Hello everybody,
I am well aware that no one here knows who I am, what I do or anything else about me. I need some advice on a decision that’s been troubling me and I came here to find guidance.
I suppose to answer this there should be some background information, I am a Junior at a High School in the West. I'm working in a consulting firm over the summer and take quite a few difficult courses. I am taking Chinese, German, AP Math, Global History, Introduction to Literature and Poetry and Honors Biology, have a 93 average, love designing websites and own a developing blog.
College is a major concern and I am stearing away from anything that will negatively influence my chances of getting into a great school. All my courses are great except one, biology. I have an extremely difficult AP Biology teacher, and it’s not paying off. I have many difficult courses, and I am not detoured from the amount of work. I don't want to waist too much time on this post yet take I’ll explain.
It’s an Honors Class so you need an A in Math and Science from the previous year to get in, so the students enrolled are smart or at least hard working. 8 kids flunked out the first two weeks, 2 more by the end of the first quarter. She asks questions that you wouldn't believe, stuff that she just expects you to know such as definitions. The average is a C, no A's and the test average is around a 65.
I am learning a fair amount yet I don’t feel like it’s worth it. The other H Bio teacher is worse, not teaching the kids anything and curving 20 points for tests.
Many of my colleagues’ have come to the conclusion that studying has no effect on their test grade and that 5hrs of studying is the same as 5 minutes because of her “critical thinking” questions, which are basically common sense and trivia questions and it is affecting all our other classes.
About 50 students petitioned to the head of the school and the teacher said that grade’s don’t matter, that if you went into the class for the grade then you’re going to do poorly. The average homework in that class is about 1-2 hours a day and it piles quite easily. I study about 4 hours for a test, looking at many Biology books including the text book given and yet it never is worth it. The grade for her class is at least 10% lower than Chinese, German or AP Math.
I am not in the class for a grade, I wanted to learn about it and no body in my family knows a whole lot about the subject, but obviously grades are important.
I am not here to ask whether the class is worthwhile or not, yet if it is a good idea to continue with the course or to switch at the end of the first semester (1/2 a year). I read this from one of your posts “Ask yourself this question: "Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible.” And knowing what I was getting myself into I would have never signed up for this course. So I ask, what should I do about this course?
Thank you whoever is willing to give a minute of their time to help me
