Progress reports came in not too long ago and, while some freshmen are doing fantastically, others are struggling to manage and are under immense stress. In order to expand my knowledge on how the class of 2021 is maintaining their grades, I took a poll where I asked 15 diverse freshmen, “How are you managing your grades?” I will be sharing the results while providing tips on how you can improve your report card!

A total of four students said that they had started the year with excellent grades and when the progress reports came in, they still excelled in academics. Some of them said that their classes were all very easy while others said that they enjoyed studying and the things that they were learning in class. But the one thing all four students had in common was that they all started their homework as soon as they got home and were anti-procrastinators.

Three students said they were struggling in one class while two students were struggling in more than one class. Two freshmen even said that they started the year doing well in a class; however, as the class became progressively more difficult, their grades dropped. If you are having the same issues, then don’t be afraid to email or ask your teacher if you don’t understand a lesson. If that doesn’t work for you, you can also receive free tutoring after school with the AHS Peer Tutoring program. And for students who have athletic commitments after school, or just aren’t able to attend, there is always free tutoring in the library on Wednesdays at lunch for all students provided by the National Honors Society.

In addition to students who were struggling in one or more of their classes, two freshmen said that they were struggling in a class and had completely given up on trying to raise their grade. One of the two even said that they were just waiting until second semester to get a fresh start. As many students as there were that are struggling to earn good grades, there were three students that started off struggling, but however, were able to work harder and raise their grades. One student said that they’d completely changed their working schedule, and as painfully difficult it was to not procrastinate, they pulled through and it paid off.

The main idea collected from these 15 freshmen is that procrastination and bad work habits play a huge role in students’ grades plummeting. If you want to bring your grades up, you need to be willing to set your distractions aside when you get home and put your full focus on the assignments and tasks you need to complete. Instead of complaining about how much you hate high school and miss middle school all the time, show some interest in the lessons you learn in class. The more you enjoy school, the more likely you are to succeed.

Graphic by SANDI KHINE