Teens Writing for Teens, part 6

[Thalia]

Originally Posted by amlptj

Well at least your not as bad as my Ex. He was practically a genius, didn't even need to study to ace a test. But he didn't go to class and was so damn lazy that he didn't hand in any work at all and therefore even though his tests were all in the A range he didn't go to labs or hand in assignments so he got D's and F's that resulted in him getting kicked out of our university his second year.

It drove me insane though. Absolutely insane, because for example we were in the same Gen Chem II class. I studied for our second exam for a week, intensely. He studied for ONE HOUR before the exam. I got a 64 he got a 97. yet we both ended up with a C+ as our final grade because he barely handed in any work, meanwhile i even did freaking extra credit!!! TELL ME HOW THAT IS FAIR!?

Then in the next year we were in a stupid class together about Hitchcock movies. First off I watched all the movies, he watched none. Second I kept up with my journal, he wrote half of one the night before we handed it in at the end of the semester. Third, I did all the papers for the class, he didnt even hand in a whole one. I got a B he got a C+ AGAIN HOW IS THAT FAIR!?!?!?!

What killed me most was if he only put in an ounce of effort he would have gotten straight A's

That is legit exactly what my mother constantly yells at me for... it's not that I don't want to work hard and do well, it's that I don't know how to, or have the discipline to. I was a straight mid-80's student through middle school basically without picking up a book- I have a perfect hearing memory (not sure what that's called) which means that anything I have ever heard (and been paying attention to) I will remember, and that got me through middle school.

Now I want to study and do homework and work hard and get A's, but I've never actually learned how to do it or develop that kind of discipline, so I try to but get sidetracked really easily.

ETA: I can also recall almost any thought I've ever had. I do... do you know the theory that if you 'store' information somewhere in your brain, you can always remember it? I came up with that for myself and a locker room when I was 3 or 4. I only remember to do it occasionally now, but I can still remember that I developed it when I first saw Harry Potter and was having too many nightmares about trolls.

[lisalulu09]

I work hard... but I never got an A or equivalent in anything.

[Thalia]

The trick is to understand exactly what your teacher is looking for. That doesn't always work *cough*Ally'spsychoteacher*cough*, but I find the majority of bad grades have to do with misunderstanding the point of the assignment.

Also, I was brought up in a school where girls cried if they got under 80% on a test. You don't do badly. You just...don't. People with 85% get tutors to boost their grade to 90%. Failure isn't an option.

[lisalulu09]

OK, I didn't have teachers like that.

[amlptj]

I never knew anything but hard work. I always had to read more, or longer, work hours longer then everyone else in many areas, just to pull C's in gradeschool. My mom must have had the patience of a Saint when i think back to all those long homework hours where she would sit next to me and make sure i finished. I know what a horrible brat i was from the ages of 5-10 when it came to homework and still cant understand how she didn't just flip on me. Around 10/11 it all just became second nature. Working till midnight on homework became the norm, it became easier, then when highschool came along, i knew nothing else but working hard to achieve A's.

I know my Ex grew up differently. Like you he never had to work at getting A's. And if he got anything lower then an A his parents, would yell at him which was his only pushing factor to get A's. Word of advice to you, when you get to college that freeing experience that your parents aren't constantly over your shoulder knowing your grades sometimes allows most not to work at all. Don't let that happen to you, learn to study and do work now to save yourself the struggle in college.

ETA: Because in college, i struggled ALOT (and i was the hard working one) simply because its so much work and studying it will BLOW YOUR MIND. Staying up to midnight to finish homework was normal for me i didnt even consider that hard, but staying up days straight just to make a C... Oh that was something that was really hard to get used too. And it was a hard lesson to learn that regardless how hard I worked, that A would never be in my reach because either 1) i was just physically incapable of understanding the material enough even after studying well beyond what is anywhere near sane, and 2) the teacher was just never going to give me the A.

[lisalulu09]

The way I see it, my brain is just better suited to creative stuff, rather than academic stuff...

[Thalia]

I'm trying to learn to study now. I'm working very hard on trying, if that makes sense. But thanks for the advice.

The thing is, I was the most disciplined kid you ever met in primary school, with absolutely no prodding from my parents, I had A's in everything, did four hours of homework a night, you name it. So when I started slacking, my parents basically viewed it as either a phase, or the fact that I'd just changed schools, and that year my grandfather was dying so I didn't see my mother anyway.

And then I managed, after grade 7, to pick myself up and start getting the homework done. I didn't get it all done, or all well, but I handed everything in during grade 9.

Then I came here, and was miles ahead of the school, but did all my work and had a 92% average and started slacking again. It's a vicious cycle.

But a lot of the reason this quarter was bad was Hairspray, and me missing a week of school after getting shingles.

[lisalulu09]

Now if only I could get somewhere with this short story.

Tally, it's time for cheerleading duties.

[Thalia]

GO GO GO LISA

By the way, guys, I am gonna do two hours of psych today since I have the afternoon off. I'm planning it to be from 1-3 CST. If I show up at that time, and you're around, yell at me.

[lisalulu09]

What time is that over here? What's the time difference?

[amlptj]

Yeah i actually wish i knew how to slack a little bit. I have a problem with over stressing and worrying often times for no reason. During the school year no matter if all my work is done, i still cant relax, i just feel this horrible need to still study or do something productive, because my screwed up brain thinks that if i take even a little break that I deserve to fail. Take last night for example. me and my friend were just going to stay up and work on our Presentation powerpoint. So i finished that around 12 but what did i end up doing till 4am? Finishing THE REST OF THE YEARS worth of work for another class, just so i wouldn't have to worry about it (granted it was only 2 and a half weeks worth but it was still ALOT) Then because you know All that wasnt enough, i even read over this whole stupid thing for another class and ended up doing this long reply.

[lisalulu09]

People seem to be deactivating their facebooks a lot lately...

[Thalia]

Because of Tumblr, no doubt!



That's... 5 hours behind you.

ETA: I wish I could be as productive as you.

[amlptj]

Trust me you don't want to be. Trust me. WAY to much stress, you never get to sleep, you constantly get sick (like i am right now) because all you do is stress and never sleep.

The only good thing about my school habits is that it transfers over to my writing which is why i write so fast, because i'm used to sitting down and hard core focusing for hours on end.

[lisalulu09]

So... midnight here. OK.

[amlptj]

Your only an hour behind me so at 2-6 I would yell at you but i'll probably be away doing class stuff.

[lisalulu09]

I'm getting my times mixed up.

[amlptj]

just go on google and type in for example USA time. and it will tell you what time it is there. I type in London time to find out what time it is for all of you guys in England. Its just a little after 5pm right?

[Parametric]

Sure is!

[amlptj]

hey Para, how are you?

[lisalulu09]

Para is definitely a ninja. XD

[Parametric]

Trying to nail this death scene. I fear only my crit partner can rescue me from falling flat on my face.

[Thalia]

What's going wrong with it? Maybe we can help! You said it wasn't sad?

I like to think my death scenes are sad, but they are usually just very gory. Lisa, thoughts? You know who dies in MAAH.

[lisalulu09]

I nearly cried for Jacqueline (sp?) but everyone else I was just like... O.O

[Thalia]

Thanks!

But oh, lord, you will cry in book 3.