My child isn't sure they want to go to TJ

[Anonymous]

OP-- my kid has simultaneously loved being there and struggled at times as a freshman. The adjustment (commute, academic rigor, sheer amount of work, etc) was pretty brutal, but got much better after the 1st quarter. There have been days I've though he should quit, and I have certainly told him he can. But he will not consider it.

Some advice: they tell you to expect curvy grades (Bs and Cs) on report cards. So expect them, and help your kid be okay with not making straight As. Realize that grades go up as kids adjust. My kid made B- in Bio first quarter with several failed quizzes. Solid A this quarter, and should have no problem making an A- for the year. And find some sane parents you can talk to. Don't let yourself get pulled into comparing your kid with everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP-- my kid has simultaneously loved being there and struggled at times as a freshman. The adjustment (commute, academic rigor, sheer amount of work, etc) was pretty brutal, but got much better after the 1st quarter. There have been days I've though he should quit, and I have certainly told him he can. But he will not consider it.

Some advice: they tell you to expect curvy grades (Bs and Cs) on report cards. So expect them, and help your kid be okay with not making straight As. Realize that grades go up as kids adjust. My kid made B- in Bio first quarter with several failed quizzes. Solid A this quarter, and should have no problem making an A- for the year. And find some sane parents you can talk to. Don't let yourself get pulled into comparing your kid with everyone else.

For some kids this is the first time they've ever had to actually pay attention in class, keep a calendar of when things are due or study for a test. My kid, before he came to TJ, just relied on his really, really good memory and ability to learn by osmosis to easily get straight A's. He never took notes in class or studied for tests - in fact he usually didn't know when there was a test because he never wrote anything down. Freshman year at TJ was a brutal awakening, but it was better for that to happen in 9th grade rather than freshman year in college.