Senior Stephen River did not take his grades seriously his first two years of high school.
“I wasn’t that aware of my grades during freshman and sophomore year compared to now as a senior,” Stephen said.
As a result, this lack of awareness has impacted some students’ GPAs by their senior year, affecting their college admissions and scholarship opportunities.
Since some students are not as focused on their grades until later in high school when they are thinking about college and career opportunities, freshman Maya Adown believes teachers should be more flexible with grading younger students’ assignments.
“During freshman year, the teachers should be more lenient while grading but in your sophomore year you should know better,” Maya said.
She also believes the current overall high school grading system is unfair.
“I don’t think it’s really that fair because … there could be a sign of improvement in the future and, just because it’s from that time doesn’t mean that it’s the same way right now,” Maya said.
Counselor Steve Mead urges students to advocate for themselves.
“If you are struggling as a freshman – or whatever grade you’re in – and you are worried about your grades, talk to your counselors, your teachers and don’t just accept having bad grades.”
As high schoolers finally figure out how to cope with high school and get used to everything, by their senior year they realize they no longer have much time to fix their grades and it’s sometimes too late to help their affected GPA.
Students who don’t have a role model or someone to guide them through high school often struggle more than students who do.
But there are now many resources that help guide students through high school, from online resources to support at Auburn Riverside from teachers, counselors, the Career Center and beyond.
“If you’re struggling, just try and try and ask for help because there is definitely a way,” Mead added.
