A year ago, I helped my best friend get into college. (I was helping her mainly with searching for colleges and getting organized with regards to application deadlines). Her high school grades resembled your grades – freshman year, mostly C’s and D’s, a couple A’s and B’s. After that, she tried harder, mostly B’s and C’s, but still a D or two, and she failed Algebra. She had to take it over the summer to make it up. But there were options for her. Currently she is attending college in the field she always dreamed about, and very happy with her program. So there is hope. Even if you cannot manage to raise your grades, there are jobs that don’t just care about grades. They care about activities – clubs, community service, etc.

But as you said, you are a freshman, so you have plenty of time to improve your grades for the future. My biggest piece of advice would be to get help from the teacher. I am in my fourth year of college, and whenever I am struggling, by now I know to go to the teacher for extra help. I didn’t understand that until college! Try to work that out. If your teacher is unavailable, see if you can get help from somebody in the class who understands it, even if they aren’t your friend – people can be nicer than you expect. This wouldn’t be the same as tutoring because the teacher would (hopefully) have good ways of explaining it, and they know the subject well. If you’re learning from a peer, they’re probably dealing with some of the same struggles as you are in understanding the subject.

I know it’s hard to deal with your parents’ disappointment, but don’t worry so much – no matter what grades you get, you can show your skills in other areas and there will be some college that will take you. Even if no regular university/college will take you, you can start at a local/community college and then transfer.

Just keep working at it, and if you fail Algebra now, try to take it again soon.