There are colleges and courses that don't require good grades or certain highschool courses. The dog grooming course I'm going to take only requires you to have graduated or have your GED. The Okanagan University College requires that you have a C average.

I am in no way "settling" when I get bad grades. I try REALLY hard. I have a real problem that prevents me from doing well in my classes that require me to do certain things. Unfortunatly schools don't evaluate each student and put them in to classes accordingly, and MY school doesn't offer students counselling or Learning Assistance unless by appointment weeks in advance. Otherwise I might be doing better, as well as many other students. Anyone who really tries is capable of doing very well. But sometimes there are other factors that just make it so hard. The school doesn't care if you can't concentrate because you are so hungry and can't afford food. It doesn't matter if your parents beat you or if you are being bullied, or if you have a learning disorder --- they will find you outside help, but in the mean time, your grades are still suffering, and that is not their problem. They grade you the same way as everyone else, and that is that. They don't look at the straight A's I had all through elementary school and middle school and then suddenly wonder why I'm failing everything. Because its not their problem. Highschool is a very hard place these days, and you are very correct, Samantha_Puppy, it will make or break you. But school is not just there for education purposes -- they make this clear by providing us with dances, free days, fun days, parties, etc -- it should be there to truly help us. If they want us to be a good impression for everyone going out on their own, then they should truly care about us and help us with our problems. They also make it very clear that they want us to pass and succeed People fail things for a reason, and it isn't always because they don't try hard enough.