What happened??

Post Reply New Topic

I didn't do that well in school during the second term. I got almost straight "A"s first term, and this term I have at least one "C", taking me off of the honor roll. I was doing work inconsistently because I was having motivational and other personal issues.

I decided with the beginning of third term I wanted to start things off right. I spent most of Wednesday night working on a project for history class, then I had to do another, smaller history assignment in the morning. I could not figure out the assignment (neither could most people in my class). When the teacher found out that practically no-one completed the assignment, he got angry and started with the put-downs ("All you had to do was think!"). To top it off, I'm not even sure I did the project correctly. The rest of the day was decent, because I got to talk to some friends. When I got home, however, I had to motivate myself to do a Literature assignment.

I was supposed to have two days to do this assignment (I spent the first on the history project). I had to take notes on three chapters of The Grapes of Wrath. I thought it would be easy, if I put my mind to it. I was tired, though. At one point I went into my room. I started bashing my head with a cane, and sort of whisper-shouting put-downs at myself in the mirror. Then I took the cane and whacked a lamp, sending shards of light bulb everywhere.

After this, I continued reading, but I couldn't do it at a reasonable pace. I found Steinbeck's use of vernacular distracting (in particular the use of the words "of" and "a" in place of the contraction "'ve"). Finally, midway through chapter six, the description of Joad gutting and cooking a rabbit just made me gag. So I put down the assignment, went outside ad laid in the snow for a minute (maybe to get a shock to my system - I don't know).

I came back in and (after putting on dry clothes) told my parents the problem that I was having. I told them about every problem that I had with school right now - the bad grades, the assignments I couldn't finish properly, everything. They suggested that I switch out of accelerated classes, which surprised me because thy always told me that if I got "C"s, it was because I was slacking off. Well I tried to tell them that I was slacking and that I could do better if I applied myself correctly. I can't remember exactly what transpired in the conversation, so I'll skip to an important part.

I just couldn't take it anymore. It seemed like my parents were contradicting the rules that they brought me up on. Suddenly grades don't matter because I did well on standardized testing. At that point, my mind went numb, and I half-stumbled, half-ran down the hall to my room while repeatedly calling out obscenities. When I got to the door, I felt kind of dizzy. I frantically fiddled with the doorknob until the door opened, and then I just fell down on the floor and started crying loudly. Honestly, I'd never normally let someone see me like that. It felt kind of dreamlike.

Well now they want to talk to the guidance counselor about switching my classes, and I'm starting to agree. If this work really is too much for me, then I don't want to keep doing it. I tried bottling up all the pressure and this is what happened. I reluctantly decided to take the day off (I haven't had a day off since freshman year) to try and wind down and figure out what to do. I decided to post this because I figure maybe someone here's gone through a similar experience and could give me advice.

Thanks for listening.

Last edited by DejaQ on 18 Jan 2008, 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I wouldn't worry about being unable to read Steinbeck.

I can not help you with your school issues though. I myself went from special ed to academic extension and back and forth to boot! I do not know why so I can't help you with yours.

Just make sure that it is the school work that is too hard and not the subject matter that is off putting. It could just be that the subject is not engaging you where as previously it did. The fact that the entire class stuffed up the history project tells you something at least as regards to that one.


As for help with your literature assignment, just write:
Chapter one, was painful, nothing happened, eyes feel dry and irritated.
Chapter two, was excruciating, nothing happened, tightness in temples.
Chapter three, was unbearable, nothing happened, throbbing migraine head ache.

Don't ever bottle things up. If you are having trouble with anything tell someone. i had never been in a accelerated class so i don't have a feel for it. I had been put in the special education classes (slower) and was bored there.

I think being in a regular class rather then the accelerated one is best here. Does not mean you are slack or anything. The teacher was just taking potshots i would say cos the project did not go to plan. best not to take that personally.

The reason that your parents had the change of heart is that they had seen what the work was doing to you and don't want you to get upset anymore. They care about your health more then grades.

I feel like I should have tried harder.



Well to hear my history teacher talk, accelerated classes are for people who are either too lazy to take Advanced Placement classes or people who should really be in college sequence classes.



It wasn't a problem until now. Basically all of my classes since freshman year have been accelerated. First term I nearly got a perfect report card. Where did I go wrong? Then I feel that if I drop my accelerated courses I'll just be quitting.

Still, I have thought about talking to the guidance counselor about switching my classes.

I feel that maybe accelerated history should go, because I'm tired of the teacher harassing us for not doing well enough. Still, I'll probably be stuck with the same teacher, and he'll probably tell me I'm a quitter or something.

Chemistry is mostly hard because when we have experiments, I'm the only person who doesn't have a partner to help me check my facts, and if I don't have a perfect lab assignment, I'm afraid to turn it in.

Literature is normally fine, aside from this Grapes of Wrath incident. Besides, switching out would mess up my schedule, because there's a chance that I'll repeat a book that we've already read. Algebra is fine, too. I just had homework issues in November. I can only imagine that a lower level of algebra would bring me back to my geometry teacher from last year (who's about as bad as my history teacher this year).

I am afraid of sabotaging my schedule, though - it's gotten to a point where I'm used to / comfortable with it.