DEAR ABBY: I am an 11th-grade girl, and I need your advice on what to tell my parents when my report card comes in June. My GPA has dropped big-time since the last one, and they have both been nagging me to study harder.
My mom and dad don't understand what it's like for me at school. Keeping my grades up has become more difficult because I don't have the motivation to immerse myself in the mandatory curriculum. I have no need whatsoever for those boring academic requirements.
The one thing I'm good at is art -- drawing and painting -- and I can do that on my own. Sometimes I wonder why I need high school at all. I'd love to have a break from it. How can I clue my parents in to what I'm all about, Abby? -- FRUSTRATED TEEN IN VERMONT
DEAR FRUSTRATED TEEN: I suspect your parents are going to know what you are all about once they see your report card. Every student, at one time or another, has had the same feelings. But the smart ones accept the reality that in order to succeed and be independent, they must, at the very least, have a high school (or equivalent) diploma. The time to get it is now. So buckle down in your senior year and lift your grade point average. Art schools require well-rounded students.