Nemesis Class
Posted by Cysteine_Chapel64@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 427 comments
What was your nemesis class when you were going to school? By that I mean the one class that screwed up your GPA the worst/you otherwise hated and were glad to be rid of?
sfdsquid@reddit
I failed gym once in junior high because I didn't know I got docked for not changing my clothes and since we never did anything that made me sweaty, I didn't change my clothes.
Yes, I failed gym.
Left-Star2240@reddit
Biology. There was too much memorization without any logical way to understand much of it.
WatersEdge50@reddit
Physiology. Proteins. Bonds. Receptors, etc. Could never understand that shit
GrumpySnarf@reddit
Algebra.
aMoose_Bit_My_Sister@reddit
chemistry!
my chem teacher was excellent, but my God......even physics was easier!!
Sea-Use-1350@reddit
I CAN HELP WITH YOUR SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS. Just dm
sunshine-and-kittens@reddit
PE!
Small high school, with only one PE teacher. If you played a sport you automatically got an A from her. Didn’t even have to try in class.
Not a born athlete, but still bust your ass in PE every day? You get a C. Every. Damn. Semester.
So ya, that was fun. Fuck you, Mrs. Pilger!
Seabluele@reddit
Believe it or not…Shorthand. I just could not get into that class, I got my one and only D in all of high school in that class. Ugh
Funny enough, I love steno pads for jotting down notes and lists and plans! The ring on the top just makes so much sense!
NandLandP@reddit
Statistiiiiiiiiiics
Ironically, use it all the time, but ttfl for AI
brandrikr@reddit
Yes! Freaking statistics. That class was horrible. Never understood it at all. Just seems like a bunch of made up numbers and functions. Never have used any of that a single day in my life.
Competitive_Bet2664@reddit
Analytic geometry - the only class I failed in high school. Fortunately it was only one semester. The other semester of that year was trigonometry, in which I managed a C. I wasn’t good at algebra, but geometry was easy for me - so, I figured, how bad could analytic geometry be? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it at all; I still don’t know what it is. English major!
CaribbeanDreams@reddit
Business calculus was the weed out course for folks trying to get accepted to undergrad business school.
Intermediate Accounting, was the weed out for folks pursuing An accounting degree.
I managed a C+ in both, the lowest grades I got at University.
Negative-Appeal9892@reddit
Geometry.
IdyllwildGal@reddit
I hated math all the way through high school but then ended up with an accounting degree. But geometry is still a complete mystery to me.
LASER_Dude_PEW@reddit
It's funny how that works!🤣 I thought math was terrible now I am always nerding out on some equation or other.
IdyllwildGal@reddit
I was trying to help my daughter with algebra once and I was going to tell her that the cool thing about it is that you can check your work to see if you got the right answer. Like is 3x = 12, you can plug in 4 and see that 3 x 4 =12. I got as far as saying, “The cool thing about algebra is….” and then my husband piped up from the other room and said, “OMG what a nerd!” 🤣
Sea_Voice_404@reddit
The football coach in high school was my geometry teacher. So glad I actually understood it from the book…
esp735@reddit
Fuck proofs.
LHCThor@reddit
What’s a GPA??
Kidding….Algebra was my downfall. It really hurt my 2.0 GPA.
Sea_Machine4580@reddit
German major. Had to have a year of another foreign language. Already knew some French. Watched the Godfather. Decided it would be fun to learn Italian. Got a C- and D+ in Italian. Oof.
Concentrate-Upper@reddit
Algebra, and Spanish (I moved to California in when I was 12 and I didn’t know what a taco was let alone any Spanish words)
johntucker78@reddit
Mine was Algebra, I never could wrap my head around factoring. 3 attemps and never did get it. Ended up taking 3 math classes my senior year to get my required credits GM 3, Business math and Geometry
Jason_TheMagnificent@reddit
Gym!
claire-ackleow@reddit
Anything maths. I cried so much.
Plane_Experience_271@reddit
Me too .
MJGB714@reddit
Bummer, that means he is costing our healthcare system.
FatherOfLights88@reddit
Library assistant. Was the only C I got in four years. The rest were A's and a few B's.
Cysteine_Chapel64@reddit (OP)
What was that even like? I probably would've wanted that as a course.
ummbutter@reddit
Calculus. In high school, a friend and I talked each other into taking it for Honors. My only C ever.
cpbaby1968@reddit
German. I passed but holy smokes it was a pity pass.
SummerBirdsong@reddit
Algebra. I have trouble with basic math... multiplication and division mostly.
Later in drafting classes in tech school the teacher caught on that I understood the material but messed up the math. He asked if I was using a calculator and of course I wasn't because I had always been told not too. He said everybody in the real world I'd be working uses a calculator so just use it. I understood the algebra, and later the geometry and trigonometry, but being bad at the basic math without being allowed to use a calculator made understanding the principles moot in high school. Just using a basic calculator for + - * ÷ took me instantly from Fs to As.
lgallagher24@reddit
Algebra II.
Sea_Voice_404@reddit
Both calculus classes in undergrad. 2 really bad teachers and I just couldn’t get it, despite being pretty decent in math. I went to every single office hour, had a study group, and I barely managed to pass both.
IntelligentNovel1967@reddit
No such thing as a bad student; it was the teacher.
Sea_Voice_404@reddit
When the teacher not only switches variable letters multiple times in a problem (think changing X to Y then to Z, and doing the same for the others), and the other one walking into the room and just writing equations from board to board without any context or information about what it is…yes it can be the teachers. Only classes I ever almost failed.
saltydancemom@reddit
Art. Art was not subjective to this teacher, I can’t draw a stick figure let alone the statue of David, and i was only taking it because I needed a semester of humanities to graduate.
TheFlannC@reddit
I learned a lot in art and how to draw still life and how to draw exactly what you see not what your brain was telling you that you see. However I was never very good. This was senior year HS. When I took art electives in college I took art history which was very interesting then photography. I knew painting and drawing were not going to be my thing
saltydancemom@reddit
I love art, I love visual art, I love architecture and museums, but my rural little high school was very one dimensional.
Turbulent-Witness196@reddit
Chemistry and gym. We were made to change into gym uniforms for every class and had points removed if you didn’t have white socks. I never had white socks.
GrookeyFan_16@reddit
HS was PE. College was the second half of Chemistry.
robertwadehall@reddit
Gym. I got a B one semester in gym and pulled down my GPA. Had all As otherwise through high school.
GrouchyOldRN@reddit
Algebra. It was 1980, schools weren’t friendly. My brain naturally grasped the English / Literature classes. I did well in Social Studies, History and very well in “regular math”. But I could not wrap my head around Algebra. It didn’t help the teacher actively ignored ppl like me after an initial explanation of the day’s principal.
nonotburton@reddit
Lol, typing.
IntelligentNovel1967@reddit
Me too, I ended up teaching myself as I just couldn’t see the value of it in year nine, I also disliked my teacher.
rick43402@reddit
Calculus
IntelligentNovel1967@reddit
I have a book called Calculus Made Easy (1932 edition). Irony yes, but it did improve my grade substantially.
Strangely-addictive@reddit
Algebra or geometry. Hated both with a passion. Only 3 hours/week but what a waste of time.
texan01@reddit
Geometry in HS, accounting in college.
Ok-Mulberry7195@reddit
Chemistry. And now I am a chemistry teacher (37 years in!)
82cabinets@reddit
Stats
DjQuamme@reddit
GPA? I had no idea what the hell a GPA was when I was in high school. Only thing I knew was is I passed or failed.
Ollyollyoxenfreed10@reddit
High school- algebra. I didn’t learn until college that I have a math learning disability. In undergraduate, it was either Foundations of Education or Linguistics. In grad school, it was Southern Literature because I hate Faulkner.
Some-Attitude8183@reddit
Quantum physics
Shinkai2008@reddit
PE Not because I hate PE itself but high-school at the time required you to pass a swim test. I could not swim a stroke. I told them I couldn't swim but they still made me jump into the deep end of the pool for the assessment swim test. Yeah, pretty much sank and nearly drowned. Even with swim class, I just couldn't coordinate my arms and legs to do freestyle. I barely learned how to tread water with my face just barely clearing the waterline. PE was only supposed to be taken for 2 years but I had to take it for 3 because I could never pass the swim test. That's also the first class where I got a B which dropped my otherwise perfect GPA. After that, I just stopped caring about my grades and just did enough to get thru my classes.
infinite_awkward@reddit
Same but my failure was basketball. I’m <5 feet tall and they never taught us any rules or skills, just expected us to be superstars through osmosis.
Cysteine_Chapel64@reddit (OP)
Reading these responses I find myself asking what on earth would PE look like if it was designed by people who actually gave a fuck about whether students liked it or would stick with it afterwards? Some initial thoughts is that it would involve some choices at least and more nature-oriented activities, like perhaps geocaching, regional/local hikes especially to overlap with biology classes, et cetera. And at least some teaching of basics instead of assuming that everyone is going to be naturally good or practiced at team sports.
