Throughout my high school career, my grades have fluctuated. Typically at the beginning of the year, my grades are higher as I’m determined to work harder than I had in years before. Toward the second quarter, my grades take a dip as I grow exhausted and my procrastination increases. It is during this time of the year that I begin to question my skills and whether or not I am cut out to take the classes I chose for that school year. 

The reason that some students may notice that their grades are falling rapidly as they lose their motivation is because grades aren’t a reflection of how well you’re obtaining the information in class, but rather how you are keeping yourself determined and disciplined enough to complete your assignments and turn them in on time. 

When searching the question “how to get good grades” in the Google search engine, the bullets I was met with had nothing to do with excelling in your subjects or even understanding what you’re learning. The main strategy that LiveCareer suggested was to practice time management and keep yourself organized throughout the school year. The last bullet point that was shown on the source called for being a good test-taker, which never talked about having to answer each question perfectly, but claimed that asking questions and being prepared was the key to success on a test. 

I bring my search experience to you to explain that the main goal of education isn’t perfection–none of your teachers expect perfection out of you. The greatest thing a student can do to prioritize their success in school and increase their GPA is identifying their mistakes when they make them and taking the time to prevent them from happening again, whether that means staying after school with a teacher or taking notes that are understandable to the student. 

Mistakes are a part of the learning process and success in school comes from communicating with teachers, adapting your schedule to fit your educational needs and disciplining yourself to practice better time management and less procrastination.