Agh Why!?!

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MattMan
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Agh Why!?!

Post by MattMan »

Okay, I'm in grade 10. Straight A student all my life. I'm doing great right now for grades i guess, but i'm really stressed out. I'm in advanced classes (called IB, international baculoriat or something like that).



My problem is that im not having fun with school, and im way too stressed out with all these hard classes. Taking them means I'll get some university credit for them (if i tough it out till grade 12) so that'll lessen the cost.



My parents said they'd pay for some of my university, but i don't know anything about how much or if they're going to want me to pay them back eventually or what. The problem with this is that my parents absolutely suck with money, so I don't think that it'd work out to my benifit.



I dunno... this is such a hard decision to make, and i KNOW what my parents will say: keep with your classes, lifes not fun and all that shit. My parents haven't got a clue.. and i hate them. I can't do this alone. I need some help, and I dont have a clue what to do. I don't know what i want to do after high school either. I might not even go to university.



My life could be screwed up either way, if i take the advanced classes, highschool (which is supposed to be the time of your life according to all those that have completed it that i know) could be a living hell. If i dont take all of the advanced classes, then I could end up in a whole bunch of debt like my parents, and have to spend ages paying off student loans. The thing about the advanced classes is that i have to take them all to get any university credit.



I'm kinda ranting here, so i might as well say this in here too. I'm really lonely, and right now what i want more than anything is a girlfriend. I need someone that i can talk to, and that i just... click with.. i dunno i have that with somebody but she lives three hours away and i can't drive until november at the earliest. Shes a girl i met at band camp, and i really want to see her, and i doubt i can make the time to see her often (im going at least once no matter what) with these classes... and im really bored with regular classes because they're too easy for me...



PLEASE do NOT say do what you want, i need a direction here, not advice. This is my whole future we're talking about, and i don't know what to do. You could very well change my whole life, please help me.
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by PurplePoemPuppet »

Alright, this is a "do what you want" type of situation, however, that isn't what you want so here are some options that I can think of.



Opt 1: Don't take so many IB classes that you're going to drive yourself nuts. Find one you are interested in or like enough to stay in and maybe TA another class (though that's usually a bad way to go). I'd say take an "easier" class or something you are particularly interested in. If there's a teacher you like with a class that's available, go with it.



Opt 2: Take no especially demanding classes (though this is a bad option), make sure you're interested and get the good grades. It is probably one of the worst way to go, however you'll have the good grades and less stress.



Here's my best recommendation and something that I've done. If there is a class you can get out of, do it! Replace it with a TA class with a teacher you like and know well. Discuss with them letting it be a study hall period for you so you can catch up with your homework. It'll bring a lot of stress out of your day after school.



Don't stress yourself about maintaining the straight A's. My ex did a lot of that to himself (though he somehow found a way to keep himself totally cool about it). But he just didn't have much fun the way he should have. He maintained a 4.0 and took several AP classes, his lowest score being a 3 (the "average" score to get credit in college) and 5 his highest scores (the best you can get). He did well for himself and in turn received a lot of just academic scholarships. Keep yourself well balanced with music and sports (if you play any). You're bound to be recognized when scholarships come around.



I wouldn't expect high school to be the best years. That is totally college, despite what anyone will tell you. High school is full of overly dramatic people who think that high school is it. Get into college and you'll feel the fun of life.



I don't know how much help I've been but I'm a little tired. So if you'd like anymore advice at all feel free to email me , pm, or IM me on aim (if you've got it). Best wishes...
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MattMan
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by MattMan »

thanks.. i dunno.. i was in a really depressed mood right then and really stressed out and needed to vent somewhat... i think i might be able to cope with these harder classes... and what do you mean by a TA class?
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by PurplePoemPuppet »

Being a Teachers Assistant. You get credit and it's a really dumb elective type of thing. Usually if you've got a teacher you like well and knows you well, you can work it where you ask them to be a TA during a certain period and tell them you'll be using that period to do homework. I've done it a few times when I was in high school. It's nice to have that pressure off during that time.
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MattMan
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by MattMan »

but how would that work? i don't have any spare periods...
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by PurplePoemPuppet »

It would really be if you decided there was a class you were willing to drop. I did it my senior year when I had AP calc and AP Lit. I decided to drop AP calc to work on lit. That's where you have to decide if you feel like you can let a class go. I don't know your classes so if you feel like you might be able to let one go to let yourself be a bit less stressed, then try it.
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Paris In Flames
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by Paris In Flames »

Quit complaining Matty.



I'm doing the exact same stuff you're doing, and I'm surviving. :P



Way to be a true IB kid yo. It's International Baccalaureate my dear.



Purple Poem Puppet - you can't like, NOT take them. It's a full program, with no room for electives.



I'm sorry. If you need emotional support, IM me. Don't give up though. IB will give you SO many opportunities!