Cysteine_Chapel64@reddit (OP)
Yeah. I'm glad I wasn't put through that. The irony is that if there was a swim component I probably would've done well at that but practically nothing else because I liked swimming. I just never did it that often after the lessons.
Shinkai2008@reddit
I had my son take swimming lessons since he was a toddler only to enter the same high school district and where they had stopped requiring you to pass a swim test. Needless to say I was annoyed to put it gently.
IndependentlyGreen@reddit
Math. Anything with numbers. I was the one people made fun of for counting on their fingers. Horrible at making change. I was the cashier who would get confused when someone gave me the extra penny to get back exact change. Shameful!
CJK_Murph@reddit
Have you looked into dyscalculia?
CJK_Murph@reddit
Algebra II. UGHHH
GboyFlex@reddit
Organic Chemistry and Lab. I still have nightmares of sitting in that lecture... It killed my perfect GPA.
Starkville@reddit
Chemistry. I have no idea how I passed that class. The teacher was a recent college grad, and I think he just had pity on all of us.
Outside_Outcome_8600@reddit
Chemistry. 🤬🤬🤬
Wtfmonstertruck@reddit
Geology!
TimeLord9393@reddit
Gym was one. I’ve never been athletic. Luckily you could change grading to pass/fail in the next semester, so I stayed that way for the rest of high school. I was able to do the minimum to pass.
Math was the other. I had a horrible geometry teacher and hated every minute of it.
IndependentlyGreen@reddit
Yep, I was the kid who was afraid of the ball.
Logical-Mirror5036@reddit
Organic Chemistry II. That second semester was a nasty one. The only thing that saved me was doing well on the national exam we took. I squeaked that one. I wasn't a great student in the classroom, but I was competent in the lab, which carried me enough to do well on the national exam. (Calculus was an entirely different story. I got bait-and-switched on the professor.)
HermioneMarch@reddit
Geometry
LomentMomentum@reddit
Math. Our educational system doesn’t know how to teach it then or now. Of course, I wasn’t always the best student, either.
GoodDoctorZ@reddit
Math in general.
StrangeAssonance@reddit
This was my nemesis.
MingusPho@reddit
Accounting. The professor acted like she had borderline personality disorder. We just didn't work out.
_left_of_center@reddit
Civics. The teacher was a football coach, and I was the kind of smartass know-it-all girl that he hated. Almost didn’t graduate.
TheFlannC@reddit
Had a US Government course in college taught by a professor who was from Greece and was very anti-American and determined to prove Americans were dumb. It was the 1992 primary season so we were studying that in detail We memorized all the amendments and what each article of the constitution was about and the presidential line of succession. This was barely a year after Iraq War/Desert Storm. I only worked hard in that class to prove HIM wrong that I was not going to fall for his plan and I think I came out of it with an A-
digdugnate@reddit
it will always be PE. PE can die in a fire.
YoKinaZu@reddit
Fuck that presidentia fitness test
TheFlannC@reddit
Encourages physical fitness by shaming the non athletic kids. That apparently was the motto. I have a vision disorder so ask me to hit a baseball I'd fail miserably--really any sport that involved hitting a ball
EverythingScrolling@reddit
The stuff of nightmares.
Joyjmb@reddit
20th Century Music for my undergrad. I've never worked so hard for a C+ in my whole life. You were a hardass, Dr. Stallings!
Bflatclar1981@reddit
Sooooo. Who is your fave 20th Century composer?
Joyjmb@reddit
Aaron Copeland and Francis Poulenc!
Bflatclar1981@reddit
GET RIGHT OUT OF HERE!!!@
Im a clarinetist so of course those 2 for me also!!!!
FloridaSalsa@reddit
I got an A in every class of high school and community college - 4.0 GPA. But the typing class I took in a short summer semester as freshman kicked my ass. Being smart didn't mean shit if you couldn't get the wpm.
Substantial_Layer_79@reddit
World history. The teacher was horrible, so I skipped all but 3 days(I'd had her before for American history). I ended up with my only B.
Educational_Fox2212@reddit
Calculus. Mr Cuhar. What was I thinking…
Bflatclar1981@reddit
Geometry. Fred Caori, teacher.
Interesting guy. WWII vet. Had PTSD and could get pretty upset over unexplained loud noises or booms. He was VERY nerdy looking: black ugly glasses, thinning hair in composer. Polyester pants hiked up near armpits with ugly belt. Shirt pocket w/protector and pens. One day this sex bomb woman blinked into the classroom. She puts s lunchbox on Caori's desk, purrs "Freddy, you forgot your lunch this morning" and blows him a kiss. He blushes. She leaves. Everybody in our class was stunned and the nerdy guys were like: THERE IS HOPE FOR US!!!
shawshank1969@reddit
Algebra! When it came time to get some math courses for a degree, I had to take the two remedial courses, then I worked my ass off, got tutoring and stated after class for extra help.
I got a C and was thrilled.
But I got an A in statistics.
CanMoo@reddit
Abstract Algebra...good grief!
foodweneedfood@reddit
Algebra 2.
CharleyDawg@reddit
Algebra II killed me. I barely made it through Algebra I and taking Algebra II was required to graduate from high school. Well… they gave us a placement test after 8th grade and then registered us into the “appropriate” math class. And no matter what level you started, we had to complete two full years of math to graduate.
There is a life lesson. ALWAYS underperform on a placement test. 😱
Thin-Telephone2240@reddit
It was a college algebra class on an accelerated summer schedule. Simply moved too fast for me and no time to ask questions or get help with something confusing. I dropped the class a day before the cut-off to protect my GPA. This was a big surprise to me as I was doing extremely well in all my classes until this one. I graduated with High Honors in two AAS degrees (Digital Electronics, Communications Electronics). But that accelerated math class kicked my ass!
gnortsmracr@reddit
In college it was statistics. And it was a requirement, so I was stuck with it. Royally screwed up my GPA.
Kind_Worry_9836@reddit
In college it was linear algebra. I think I got a D.
j0nnnnnnn@reddit
AP 9th grade English
No-Guard-7003@reddit
Math has been my bane since first grade.
Fair-Wishbone-1190@reddit
Fuckin Geometry. Got an F my sophomore year so had to retake it my Junior year. I had a shit teacher in 10th grade and he hated me. When I retook the class in grade 11 I got all A's cuz I had a better teacher. I still hate proofs.
LASER_Dude_PEW@reddit
Proofs are the devil! For me it was science (followed by Geometry, fuck proofs). It's weird because my work is very scientific, but I am tech and not an engineer so there's that.
Fair-Wishbone-1190@reddit
Proofs were hell for me! All I could get was step 1: Given. After that, I was lost and just made shit up. Lol. Still have no idea about them and most certainly don't care. That sounds like you have a good job! 🤙
PacRat48@reddit
Math. Summer school every year. 0 for 3
Beekabeck@reddit
My high school's college prep program had you take two years of algebra in one, in order to take calculus senior year. (One year each of geometry and pre-calc in between.) The accelerated pace for algebra was brutal. Did well in sophomore geometry (better teacher), then I refused to take any more math despite counselor's urging. Three years of math was enough to get into a UC, and I refused to torture myself any more!
BrogerBramjet@reddit
Physical Ed. After seeing me get lapped twice when running the mile, my teacher told me to stop. Then realized what my 14 minute lap meant: 52 minute mile. In a 45 minute class period. Following year, I improved to a 13 minute lap before being stopped. Thankfully, I didn't need the class anymore after those years. Presidential Standard was 9 minutes for the whole mile.
I actually ran into the teacher years later. I said I feared he might make me finish.
unclejoe1917@reddit
I really hope I'm not poking around into a sensitive subject that isn't any of my business and if it is, by all means, say so, but...how? Even in my middle age, I can walk a 15 minute mile without much special effort and I'm nothing special when it comes to fitness.
BrogerBramjet@reddit
No worries.
Asthma and a bad foot. I'd do great for the first 100 yards. Then the gasps came. Last 100 yards, the limp would come. I was also a skinny little runt who wouldn't break 100lbs until after high school. I COULD have walked it, but just attempting to run got me more points than walking. And since the next set two weeks were in the weight room, I needed all I could get. I do have the distinction of helping a friend set a school record for incline squats at 573lbs. Guess who was the "73"? :)
EverythingScrolling@reddit
Math. I was diagnosed with dyscalculia when I was around 12 or 13. It's a learning disability that doesn't have the name recognition of dyslexia.
My parents got me a private tutor for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. I took Pre-Algebra and Algebra I in junior high but repeated them in 9th and 10th grades. Squeaked through Geometry and Algebra II in 11th and 12th grades, and that's as far as I got.
In college, I had to take 1 math class and I did some class on mathematical thinking.
Suspicious-Yogurt480@reddit
Thank you for sharing the dyscalculia diagnosis, I have an 11 year old now who I think might be susceptible to the same diagnosis, but it’s a relief getting to put a name to it and not just lazy or slow or not trying hard enough. She struggles even with basic thing like adding up numbers on dice quickly and cannot do it in her head. Plus a number of other signs of this problem.
