Should I e-mail my counselor?

[MusicAndFruits1092]

Hi,

This year for me as a freshman was rough. About a month ago I just had a brief quick meeting with my counselor about the classes I'd like to take for next year and I just confirmed them with her, but I'm kind of regretting it.

The reason is because this year I struggled badly in Algebra and I'm in intensive math, and my tech classes. I'm also in some honors classes and in a college preparatory program at my high school too. (I didn't want to say that to sound like I'm bragging, but I thought it might help you understand why I feel this way.) I feel like I did horrible mainly this year because of my tech class. They gave me so much work and it was all due like in one week. I want to stay in their tech academy because you can get actual certifications employers like to see on employers resumes. But I can't if it consumes almost all of my time from leisure, and being able to focus on other more important core classes like algebra for me to be able to graduate. So if I do email my counselor, do you guys think I should discuss with her about dropping the tech academy program? I love technology, but honestly the classes are boring and they don't have any classes that interest me about technology. Like I'm more interested in coding, but they don't offer it. They just cover it like a small portion in some classes. But the certifications you can possibly get are great and definitely beneficial. But I'm scared if I don't pass the algebra state test - and if you don't, you can't graduate high school - (because I have this feeling I may not - I'm not saying this because I don't have any confidence - but from my tests in Algebra the scores I've received show that I'm not ready, and I've already forgot some or most of the things we've already learned. And we take that algebra test in like eighteen days. If we don't pass it, we have to retake it until we pass it. And if we don't pass it by our senior year, we don't get to graduate high school. I'm also considering dropping the tech academy because like they don't really teach you. It's all a "self-taught" based class so you're learning everything on your own. I don't mind that, but like this year they went by so fast and I'm scared if I move on up in the tech academy or try out the other tech classes next year I'll still fail the certification tests (because I just failed the first one since I felt like I wasn't given enough time to learn the material and they keep pushing us to go get certified - but it's because the school year is short with training and trying to get certified it can take almost all year) but with that in mind, I'm scared that I may not be able to focus on core classes for me to graduate. And the thing is, this year my tech teacher was kind of "rude" and I always feel so uncomfortable in his class because sometimes I don't know if he's being rude or nice to me. Like I think he makes some "rude" comments then tries to be nice again and say good things about me I guess so I don't feel bad. I mean well, I want to say he's nice because I don't want to be a "bad" person but I mean he does have some nice traits. But I mean he's also told the class he's also strict because he has to push us to work hard for the certifications (because the certs do cost money, and they are real certs) but like he's done it several times this year and I honestly try to be the best student, I don't even talk in his class I'm too scared too and he's like pointed me out several times when I've done some things wrong. :(

I'm supposed to have another formal meeting with my counselor (because the previous one I just had was just a short one that wasn't scheduled) and I was wondering if you guys think I should e-mail my counselor to see if I can get different classes if it's still possible? I mean I know that my chances might be slim, but I don't know who else to ask if I should do this or not and you guys are the only people I know that can help me.

Thank you

[HSHARK]

You should contact your counselor

[JakeAE86]

I think you should as well

If the school offers vocational courses for IT or Programming I highly recommend them, it is all doing, not no shitty homework paper where you have to write 7 pages. I may not be in those classes, but you have it much worse than I do. But I'd say do what you want to do.

[Ilija.m]

(04-07-2016 11:21 AM)musicandfruits1092 Wrote:  Hi,

This year for me as a freshman was rough. About a month ago I just had a brief quick meeting with my counselor about the classes I'd like to take for next year and I just confirmed them with her, but I'm kind of regretting it.

