Time For School!

            In today's society, most schools begin early in the morning and finish mid-day. Although the morning to afternoon school timing system has been working so far, it has many downsides. These issues can be solved by simply changing the start of and finish times of the (approximate) seven hours of school. If school were to start at mid-day (around 2:00) and finish in the evening (around 9:00), many issues of today's timing system would be solved, and as a result, students would flourish academically.
           
            A major issue of the current school timings is the early wake-up time. For example, I wake up at 5:45 every morning. This results in me being tired and ignorant in my first period class, which I happen to have my lowest grade in. If I wasn't sleepy and tired, I would pay attention more, and learn more. If school were to start mid-day, students' minds would be more awake and active, allowing them to prosper academically.

           Today, when students (including me) are given homework, they usually procrastinate and do it late at night. Some students stay up late at night doing homework because that is the only time they can do homework, due to extracurricular activities occupying time after school. However with school hours moved later, one can go home after school, sleep, and then do their homework the next morning. That way the homework can determine how much information a student can recall from the previous day, along with refreshing their memory so that in school, teachers don't have to go over what they learned that previous day. Additionally, students can better understand the lectures from the previous day. When it comes to practice, games, or sports, they shall take place before school. Exercising before school not only wakens and activates the brain, but stimulates brain function by delivering extra oxygen to the brain, which improves the learning capability of the student.

            A simple change in the school hours can not only improve the lives of students outside of school, but as well as in the classroom. Students will not have plenty of sleep, but will learn effectively, and complete homework efficiently. This results in academic prosperity and fulfills the purpose of school.

Semester Grades? Yikes!

              As all students at MMHS know, we are at that crucial point in the year before we receive our grades for the semester. These grades are the ones that count, the ones that get submitted for college. Now for many students, including me, this is when we frantically try to bring our grades up. For example, I am trying to bring my B+ in Honors Pre-Calculus to an A, to have a 4.0 unweighted GPA for semester 1. Since I have decent grades, many friends of mine that are struggling often ask me; What can I do to get good grades? Well, for those who ask that question you have come to the right place. Below are, in my opinion, the five best methods (by priority) to get good grades.

1. Just do your homework! Homework is a major part of school, and usually consists of a large portion of your grade. It frustrates me when students aren't doing well in a class, then forget to do their homework. Those are easy points anybody can receive.
2.  Manage your time wisely! The most common response I get when I ask my friends why they don't do their homework is that they don't have time, whether it be due to extracurriculars, sports, or other activities. This is why time management is so important, because you can have time for sports, homework, studying, and  fun, with just simple planning. For example, I am creating this very blog entry Saturday even though it is due on Monday because I know I am going to be busy volunteering Sunday and I don't want to rush.
3. Participate and ask questions! As unbelievable as it sounds, a large portion of assignments and tests in the grade book depend on you actually knowing the subject. You can't just ace a test without knowing the chapter. So if you are confused, or don't know something, don't be afraid to ask a question.
4. Study! Although this might sound horrendous, if you need an A on that next history test, you are going to have to work for it. It also helps to find out if you study better in groups (like me), or independently, and allot time accordingly.
5. Have fun with it! High school is a part of your life you will look back upon, reminisce, and wish you can relive those years. This might sound crazy, but high school is supposed to be a fun part of your life, so don't waste it by being miserable. If you can view high school from this point of view, it results in a more interactive and responsive nature towards learning, and therefore can have a positive result on your grades.