

The first piece of advice I have is to put in more effort/be proactive. Yes it would be nice if you had better teachers (or possibly teachers whose teaching style fit better with your learning style), however, it's possible to succeed despite that. I had to teach myself physics during my senior year of HS, because my teacher was new to teaching physics and honestly not that great at it. Read the textbook outside of class, find other resources (e.g. for math and science, Khan Academy), meet with your teacher outside of class to go over specific questions (my physics teacher was actually really good at explaining stuff one-on-one, I just think physics is really hard to teach to a group honestly), do a ton of practice problems, form a study group with friends, ask classmates who do well in these classes for advice on how they study and approach the material, try out new study skills (look online for tips), get a tutor if possible/needed, etc. I mean, yeah it sucks that you have to be looking outside the classroom at this stage of your education but on the other hand, you will definitely be teaching yourself stuff in med school and beyond so if that is your goal, just think of it as early practice and exploration of your study skills and learning methods. And once you think about it, there are honestly lots of ways to improve your knowledge and skill at the subjects you are having a hard time with, so I want to encourage you that it's not the end of the world and you can figure it out! I would start small, maybe with the subject you are having the most trouble with, and then try to apply the skills/resources/techniques you learn to your other classes.

The second thing I would say is to change your attitude. Be kind to yourself and think positive. Instead of thinking that you are bad at learning new languages, think to yourself that you can rise to the challenge and prove yourself wrong. Instead of thinking that you hate literature, try to find a small thing you like about the class, or even just remind yourself that while you don't love it you do need this class for college. It might sound cheesy, but in my experience, thinking positively about your capabilities and classes will help you get that internal motivation and determination to succeed.

Finally, one bad semester is not going to tank your application for college. Neither will a cumulative GPA <4.0. It may just be that at this stage of high school, you are going through an adjustment period where the level of work expected just got ramped up and you weren't prepared for that. It happens to a lot of people either during high school or college, so don't feel bad. If you are able to improve even some of your grades, you will become an overall better student for it!

 

[Tigrane]

You might not like my advice at first but I am going to be honest.

The first piece of advice I have is to put in more effort/be proactive. Yes it would be nice if you had better teachers (or possibly teachers whose teaching style fit better with your learning style), however, it's possible to succeed despite that. I had to teach myself physics during my senior year of HS, because my teacher was new to teaching physics and honestly not that great at it. Read the textbook outside of class, find other resources (e.g. for math and science, Khan Academy), meet with your teacher outside of class to go over specific questions (my physics teacher was actually really good at explaining stuff one-on-one, I just think physics is really hard to teach to a group honestly), do a ton of practice problems, form a study group with friends, ask classmates who do well in these classes for advice on how they study and approach the material, try out new study skills (look online for tips), get a tutor if possible/needed, etc. I mean, yeah it sucks that you have to be looking outside the classroom at this stage of your education but on the other hand, you will definitely be teaching yourself stuff in med school and beyond so if that is your goal, just think of it as early practice and exploration of your study skills and learning methods. And once you think about it, there are honestly lots of ways to improve your knowledge and skill at the subjects you are having a hard time with, so I want to encourage you that it's not the end of the world and you can figure it out! I would start small, maybe with the subject you are having the most trouble with, and then try to apply the skills/resources/techniques you learn to your other classes.

The second thing I would say is to change your attitude. Be kind to yourself and think positive. Instead of thinking that you are bad at learning new languages, think to yourself that you can rise to the challenge and prove yourself wrong. Instead of thinking that you hate literature, try to find a small thing you like about the class, or even just remind yourself that while you don't love it you do need this class for college. It might sound cheesy, but in my experience, thinking positively about your capabilities and classes will help you get that internal motivation and determination to succeed.

Finally, one bad semester is not going to tank your application for college. Neither will a cumulative GPA <4.0. It may just be that at this stage of high school, you are going through an adjustment period where the level of work expected just got ramped up and you weren't prepared for that. It happens to a lot of people either during high school or college, so don't feel bad. If you are able to improve even some of your grades, you will become an overall better student for it!

Thanks, this really is a helpful response. A lot of detail and really good advice, I'll try to change my routine to fit this description better
-Luke

 

[BuckyBadger!]

In life, you can't always blame your teachers-- even if they aren't great. In college, you will have professors that only care about their research and don't even want to be teaching you. Take your education into your own hands! Take responsibility for your grades, regardless of your teachers, and own what you do. Use your peers and seek help in any way possible. High school is a time to learn as much as you can, grow as a person, and learn how to succeed.

Best of luck! Hang in there.

 

[Make Or Break]

Ratemyprofessor in college. Nuff' said.

 

[Snoopy2006]

Attitude change. Yes, some teachers aren't as skilled as others. But if you re-read your initial post, you take absolutely zero responsibility for your grades. ("I hate this, I hate that, my teacher sucks, that teacher SUCKS.") I get that you're probably 15 but if you're going to become a doctor, at some point you have to grow up and start taking responsibility. Ask classmates who are doing well in these classes what they're doing, find new ways to study, and take personal responsibility for your performance.