Personal Narrative: High School Chemistry

Quick backstory: High school chemistry, junior year, I had just swapped in from a fitness class that I was obviously not built for. I decided to join a chemistry class a few days after the start of school, feeling that this would be a great choice over the class that I was previously in.

Not even two weeks into the course and I already felt I was in over my head. Now I know what you’re thinking, “High school chemistry? Really? That was too much for you to handle?” And yes, it was. I have never been the student to freak out about school and when things are due, I usually just brush it off and see how it goes. But chemistry really struck me, “This isn’t some thing I can cram finish the night before. This requires some late night, adderall-induced …show more content…
Leading up to this, I had definitely considered that being a possibility. I quickly responded “What about a spare?” Yet, for some undisclosed reason, our school board does not like juniors having spares. I then informed him about the fact that other juniors in the exact same situation as me have been able to get a spare. He says it “doesn’t work with my credit setup” and tells me that he just can’t do it. In order to drop a course in this situation, I need “official evidence that I am failing the course” I was obviously not already failing the course, so I didn’t meet the criteria.

That brings me to failing. He told me I’d have to “tough it out until report cards”, so in the meantime “I shouldn’t put in the effort to get a 90”… what? So I’m basically being told to fail the course, on purpose? Yes. As it turns out, that’s exactly what needed to happen. I guess I understand why the board is against students of my age of having a spare, but really? that’s all I can do? This means I was forced to waste my time and wait for our first report card (which wouldn’t be for another month). Whereas they could just give me a spare now and I wouldn’t have to waste half of the semester trying to