GETTING A'S WITH LEARNING DISABILITY

Dear Jellybean,

I told my parents that I'm 15 years old, and I need a cellphone. But they said when I get a job then they might consider. I also talked to my older sister, and she told me if I get all A's on my report card, then she'll buy me a good cellphone. But the problem is, I can't get all A's, because I have a learning disability, (or thats what my teachers think). I've tried in middle school, but I always get at least a C in one of my subjects. Now I've just started my freshman year in high school and I'm waiting for my report card to come in the mail. I'm pretty sure my grades aren't all A's. How can I get good grades to satisfy my family that I need a cellphone?
-Average Student

Dear Average Student,

If you have a learning disability, you need to figure out what it is (there are many different types), and then get help for it. Some of the world's great geniuses - including Mozart, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Albert Einstein - suffered from learning disabilities. Overcoming a learning disability has shaped the careers and accomplishments of some of the most famous people in the world.

So don't think you're not smart, or don't have the potential to get A's, because you most certainly do. However, you will need help in figuring out how to overcome your learning disability, which is what all those geniuses had to figure out, before they could go on to make history.

Talk to your teachers and parents about what steps need to be taken to get you help, and start overcoming what's holding you back from achieving your full potential. When you get the right help, you will probably be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Of course, that will probably take some time. In the meantime, go get yourself a part-time job at the mall or a local business. Your parents are being pretty fair about offering you a phone, if you do some work to prove you're responsible enough to have one. I'd take that deal if I were you.