Failing methods and its affecting my other subjects.

[K_A]

I'm a year 11 student doing Atar right now, I'm averaging B and Cs in my other subjects and doing pretty good compared to my other classmates, however in maths I'm doing horrible. For context last year I was getting high 90s in math and now I'm averaging 30s. I listen to my teacher, my parents and my sister who all say just practice and it should come you naturally, but no matter how hard I practice or how many practice exams I do, I fail. The breaking point for me was getting the lowest score of the class while others who didn't study somehow got higher than me. The semester 1 exam just got released and I failed with a 34%. I did countless practice exams, watched so many youtube tutorials and the best I could manage was a 34%, I got 9/52 for the non calc. I have to do methods if I want to get into engineering for uni especially if its nuclear engineering. I just don't know what to do, I got a private tutor aswell. And to make it all worse there's this girl in class who is some how the best in every subject we have together. She always acts like shes done so bad and then she reveals she got the best score, saying something along the lines of " of i did so bad, what did you get" and then when i tell her " that's really good" and then she shows off her 97%. when i went to the after school tutoring i got help with only 1 question because whenever the teacher was helping me she interrupted her and asked a different question. Its really demoralising and i just don't know what to do  

[smallwolf]

hello and welcome.

I'm really sorry to hear about the challenges you're facing in your math class. It can be incredibly frustrating when your performance takes a sudden downturn, especially when you were achieving high scores in the subject previously. It also sounds like you've been putting in a lot of effort which might make it seem worse.

I think you would know this already but ... comparisons can be demoralizing and hinder your own progress. I know from my own experience this is unhelpful.

Perhaps you might consider having a conversation with your math teacher about your concerns and ask for additional support or resources. They may have insights or strategies tailored to your specific learning needs. Sometimes a change in study methods or seeking alternative explanations can make a significant difference.

I understand from your post that you want to get into engineering at Uni. There are many paths you can take to reach this goal. Trust me on that one... I went to TAFE after high school before I could get into Uni. (There is more I could say on this topic.)

It may feel disheartening now, but keep working hard, stay determined, and seek support when needed. Believe in your capabilities, and with time and perseverance, you can improve your math performance. I'd love to hear more from you....  

[Croix]

Dear K_A~

Welcome here to the Forum, I"m glad you came as I have a feeling you may be at least partly on the wrong track.

You said you were doing fine in other subjects and last year did  very well in maths.

This year something has changed and you no longer do well, and from the list of things you have done ot improve your score I'm not at all sure it is lack of ability.

I do have to wonder why that girl that gets 97% is getting after hours coaching too, any thoughts on that? Coaching one to one is normally a lot better.

I guess you see this year as most important for you to go on and do your chosen career, and maybe that  makes a difference. While I'm sure interrupted coaching does not help perhaps you might need ot look in a completely different area.

Stress and even fear of failure can make a huge difference and influence your abilities, other things like your own and parental expectations can have a bearing too.

Can I suggest you get in contact with those that are very used to such situations, the Kids Help Line (phone or web-chat) and explain waht is happening and see what they recommend. They are pretty sensible and experienced, and can give good advice

Please let us know how you get on

Croix