What should I do? Is it worth continuing?

[Kynast]

During IB1 I wanted to Physics HL, but was denied because I was deemed as "unintelligent" and as a poor academic student although I was managing around 30-33 points and I was forced to take Biology HL.  I asked if I could do Chemistry as a second science at least, and my school did not let me.  During my mock exams in the IB1 I didn't do terribly.  I got an average of about 5 points in each subject except for economics which I had not studied too often and I bombed it like usual.  I got a 2, and my predicted grade went from around 30-32 to 24-26.  I don't even know what the point is in trying.  I'm not going to be able to study physics in University, and although my math isn't perfect I love learning about it.  My teachers think I'm stupid.  None of my IAs are near completion.  Universities won't accept any grades lower than 30 points really. I just don't know what to do.  My girlfriend notices this and tries to help but nothing can help me.  I can't deal with the stress knowing I won't be able to do what I want and I don't have the money for university anyways.  I have nothing left to pursue. Almost every night I just sit in my room and hate myself and sob because of how poor of a student I am. What can I do? Is it even worth continuing the IB or life in general?

Edited November 28, 2015 by Kynast

[IB_taking_over]

Taking your own life is probably not the best solution. You are in the IB program, you are not stupid. At this point you are more than halfway through, and should continue. If nothing else it's for pride. 

Don't let your "inability" for physics and math deter you from your passion. There's got to be a university that will accept you for physics. Your predicted scores are not necessarily an indicator of how you will do in May. You mentioned bombing economics because of not studying, is there a way for you to study it more? 

[LolzDoingIB]

Never give up. Even when you think it's all over. Though what is it do you find difficult? Is it the content or the concepts, or is it some other factor? Whatever it is try to first understand the problem and work towards fixing it.

It is important to understand that marks do not signify how you are as a person in anyway. Great physicist never thought about how much they got in an exams but they always looked at the bigger picture. It was their passion that drove them not their marks or their capability. If one is determined enough anything is possible!! Hope that helps.

[King112]

During IB1 I wanted to Physics HL, but was denied because I was deemed as "unintelligent" and as a poor academic student although I was managing around 30-33 points and I was forced to take Biology HL.  I asked if I could do Chemistry as a second science at least, and my school did not let me.  During my mock exams in the IB1 I didn't do terribly.  I got an average of about 5 points in each subject except for economics which I had not studied too often and I bombed it like usual.  I got a 2, and my predicted grade went from around 30-32 to 24-26.  I don't even know what the point is in trying.  I'm not going to be able to study physics in University, and although my math isn't perfect I love learning about it.  My teachers think I'm stupid.  None of my IAs are near completion.  Universities won't accept any grades lower than 30 points really. I just don't know what to do.  My girlfriend notices this and tries to help but nothing can help me.  I can't deal with the stress knowing I won't be able to do what I want and I don't have the money for university anyways.  I have nothing left to pursue. Almost every night I just sit in my room and hate myself and sob because of how poor of a student I am. What can I do? Is it even worth continuing the IB or life in general?

First up mate, killing yourself won't help. Not only will you end your future, you'll hurt your girlfriend, parents and family.

Honestly, people who don't do well at school are not failures. IB is a hard program, and really, you can do well. Your IB exams are in 6 months, and that gives you plenty of time to prepare. 

Next, worst case scenario, let's say you **** up royally. Take a break year, do an internship or something along those lines. That will make unis see your potential. Maybe do an internship at a firm specialising in the field you want to study. You could also possibly graduate from not such a good Uni initially and then go on to a great one. My uncle really messed up, and graduated from an unheard uni. but he worked hard at the Uni, and got his masters (and PhD i think) from CalTech. So don't think that if you mess up once there isn't a way to recover.

Keep your head up, you can get through this.

Hope I helped.

Cheers,

King112

[Arieta Hamiti]

Your life is worth so much more than that! And prove them wrong!!! I've been through the same issue and nothing slaps their face harder than proving them wrong

[eross]

the IB is not worth your life. Believe me, it's really not. It might seem like you've run out of options, but you haven't. IF you think you can handle it, continue until exams (only a few months to go now! you're almost there). However, if you think you might be really depressed, you could talk to your parent/guardian/counselor or any adult you feel relatively close to about taking a year off. You could focus on yourself, on doing things you love (if you love physics, then you might even take a physics course!). But whatever you choose to do, IB is not the end of the world. 

 

I'm not sure where you are applying to university, but I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) that there HAS to be a university that accepts you with less than 30 points. If they require physics classes for entrance, is it possible that you could take them after you graduate (Whether IB or non-IB) ? Maybe it would postpone your entrance a year, but it would be worth it. Your life is just beginning, so a year more seems worth it, right? Even if you end up in the crappiest college there is, you would still be getting higher education. You would still be learning physics-- and your love for physics or whatever career you want to follow should be enough to help you succeed in college. About money issues, are you applying to the UK or the US? Because I know those unis are crazy expensive; you could try for scholarships... but if you don't, a lot of countries offer financial aid to their home students to study at home (i dont know where you live but you should check with your local gov policies and all that), and in some places uni is close to free. So if you were thinking of going elsewhere to study, you could do your undergrad at home and do a masters in another country. 

 

But whatever you choose to do, you CAN do it. You are not a failure.  The IB, school , or your grades DONT define you. 

[A_Happy_Monkey]

This is a really late reply but you do have hope at making it to a basic college. If you screw up in high school, you have a chance to redeem yourself once again before applying for uni. Once you're done two or four semesters just reapply.

 

For your inability to take Physics, you should consider summer break to go through textbooks. Trust me, I've been on a very similar boat in middle school but self- studied my way to the top- once I got into my preIB chemistry class, I had a knowledge set far wider than everyone else. Take my advice and it will pay off in college/ uni. Not being able to take Physics at high school level isn't going to kill your chances of going into a related field. Just take a Phys course or two in college and you've laid the stones on your pathway! Meanwhile, you can work on expanding your knowledge towards other scientific fields beforehand.

 

Good luck.