EverythingScrolling@reddit
There are certain math skills and concepts I never grasped. Mine affects symbols too, so I struggle with things like chemistry or even foreign languages.
It's been hard as an adult. I will never be great at Excel, and it's humiliating when I can't learn or understand something as quickly as coworkers.
siamesecat1935@reddit
I had to take one math class in college. It was designed for non-math majors. I got a C+ and did the happy dance all the way back to the dorm!
nunyabizthewiz@reddit
Business writing. I would’ve had a 4.0 if not for one typo on the very last paper for that class. So my 4.0 got busted like a week before graduating college…Ugghh
Th1nk18@reddit
Weed for sure. I did ok when I was in school, but I didn’t care that much. I was busy playing sports, working on my buzz and girls. It sounds more fun than it was
Tammy993@reddit
History. I always found it difficult and essay writing and studying for exams gave me panic attacks. All courses were taught in French which made it even harder.
9inez@reddit
College was engineering Calculus II. Took a sharp turn outta that path and never looked back.
Phobos1982@reddit
Calculus. Took it once in high school and twice in college. I enjoyed the theories and applications, but just never fully could do it.
unclejoe1917@reddit
That's the point where I started to feel like I was swimming out to deeper waters. It's a shame because, like you, I felt that was the threshold where math could start getting really useful and interesting.
Tuxswimmer@reddit
English was mine. I aced science, math and history. I hated English, spelling and vocabulary sucked.
allbsallthetime@reddit
The biggest thing that screwed up my GPA was alcohol and pot and not showing up.
I hated it all and was glad to get rid of high school.
tc_cad@reddit
English. 56% Only mark I had that was lower than 78%.
unclejoe1917@reddit
After being a fuck off and a fuck up for most of middle and high school, I made an effort to finish up strong during my senior year and I would have had straight As on my finals if not for a C in journalism.
DwarvenBeerbeard@reddit
geometry
KCJ4Tx@reddit
Archery. I was pretty good, I guess, but not good enough to fool the teacher when I tanked the evaluation shoot the first day of class. By the last day's final exam I had made miraculous improvement over that first shoot, which I had calculated to earn me an "A". An "A" which I did NOT receive. I did not take the "F" I was given lying down, though. Oh , no I challenged Teach to a shoot-off, best of 20 arrows. I got spanked, and we went back to his office so I could take my upbraiding in private. After extensive begging, bargaining and pointing out I only lost the shoot-off by 3 arrows he relented, and gave me a "B". When I turned to leave is when I finally saw the framed bronze Olympic medal he had hanging behind the door. I learned a lot in college, more outside the classroom than in.
Icy-Dependent6908@reddit
Stupid Geometry. And physics. Who knew I could defy gravity with my experiments. 🤦♀️
Sufficient_Stop8381@reddit
Math, science, phys Ed, Spanish, English. Actually history was the only thing I did well with. I despised school.
maddiesclutch@reddit
Gym/PE
I'm 6'2" what do you mean you want me to do gymnastics?!?!
DullNeedleworker3447@reddit
Home Ec. Only C I ever got. The sewing chapter kicked my ass. And I am female so it was expected of me to ace it.
CptBronzeBalls@reddit
I almost failed it in 8th grade because of sewing. A goddamn denim duffle bag. Quantum mechanics makes more sense to me than sewing.
Upset_Peace_6739@reddit
Math class. I always did well but it was the one class I really had to work at. Once I fulfilled the requirement of completing grade 10 math I was done.
lorelie53@reddit
Physics.
Zeds-time-isup@reddit
English, I ain’t needin none of that
Mistervimes65@reddit
Math. My algebra teacher was arrested and fired for possession. We had to retake the entire year during summer school. I’m excellent at math now, but not in High School.
vinegar_strokes68@reddit
Love love love the sciences but for some reason chemistry kicked the ever loving shit out of me!
pandemicblues@reddit
Organic Chem. Too much memorization. Did well in Physical Chemistry.
atxsteveish@reddit
SAME! Had to take it multiple times.
Glad-Pen5593@reddit
MATH. All of my math teachers were terrible teachers, and I had undiagnosed (and at the time unheard of) Dyscalculia.
FBS351@reddit
I was at least a decent math student, a solid B+ for sure, but I could not grasp statistics. The problem was entirely the professor. He RACED through the material and refused to take questions. The only assistance available was the TAs, who were all ESL. Got a D+. Tried to re-take it a few years later, went to one class, which was like a recording of the first go-round, and withdrew.
Ornery-Vehicle-2458@reddit
My Statistics teacher was a genius. Wasn't a great teacher, but it subsidised his gambling habit.
The other teachers would come in just to watch him solve just about anything, he was that good.
Ornery-Vehicle-2458@reddit
Math.
It seems that Math teachers just aren't my kind of people (with one notable exception)
I just don't resonate with them, and in my experience, many may be fine mathematicians, but not good teachers.
Owhatabeautifulday@reddit
Typing!!! Hilarious
Rice_Post10@reddit
Biology - I got a D and my mom was not happy with me!
MaximumJones@reddit
Calculus II.
That class dropped me to 3.5
Zwierzycki@reddit
Look, my whole high school was full of preppy douche bags. I hated the experience. There were a few students and staff that I didn’t hate. Overall, 3/10. Would not do again.
Quix66@reddit
PE or math. I hated math and PE was boring, that long stretch where we had to do the saaaaaame aerobic dance to the saaaaaaame lame songs.
Girls had it bad when the boys were probably not dancing their whole class periods in their gym.
When we started doing CPR (boring) or the camping, Presidential fitness, or other modules it got much better. I still didn’t like PE.
I wasn’t even unfit except that I hated running. I could do gymnastics, dozens of push up, and calisthenics just fine.
I just hated the Golden Age of Aerobics because I have two left feet and I never want to hear When You Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City ever again in my life.
active_crafty_nerd@reddit
Grade-wise it was chemistry, but I loved my teacher. Hated the class and hated the teacher was World History.
kidneypunch27@reddit
Second quarter Physical Chemistry. Totally over my head. C-
Minimum_Painter_3687@reddit
Algebra. I took Algebra 1 as a freshman despite the fact I was always a complete failure at anything mathematical. I failed early and hard. Wound up taking pre algebra the next year to satisfy the requirement and had a hell of a time with that.
OliveBadger1037@reddit
Algebra & trig were nearly impossible for me in high school. Ironic that I ended up a math major in college.
Sensitive-Issue84@reddit
Same! As soon as I took my first college math class I was hooked.
Silly-Shoulder-6257@reddit
British literature
GlassHouses1980@reddit
Algebra
vitamin_sea1@reddit
1 and 2
AffectionateSun5776@reddit
Organic Chemistry
rphjem@reddit
Biochemistry and Medchem. Too far into my pharmacy major to change, but ouch. Something about not being able to visualize complex molecules in 3 dimensions. Luckily had a very high gpa up to that point. Never experienced a related deficit in my career, thank goodness.
Pretend_Piano_6134@reddit
Junior year university. Intro to mathematical reasoning and computer science. Failed them both
burnitalldown321@reddit
Gym and French (Canadian, required to grade 9). I took a outdoor education class for that gym credit, and learned survival skills in the bush instead of more team sports. French I can read better than speak, and remember some key phrases, that's it.
theghostofcslewis@reddit
My best friend would secretly find ways to get people to fight me. I had no idea how I was getting into so many fights over things I had never said, done, or thought of, but it was often weekly throughout middle school. I mean, like, he would set me up with the people who were 3-4 years behind and had driver's licenses in middle school. There were quite a few more useless people like that, and it surely affected my early departure from school.
Incidentally, all of my bullies are dead.
Decent_Direction316@reddit
Gym class. I was so hazed that eventually I would just cut.....and take the F.
zica-do-reddit@reddit
Numerical analysis (solve partial differential equations polynomially.)
Advanced algebra (Galois groups etc.)
8itbangr@reddit
Middle-school gym. Here, kid who's played a total of 1 sport for 1 season and didn't go back, is overweight, acrophobic, and uncoordinated, jump up on these parallel bars which are over your head to the point where you can barely reach them, and mosey yourself across to the other end.
Any class that involved "creative writing" or anything similar. Yes, I'm still angry at my college English professor who required us to journal every day, but would CRITICIZE THE SUBJECT MATTER and not the writing. I'm sorry, if you're asking me to pull some random writing out of my ass every day, you get what you get subject-wise, and ANYTHING George Carlin had to say was infinitely more interesting than whatever I was coming up with on my own at 18.
annaflixion@reddit
Well, I have ADHD, so any math with more than like four steps completely screws me up. The ONLY reason I passed honors algebra was because my friend Stacy sat down with me every morning and reviewed my homework, and pointed out which step I'd messed up so I could redo it before turning it in.
Stephvick1@reddit
I have ADHD also, I wish I had your friend, my friends (who all did well in school ) would convince me to go hang out with them and drink and smoke weed. 🤦♂️ needless to say I did not do well.
madtownliz@reddit
HS: 9th grade biology. No idea what went wrong there except that my hyper-logical mind didn't get the subtleties (either that, or the teacher had it in for me).
