The end of the third quarter has just come and gone. Many people are now looking forward to kicking back and relaxing, and enjoying some time off of school before exams begin. For some, this break from stress means staying productive and getting some extra study time in, while others prefer to spend their time watching TV or playing video games, imitating a couch potato. Whichever individual you may be, there’s still one major task you need to complete before we close out the year in June: Bring Your Grades Up.
Many students fall into the trap of not paying attention to their grades and fail to discern how horrific they can become. As the fourth quarter gets underway, people generally do not keep the same work ethic that they had been employing for the last few months.
Warren Reales (12) says, “Sometimes I’m too occupied by certain things and I assume that I’m doing ok but when I go to check my grade and I have an F, I panic.” The convenient thing is, bringing your grades up is extremely simple. Thankfully, we’ve devised a list of helpful tips to improve your marks before the year comes to an end.
The first thing you should do is regularly check for any outstanding assignments. Log in to SIS or ask your teacher for a progress report and inspect it for anything with a zero. Take note of those scores so you know what needs to be taken care of and what doesn’t. Sometimes, students work on a task and then forget to turn it in, resulting in a lower grade than they should actually have. You can easily bring your grades up by two whole letters just by digging through your backpack or bedroom, looking for worksheets that were never turned in. Even if your teacher has specific rules for turning in late assignments, such as decaying credit, it can still make a significant difference. 50 percent credit on a late assignment is significantly better than a zero. If you are unable to find it anywhere, speak with your teacher to receive another copy and turn it in as soon as possible.
Another great idea is to ask your teacher about any extra credit you can earn. Extra credit assignments can do wonders for your grade. If you’ve already turned in all remaining tasks and need just a little more credit to boost that B+ to an A-, make sure to talk to your teacher. It always benefits you to chat with your teacher when they are available. If you show dedication to the class and prove that you really want to succeed, your teacher will gladly offer you extra credit to boost your grade. Verifying your desire to understand the material and get better at a subject will almost surely get your teacher to recognize your perseverance and show how much you care.
Finally, it’s always a good idea to study. End of unit, final exams, and AP tests are very prominent in the next few weeks and months and if you do not understand the material, your grade could plummet even further. Having the ability to understand what is on the test is essential to improving your grades. A test at the end of a quarter can either make or break your score. There is hardly any time left for retaking exams so developing effective study habits before attempting an exam is key to raising your marks.