By: Alex Estes [Co-Yearbook Editor]

Students in their last year of high school are starting to find that slacking off was probably a bad idea in the earlier years. It doesn’t normally occur that those grades actually mean something until it’s time to apply for colleges. It ends up being a lot easier to make the grades when students work their entire high school career, rather than waiting until the last two terms; sadly students realize that a little too late.

Not all students realize it too late. Steven Long, junior, has had good grades since he was a seventh grader. “Up until seventh grade, my grades were pretty crummy,” Long says, “It wasn’t because of not caring, it was more self confidence.” Up until the seventh grade, Long’s self confidence was low, but thanks to the middle school teachers, his grades and self confidence started to improve. “Mr. Clark teaching math really helped,” Long says. Since middle school he has been able to keep his grade, and his self confidence high.

Long’s techniques for maintaining his GPA may come as a surprise to most people. “I mostly take math and science,” He says, “And I do a lot of repetition to help the problem stay in there.” His high grades in his classes, caused Long to win two academic awards today. “I got top ten for ITEDs in my class and got honor roll, basically, for having a 3.5 or higher GPA all year,” he says. Long’s advice for high school is “It is easier to maintain a GPA than it is to raise one.”

As more and more students reach the point where it’s time to apply for colleges, they find that grades did matter after all. Students who plan on continuing their schooling should take Long’s advice, and start maintaining their GPAs, rather than waiting until the last months of high school.