The Impact of Teacher Quality and Personal Interests on Academic Performance
Academic performance is a multifaceted aspect influenced by a myriad of factors, including teacher quality, personal interests, and individual academic habits. In this article, we explore the impact of these factors through personal anecdotes, shedding light on the essence of how they affect one's academic journey.
Chemistry Revelations: The Devastating Effects of an Incompetent Teacher
One of the most influential factors in academic performance is arguably the quality of teaching one receives. As shared by a student, in eleventh-grade chemistry, they scored a 70. What made this particularly noteworthy is not just the low grade, but the reasons behind it. The student cites disinterest in the subject and a teacher who was both inadequate and inappropriate as primary contributors to their poor performance. The teacher, described as an awful and perverted, prioritized other matters over teaching and neglected the students' needs.
When Forced to Choose
Despite the student's disinterest, they were required to take chemistry due to parental and counseling pressures. The situation became even more painful when they were compelled to take a supplementary subject, Physics, in senior year. The experience highlighted the tension between individual preferences and external academic expectations. In such cases, students often feel alienated and unmotivated, leading to subpar performance.
Organic Chemistry: A Major Dew Point
The student faced another significant setback in AS level organic chemistry. They initially scored a ‘U’ in a mock paper and managed only an ‘E’ after extensive revision. The teaching quality played a pivotal role here as well. The teacher for the first half of the course was notably bad, causing the student to virtually fall asleep during lessons. The good news is that the student excelled under the guidance of another instructor for the second half of the course, scoring straight As in the two exams. However, this did not compensate for the initial poor performance, leading to an overall 'B' grade.
Grades and Academic Adjustments
Reading was another subject in which the student struggled, resulting in their lowest grade of 44 in a 7th-grade English Language Arts (ELA) quiz. The student admitted to not completing the book assigned for the quiz and instead skimming through it. Despite the poor quiz grade, the student’s overall performance in ELA has improved since moving to honors classes, with their grades bumped up by 5 points.
Reflections on GPA and Future Goals
The student shared their absolute marks in various subjects, including General Physics 2 (49.4), Modern Physics (52.5), and Calculus 3 (56.5). The experience underscored the variability in academic performance and the importance of adapting to different teaching styles and class paces. Future academic pursuits should focus on finding a balance between personal interests and academic rigor. Moving forward, the student aims to maintain high grades in honors classes and hopes to achieve consistent success.
These personal experiences illustrate that academic performance can be deeply affected by external factors such as teacher quality and personal interests. Students must strive to find strategies to overcome challenges and remain engaged in their studies, regardless of the obstacles they face.