The first progress reports for Spring Semester have come out, leaving some scholars satisfied with their grades, while others were not. Grades are important at Preuss since they are what colleges see on transcripts and are a big factor to keeping a scholar’s college application competitive. The Preuss School’s mission is to help bring underrepresented students from low income families to ultimately reach a college education, and in order to do this, students should aim to have exceptional grades. Although maintaining exceptional grades can be challenging, there are many effective ways to get and maintain them.

One of the most effective ways to keep up grades is to stay organized with a schedule. Not only does having a schedule give a Preuss scholar a way to know when they’re expected  to complete their homework, but it can also help to prioritize work based on deadlines which comes in handy especially when there is an overwhelming amount of it. Additionally, a schedule can help break up what may seem to be a very big assignment or project into something more manageable, which is useful considering the challenging work which Preuss scholars are given. Using apps and physical planners helps to organize work and eliminates the need to memorize all work due. There are many different ways to create a schedule and keep track of assignments, for example, using Google Calendar or the pre-installed calendar apps on phones, setting reminders on a device, and even using the planner which Preuss provides to all students at the beginning of the year. Having a schedule is a very effective way to do work and keep up with grades and it also helps to develop good study habits.

Although having a schedule is quite effective and important, developing good work and study habits is also as  important. It is important to understand that when doing work or studying for a test, making sure that all distractions are set aside helps to maintain focus on work. Distractions can include phones, televisions, gaming consoles, and even just loud noises. Even though keeping away from distractions and finding a quiet area is key to maintaining focus, other habits are just as important. Reviewing work from previous classes and studying notes is an effective way for Preuss scholars to prepare for tests, which are usually a big percentage of the overall grade. Additionally, when doing homework, it is important to perform actions which help maintain focus and this can include activities such as listening to music, taking breaks, and even staying hydrated. 

Staying motivated and setting goals is by far one of the most important actions to do in order to keep up with grades at Preuss. Since Preuss is a school which is meant to challenge students, staying motivated is definitely important. Preuss students can stay motivated by setting small goals which will eventually help to achieve bigger goals. For example, rather than focusing on getting an A in a class as soon as possible, smaller goals like getting some homework done can be better to stay motivated since bigger goals at the time could seem overwhelming and might cause the loss of some motivation. Preuss students can also stay motivated by making sure that they are rewarding themselves; this can include getting phone time after doing some work, eating a snack, or even just relaxing for a few minutes. This can help Preuss scholars feel happy to do their work, ultimately helping to keep up with grades.

The Preuss School presents students with a rigorous curriculum and some students may find work and maintaining grades up overwhelming. Although this may be the case for many Preuss scholars, creating a schedule, developing good study habits, and staying motivated all help to keep up with grades.