College: calculus. I was a math genius, passed all AP exams, was MVP on the math team in high school, so of course I declared a math major in college. My advisor decided I was his special project and pushed me to classes that were way too advanced for me, and I was lost about 2 weeks in. But the professor was too much of a wimp to fail me, so I couldn't go back and take the lower level classes I should have been in. So I changed my major to chemistry, something I had very little interest in but would let me graduate on time. It all worked out eventually, but man what a waste.
EnjoyingTheRide-0606@reddit
Econ. I missed the first test because I was out due to a car accident at lunch that day. I was in the emergency room. I ended up having to make it up at detention because the instructor ran detention from 7-7:50am daily. My dad said he’d drive me and I protested it would be quicker to walk (because of shortcuts and alleys a car can’t use). He insisted but then took FOREVER to get to the car. I was getting my stuff out of his car to start running.
The detention hall door closed at 7 and is not opened again til 7:50. If you are late, then you get a Saturday school detention! If you arranged to take a make-up test for any of his classes then miss the door open time, you fail the test. Being there were just 2 tests in the whole quarter, I had a failing grade from this test on.
My dad drove so fricking slow in his Porsche!! I pleaded with him to drive faster. But he refused. I got out of the car at the red light near school and ran but it was too late. The door was closed. The worst part of it all was due to the failing grade in this class, I was grounded the remainder of my senior year. The only events I could attend were during school hours and the graduation ceremony. My BFF convinced them to allow me to attend Senior Ball. My 18th birthday was on graduation day, literally the first day of the rest of my life! I got my drivers license and a pair of Birkenstocks that day!!
makeup1508@reddit
It was a class I did to myself, German 3 & 4. I did ok in German 2 but I didn't put in the work that I needed to to do well in the last 2. I only took it because my sister told me I should. I should have taken classes that interested me more.
small_spider_liker@reddit
AP US History. I didn’t technically fail it, but got a D. I should have failed, but the teacher was lenient.
small-gestures@reddit
Chemistry.
Lopsided_Tomatillo27@reddit
English. I liked the subject, but hated homework. In freshman year in high school (87-88) our big project for the class was to make a Time magazine issue from 1912 with articles about the Titanic and period advertisements. I didn’t want to do it so I put it off until the last second, then blew it off completely. I got my first D in that class.
TattooedJewd@reddit
Any and all mat classes. I have dyscalculia and it’s, yeah, not good.
Primary-Commercial64@reddit
Are you me? Are we, we?
MadCraftyFox@reddit
Physics. I was in all honors courses but for some reason this class kicked my ass. I had to drop out of the honors level to the regular level.
Melodic_Scallion_578@reddit
Physics. Only class i ever failed. Just couldn't grasp it. Tried tutoring, tried everything. Teacher finally realized I was hopeless and made it a study time for me in the back of the class.
ItsLikeARewardAZ@reddit
Physics…
missblissful70@reddit
Mine was statistics, required for my major (psychology) but unbelievably difficult. I took one physics class - astronomy - ducked out with a C and never looked back.
JBTuffNStuff@reddit
Omg statistics was mine too for a psychology degree!! Only C I ever made, the rest were A's. My teacher was terrible and no amount of extra study made a difference. My brain was just not able to comprehend although I did well in both Algebras(1 and 2) and Geometry.
missblissful70@reddit
I took Statistics 3 times, dropped it before the grade stuck twice, and somehow got a really good TA who made it make some sense. But the C was inevitable I think - I am just not that good at math.
JBTuffNStuff@reddit
I put that class behind me so fast that you could practically see a "me" shaped hole in the wall. 😁
ItsLikeARewardAZ@reddit
I took stats but couldn’t imagine doing it for a semester so knocked it out in summer school 💯
myystic78@reddit
P.E. I was a smart, studious fat girl and my gym teacher was a complete hosebeast who seemed to take great pleasure in punishing me for not running the mile and only walking it. She'd insult me as I made my laps and it came to a head when I told her I'd be sitting out because of my period. She argued with me so I started walking, but after the first lap I was literally bleeding into my socks and even the boys were telling her how fucked it was. After the second lap I just kept walking, past her, into the office and demanded the principal look at me and tell me that was she'd done was acceptable. He was horrified and they moved me out of her class and into the boys weights class. Got my first F because of her. Double fuck you, Mrs. S.
veiled-nomore99@reddit
Pre-Calculus. I changed schools my junior year and they used a different TI calculator than my first school. They’re expensive and my family can’t afford the one my new school used, so I couldn’t follow along easily with the in-class demonstrations, and it became a lot of work at home, going through the manual and trying to figure things out. I kind of gave up and just did my best, but, yeah. Lowered my GPA, that’s for sure. Needless to say, I opted out of any math my senior year. lol.
Scary-Pressure6158@reddit
World history. But the teacher not the class senior year he actually tried to fail me. Lied about incompletes and everything else he could to fail me. Problem was as much as I hated him I was a good student and did the work. He graded and signed them before he handed them back. I KEPT THEM ALL Cuz I knew how he felt. So when he wrote out the list of all I hadn't done in his writing with signature I took it to my counselor. I graduated. Don't know if the jerk kept his job or not.
medisamurai@reddit
i took the easy route in HS but in college it was always something like pyschology where i thought it would be interesting and then it turned out to be very math based. Cant write a 10 page history paper of bullshit when it comes to math
Beetso@reddit
Psychology? I don't remember that being math-based at all.
Independent_Tough_81@reddit
Algebra... I can do geometry, some trig and calc, I picked basics of those up in a few hours, and more incidentally, easily... Real numbers, I'm fine, but beyond basic substitution, algebra never made any sense to Me.
TripMaster478@reddit
I'm a math whiz but I'm having a heck of a time helping out our chaos trio as they start algebra.
88secret@reddit
Statistics
TripMaster478@reddit
English. Ended up needing a tutor in grades 11 and 12 and first year university. Turns out now I'm a pretty good writer so who would've figured.
Oxjrnine@reddit
In university and my first two years, I had a GPA of 3.8 and I was number nine in my economics class.
But I failed introduction to accounting three times in a row because it was so utterly simple and boring. I couldn’t force myself to study. advanced accounting. I got a 3.2. But intro to accounting almost got me on probation.
MinuteContest128@reddit
Biology. Straight A’s except in there.
DonutCapitalism@reddit
Advance Algeria...I should have failed the class, but my teacher knew I was doing the best I could. I got a D and passed.
TattooedJewd@reddit
Was she Algerian?
unofficialguero90210@reddit
OMG Calculus. I completely lost the plot. I did well in math up to Calculus.
suspiciousknitting@reddit
Oh man same. I took it twice and still didn't understand it. What a shitshow
AllUsrNamesTaken@reddit
Same, it’s hard to ignore the stain of a 4 credit D on your transcript.
DrHarryWolper@reddit
Same! I was always advanced in math and loved it, then Calculus came along and killed it all for me.
Odd-Prune2254@reddit
I didn't care about my grades. I knew I wasn't going to college. I needed a 1.5 to graduate. High school was a joke to me.
Labcorgilab@reddit
Ditto
Labcorgilab@reddit
Spanish class. Kept getting straight A's in it but I was trying to keep my 1.7 GPA. It ruined my track record of low parental expectations
Wikkidding@reddit
PE, had a creepy teacher that insisted we prove we were showering naked. So I stopped dressing out. My first F grade and the world didn't end.
Brilliant_Pick4413@reddit
Trig by far. Something was wrong with our teacher, even the really smart kids couldn’t get it.
Chance-Night3198@reddit
Every algebra class. And calculus. All math really. And I guess chemistry too because it also involved math. There was a lot of shouting over homework with my dad who couldn't understand why I couldn't understand something so simple (to him). Thankfully my calculus teacher was a good dude and really helped me pass. The algebra teachers were pricks though.
icedyoga@reddit
Algebra. In college too.
Kiwiatx@reddit
Math.
alessaria@reddit
Algebra 2 Trig. Had a 98 in geometry the year before and barely eked a C out of that class. I think the issue was a combination of different teaching style and how my brain works (very visual and tactile).
chrysmcat2014@reddit
Physics. Good thing principal was former science teacher and was willing to tutor any of us that needed help. After which he would go to the teacher and ask why his college prep top 10% of the senior class students were continually having issues with the class. Lol.
iloveairportsushi@reddit
Same. Physics took me 3 tries to finally pass
chrysmcat2014@reddit
Class salutatorian(?) was lab partner or my lab grade would have tanked me. I was 5th in rank in class and that class did its level best to screw my GPA. I have mad respect for those who get it, but I didn't.
iloveairportsushi@reddit
Yeah it’s not easy. My first try in high school I dropped and switched to biology after a few weeks. I just wasn’t getting physics even though it was my favourite chemistry teacher. Second try in college… oof! Our professor was a 3 degree PhD in physics. Too smart to be able to teach I think, he knew what he was talking about but none of us did. He wasn’t able to explain how he was getting the answers to the questions. Finally, had one last shot again in college. Professor allowed one cheat sheet page front and back written out for the exam. Anything you want on it but it had to be standard 8.5” x 11”. I studied soooo hard and as I filled out my cheat sheet I learned it finally. The writing was so tiny but I filled it front and back. The labs were always fairly easy for me… it was remembering those damn formulas
Lcky22@reddit
Health and gym
WileyCoyote7@reddit
Geometry. Theorems? Proofs? Huh? Give me a freaking equation. I aced Algebra and Trigonometry, Geometry was my one “D.”