The reason is because this year I struggled badly in Algebra and I'm in intensive math, and my tech classes. I'm also in some honors classes and in a college preparatory program at my high school too. (I didn't want to say that to sound like I'm bragging, but I thought it might help you understand why I feel this way.) I feel like I did horrible mainly this year because of my tech class. They gave me so much work and it was all due like in one week. I want to stay in their tech academy because you can get actual certifications employers like to see on employers resumes. But I can't if it consumes almost all of my time from leisure, and being able to focus on other more important core classes like algebra for me to be able to graduate. So if I do email my counselor, do you guys think I should discuss with her about dropping the tech academy program? I love technology, but honestly the classes are boring and they don't have any classes that interest me about technology. Like I'm more interested in coding, but they don't offer it. They just cover it like a small portion in some classes. But the certifications you can possibly get are great and definitely beneficial. But I'm scared if I don't pass the algebra state test - and if you don't, you can't graduate high school - (because I have this feeling I may not - I'm not saying this because I don't have any confidence - but from my tests in Algebra the scores I've received show that I'm not ready, and I've already forgot some or most of the things we've already learned. And we take that algebra test in like eighteen days. If we don't pass it, we have to retake it until we pass it. And if we don't pass it by our senior year, we don't get to graduate high school. I'm also considering dropping the tech academy because like they don't really teach you. It's all a "self-taught" based class so you're learning everything on your own. I don't mind that, but like this year they went by so fast and I'm scared if I move on up in the tech academy or try out the other tech classes next year I'll still fail the certification tests (because I just failed the first one since I felt like I wasn't given enough time to learn the material and they keep pushing us to go get certified - but it's because the school year is short with training and trying to get certified it can take almost all year) but with that in mind, I'm scared that I may not be able to focus on core classes for me to graduate. And the thing is, this year my tech teacher was kind of "rude" and I always feel so uncomfortable in his class because sometimes I don't know if he's being rude or nice to me. Like I think he makes some "rude" comments then tries to be nice again and say good things about me I guess so I don't feel bad. I mean well, I want to say he's nice because I don't want to be a "bad" person but I mean he does have some nice traits. But I mean he's also told the class he's also strict because he has to push us to work hard for the certifications (because the certs do cost money, and they are real certs) but like he's done it several times this year and I honestly try to be the best student, I don't even talk in his class I'm too scared too and he's like pointed me out several times when I've done some things wrong. :(

I'm supposed to have another formal meeting with my counselor (because the previous one I just had was just a short one that wasn't scheduled) and I was wondering if you guys think I should e-mail my counselor to see if I can get different classes if it's still possible? I mean I know that my chances might be slim, but I don't know who else to ask if I should do this or not and you guys are the only people I know that can help me.

Thank you

My advice would be to have another formal meeting and tell them what you really want to say to them mention to them that you want other classes

[SoulRiser]

It's worth a try. It definitely sounds like the tech class is more trouble than it's worth at this point. I'm skeptical that those certifications are worth as much as they say they are. Probably not worth your sanity, in any case.

I also signed up for a computers class in school, because I wanted to learn coding. Then when I realized the teacher didn't actually know any coding, I quit and taught myself (with help from my dad).

[MusicAndFruits1092]

(04-09-2016 03:51 AM)SoulRiser Wrote:  It's worth a try. It definitely sounds like the tech class is more trouble than it's worth at this point. I'm skeptical that those certifications are worth as much as they say they are. Probably not worth your sanity, in any case.

I also signed up for a computers class in school, because I wanted to learn coding. Then when I realized the teacher didn't actually know any coding, I quit and taught myself (with help from my dad).

Yeah. I mean I've heard one of my teacher said when his son went to our school, he left with almost $20,000 or $40,000 in certifications (Yes, in total they can add up to be that expensive) and I'd like to get as many certifications as I can because I know even if I decide to not go to college, or even if I do go to college and graduate that the certifications will help me get almost any job I'd like, and you can even make a whole lot of money just by having the certifications. I wanted to learn coding too, and I think I know there's a class for it but I think it'll be like all the other tech classes - you do it on your own, and you learn on your own. I don't mind that, but I'm just not sure you know if whether or not the teacher might not be friendly enough to help you, or I might end up having to rush on the assignments again like this year and not be able to learn. Do you think it'd be better for me to e-mail her, or do you know another better way for me to reach out to her? I don't know how to schedule an appointment to see her, and that's why I'm only thinking e-mail is the best way. Also, do you know how I should write the e-mail too? I'm kind of nervous to write to her.

Thanks for your response too.