⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆ why school didn’t really teach me sh*t (and chemistry can kiss my GPA) ⋆⭒˚.⋆

let’s be real: high school is weird. you’re told that every subject is essential, that every formula and theory will shape your future.

and yet, for me, one class completely tanked my vibe: chemistry.

yes, that’s right — the one class that haunted me for years, made me stay up late, and probably shaved years off my life in stress… and for what?

i’ve never once had to balance an equation in real life, let alone calculate an equilibrium constant while writing code or designing a website.

like, tf do you mean i need to put an equilibrium equation in my python code and solve it???

chemistry felt like a wall standing between me and the things i actually cared about.

grades don’t lie… or do they?

i wasn’t the stereotypical preppy straight-a student, and honestly, i didn’t care to be. but when i look at my transcript now, it tells a story:

freshman & sophomore years + junior year: mixed results — some b’s, c’s, and yes, that infamous d in chemistry. my gpa after my junior year sat at 3.351.

senior year: i finally got my life together. straight a’s across data science (97%), journalism (98%), entrepreneurship/marketing (96%+), astronomy (90%), and geosystems (92%). by the end of senior year, my cumulative gpa had climbed to 3.559, enough to get honors and prove that, yes, i could absolutely excel when the subject actually clicked with me.

the pattern is clear: i thrived when learning aligned with my brain and interests, not when i was forced to memorize stuff that felt irrelevant.

i was a scientist, even when i didn’t realize it

even though i doubted myself at times, i was actively doing science in my own way. i dabbled in html coding and computer science, built projects, and explored systems. my data science class taught me python, data visualization, and statistical thinking — and i didn’t just leave it there. i combined it with my html knowledge, customizing and creating interactive outputs that i could actually see and use. i was observing patterns, experimenting with outcomes, analyzing results, and iterating on my designs — all the things real scientists do.

in other words, even if it wasn’t in a lab with a white coat, i was thinking like a scientist, testing hypotheses, and learning by doing. that’s the essence of scientific thinking, and i did it in a modern, self-directed way.

what school actually taught me… and didn’t

here’s the thing. school tried. it really did. but forcing me to take chemistry didn’t teach me anything i needed, whereas other things i discovered on my own or through more engaging classes did:

data science & python: i learned statistical thinking, coding logic, and visualization — skills i actually use.

journalism & english: i became a strong communicator, a researcher, and someone who can explain complex ideas clearly.

entrepreneurship & marketing: i learned strategy, systems thinking, and how humans make decisions — all real-world applicable.

astronomy & geosystems: i trained my brain to think conceptually, see patterns, and understand complex systems.

creative projects (drawing, design, web, roblox, neocities): i taught myself it, coding, and design while running projects that got thousands of views — all before college even entered the conversation.

in short, the stuff i genuinely engaged with made me smarter and more capable than the stuff school forced me to memorize ever did.

i’m smart, outside the standardized box

here’s the thing — school doesn’t have a way to measure a lot of the stuff i actually do well. you could say i’m smart, but not in the “sit quietly, memorize formulas, take a test” way. i’m smart in ways school can’t grade:

i code, visualize data, and experiment with systems that i build myself.

i design, draw, and create experiences that people actually interact with online — like a semi-viral roblox project at 11 or a neocities site with thousands of views.

i write, research, and communicate clearly, skills that no test can fully capture.

i think strategically, understanding systems, human behavior, and business in ways i apply practically.

i’m naturally curious and integrate knowledge across domains — essentially doing my own modern version of “science, tech, and art experiments” outside the classroom.

so yeah, school might have judged me by tests and assignments, but real-world smarts aren’t measured in memorized equations.

my brain works across multiple fields, and that’s the kind of intelligence that actually matters when you build, create, and solve problems.

why this matters

school didn’t teach me “all the right things.” but it did teach me one important lesson: i learn best when it’s meaningful, hands-on, and aligned with my neurodivergent brain.

chemistry might have tanked my gpa for a bit, but it didn’t stop me from excelling in my areas of strength. and honestly? i’d take a semester of straight coding, journalism, or design over a lifetime of memorizing elements any day.

my story isn’t about hating school or avoiding work. it’s about finding what actually engages your mind, applying it, and thriving in your own way. and if that means leaving some subjects in the dust (looking at you, chemistry), that’s fine. because the world doesn’t need another person who can balance equations — it needs people who can build, communicate, analyze, and create.

tl;dr

chemistry: 0/10 for life relevance

data science, journalism, entrepreneurship, creative projects: 11/10, actual applicable skills

gpa: 3.351 after junior year → 3.559 at the end of senior year → proof i could excel when learning was aligned with me

life lesson: school didn’t define my intelligence. engagement did.

and yes, i was a scientist all along — experimenting, observing, analyzing, and iterating, just not in a traditional lab.

so yeah, school didn’t really teach me sh*t — but i sure taught myself a lot. and honestly, that’s way more fun.