I-used2B-a-Valkyrie@reddit
Yes! Also our teacher was a Vietnam vet and he had ISSUES. One time this kid knocked his books off his desk and it went BANG and our teacher just started screaming GET DOWN GET DOWN ENEMY FIRE!
That was so sad. I mean, we all laughed but it was like a “wow, that was insane” nervous laughter. Poor teach.
Opak03@reddit
Easier to list the ones that weren't my nemesis.
I got an A+ in sneaking out and having a smoke.
PugFarmer00@reddit
Spanish 1 I could do the tence switching easily but the spelling errors on vocabulary sank the grades. One semester and I was out
Awe3@reddit
English. Had to take English 1, twice. Funny enough I’m now an avid reader and I write.
moleyrussell@reddit
HS Geometry. I dropped it at semester (unheard of in the 80's) and switched to "Consumer Math".
I learned how to file my taxes, balance a checkbook, calculate interest rates for savings/mortgages, and create a budget. That class should have been a requirement for graduation.
Epicassion@reddit
Physics, I was checked out as a senior.
1HorseWithNoName@reddit
Spanish my freshman year. Moved states and took French my junior and senior years and did much better in that class.
Crivens999@reddit
Welsh. Taught by a South Walean teacher in a north Wales school. It’s different
rivers-end@reddit
Latin
Sometimesunaware@reddit
Dolor participes tui
kate__g@reddit
Typing. Got a C
SparksWood71@reddit
PE ;-)
Miserable-Season-72@reddit
Same. Almost failed every time for lack of participation
Dependent_Squash1602@reddit
Plant physiology. Fuck plants.
Miserable-Season-72@reddit
PE. [physical education] damn near failed every year for lack of participation
tinypill@reddit
English (boring), history (boring), government (boring), calculus (torture). My high school had a piss-poor science/STEM program and I couldn’t wait to get the fuck out of there. I chose a college that didn’t have core class requirements outside of what you needed for your specific major/minor, so I could finally study the things that were interesting to me.
YVRkeeper@reddit
French.
It was required to take a second language to graduate high school, and French was the “mandatory” class you were enrolled in starting from grade 9, and you had to pass all 4 years up to grade 12. They did offer Spanish, a 2 year “elective” starting from grade 10. So you had one chance to fail a semester and retake the class to get your language credit.
But the real reason a lot of students failed French was because the teacher was a genuine pervert who only had time for the cute girls. Guys couldn’t get extra help, but he had all the time in the world for after school sessions with any girl who needed help.
JenniferJuniper6@reddit
Chemistry. I just couldn’t even focus on it. (But I still went to the Ivy League.)
MarathonMan21045@reddit
Russian language class. Between the alphabet and an instructor with a thick accent, it was incredibly difficult.
TroyTony1973@reddit
Привет, друг
More-Complaint@reddit
Math. I'd go from straight As to DS if any math was involved. I was later diagnosed with Dyscalculia (Number dyslexia), but it was waaay to late by then.
aredditt@reddit
All of them. I had childhood trauma that caught up with me during my teen years (ie. Severe depression and anxiety). School, in general, became difficult.
Weird-Grape-5884@reddit
Geometry and trigonometry. Just killed me.
MoparMedusa@reddit
Pre calculus. The bane of my existence!
Oiggamed@reddit
All of them. I had undiagnosed dyslexia.
SomethingClever70@reddit
Trigonometry- my only D
fingernmuzzle@reddit
Yep trig- C. Graduated with a 3.85 😠
AlexLavelle@reddit
I had my gpa destroyed by a “physics for humanities” class.
My ass. This old Rasputin talked in riddles and recommended (pushed them really) psychedelics, and tent revivals where people speak in tongues… then put math, real physics, on exams.
Flaggi11@reddit
Chemistry
monkey_monkey_monkey@reddit
Math. I could understand the concepts but putting the pen to paper and working out the numbers was a struggle. I did absolutely horrible in math class. It was made so much worse by the fact that my father was a math whiz and he put so much pressure on me and he made me feel like an absolute moron because I did so poorly.
Fast forward, 20+ years later, I still suck at putting numbers together on paper. Turns out, I have dyscaculia which is dyslexia but with numbers. Because of this, when I am doing anything that requires math (using the calculator on my phone which is in my pocket everyday so suck it Mr. McLeish), I run them repeatedly and once I get the same figure 3 times, then that's the figure I go with.
Suspicious-Yogurt480@reddit
This thread is the first I’ve heard of dyscalculia being an actual thing and it’s a relief to hear those of you with it being it up, while I don’t suffer from it I have an 11 year old who clearly does, it seems to me.
VanillaHuel@reddit
I could tell where your story was going, because a friend of mine had exactly the same thing!
rubysundance@reddit
English. Specifically grammar. I failed it every year in high school and had to retake it the next year. My senior year I had to pass 11th and 12th grade grammar to graduate, cut it close. Ironically my wife has a masters in education and English. I get corrected all the time.
Loud_Ad_8923@reddit
Definitely Algebra.
Kyauphie@reddit
I didn't have one. I finished some classes early and had three study halls, and early dismissal, and self-imposed late arrival by my senior year as an honor student. There was no way that I was coming to school early or on time for study hall as my neurodivergency simply didn't allow me to sit in traffic and came when it was calm and I actually had a reason to be there; thank goodness I never went to public school or I would've had a truancy officer up my behind.
Timely-Youth-9074@reddit
I hate math after 10th grade.
The shitty thing is I’m good at word problems-I need to know what it’s for to understand it but most math teachers and books just give you rows and rows of dry ass boring equations to solve.
Surfing_Giraffe@reddit
Undergrad AND Grad Calculus: F&C and F&C
grey_canvas_@reddit
In high school? Algebra and Economics.
In college? Algebra and Statistics. I was great on the homework... I was absolute shit on the exams. My only non As that ruined my 4.0.
Had like a 3.52 instead. Magna.
Littleboy_Natshnid@reddit
Shop.. I pulled the elephant trunk and the light didnt come on.
Dyna2004@reddit
This seems to be a common problem, just the other day I heard someone talking about the exact same thing.
TrainingLow9079@reddit
Calculus II. I studied like 20 hours a week to get a C.
No_Masterpiece7066@reddit
Economics, both in high school and college, because capitalist economics makes absolutely no damned sense to me. Marxist economics and political economy on the other hand I totally kicked ass in.
Party-Cup-9386@reddit
Mine was chemistry. I was great in all my science classes before it and it just kind of seemed like I had trouble clicking with the teacher. He had a thick Texas accent, and pronounced words I had never heard before differently, and I mostly remember trying to figure out what "arbitals" were because it wasn't in the glossary (d'oh! ORBITALS). It was my senior year and I had plenty of credits so I dropped the class and became a library aide. Which ruled.
SleepyKoalaBear4812@reddit
Calculus.
Apprehensive_Row_807@reddit
Astronomy
SnooChocolates2923@reddit
English.
The teacher was a tool.
Flunked me and 40% of the class.
I re-did the class at summer school, and got an 82% on it. By remitting the exact same essays! (I had an Apple 2e, and a dot matrix printer)
But, the damage was done, I couldn't proceed on to the university I wanted because I didn't have English.
So I went back to highschool and did a victory lap, getting in the following year.
Grizzle_prizzle37@reddit
All of them. Growing up, I was many things. Gifted, neglected, still undiagnosed autistic (in a pre-Rainman world, so practically nobody else had a clue what autism was), anti social, raised by an abusive, bipolar mother. Basically, no one class was my nemesis, life was.
DeadMeat_1240@reddit
Any class that gave a "Notebook" grade. My grades took a significant leap in college, were they didn't give a crap about about that.
Fluffymanolo@reddit
"You'll never succeed in college if you don't learn to take proper notes!" My American History teacher in highschool. So he wrote allll these words on the boards and we had to copy write them down with the idea we'd research them individually and make notes. I wrote them down and didn't open my notebook until the next chapter. I got credit for writing the words, but he's get mad that I didn't follow through. What made him even madder was that I didn't fail the class despite his remarks that anyone who didn't do things his way would fail. He didn't take into account that I LOVE history and had a tendency to absorb everything I read.
iSubjugate@reddit
PE
FootUpstairs2782@reddit
Algebra
sickiesusan@reddit
Chemistry - a mixed ability class - the ones at the back were still setting things on fire with Bunsen burners. The teacher belonged to a more refined era and was close to retirement.
As we left the last class, he apologised to 3 of us and gave us copies of his hand written notes - of all the work not covered in class, that we needed to know.
I managed a C which in itself was a
miracle. ..
killerwithasharpie@reddit
Chemistry. Failed twice, two different teachers. It was me.
