Dear The Take: Should I drop my auto class? It’s been really hard and whenever I ask for help I face a lot of misogynistic comments. We haven’t even gotten to the nitty gritty work yet and I’m still being looked down upon. 

– Madrigal #2

The first thing you need to ask yourself is how passionate are you about this auto class, and how strongly you want this problem resolved? If both are received with disinterested responses, dropping the class would be the easy answer, but if any part of you says otherwise, staying in the class would be essential. 

When discussing the misogynistic comments, I want to set the record straight that your feelings are valid. Nobody wants to feel degraded or unwanted, especially when you are trying to dive into a new subject. You mention that “whenever I ask for help I face a lot of misogynistic comments,” so in order to focus on the coursework solely, these comments need to be shut down first. Understand no single person can “end” misogyny, so don’t feel pressured to do so, what you want to focus on is finding a way to communicate your feelings and opinions with the other classmates. I suggest writing out a script or an  “I statement” for what you want to express. To learn how to write an “I statement”, you can follow the prompt below:

Before the official interaction, a meeting with your teacher about what you’ve experienced is great in helping your cause. With a support system in the classroom you can receive back up if anything escalates. From there, whatever time you believe your point will get across is the perfect time to create the conversation. Regardless of if they listen or not, your conversation will further cement your ground in the class and set a boundary that cannot be denied.

When it comes to the actual coursework, agency outside of the classroom is necessary. Reviewing certain concepts with your teacher during lunch (or their free period), working with friends that specialize in the subject, or reaching out to other students to create a study group can help build confidence with yourself and the subject. Continuously going over past classwork via YouTube and quizlet can also help grasp the courses’ foundations. With less chaos in the class, and more confidence within the subject, you should see the class’ difficulty slowly chip away. 

Overall, everything you do should be at your own speed. Dealing with academic challenges can be hard and the steps towards progress are not always linear. But as long as you are moving forward at your own pace, you are still on the right path. Give yourself some leniency. And remember to keep your head up; don’t let them tip your crown.