Need some help deciding.

[Talalwarsi5897]

Hey, I had taken math HL in my first term and did pathetically. After a while i thought that whether it was really necessary to slog so much. I could take SL and ensure a better score there. But then my parents and my counselor are saying that if you drop HL, immediately the best universities are out of the options, because they all respect Hl a million times more than SL. They also said that obtaining a 5 in HL is a lot better than a 7 in SL. I am sure I don't want to do anything related to math in the future. (Biochemistry perhaps)

What are your thoughts on this and what do you suggest i do?

Cheers!

[Emmi]

There is no need to stay in HL math if the course you want to do doesn't require it and you don't really enjoy math. Your parents and counselor have the wrong idea. Even top universities like Oxford and such don't care which level of math you took as long as it's not a prerequisite for admission. Staying in HL when you're struggling and don't need it is a really easy way to make you hate yourself, hate the subject, and do poorly and get a lower score than you would have gotten taken SL math. Also, getting a 5 in HL when you could have gotten a 7 in SL isn't good at all when you needed 38 points for admission and that 5 made you get 36 or 37, and that university won't care if you did HL.

I'd say switch to SL math.

[Connaitre]

I can't speak for anywhere outside of my home country but here they only request higher maths if you want to do physics, maths or some parts of chemistry.

Overall though, I wouldn't say to drop down just yet! I don't know a single person who didn't do deadfully on their first maths exam, it's just getting used to the questions. If you keep practicing with past papers and exam questions then you will probably be able to succeed in your next test and not need to move to SL!

[IBidiot]

I wouldn't say that not taking HL immediately rules out some of the best universities. I would look into what YOU want to do so that you can pursue subjects that are in your field of interest. After all, there's no need to take HL if you don't actually need it. I want to go into chemistry or something related to that, so in my case, it might be a good idea for me to take HL (however, my school doesn't offer it), but for those who want to go into something else that lacks this, it would not be a good idea to load up the extra stress. Also, there are many good schools out there that may have a great program in the field you want to go into that will not reject you simply because you didn't take Math HL.

However, if you really love Math, then finish it, but from what you have said, it seems that the best option would be to do what you think is right and take SL. It's all up to you, though, not us or your parents!