My wonderful future is ruined, thanks to depression...

[Seeking Happiness]

I really wanted to go to an Ivy League school. I put the effort and I am very determined with my studies, but it is still not enough. I am in 11th grade right now and I have an 84%, I can't get accepted.
This goes back to when I was in 9th grade. It's been a very brutal year for me. In school I used to work very hard and study but when I got a est, it would be on a very off-topic subject and I would end up failing. I was really mad about this because I knew I didn't fail myself, bu my teachers failed me. In addition to this, I used to work very hard and put lots of effort in that grade, and my parents were very proud of me. However anytime I got a progress report from my teachers they would ignore all the positives and emphasise on the negatives. Also I lived in a horrible place that year and people were very unfriendly. It made me feel really angry and even until today, that year reallllllly hurts me. The year after (10th grade), I went to a new school in a completely different country, and I had to deal with a completely new school system. It was tough for me, since I was learning new subjects that all my classmates have been taking ever since elementary school. That would obviously bring down my average. However, even in 10th grade I have been experiencing hard times and have been really depressed. Although I still put great effort in my studies, I was still really depressed and I couldn't focus as well as I know I could. I had wayyyyy too much trouble on my hands and school was the least of my concerns. I used to cry very often and I used to get extremely mad and throw tantrums. Everything sort of got better towards the end of the year. Now I am in 11th grade. The first semester has passed and I now have an 84% average. However, this year I a still somewhat depressed and usually stressed out, and I am trying my hardest to be the best I can be. I am joining a lot of extra-curricular activities, doing volunteer hours, and studying crazily for my SAT's. Although I got an 84% average, all my teachers are super proud of me (the main subjects that brought me down were subjects that were new to me from 10th grade that all my peers were used to). Also my grades could have been higher if I was more relaxed and less stressed out. I calculated my average as if I was in a very good mood and if I had been used to all my subjects, and it was about a 92-93%, which is great!
Now I don't want to miss out on a great opportunity (going to an Ivy League school) because my life became run-down without me expecting any of it. It isn't my fault at all, and people told me that I won't be accepted. I have all the potential for being a student there, and I know I can do it, since I am a very hard worker. The only things stopping me is depression. I am a very smart and bright person, but I need that part of me to take over my depressed personality.
What's gonna happen? Should I just switch to clown school?
Thank you. I never asked for depression. All these bad things just happened on their own!

[Kendall Ann]

Hey there, sorry you've been having a rough time with depression, I know what that's like. First off, depression is a sign of intellegence, I know that sounds crazy but it's true! Depressed people see the world how it really is. Average people only see the world as what they'd like it be. Some prefer to see the world as how it is and others deny it in order to be happy. Happiness and intellegence is truly rare. The only solution to this is to fight for your happiness. This can be an on going battle, an on and off battle, or you can try to end it now. It's not always easy to be happy and you should never fake a smile. I believe in you, obviously if I don and I haven't even met you many others must, you can get through this dark time and till make it into a Ivy League school. Yoe're doing great considering the whole new scool system, keep it up! Also, sometimes a tiny bit of stress can help you focus, I'm not saying it's good to be stressed out though. I wish you luck, feel free to PM or VM me about anything!

[Kendall Ann]

sorry about the typos on my crazy phone

[John Osborne]

Clown school? Really that seems kind of elistist.

Anyways I know only one person who graduated from an Ivy League school. He was what I would describe as a failure in life having not been able to hold any job for more than a couple years and was also not liked by almost anyone, but oh he got that Ivy degree alright. He was my high school science teacher who could only get a job at my small rural high school.

I am not saying don't try your hardest in school. I'm just saying it's not worth getting depressed over. Grades really don't cement your future like some people believe.

Also Cornell (Ivy League) has a reputation of having about 2 suicides a year. One time they had 6 suicides in 6 months. Though recently Cornell has taken action to stop this, I still would not recommend any Ivy League school to someone who is depressed just for this reason.