Cheers,



Jenna
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by Lena »

have you spoken to your parents about any of this and told them that youre worried?
Woman can not live on tea or chocolate alone.... but she can give it a damn good try.
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by Smiley »

Where do you want to go for post secondary? I took IB classes and I didn't get credit for my classes because you needed a 6 or a 7 and you had to take higher level IB. (almost all my classes were standard level) Some institutions are different, some award the credit for a 4 and up. BUT look up where you want to go to post-secondary first! (don't fully trust what your school says about IB exemption credits for post-secondary, my school lied to everybody about it) Most of the time it's not worth stressing yourself out with the academic classes if your dream post-secondary school is just going to award for *maybe* three classes out of six. And if you aren't going to enjoy it, what's the point? IB is to encourage higher level learning and expand your mind. If it's going to make you cry, not worth it! Just because you were a straight A student doesn't mean you'll enjoy IB.



My advice would be to stick with the IB classes you enjoy and sacrifice the rest. IB *does* help you have a good work ethic for university (if you take advantage of it) but if you don't enjoy it, it makes at least your grade 12 year crazy. Or do you have to take full IB? I didn't have to which was nice so I got to pick and choose what classes I wanted to take IB so I don't know.



I notice you live in Canada as well. I think it's pretty universal with the IB thing as far as I know, there weren't too many doors it opened for a lot of the partial and full IB kids I knew and we had a lot. The stuff that opened doors was being well rounded, having leadership roles and doing loads and loads of volunteering. I think there was only one person from my school who got a big scholarship and she was a partial IB student but she had a lot of community involvement and she just was a generally nice, grounded person. Everybody else was doing what we were told by the admin (take IB classes! Be involved in the token clubs! Do volunteering!) and if people got more than the regular scholarships offered to students applying to certain universities, it was a miracle. I was in a very academic school, it has a rep amongst people who didn't even attend school in this certain province. Not a very good rep at that.
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Paris In Flames
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by Paris In Flames »

Originally posted by Smiley@Oct 7 2004, 01:59 PM

Where do you want to go for post secondary? I took IB classes and I didn't get credit for my classes because you needed a 6 or a 7 and you had to take higher level IB. (almost all my classes were standard level) Some institutions are different, some award the credit for a 4 and up. BUT look up where you want to go to post-secondary first! (don't fully trust what your school says about IB exemption credits for post-secondary, my school lied to everybody about it) Most of the time it's not worth stressing yourself out with the academic classes if your dream post-secondary school is just going to award for *maybe* three classes out of six. And if you aren't going to enjoy it, what's the point? IB is to encourage higher level learning and expand your mind. If it's going to make you cry, not worth it! Just because you were a straight A student doesn't mean you'll enjoy IB.



My advice would be to stick with the IB classes you enjoy and sacrifice the rest. IB *does* help you have a good work ethic for university (if you take advantage of it) but if you don't enjoy it, it makes at least your grade 12 year crazy. Or do you have to take full IB? I didn't have to which was nice so I got to pick and choose what classes I wanted to take IB so I don't know.



I notice you live in Canada as well. I think it's pretty universal with the IB thing as far as I know, there weren't too many doors it opened for a lot of the partial and full IB kids I knew and we had a lot. The stuff that opened doors was being well rounded, having leadership roles and doing loads and loads of volunteering. I think there was only one person from my school who got a big scholarship and she was a partial IB student but she had a lot of community involvement and she just was a generally nice, grounded person. Everybody else was doing what we were told by the admin (take IB classes! Be involved in the token clubs! Do volunteering!) and if people got more than the regular scholarships offered to students applying to certain universities, it was a miracle. I was in a very academic school, it has a rep amongst people who didn't even attend school in this certain province. Not a very good rep at that.


Very well said. I'm in total agreeance with you. IB is meant to prepare you for college. I'm in it because I plan to go to a prestigious college.



But it's all your choice Matt. I still think you should stick with it.



Cheers,



Jenna
xMOSHx xHELLA HARDCOREx xBREAKDOWNx



The tragedy is the ignorance behind the clean casket

On the outside, they look so good

They're walking to Wallstreet in a straightjacket...
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Re: Agh Why!?!

Post by Sk8r_4_LiFe »

with the whole colleges deal, colleges do give out loads of financial aid, plus theirs loads of scholarships u can jump onto. 10th grade is a perfect time to start thinking about college, dive into some scholarships if u can, and looking at finanicial aid.



if colleges dont give u finanicial aid (like me - fuckers)or scholarships than you can get student loans. Student loans kinda suck cause once u get out of college basically youre in debt, you owe someone money, my cousin who is 43 years old now is still paying off student loans.
Me: So do you like, HIM?

Rosca: No way, they suck. . .

Me: How can you say that, they're love METAL

Rosca: They ain't Metal!

Me: Well they probably get more women than we will ever in our lives combined

Rosca: Yea cause they're gay. . .
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