I'm a sophomore with poor grades, and I'm truly lost. I have no idea what I'm doing.

I get it. High school can be a confusing and challenging time. It's not unusual to feel this way. If you're looking for direction, I have a few suggestions that might help.

1. Explore your interests and potential: Try to get involved in different activities and extracurricular projects to see what you're interested in and what you're good at. You might find your true passion this way, which will in turn make you want to learn more and get more out of life.

2. Set short-term goals: Break down long-term future plans into achievable short-term goals and tick them off one by one. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your self-confidence and motivation.

3. Get help and support: Don't be afraid to ask for it. Teachers, family, friends, or counselors can all provide valuable advice and guidance to help you find your way.

4. Develop a positive mindset: Even though you might feel lost and confused right now, believe in your potential and abilities. Stay positive and optimistic, and believe that things will change and progress in the future, so that you can better face challenges and difficulties.

5. Accept failure and setbacks: Failure and setbacks are part of the growth process, so don't be too hard on yourself or get discouraged. Learn from your failures and adjust your learning and lifestyle accordingly.

6. Find role models and inspiration. Look for successful people in your network or online. Learn about their challenges and experiences, and use them as sources of inspiration and motivation to keep moving forward.

The most important thing is to keep your confidence and hope up. Life is full of challenges and changes. We all experience confusion and bewilderment at one point or another, but if you maintain a positive attitude and work hard, you'll be able to find your own direction and path to success.

Let's do this!

Hello, classmate. I understand your situation, and I'm here to help.

As you stated in your text, you are currently in your second year of high school and your academic performance is not up to par. This is causing you to feel confused.

Your family background makes it even more confusing for you to decide on a future path.

You know you have to work hard. I know you can do it.

We all know this situation. The second year of high school is the most important semester of the three years of high school.

The second semester of the second year is when the pressure really kicks in. If we step up our game and improve our grades, we can take the exams in the third year and get into the university of our choice as long as we perform normally. If we don't improve this semester, we'll have a hard time in the third year.

The pressure of studying made us think about the future.

Classmate, remember this:

Your only goal now is to study hard. You can do this!

But it's not too late. Seize the opportunity now and turn things around.

We must adapt to the current environment and set a plan in motion.

We will ask ourselves the following three questions:

What is the one thing you want most to achieve?

Tell me where you see yourself in five or ten years.

What is the life you want most?

When we can think clearly about these issues, we can then compare them with our current lives.

Then we will know what we need most at the moment.

Going to university is not the only way out, but it will undoubtedly make your future path much broader.

You must solve some psychological problems. You can communicate your psychological problems well with your parents and teachers.

They've been there, and they can help you in different ways.

These are my thoughts, and I'm going to share them with you.

Hello! I'd like to give you a warm hug from afar first.

I'm grateful you reached out for help. I hope my input can provide some support and assistance.

From what you've said, I can see you're under a lot of pressure right now, not just from your studies but also from the desire and expectation to change your family's current situation through your own studies because your family is not well-off.

It seems that you equate your academic performance with your future happiness. If you don't do well today, you think it means you won't have a happy life in the future or bring glory to your family.

It's true that your academic performance is very important right now. It can make a big difference in whether or not you get into the university you want. But a university that you and your parents want and look forward to isn't the same as a happy and beautiful life in the future. A happy and beautiful life requires that you have a sense of continuous lifelong learning, a heart that feels love and beauty, and enough confidence in yourself to believe that the difficulties you face are only temporary and that you have the ability and resources to better overcome each difficulty you encounter in the present.

So, let yourself feel the anxiety, panic, and unease you have about your academic performance. Try to understand what you really need at this moment. For instance, you might need to feel affirmed, encouraged, and accepted. Or, you might be afraid of being rejected and denied. Then, you can talk to your parents or close friends about how you're feeling. They can support you and help you work through your emotions. You can also write down your feelings to help you understand them better.

The key to change is acceptance. Accept and allow yourself to feel anxious, panicky, and uneasy in the moment because of unsatisfactory academic performance. When you're feeling extremely nervous and anxious, try taking deep breaths to relieve the harm that nervous and anxious emotions do to your body. This will help you stay in control.

Then try to figure out what you can control right now. For example, which subjects you're passionate about and good at, and which ones you can improve your grades in more quickly. Then focus on those. You can also try to see if there are any improvements in your learning methods.

Instead of dwelling on your shortcomings, focus on your strengths and what you have to offer.

If you're still feeling anxious, panicky, or restless and blaming yourself after trying these techniques, you can reach out to the school's mental health teacher for some psychological counseling.

Hi, I'm Lily, one of your listeners at the Q&A Museum. I just wanted to say that I love what you do and that I think the world would benefit from more of it.

Hello, I understand your feelings and situation very well because I have had similar experiences. At this stage of adolescence, all the confusion can find answers in your family. People are confused because they have no direction or because there is no one in your family who can show you the way. You said, "I feel that nothing matters." This kind of indifference is not formed overnight. It may be because of disappointment, neglect, feeling unloved, and feeling powerless. It is possible that you are living in a family of scarcity, and the family is not able to provide you with enough nourishment.

You don't care about anything, but you expect to work hard. This may come from your parents' expectations. Despite living in a poor environment, you will try to meet their expectations. I'm glad the questioner knows they're confused. If they want to change, they can seek support. They can express their feelings and expectations to their parents. They can also seek help from school teachers or counselors. As long as you have the vitality to grow, you will continue to grow. The process may be difficult, but it will be rewarding.