Hard Work Pays Off

Today follows the end of a highly production marking period in school for me. My grade in APUSH shot up from a 72 to a 91.2 — a 19.2% gain. I received my highest grade in math ever (96), my usual grade in Chemistry (93), and a four-point increase in Latin III (98.) Latin was surprisingly good despite the fact that I got an 83 on one of the tests. It must have been the two 105s I received for two vocabulary quizzes. Nevertheless, I don’t know what my grade was in English. Mr. Sturiale won’t tell anyone. It’s probably somewhere in the 90s, and my grade in chorus is probably excellent because I did all my lessons and actually participated in class for once. (English was a 92 by the way.)

Now, my point here is not to brag or put other people down. My reason is thus: work hard, and you will be rewarded in the end. Although you aren’t earning money for your effort in school, your grades will help a great deal in pushing you toward a competitive college and subsequently a happy career. I have to thank my teachers this year for keeping me interested in their classes. I am truly blessed, perhaps not by God but by my actual place in the world. Had I received education from other teachers or education from larger classes, my grades might have reflected that and been lower.

Many people don’t have to study to get good grades. Some people have to study for hours to get the grade they want. If you want to cut off the time you study outside of class, pay attention in class. Be the annoying kid who asks too many questions. Try to answer your own questions by thinking. Think, think, think, then think some more. Tell your teacher they are doing a good job and why. Tell them they are doing a bad job and why. Communicate with them. Teachers aren’t telepaths.

Be interested. Anyone can be curious. You don’t have to be born that way, and it doesn’t take that much work to be such. If others aren’t interested, be interested anyway.

Respect others. Your classmates are your allies.

We’re all in this together.