So surprisingly I think my parents have unlocked the way to get me to finally crack down on my school work and take my studies more seriously. The latest report card I brought home showed to my parents how poorly I’ve been managing my work for IB Anthropology and IB Math Studies throughout this school year and it frustrated them to no end.
My mum was talking with me about it and asked, “What can be possibly do to get you to do better?”
In all seriousness, I replied, “Give me things.”
We went on to discuss that in greater detail. She asked me if that would really get me to work harder and get better grades and I told her that it definitely would. I’m a materialistic person–I find pleasure in having possessions and given that I have very little money of my own to spend on things I want, I will work hard if I know that I’ll get a few new piercings or a decent MP3 player in reward. Even a $50 bill would be something to work towards. If I have incentives, something I know I will personally gain from if I turn out the grades they want from me, I will follow through. Previously, I knew I really wasn’t going to get much for good grades aside from a “good job” which doesn’t cut it for me when they hardly acknowledge anything else I do to begin with. If they want me to maintain good grades they shouldn’t be surprised that I want something in return for my hard work. This is my form of employment and if I’m not getting tangable rewards from my teachers then I need to get it from somewhere for me to feel like my grades really matter.
Sure, in the long run, better grades will give me the ability to get into a better college than someone with poor grades, but to my simple teenage brain the long-term prize isn’t easy to keep in mind when I’m drowning in papers and vocabulary and articles and textbooks. When thinking of college, it’s easy for my mind to say, “Oh this D here and that C- there won’t affect you too much. You can make up for it later and still come out okay.” With a more short-term prize to look forward to, I can keep that in mind, knowing that I will feel happiness after all the hours I put in.
In order for me to really get into the mode of making sure I get all my assignments done each night, this entire week I am not allowed to go out in the evening with friends and galavant around having fun. Halfway through the week now, I can see how I have been too focused on socializing and not enough on keeping my grades afloat. My friends are all amazing and have the best intentions, but they can become a distraction for me.
I have to say that it has felt rewarding emotionally, surprisingly. Last night I was up until 11:30 finishing an essay for english and I even got a short paper done that I technically didn’t have to have typed up until today. I felt better after I finished, relieved that I could walk into school the next day and not stress over the fact that I didn’t have my assignment in hand. I wasn’t going to bed reminding myself that I should do that worksheet or scribble out that writing response in the morning (only to wake up and decide I’m too tired or it’s too late to do anything).
I think my best bet at doing well into my college years is to first take courses through a local community college to boost my GPA. In its current state, I couldn’t expect any decent college or university I have an interest in to take me on as a pupil of their academics. Also, I don’t think I have acquired enough real world experience to be immediately prepared for the shift from high school, in-home, parentally-supervised life to a college student life fraught with new freedoms and responsibilities I have never had to handle before. I think that community college is a decent midway point. I can choose to move in with a roommate near the campus or live with my parents (so long as they understood the change-that they would no longer have such strong authority over my life and how I lived it).
Now, starting to gain a handle on my education situation, I now need to tackle the issue of being healthy and fit, as well as possibly getting a job and obtaining my PDL (Provisional Driver’s License) in May.
xx~Ria
