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I'm falling so far behind it's not even funny
I'm a junior in high school and this year I am taking two AP courses. :(
I'm tired all the time and don't have much time for anything but school.
And one of the courses (US History) is so hard that most of the time lately I just give up and won't do the homework. I'll just sit in my room and cry. I've been in the course since September obviously, and I slipped a little back in November but only down to a C-, and I managed to get it up to a C+.
But now this time I've dug myself into such a deep hole that I don't know how I'm ever going to crawl out of it.
The AP exam is in May, it's March. I'm currently failing the course. I seriously have like a 48%.
I've never failed anything. Before this year, I'd never even gotten below a B+ on a report card.
Please help! My parents are going to kill me, and besides that I'm so ashamed and disgusted with myself. If I don't bring my score up, it'll go on my report card and then colleges will see it and just ugh it's not going to be good. :( I'm so upset right now.
I need advice on how to get myself motivated again, and then like possible study tips you can think of. :(
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Sarcastic Greetings gave you a ton of good advice on how to atttack the problem academically. I wanted to suggest that you reach out to a trusted adult (teacher, parent, uncle, neighbor, grandparent, religious advisor, whomever you can trust) to help you deal with the anxiety you are feeling and consider alternatives such as dropping one of the AP courses so you can focus and succeed in the other. You might be able to pick up a course in the summer or next year.
Also, stop beating yourself up. EVERYONE finds mountains that seem too high to climb at some point. If you have never had anything lower than a B+ you are obviously smart and hard-working. If you let people around you know that you need some help, you will likely be surprised at how willing people will be to go out of their way to help you.
You do not have to bear this burden alone, and a burden shared is a burden lessened (i know, cheesy, but true).
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I've been in your shoes. I took AP Euro History and that class DESTROYED me. History is a bitch of a class, and the AP exam will attack you with ridiculously detailed questions.
I had a 95 average at the time, but when I started taking euro tests, I FAILED them. That was the first time I've failed tests in my life. I honestly don't know what the hell happened, but I'm guessing it's cause
1) history doesn't interest me much
2) 20 pages of reading a night was a lot. I didn't do it not because I couldn't, but because I convinced myself that it was too much work. I didn't even try.
I didn't start TRYING until around April. Way too late to actually learn enough for the AP. So don't follow my example. Start studying NOW.
First of all, if you intend to take the AP exam, you need a review book and you need it fast. Take the diagnostic at the beginning of the book.
Second, go to tutoring if your school offers it. Grab a study buddy. Read from your textbook and your review book every day.
For the AP exam, I would recommend going to a barnes&noble or library to study. Just pace yourself; take your time reading the passages, stop and thinka bout what you've read. This REALLY helped me. Take the review quizzes at the end of the chapters. Also, write outlines. I've found that when I make outlines and have to actually spend time writing out the material instead of just reading it, it stays in my head longer.
Read from your textbook every day. And make outlines of the chapters. I know, outlines SUCK. They're tedious and boring and time-consuming. But trust me. They really help. Talk to your classmates abotu what you're learning. Ask them to quiz you. Don't be ashamed of getting questions wrong (for some reason, when you get a question wrong, it STAYS with you forever).
As for your motivation?
1) College. Since you actually CARE so much about failing, I'm assuming you care about your future, as well. And colleges will not appreciate you getting a 48 average.
2) Bribe yourself! Or get a friend to bribe you. This may encourage you to study more and know more.
Also, RELAX. The semester isn't over yet; you have plenty of time to get back on your feet. Never overwhelm yourself with studying. When you do homework, get off of facebook, aim, or whatever, and focus on your work for ONE hour. When that hour's up, walk around, go back on facebook, whatever, for 15-20 minutes. Just take a short break. Then get back to work. Keep up this hour of work / 15 min break cycle until your work is finished.
And, last but not least, give me your email and I'll send you an outline on US history that covers from the colonies to ~1900. This may not be TOO helpful; I did not take AP US history so many important details may have been left out. However, it MIGHT help a little?
Good luck!
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