[Kate*]

I'm sorry you've been struggling so much, as a recent college grad I can telll you that your SAT scores and what college you go to don't make or break your future. I've struggled with depression too and something that took me a long time, and an unintened year off after graduation, to learn, is that just because your life doesn't work out exactly the way you originally planned it, doesn't mean that it's over. It will be different than you thought it would be, but it isn't the end of the world. An 84% average is actually pretty good, I don't remember what mine was, but I think I had A's and B's in high school and only got something like a 1260 on my SAT's and I did just fine. There are plenty of schools that are the medium between Ivy league and "clown college"

I know you didn't ask for depression, but it is something you will have to manage now. If school is stressing you out this much, maybe not getting into an ivy league school isn't so bad college is stressful and if you're dealing with depression (treated or not) it's even worse. I would recommend going to a school that you have a good chance of getting into and then reaching out to your doctor or the school's counseling center to get some help. Depression makes life harder, but it doesn't have to hold you back.

Hope this helped, if you have any other questions just ask

[Seeking Happiness]

Originally Posted by Kendall Ann

Hey there, sorry you've been having a rough time with depression, I know what that's like. First off, depression is a sign of intellegence, I know that sounds crazy but it's true! Depressed people see the world how it really is. Average people only see the world as what they'd like it be. Some prefer to see the world as how it is and others deny it in order to be happy. Happiness and intellegence is truly rare. The only solution to this is to fight for your happiness. This can be an on going battle, an on and off battle, or you can try to end it now. It's not always easy to be happy and you should never fake a smile. I believe in you, obviously if I don and I haven't even met you many others must, you can get through this dark time and till make it into a Ivy League school. Yoe're doing great considering the whole new scool system, keep it up! Also, sometimes a tiny bit of stress can help you focus, I'm not saying it's good to be stressed out though. I wish you luck, feel free to PM or VM me about anything!

Thank you for your kind words, and don't worry at all about the mispellings

[Seeking Happiness]

Originally Posted by John Osborne

Clown school? Really that seems kind of elistist.

Anyways I know only one person who graduated from an Ivy League school. He was what I would describe as a failure in life having not been able to hold any job for more than a couple years and was also not liked by almost anyone, but oh he got that Ivy degree alright. He was my high school science teacher who could only get a job at my small rural high school.

I am not saying don't try your hardest in school. I'm just saying it's not worth getting depressed over. Grades really don't cement your future like some people believe.

Also Cornell (Ivy League) has a reputation of having about 2 suicides a year. One time they had 6 suicides in 6 months. Though recently Cornell has taken action to stop this, I still would not recommend any Ivy League school to someone who is depressed just for this reason.

Seriously...?o__o
The reason why I wanted to go to an Ivy League school was to prove my success. A lot of people think negatively about me and think I'm worthless and I want to prove them wrong, and I thought that going to an Ivy League school can help me with that... Maybe you are right, I think it is better to find another college that is still very good, but not necessarily an Ivy League I guess...
But thankyou

[Seeking Happiness]

Originally Posted by Kate*

I'm sorry you've been struggling so much, as a recent college grad I can telll you that your SAT scores and what college you go to don't make or break your future. I've struggled with depression too and something that took me a long time, and an unintened year off after graduation, to learn, is that just because your life doesn't work out exactly the way you originally planned it, doesn't mean that it's over. It will be different than you thought it would be, but it isn't the end of the world. An 84% average is actually pretty good, I don't remember what mine was, but I think I had A's and B's in high school and only got something like a 1260 on my SAT's and I did just fine. There are plenty of schools that are the medium between Ivy league and "clown college"

I know you didn't ask for depression, but it is something you will have to manage now. If school is stressing you out this much, maybe not getting into an ivy league school isn't so bad college is stressful and if you're dealing with depression (treated or not) it's even worse. I would recommend going to a school that you have a good chance of getting into and then reaching out to your doctor or the school's counseling center to get some help. Depression makes life harder, but it doesn't have to hold you back.

Hope this helped, if you have any other questions just ask

Thank you
And I'm just going to have to cope with that depression of mine...

[John Osborne]

Originally Posted by Seeking Happiness

Seriously...?o__o
The reason why I wanted to go to an Ivy League school was to prove my success. A lot of people think negatively about me and think I'm worthless and I want to prove them wrong, and I thought that going to an Ivy League school can help me with that... Maybe you are right, I think it is better to find another college that is still very good, but not necessarily an Ivy League I guess...
But thankyou

I'm really glad you didn't take offense to what I said because I was a little worried that you would .