HBJones1056@reddit
Same here. Our super hot chemistry teacher took me aside and told me it was in my best interest to drop the class because it didn’t look like it was going to click for me. I was hopeless.
killerwithasharpie@reddit
Think about it - unless you become a chemist, have you ever used chemistry? Ruined my gpa.
MinusGovernment@reddit
I wonder how the people that have all their windows blocked with aluminum foil in their trailer homes and occasionally blow themselves up did in high school chemistry.
Mountain_Crab0813@reddit
Organic Chemistry in college. Literal hell on earth.
Caloso89@reddit
OChem is why I went to law school, rather than med school as originally planned. I had a lot of company.
Mountain_Crab0813@reddit
My childhood friend became an actual rocket scientist. I asked him one day what the toughest class he took ever was … yep - you guessed it. Organic Chemistry. I felt vindicated.
SIGMONICUS@reddit
Physics and Calculus
SteveTomaselli@reddit
Physics. I just couldn’t get it. Thank goodness for engineers. I respect your skills.
kellybeeeee@reddit
Math. In my sophomore year, I was struggling in Math, so instead of getting a tutor for that year of Math and moving onto Algebra II and Chem as a junior, like my classmates did, I dropped back a level in math halfway through sophomore year. That meant I didn’t take Algebra II or Chem till senior year. I never took Physics or pre-calculus in high school, which was standard for college track students.
I went on to college, but dropped out after a few years. I was not prepared emotionally to be in college, and it was a struggle to afford it.
I later went back at 29 years old and encouraged by my mother-in-law, a math professor, I needed to take a math class for a Business Admin major. I studied hard for 8 months beforehand and placed straight into the math department Calc I. Not business Calc.
I ended up getting an Accounting degree and a Math minor. And I still have never taken a Physics class and I am now 51. I plan to fix that once I have retired. :)
siamesecat1935@reddit
math made me cry. Literally. I never got it and struggled every year. I also never took chemistry or physics. We had to have 3years of science to graduate. I took Bio, and Earth and Environmental Sciences. that's it.
Pootie-Pants@reddit
Geometry, and then I became a tow truck driver, where angles are pretty important! Never destroyed anything though… 😆
bigclitcouple@reddit
Organic chemistry. I took it in the summer. 5 weeks. Dont do that. It killed my collage 4.0 GPA. It was my only non A.
Chemical-Carrot-9975@reddit
In High School? Geometry for sure. Fuck proofs. I am a fully promoted professor, albeit not in math, and still say FUCK PROOFS!
Beautiful-Event-1213@reddit
Right?! Why isn't "self-evident" enough? Some things ARE self-evident. I ALWAYS missed steps.
akalili22@reddit
I got very lost in advanced statistic classes in college. I just held on and hoped for a C.
siamesecat1935@reddit
Geometry, although math in general. I am a self proclaimed math idiot. I don't get it. At all. Geometry was 10th grade. I went in for extra help DAILY and had a tutor, yet I still got an F. thankfully my teacher (who really wasn't that great with people who didn't get math) knew I really made an effort and gave me a D for the year.
CustomCarNerd@reddit
French
HorrorImaginary6528@reddit
Typing ! Freaking typing.
Tinaturtle79@reddit
Same. My dad was a computer nerd so I had access to a home computer before most people. Typing class my freshman year of HS was on a typewriter with correction film. A letter grade offer for every typo. I was doomed.
Bob_12_Pack@reddit
High school was a joke, the only thing remotely hard was calculus, barely ever had homework or we just copied each others. College kicked my ass because I had crappy study habits, blew-off non-mandatory homework, and was having way too much fun. Physics and comp sci class called "Automata, Grammars, and Computability" really put a whooping on me. I made it outta there but barely with a hard-earned C average.
TheRateBeerian@reddit
Spanish literature class as a junior. I decided to minor in spanish since I already had to take a bunch of foreign language classes, so 2 more and I got a minor.
One of those was an advanced spanish grammar class and was one of the best classes i ever took, the professor focused on getting us to "think like spanish speakers" instead of just going over the rules again and again.
The other was a lit class, we had to read Pablo Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, etc. Those guys were legends and all but it was really hard to process when reading in spanish, my spanish I guess was just never that strong anyway. But 2 things happened: I mis-read the instructions on one of our essay exams and so instead of "pick 2 of these 3 essay prompts" I just picked 1. I tried to argue that my performance on the rest of the exam was really strong so the missing essay wasn't because I didn't know the answer, but because I just mis-read the instructions, and so I had hoped he'd let me try it over. No dice. Got a D on that exam as a result. Later we had to read and analyze some piece of literature and I was assigned some poem. I had no idea how to analyze a poem, I had tested out of the english lit courses so I had no idea what I was doing. I tried my best to interpret and make up something, not knowing that the correct way to do this was to research it. I got a D or F on that I think (turns out I learned later that the professor was an expert on that particular poet, tough luck).
I can't remember my grade in the class, C or C- maybe. And I had a few Cs my freshman year, but I adjusted well after that, and this class was the only C I got after that freshman year.
Mr_Stike@reddit
All of them.
MickLittle@reddit
Organic chemistry.
NeffAnnBlossom4eva@reddit
PE. Got my first (and only) C in that class because I didn't have the upper arm strength to do anything on the parallel bars & I'm still mad about it decades later >:(
ircarlton@reddit
Spanish II, and it was all environmental. Teacher was great, course was fine, but the combination of the shit overhead lights and my teacher's choice in cologne completely drained me for the rest of the afternoon. That was the only course I struggled with.
heat2051@reddit
I almost didn't graduate because of math. I just hated it and refused to put any effort into it. I had to go to summer school Freshman to Junior year because of math. I did graduate barely though. I turned out just fine and use math in my job every day now lol.
Embarrassed-Cause250@reddit
Math friken math!
MarkItZeroDonnie@reddit
🫡 I sucked x to the 10th power of butts
Somehow at college orientation I was like an Olympic Luger on a gold medal run and I guessed like mf’r . Tested out of having to take ANY math courses . That or a much smarter kid was like “wtf? I have to take Algebra 90 ? Lower than Algebra 100?”
Cruise1313@reddit
I hated math!
mega-squirrel@reddit
Physics. My other option when signing up was anatomy…wish I wouldve taken anatomy.
Cruise1313@reddit
That class was the same for me. I loved Anatomy! Had to take 1 and 2 for my health degree.
Absolutely hated Physics which I did not think had anything to do with Physical Therapy other than gravity on the body. 😂
dehydratedrain@reddit
Definitely geometry, which was even worse because I was top in my class in Algebra/ Trig, but consistently failed. The teacher passed me with C-'s/ D's, because he knew i tutored with another teacher and still failed.
Hebshesh@reddit
I will die on the hill that geometry is not math. Like you, I excelled at other math but, stick a year of geometry in between them and I'm lost. Postulates and theorems can lick me where I pee.
Cranks_No_Start@reddit
While I was always pretty good at match I had 2 HS geometry/ Algebra teachers that literally shouldn’t have been teachers.
One of my older brothers and one younger brother had the same teacher and she was something else. And while my parents were not ones to go to parent teacher meetings as none of us had issues or problems until her.
My father showed up at the first open house type meeting and he said all of the classrooms. He passed maybe had one or two parents in them, this woman’s class was standing room only and flooding out into the hall.
He said parents were extremely upset as formerly straight A students were getting Ds and Cs. And it wasn’t just 1-2 it was 30-40 and this was only like 1/4 of the parents as they broke them up alphabetically so it was only A thru G that night.
Apparently 1/2 the parents wanted their kids out of the class.
At the end of the night he came and saw me and said “That bitch is worthless”. You need help see me and we will get you through it. He was a mechanical engineer so math was one of his stronger subjects.
Still I won’t lie she ruins HS math for me.
Comfortable_Hawk2109@reddit
Shop 😂
noseleaptilbklyn@reddit
Geometry
MinusGovernment@reddit
The proofs part in Geometry was the worst but also having to remember all the theorems sucked too.
I'm surprised I don't have recurring nightmares about proofs. I HATE THEM. I'm not a bad mathlete overall but fuck proofs. AP Calculus was 100x better than them.
noseleaptilbklyn@reddit
The only thing I’ve retained from geometry is the Pythagorean theory
MinusGovernment@reddit
That's probably the only one that might get a little use for the majority of people that don't have a math based career but still have some DIY in them.
SnooTigers7485@reddit
I use the Pythagorean theorem quite a lot for quilting and woodworking — but I bet I would have learned it anyway without a whole year of geometry.
RedBarchetta1@reddit
Chemistry. So much memorization.
Cruise1313@reddit
Physics! 😡
I had an A in Physics lab but a C (and barely made that grade) in the lecture. 🤦🏻♂️
SkibidiBlender@reddit
Wasn’t the classes. Was the social side. I had way too much fun and eked by for a while until my smart mouth, the pranks, and the fighting got me booted. Funny thing is that when I went immediately to community college, that shit was all gone and I did really well, applied my credits to the high school and graduated early.
