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Senioritis and Final Exams

fluxflux
edited April 2009 in Everything Else
I am currently a high school senior, and I have already by accepted to a university in the states. I have inevitably been infected with senioritis--I feel no obligation to work. I'm sure a lot of other seniors here feel the same. My senioritis was exacerbated when I found out that my final IB exams (much like AP exams) do not count towards my final transcript, meaning my university wouldn't rescind my offer even if I were to get horrible grades on my IB exams since I don't even have to send the scores in. I am conflicted between being "good" and studying for the exams, or just studying for the exams that might give me credit.

Any other seniors with a similar problem, or people who were seniors and had a similar problem? :P

Comments

  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited April 2009
    Set yourself appropriate goals, and do everything it takes to reach them. You are correct in not doing anything more than you need to, however. If it's too easy to get where you want to go, then there's no reason to do more work. However, it does imply that your goals are too low, or that you need additional goals.

    In other words, get yourself accepted by a better university in the States.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • AprecheApreche
    If the IB exam is like an AP exam, can you get college credits for getting a very good score on them? If so, then it is worth your while. College credits now means graduating from college earlier and saving tons of money.

    If your results on these exams really don't mean anything at all, then don't study at all. Just go in and take them. Instead of spending time studying, spend it doing something else productive like making something.
  • fluxflux
    edited April 2009
    In other words, get yourself accepted by abetteruniversity in the States.
    I'm already past the application stage. I'm at the stage where I wait for high school to end to attend college.
    can you get college credits for getting a very good score on them?
    I already have a 5 AP Calculus so IB Math doesn't matter, so only IB Physics matters for me. I guess I'll just concentrate on that then ;) It's odd how my parents disagree though haha. Also, my school didn't provide IB CS so I won't get credit for that. Seeing I am a CS major and I only get credit for math and physics, I don't think I can get a whole year off. Will it give me some more free time though? Still lots to learn about college..
    Post edited by flux on
  • NuriNuri
    When I was in college, I focused on studying for the things that mattered and not really for the things that didn't. If you could call what I did studying. If you've already got a 5 AP Calc, then I don't think there's much point killing yourself over the math when you've already got the credit.

    Oh, keep one thing in mind though...wherever you go, you will still have to have a minimum number of credits per semester to be considered full time. The credits you bring in from pre-college don't count towards that time requirement, just toward graduation requirements. So you might graduate a semester early, but it's unlikely you will have much more free time. Alternatively, you could graduate on a regular timeline and take lighter courseloads (12 hours instead of 16 or 18) for a few semesters depending on your school's requirements.

    It's up to you, but you might consider taking some additional electives if you have that much free time. The price for classes doesn't go up any more once you hit full-time, so you could get more education for the same price. That's what allowed me to take an Environmental Law class as an undergrad to see if I was really interested in law.
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    You should just study for the exams, you will feel much better about yourself afterward if you do well on them.
  • ErwinErwin
    I recommend to learn for the sake of learning and not for the sake of the grade. I hope this help you to relieve senioritis a little bit.
  • BronzdragonBronzdragon
    I recommend to learn for the sake of learning and not for the sake of the grade. I hope this help you to relieve senioritis a little bit.
    When in school you have to learn school, you have to learn 2 types of things. The stuff you have to know and the stuff you want to know. Learn the stuff you have to first, and then, if you still have time, learn the stuff you want to (assuming you want to learn the math).
  • fluxflux
    The stuff youhaveto know and the stuff youwantto know.
    There's also the stuff you don't have to know but the school makes you know.
  • SailSail
    If you really don't need anything from it, don't worry about it. If I didn't have to sign up for it in order to stay in the class, I wouldn't had wasted the money on the AP English exam. I took the class because I love English, not because I give a shit about getting AP credit. The state system in California has basically told me that I don't have to take the placement exams and that I can skip the classes I would normally skip if I got AP credit anyway.
  • NuriNuri
    I recommend to learn for the sake of learning and not for the sake of the grade. I hope this help you to relieve senioritis a little bit.
    When in school you have to learn school, you have to learn 2 types of things. The stuff youhaveto know and the stuff youwantto know. Learn the stuff you have to first, and then, if you still have time, learn the stuff you want to (assuming you want to learn the math).
    Uhm...it sounds like the knowledge is already there for the math. Otherwise there wouldn't be a 5 AP score. I suspect "studying" for it would be more of review and practice. That's really not necessary if you've already learned the material and you're not going to be using it for anything but the test.