I really think that you will be very successful in life because you seem to have a lot of determination. That is more important than grades.

[how.we.operate.]

I'm sorry that it has been a rough journey for you, but I do have some words of advice that may or may not come off as rude-I do not intend for my advice to sound rude.

I grew up thinking grades were everything. My parents always push, they still do, for As and for me to do as much as I can...when I get an A- they tell me to get an A next time or that I can do better. My mom pushed me into applying to a school I never wanted to go to because now it is a party school, but she still thinks it is a great school (it is but is more of a party school to me because every one I know that goes there parties like there is no tomorrow). I ended up going where I wanted to.
What I can tell you from experience, getting into an Ivy League does not prove much besides you are in an Ivy League. It is how well you do at the college you end up at and how you use what you learn. It is also about the experience you have at the college you end up at.
For me, I got into a great university and I love the people there. I found a great group of friends, a great program to study in, and a wide variety of classes. I took classes I think other schools would not have and I had access to a lot of things that really made my experience worth it. Never do I think about what if I got into a "better" school because this is the school for me.

I recommend looking at what each school has to offer and what you might want to take, not what label the school has. For example, I took an iPhone application development class, a history of games, ethics of games and cinema, and much more. An Ivy school is great, but do look around. Think about visiting and shadowing a student--this really gives you a look at what the inside of the school is like.

Also, grades are not everything. One of my professors lectured us one day about Steve Jobs--he dropped out of college, was an arrogant guy, etc yet he was so successful and creative.

I have about a year or so left in college and I do have to say that you should look around and make many visits to a wide variety of schools that are not ivy leagues. I know how much stress there is to get into a great school, but you can't always get into the school you want. Grades are not everything BUT doing your best and putting effort into it is what really counts.

[Seeking Happiness]

Originally Posted by John Osborne

I'm really glad you didn't take offense to what I said because I was a little worried that you would .

I really think that you will be very successful in life because you seem to have a lot of determination. That is more important than grades.

Very true, I'll remember that

[Seeking Happiness]

Originally Posted by how.we.operate.

I'm sorry that it has been a rough journey for you, but I do have some words of advice that may or may not come off as rude-I do not intend for my advice to sound rude.

I grew up thinking grades were everything. My parents always push, they still do, for As and for me to do as much as I can...when I get an A- they tell me to get an A next time or that I can do better. My mom pushed me into applying to a school I never wanted to go to because now it is a party school, but she still thinks it is a great school (it is but is more of a party school to me because every one I know that goes there parties like there is no tomorrow). I ended up going where I wanted to.
What I can tell you from experience, getting into an Ivy League does not prove much besides you are in an Ivy League. It is how well you do at the college you end up at and how you use what you learn. It is also about the experience you have at the college you end up at.
For me, I got into a great university and I love the people there. I found a great group of friends, a great program to study in, and a wide variety of classes. I took classes I think other schools would not have and I had access to a lot of things that really made my experience worth it. Never do I think about what if I got into a "better" school because this is the school for me.

I recommend looking at what each school has to offer and what you might want to take, not what label the school has. For example, I took an iPhone application development class, a history of games, ethics of games and cinema, and much more. An Ivy school is great, but do look around. Think about visiting and shadowing a student--this really gives you a look at what the inside of the school is like.

Also, grades are not everything. One of my professors lectured us one day about Steve Jobs--he dropped out of college, was an arrogant guy, etc yet he was so successful and creative.

I have about a year or so left in college and I do have to say that you should look around and make many visits to a wide variety of schools that are not ivy leagues. I know how much stress there is to get into a great school, but you can't always get into the school you want. Grades are not everything BUT doing your best and putting effort into it is what really counts.

Why would you think your advice would be rude? It was helpful
I wanted to go to an Ivy League school because I know they are really good and with them I'm bound to have a great future, but maybe I'll just go to another school for now, if it is too tough. And of course, like you said, I'm going to a school that has what I like and not go there because it sounds nice to others.
Thank you!!