Advice needed.

[Feraligatr]

I'm sixteen years old in tenth grade. In a few months, I'll be in eleventh grade and I'm not taking any honors classes. I am taking English 11, Algebra 2, American Cultures 2, Peer to Peer Gym, Resource, and Chemistry next year. I wish I could be smart, and I often feel jealous of everyone in honors classes. I know people that can easily get A's in honors classes while I'm struggling to keep a B in a regular class.

I told my teacher that I wanted to be in Algebra 2 honors next school year, and she told me she wants to see an improvement in my grade. She literally told me, "Look at these grades!" At that moment, I was devastated. Does my Geometry teacher think I'm stupid? I really want to be in honors classes, and I want to try for my senior year. My friend is in a few honors and I think she's really smart.

It must feel nice to be in those classes, and to feel like a genius. I want to try and get into English honors. I do my homework for every class and I get decent grades on the tests. I feel like I'm not good enough because despite all of my hard work, my grades are just average. My English teacher told me that my vocabulary is far beyond that of a tenth grader. She said I could easily have an A in English if I did my homework. I've been doing my homework all the time since she has told me that. I want to try and make next school year better. I only have three months of this year left, so I want to do my best while I still can. I'm not good at history or science.

I currently have an A in Physics, but I think our teacher is too easy on us. When I get into chemistry next year, I want to do well. I want to push myself to do great in the class. About American Cultures 2, it's a tenth grade class. Yeah, I'll be a year behind. I'd like to think it would be easier because it's a tenth grade class, but I'm really not sure what to think.

[Cianna200]

You must know that intelligence is measured not by grades but how you respond to situations in life. I consider wisdom more important than intelligence, getting low grades doesn't make you a stupid person any more than sitting on a block of ice makes you a cool person. My grades were also average but I was labelled above average but I didn't think so. Don't let anyone make you feel worthless just because you have a bad grade. Just try your best and trust in yourself, that's what really matters. I was happy just to know that education is not the same as school, school is just a play. Education begins when you are born and ends at death. Since we won't be needed almost everything we learn in school, why must we fret over school? Hang in there.

[Feraligatr]

Thanks for your reply. It makes me feel better.

[James Comey]

Eh, honors is overrated. The people in there tend to be better-behaved and more interested in the subject but it's not completely worth it.

[brainiac3397]

Schools/teachers/education system all rely too heavily on just the basic info written on a single sheet of paper. Your entire capabilities are somehow able to be compressed into single letters next to descriptive titles. It wouldnt be such a big issue if said people were aware if the shortcomings of such a system but few ever choose the more effortful path of knowing the student or at least not making assumptions.

Hopefully when I one day become Emperor of Mankind(or something close enough), Ill be short to immaturily shove my success into the face of those who made their assumptions of me. Petty? Yes, but it matters not when the POWER is mine.
(Yep, I have some lasting hate somewhere in my psych, among other things lurking around there)

Its hard to play the systems game without destroying yourself, or forgetting yourself. While it may benefit you, realize that "falling to the dark side" will simply desrroy you or inhibit you. You will become nothing more than another successful statistic in a temporary period of time. Living your life without yourself at the center is a waste of your life. Your life must not revolve around work, around school, or in fact around anything. Your life is the center, everything else is superficial, maliable, temporary.

[Ky]

My advice is not to go for honors. The respect you'll get for being in it is minimal, but the workload and overall inanity is greatly increased.

I can understand why you'd want to, but keep in mind that you might not get what you want if you were to succeed.

[Trar]

I was offered a spot in advanced classes when my old 6th grade Language Arts teacher found out I was reading ahead in the class book. I declined, citing increased work load.

I never took up the John Hopkins University thingy I got in the mail, either.