Student grades begin to rise as Winter pushes on

Ayla Jones, Social Media Manager|November 30, 2022

The beginning of the school year is filled with a lot of excitement, football games, dances, pep rallies, and more, but as the year gets into the colder months of November to February, things begin to slow down and get serious. 

Many might think that student grades drop as the cold gets more intense and winter blues start to make people feel less motivated to complete assignments. Surprisingly to some, the complete opposite effect occurs. 

“I don’t know if it has to do with students knowing the semester is coming to an end or that Christmas is right around the corner and they want to do well,” class of 2024 counselor Mr.Gonzales said. “So they can get the best presents possible, but normally I see the grades tend to slide up.”

Surprising parents and teachers, student grades are on a rise this winter
Surprising both parents and teachers, student grades are on a rise this winter (iStock)

This isn’t only a trend that counselors see from their perspective but is verifiable by students’ reflections on their grade trends. Many students say that their grades begin to rise as the end of the semester approaches, even with the stressors of midterms.

“I see a positive trend in my grades [heading towards the end of the first semester], senior Vivian Dinh said. “There are a couple of classes I still need to work on, but I think I’ll be able to get it up.”

Even though grades start taking a turn for the better, that doesn’t mean full motivation and care are behind it. Many students still feel drained even while being motivated to get assignments done. 

“I’ll try to be more consistent with turning in my stuff on time and making sure I do test corrections, senior Vivian Dinh said. “But, also, during the winter, we’re so caught up with other things in our daily lives that we just kind of let loose and don’t put as much effort in.”

Sadly even though students might feel drained and not entirely motivated to try their hardest independently to stay on top of work, many do so because of outside pressure and motivation. Parents, hopes for the future, and for seniors, the requirement to have a 2.0 or higher GPA to graduate, as stated in the senior contract, keep many from entirely giving up. 

Although this is a lot of talk about grades, it’s essential for students to practice a balance of completing school work and also finding time to enjoy themselves and be teenagers.