Apprehensive-Cat-421@reddit
Math.
I had straight As except for math, where I struggled to get a B or C. It almost got me excluded from the gifted program.
VanillaHuel@reddit
Me too. Eventually many years later it turned out I had a learning disability. You'd think the teachers wouls have noticed when someone got A's in everything except for math year after year after year... That's not a "lazy" student.
Apprehensive-Cat-421@reddit
Same. I was almost diagnosed autistic as a child, but tested "gifted", so any disabilities got ruled out. As an adult, I've been diagnosed AuDHD and 2e.
Stefgrep66@reddit
Other than English and PE all of them.
I was at best an average student and I just couldn't stand the classroom environment!
It bored me to tears and I left at 16.
This was 1983, I haven't been out of work since.
jrtski@reddit
Typing
Exotic-Travel-270@reddit
I think it was grade 11 math, I had to learn quadratic equations. The teacher was great, but I just could not wrap my head around it.
f700es@reddit
I just LOVED Advanced Differentials SO much that I took it twice! It and Structural Analysis kicked my ass HARD! Never loved a "C" so much in my life.
DynamiteWitLaserBeam@reddit
I graduated dead last of my class in high school. I just didn't care about any of it and did the bare minimum to scrape by. So they were all nemesis classes there, with a little extra hate for PE because forcing a bunch of kids to shower together is really messed up. After a couple years off, I went to a community college and did care at that point - graduated with a 4.0. Then went through university for my BS and graduated Summa with a 4.0 there too. Toughest class was chemistry, but I still enjoyed the lab work so not quite nemesis level.
HelloThisIsPam@reddit
I have a similar story. I didn't even graduate high school, I was half a credit off and had to go to summer school for one class. Anyway, ended up going to community college and graduating with almost a 4.0, then grad school graduating with a 4.0. High school was simply bullshit. It's was like the Thunder Dome, but you're supposed to learn. I failed PE every year starting in junior high. I refused to do anything. I would sit on the bleachers and disassociate.
New-Days-Dawning@reddit
Latin. For what?
Mountain_Exchange768@reddit
Math.
furbalve03@reddit
Chemistry and Biology.
Admirable-Lock-2123@reddit
Geometry.. hated proofs
HelloThisIsPam@reddit
PE.
Fast-Constant1491@reddit
7th grade was the hardest I have ever been.
WritingRidingRunner@reddit
Calculus. Also geometry/trig and chemistry. I loved biology and algebra, though, even as an English/history/creative writing/social studies person.
jax2love@reddit
Another vote for calculus and geometry. Calculus was fine until imaginary numbers entered the chat.
Braincloud@reddit
Chemistry
Old-Childhood-5497@reddit
In HS - AP Calculus. In college - 8am International Relations class senior year - not so much the class content but more the class time!
Enough-Cow-6869@reddit
History
JollyGiant573@reddit
Spanish
Solid-Bee-1613@reddit
English composition I did not do well with in class quizzes or essays, but did great with the assigments that actually counted toward final grade. College Algebra, but once I got past the letters part I did really well. I thought I was going to fail physics . Somehow I got a high B , probably because I found a mistake on the computer lab test and showed the professor that there was no way to enter a correct or incorrect answer. Graduated w 3.95 GPA.
Crafty_Fan_6202@reddit
Anything math related.
Fluffymanolo@reddit
Gym. I was fat pale, and had a lot of bug bites on my legs. I was awkward I HATED wearing shorts and even worse, was never comfortable with changing in front of people. Because of all that, I wouldn't "dress out" and received a failing grade a few times. I don't think I ever got more than a c in that class.
I also had a lot of trouble with math. Simple math gave me issues because I switched numbers around, but adding letters into the mix just made it impossible. Nope, never tested for dyscalculia because I was tested for the gifted class (attended for a bit) because I read well. In that time it was inconceivable that a person could have a learning disability AND be gifted.
I still don't like changing in front of people with the exception of my husband but I do wear shorts now. That last one happened when we moved to central Florida. I also don't have all the bug bites, but my legs are still super pale. I still suck at math.
JuJu_Wirehead@reddit
All of the above. But I ditched Biology so often that I had After School Work for like 2 months straight.
soonerwolf@reddit
Economics. The “free market” experiment almost made me fail the class and deprived me of graduating above a 3.5 GPA. Her grading of the experiment was based on how much net worth in “chits” that we accumulated. It was 50% of our total grade.
Wedjat_Eye@reddit
Finite Math. Hated it with a passion
ExaminationFancy@reddit
Nothing in high school, but I thought physics was a bitch in college.
altairstarlite@reddit
Geometry
HarveyMushman72@reddit
Math.
rem1473@reddit
Calculus
spsled@reddit
Trigonometry
Efficient_Let686@reddit
French, one of my brothers had the same teacher about 15 years before I did. I don’t know if he acted out in her class or what, I do know that was her first year at that school, possibly her first year teaching. She had real problems with my accent in French. We had some exposure to the Sicilian dialect growing up and I spoke a little with our dad’s aunt. I spent more time with her than my older brothers did maybe because I’m female. The teacher took a 6 week medical leave and I found out by coincidence from the extended substitute teacher who was a multi-linguist that she could hear the influence in some pronunciations. Anyway the regular teacher just made that class miserable. I did great during her medical leave. I should have taken German, the younger of my older brothers took German and enjoyed it a lot. We would have bonded over that.
Tough_Arm_2454@reddit
HS Trigonometry. Hated memorizing sine cosine tangent etc. There was absolutely no need for that. Didn't care for the teacher though everyone else loved him. 🤮 . Haven't used Trigonometry since, a complete waste of time.
XStonedCatX@reddit
I actually use trig at my job, lol. My boss just stares at me blankly sometimes
onemorebutfaster_74@reddit
Math. Had AP and Honors for everything else and did well. Made Ds in math.
rosesforthemonsters@reddit
Accounting I
The teacher handed out a packet at the beginning of the year and told us that was the class work for the entire year.
We couldn't take the packet out of the classroom and he was not going to help us with any of it.
If we got in a jam, we were supposed to ask our classmates for help.
I was in the weeds within the first month and no one would help me.
I damned near failed the class.
XStonedCatX@reddit
PE. Always. I took AP classes, for fucks sake, but PE is what kept me off the honor roll 🙄🙄🙄🙄
GrouchyPreference765@reddit
First period
PollutionZero@reddit
Geometry. Didn't fuck with my GPA, but when we got into Proofs, my head exploded.
I told the teacher, "this is stupid, I can prove 2+2=5, therefore this is dumb. I'm not doing this section." I proceeded to prove it on the board. She gave me a C for the semester.
CatPurrsonNo1@reddit
Gym. Slow and uncoordinated me.
RCA2CE@reddit
I barely went to school at all, I missed so many days my senior year i cannot believe they let me graduate.
I passed all the finals, I just sort of went for the tests. I don't do well in classes, I dont like them and I am bored with them.. but I can get ready for a test in short order and pass most things. Anyway, I just sort of tested through.
My mom made a decision when I was young to not skip me up a grade, the school had suggested it - but i was already the youngest kid in the grade and moving me up would have put me with much bigger and more mature kids, including my big brother - so my mom kept me back, as a result the classes all bored me and I never got over that - I just hate school. I've had PHDs work for me, but I wont go to school.. its weird.
Mededitor@reddit
Gym. I just wouldn’t go. Instead of PE, I’d go to the library and do something more interesting than making a sportsball move around. It’s a mystery to me why anyone could see it as anything but pure misery and torture.
Wixenstyx@reddit
Chemistry. I think if I had had a different teacher I would have done better, but I struggled a lot for someone otherwise pretty good in math and science.
midlife_dadpulse73@reddit
All of them I LOATHED school. Loved the social aspect, but knew most of the classes wouldn't net me shit in the real world. And, I was right.
pegggus09@reddit
Chemistry. Actually any science the wasn’t basic Bio or Psych.
earthtobobby@reddit
Algebra 2/Trig.
IdyllwildGal@reddit
Math of any kind. Then I ended up with an accounting degree. My mom was convinced that my math mental block was because of the assumption that math and science were for boys, and I think she was right.
checkedem@reddit
Geography
Staran@reddit
Chemistry.
First half, 100%. Theory. It was great.
Second half 10%. Didn’t and still don’t understand the practical.
tulips_onthe_summit@reddit
It was an engineering class that dealt with spacial geometry. My brain is ill-equipped to deal with these problems, both theoretically and also in application every day, lol. I get lots of bruises.
Face_with_a_View@reddit
All the math
thedarkforest_theory@reddit
HS Geometry was terrible. I also had to withdraw and repeat business calculus. It’s a good thing my degree didn’t require me to go any further.
BeachPlze@reddit
Calculus
iamnos@reddit
In high school I really didn't have one. In university, though, it was statistics. I did great in Algebra, Matrix Algebra, and Calculus (once it clicked). Had high 80s in all those. But Stats, 151? I'm pretty sure the prof gave me a mercy pass. The math was easy, but figuring out which formula to use in each situation just wouldn't click for me.