    That would be like doing practice LSAT problems after you've already gotten into Law School. Sure, it can be fun and amusing to some extent, but if I have other things I should be doing, then it's a much lower priority. I'm not learning new techniques for solving the puzzles...just having fun solving them with techniques I already know.
  • bunnikunbunnikun
    edited April 2009
    Yeah. Senioritus is bountiful here. I've just gotten lazy and have put in the least effort I can to get an A, but I still would suggest doing well on your AP exams. I've gotten 5's on all of mine so far, so even if your current college choice doesn't take your credit, who knows? Maybe you'll transfer and another school will take them. Or maybe it will help you get a scholarship. There are numerous reasons why the exam could help, so I just wouldn't slack on that.

    I take my AP Lit and AP BC Calc exam next week, and after that, school should be a breeze. Most of my teachers stop teaching after we take the exams. XD

    It is a shame though that my school bases our curriculum off passing the exam, rather than learning the full material and the logic behind it. Most of my Calc knowledge consists of formulas and logarithms that I know how to use, but have no idea what they're for or why they work. This seems to defeat the purpose of learning the material for me...
    Post edited by bunnikun on
  • fluxflux
    Most of my Calc knowledge consists of formulas and logarithms that I know how to use, but have no idea what they're for or why they work. This seems to defeat the purpose of learning the material for me...
    That's what it's always like for me in Physics haha. For math, the IB explains a bit more in-depth.
  • bunnikunbunnikun
    edited April 2009
    Posted By: flixey
    That's what it's always like for me in Physics haha. For math, the IB explains a bit more in-depth.
    I HATED physics. I don't know why, I just seemed to have an extreme aversion to the subject. Wish you luck mate.
    Post edited by bunnikun on
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    I never took physics (in high school or college) so I took physics books out of the college library and taught myself. I really loved reading up on it. I have to say, I may take a physics course in my second B.A. just for fun and to ensure I didn't miss any of the basics in my personal study.
  • DkongDkong
    edited April 2009
    Yeah senioritis is hitting me right now, too. We only have 3 weeks until we're out. AP Caluclus BC test is in 2 weeks or so. If I get a 3 on that, I can skip out on a placement test and likely get some credit for OSU...but otherwise my entire class is vastly unprepared and the AP practice test material is far harder than what we actually did in class and what our textbook covered. Mainly, our book covered basic concepts, and the test makes it more difficult than it needs to be, as far as I'm concerned.

    As for my other classes, I'm just doing enough work to get by. Most of my classes are jokes at this point.
    Post edited by Dkong on
  • kiwi_birdkiwi_bird
    I hate the lax american schoolsystem.
  • fluxflux
    I hate the lax american schoolsystem.
    I remember my elementary school being very lax, but is it that lax up till high school? The application system seems to be the laxest of all... Once you're accepted they rarely rescind your offer. I'm barely studying right now while my friends who applied to UK universities are studying their bums off.
  • NuriNuri
    I hate the lax american schoolsystem.
    I remember my elementary school being very lax, but is it that lax up till high school?
    Yes. Yes it is. And they give grades for all the wrong things. Generally, you get more points for completing homework than you do for knowing the material, which is how we get people in 10th grade than cannot read well.
  • misakyramisakyra
    Generally, you get more points for completing homework than you do for knowing the material, which is how we get people in 10th grade than cannot read well.
    On the flip side, it's also how you get people with rediculously high test scores and a 2.5 GPA.
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