Study For What?
Semester exams happen this week in seventh grade. I had no idea there were “semester” exams. When I was in school, exams simply didn’t exist. We had frequents tests, and there may have been some extra-large tests at the end of the year, but nothing like this.
Dylan’s algebra grade depends on his doing well on his algebra exam.
His tutor has come three times every week. Dylan’s grade went from a 32% to a 65% and is now hovering at 73%. He has a C! We are so excited! My genius son has an average grade! Yaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!
Two more days of tutoring before the algebra exam. Meanwhile, he does have other exams looming.
So yesterday, I made a suggestion: “Maybe you could study.”
“What for?” he said.
“For your exams,” I said.
“Well I’m ready for everything except algebra,” he said. He then ran through his class list, and why he didn’t need to study for any of those classes.
“It’s still a good idea,” I said, “to at least run through what you’ve done for the past four months. Just go through your paperwork and get a reminder of what you’ve done, so you can be ready for any topic.”
“Well, I am going to study social studies tomorrow,” he said. This, from a kid who is always going to do whatever – tomorrow.
“And you have English tomorrow,” I said. “Just go through your paperwork and see what’s there.” I tried not to push, but if he doesn’t learn to study soon, he’s going to sink when he gets to high school.
And then, to my surprise, Dylan opened his binder. He took out some paperwork and looked at the topics that are going to be covered on his English exam. He read them out loud to me, and it was obvious that he was going to do fine on his English exam.
As a matter of fact, he’ll probably do fine on all of his exams – maybe even algebra. He calls his other classes “easy.”
I think it’s great that he thinks social studies is easy. It’s all history. The things he’s learning in there are beyond my scope of recognition. I don’t even know the time frame, let alone what happened then.
In science, he says, he just has to dissect a frog. No studying required for that, he says. Looking back on my frog dissection, which scarred me for life, I quickly printed a letter about the ethical treatment of animals – and Dylan will be doing his dissection on the computer. No frog deaths necessary here.
“What about chorus?” I asked him. “You said it was a hard one.”
“I said it was a long one,” Dylan corrected. “I’m all about music.” And he is. No need to study, I guess.
But at least, he gave it a shot for English. And tonight, after his tutor, he’s promised to look at some social studies. It’s a start.
He might be headed to college after all.