Tressa_330@reddit
World history! My teacher was a psycho! One time he gave a 100 question true or false quiz .. and all the questions turned out to be True!
SnooGoats3915@reddit
Chemistry
AggressiveFan170@reddit
Chemistry, in both high school and college
linzeebee4@reddit
Organic chemistry, it took me 5 semesters to pass 1 and 2.
Mountain_Crab0813@reddit
I’m glad it wasn’t just me. Torture.
Ok-Huckleberry-6326@reddit
Chemistry! All varieties and all through college too, haha. Probably should have got the clue after that first one that anything that required chemistry wasn't supposed to be my chosen concentration.
Viperlite@reddit
Intro to Engineering. Purposely a class to weed people out and get them to switch majors. Professors telling students on day 1 that no one gets an A, many will fail, suggestions to drop the class, reticence to advise, etc.
Just teach the material and relate that on tests and projects and let the chips fall where they may.
ShellyLovesTacos@reddit
Math. For context, I got a 29 on my ACT, and a 19 on the math portion. Eat shit, math.
TomieTomyTomi@reddit
Remedies in law school
MountainCry9194@reddit
GPA? I didn’t give two thoughts about my GPA in high school.
Probably Psych or creative writing though. Psych was taught by an actual PHD and was first hour. I was working close to 40 hours per week my senior year and commuting 15 miles each way by bike to my job. Never got below a B on a test, but was failing (and almost didn’t graduate) because I never did a single assignment.
Similar issue with creative writing, but it was the semester before.
sandsonik@reddit
I kind of have two answers. Because in middle school I got all A's one quarter except for a B in gym. So I tried super hard in gym next quarter...only to get a B again in gym and one in sewing. I never did make all A's.
But the real answer is Algebra 2 in 9th grade. I just started not getting it, and didn't go after school for help. Big mistake. I got so lost. I flunked one quarter and got a D for the year. That was when I officially went off the honors track in math. I was just relieved I didn't have to take it again. I ended up taking geometry and statistics while my classmates moved on to trig and calculus.
Jwheat71@reddit
Any math above basic/consumer math.
Algebra and geometry were incredibly painful for me. I'm pretty sure my college instructors passed me based on effort alone.
Ray_The_Engineer@reddit
I was a lazy, unfocused dude in high school, but was bright enough to "coast" through nearly all of it...except for senior Calculus. The teacher, Mr. Gardner, was determined to educate and challenge. He saw my laziness immediately, and gave me (justified) grief for it all year. I finally got my act together in engineering school.
Decline_of_Humanity@reddit
Senior year English. We were studying Nietzsche. Teacher turned it into a theology class. I was an atheist in a Catholic town.
AdditionalTip865@reddit
PE. But I also had a terrible English class in the 9th grade with a class of disruptive delinquents and a dimwit teacher. It got better after that.
cutsryd@reddit
Logic...a bunch of fallacies that were virtually identical, and Professor who stared out the window while "teaching" 😅🙈
Emotional-Web-2987@reddit
Economics.
platypusandpibble@reddit
Algebra. I am ashamed to admit it took me 3 years to pass the class. Pretty sure that final C was a pity grade so I could graduate.
CK_CoffeeCat@reddit
Gym. 😞
talktojvc@reddit
Trigonometry. That 💩 is worse than Calculus. And I don’t use it…..
Apprehensive-Ant2141@reddit
Same here!!
Apprehensive-Ant2141@reddit
Trigonometry. My very math brained sister convinced me I needed to take it. I still don’t forgive her.
ww_adh77@reddit
AP Calculus ruined my high school GPA. It ruined the GPA of several of my friends too. And by "ruined" we didn't graduate with 4.0s (perish the thought!). We still managed to get into great schools. And life moved on. LOL
DryFoundation2323@reddit
Calculus 2. Not because it was all the difficult but because I just didn't put in the effort.
jennbouk@reddit
Geometry and Chemistry. Got a D in both but I was still Salutatorian.
blueblocker2000@reddit
Math...Always math. They lost me a long time ago.
FormNo9206284@reddit
The only class I EVER failed was high school “keyboarding”. What a joke. I efficiently typed this response.
rackfocus@reddit
Damn Health class. I would have graduated Summa Cum Laude if it was pass/fail.
PahzTakesPhotos@reddit
Geology. I took it to fulfill a science elective and had to take it again to make up my grade so I could get the credit for graduation. (I got the big fat F the first time. I got a very respectful C the second time).
Asleep-Hold-4686@reddit
English Lit and I hope that miserable person's socks get lost every single day or have a new hole in them after being washed.
DarlingTreeWitch@reddit
Geometry. Failed it twice. Excelled in all other math.
b5wolf@reddit
Chemistry. I was one of those straight A without much effort types. Chemistry kicked my ass! Had to come in before and after school for additional help, had my friends try and help, still struggled and just couldn't get it, even thought my very patient and kind chem Prof was going to have a mental breakdown about me.
Finally one day, it just clicked. I ended up with an A in the subject. He made up a special award for the end of year celebration to acknowledge me, the Finally Getting Chemistry award
Ok-Ear9289@reddit
Math
3bigdogs@reddit
Physics. Took itnonce and got a 51. Took it again the next year to increase my grade and got a 52!!!!!
ImaSource@reddit
All of them. I was the classic underachiever. I graduated with like a 1.6 GPA
LuceLeakey@reddit
Math. I almost failed out. Either I couldn't understand it or the teachers were just awful. Usually the teacher was the hockey or basketball coach, so I'm betting on the latter.
sev45day@reddit
My gpa was 2.6 when I graduated, so..... I was just happy they let me leave.
PurplePenguinCat@reddit
I was amazing in algebra, but I almost didn't graduate due to trigonometry. That and geometry sunk me like a stone.
Ti47_867@reddit
Lunch.
ONROSREPUS@reddit
Engrish.
Feminine_Adventurer@reddit
Same here
LinksLackofSurprise@reddit
Shop class. The teacher was a dickhead & terrorized the girls
TransatlanticMadame@reddit
Medieval History. Hated the teacher. Got an A second time round with a different teacher.
lotsalotsacoffee@reddit
Spanish. As an adult, I'm pretty good at languages, but Spanish didn't click for me, and classes after a point were almost exclusively in Spanish, so the more I fell behind the worse it got.
Effective_Bar_6098@reddit
Biology. The teacher was great, but I hated the subject. It just involved rote memorization.
Amythecoffeequeen@reddit
Biology, the only C I made in my entire school career.
Ceorl_Lounge@reddit
Physical Chemistry. I'm a chemist despite it, certainly not because of it.
monstermack1977@reddit
college prep literature. Or Advanced English class as it was called in my school. No grammar or anything like that, just books and interpretation of books. I sucked at that. And the teacher had a rule that if you used Cliff Notes you couldn't get a grade higher than a C on that particular test/book report.
Spent so much time on Transcendentalism in that class that I wanted to run into the woods to get away from it.
I only passed that class by giving a kind of acceptable oral book report on the very last day of school.
pegolasgreenleaf@reddit
Physics. Our teacher didn’t teach and I needed a teacher for that one.
BeenThruIt@reddit
Homeroom.
Rogue_Apostle@reddit
Differential equations.
whitebean@reddit
Algebra II. Took me 3 tries to get it right, via summer school. Made me hate math.
AethelflaedCAD@reddit
None I was firmly in the half-assed effort and no more club.
Informal-Gene-8777@reddit
Calc
Reader47b@reddit
P.E.
Informal-Gene-8777@reddit
Thank God ours was pass/fail
jamescockroft@reddit
My sophomore English teacher wanted me for her Academic Decathlon team the next year, so she sandbagged my grade to make sure I had a low enough GPA to qualify for the “C” student team.
I didn’t mind much… I did mind having that teacher two years in a row, so when she showed up as the Senior honors English class, I dropped it and took the regular version. Easy mode: I mostly skipped it and got an A.
FloridaGirlMary@reddit
Algebra
daemonhat@reddit
it wasn't any one class, it was being at school. at least the first couple years of high school. never went to college.
kb_colas@reddit
Never liked school. K-12.
brngckn@reddit
Organic chemistry lab.
MountainFlower970@reddit
Algebra 2, pre-Calculus was my GPA killer 😫
ancientastronaut2@reddit
I hated Economics class with a passion.
The teacher looked just like phil donanue though, so that was funny.
Cysteine_Chapel64@reddit (OP)
He didn't hold up a microphone at all, did he?
Correct-Condition-99@reddit
Maths.
Double-Carmel2193@reddit
Statistics
Cysteine_Chapel64@reddit (OP)
Yeah. I liked math until linear algebra and partial differential equations but that's still a good choice.
For me it was PE. Almost all team sports and strength exercises I had no idea how to do. I couldn't even get a 4.0 until I dropped it. Going through old stuff to throw away after my last parent died and seeing the old report cards it was shocking how everything else was an A and then there was that C+ like a bleeding wound sticking out.
speed_of_chill@reddit
Math was always my worst subject
Short-Personality398@reddit
Spanish followed by math