How's this academic program for a 10th grade student?

Question

Math: Weekly tutor. Currently doing proofs.

Science: My weak point. I've taken several classes but retained nothing. I think science is really interesting, but I do poorly in classes. However, I found this http://www.waybuilder.net/free-ed/Science/Chemistry/GenChem/GenChem01_VOD.asp recently and will be trying that so maybe this will turn around.

English: I just read a lot. I read some Russians at some disgustingly young age and have continued to go through that sort of thing. Right now I'm reading Anna Karenina and The Trial. (Tolstoy and Kafka respectively.)

History: Sort of alternating between America: A Narrative History (a college textbook, quite boring) and a lot of poking around. I know I need the broad view from the textbook so I'm working through it.

PE: Karate three times a week, and I walk a lot.

Normally I'm fine with my education, but my friend's little brother is 12 and doing pre-calc, so I'm trying to convince myself that I'm on a good track.

Suggestions welcome.

Answer 1

A libertarian is suppose to equal = Low Government or Little Goverment or Limited Goverment NOT no knowledge!

You're in 10th grade and sounded jaded

I looked at your chemistry videos nice.

Here's mine, a bit sutffy but if you intend to go to college you have to learn it...

http://www.haverford.edu/wintnerorganicc...

This guys writes TEXT BOOKS

His daughter is a filmmaker and did this to help him and her

So appreciate it.

He may not be the most personable guy in the world but he KNOWS what he's talking about

And what he's talking about is where you get your heat and automobile gas from.

Pentane, butane, methane, octane.

And he's talking in 3-D and this course killed all MY FRIENDS amibitions of being a medical doctor because they couldn't get about a C in this class

Speaking of videos, I'm writing a book on video, film and TV and I decided to do a history so I started back with acient Chinese and Greeks and the concept of Amber and Silk

I went forward from there covering every major invention that turned into an electronic part

Leyden jars

Coils

Transformers

Thomas Edison didn't undersand Ohms law, as a result he sold all his dull patents to Westinhouse and Tesla

As a result Telsa got the patents for the Diode tube Edison invented but didn't understand and thus Tesla invented Radio (he won in court against Marconi)

Profit comes from knowledge

Edison got pocket change and Tesla got the diode tube patents for chump change

That's history....

Answer 2

Sounds pretty good!  It's good that you're adding in a writing course next semester - since you read a lot, hopefully that class will come easily to you.  Be sure to get in various types of writing - research, creative, essay - especially if you're college bound.

Also, if college is in your future, I would look into a foreign language.  I would suggest Latin...even if it sounds kind of boring, I think you might really like it.  With as much as you read, and since you seem to have a good command of language skills, I think you may find it really interesting.  (I teach high school Latin, and my best students are the ones that remind me of you - each one of them has informed me that Latin is their favorite class.  Not to suck up, either!)  Latin can also help you greatly in test scores - both math and verbal - and can help math and science concepts make more sense.  (If another language interests you though, please feel free to follow that!)

You may also like something like TRISMS for history/geography - it gives you the broad view, but without the boring textbook.  It's very literature and research based, so you can follow your interests while learning about history and geography.  It also gives you tons of credits in other areas.  High school programs are available for pretty much any time period, World and American history.  It isn't based on any specific worldview, but allows you to study according to your views while learning about the views of others.  http://trisms.com/

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

Everyone progresses at a different pace and have strengths / weaknesses in different areas.  There will always be those ahead of you and behind you.  

Doing proofs: Does that mean you are studying geometry? The usual progression is algebra I & II, geometry concurrently with either of those, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus.

Your reading sounds great!

Have you read "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich?"  It is a great book by a Russian author about a day in the life of a man imprisoned in a USSR gulag.

Do you do much writing?  

It sounds like you are trying to find ways to make the science more interesting.

Sounds to me like you are doing fine.

*** UPDATE:

Glurpy's point about your post-secondary plans is spot-on. Do you plan to attend a 2-year, 4-year college? Vocational?

Answer 4

Ignore Earl D. He gives an acceptable answer once in a while, but a lot of the time it's just a bunch of uninformed opinions written out like stats and made to "sound smart". But that's only my opinion.

I think you're doing fine. You sound like a bright kid with a real genuine love for learning, which is AWESOME!

However, you also sound a bit like me. lol. I sometimes question my own intelect and the quality of my education when I find someone who is...say...in 11th grade and able to give college professors a run for their money. But some people are just gifted in some areas. The 12-year old you speak of may be a very exceptional young boy in a special class that moves at a faster pace. The fact that he's smart doesn't mean that you're stupid. Focus on your goals, and don't worry yourself by comparing yourself to other people.

Answer 5

How you are doing depends on what you want your high school outcome to be, what your future plans are (post-secondary/work-wise), etc. Do you need chemistry or bio or physics? What level of math do you need? How well to you need to write? All that stuff. Typical preparation for those things are what you need to look at, not what your friend's 12yo brother is doing.

I _would_ recommend that you include creative and essay writing into what you are doing. Lots of guides/books on that at the library. Then ask other people to read it over and see what they think--be specific about what you want to hear from them. "How does it flow? Do I need to be more specific or am I being too specific?" etc.