As first quarter grades rolled in mid-October, sophomore Mason Weyers found himself refreshing Synergy and staring at his Gradebook to see the numbers that would define the last nine weeks of his life. It’s a familiar mix of anxiety and relief – one shared by students across LSE as they measure their progress and brace for what’s next.
For many, those grades are more than just letters in a gradebook. They can shape confidence, influence college plans and even spill into life outside of school. As workloads increase, especially for students in advanced class, the pressure to perform can be overwhelming. Students like Weyers are feeling the weight of that pressure, and after a quarter of grades,
“This year I have had the largest amount of workload [than in all] my years of school,” Mason Weyers (10) said “My AP [advanced placement] classes have had about double the amount of the workload of a regular class where on a daily basis I have ablut an hour of studying and find myself preparing for tests everyother day.”
Just this year alone, many students have dropped their AP classes. For instance, the number of students enrolled in Weyers’ AP World History class at the start of the semester amassed thirty total, yet as the quarter progressed it dropped down to a measly ten.
“When I saw all of these students drop out of the class, it was a little demoralizing, leading me to question whether I should do the same,” Weyers said. “However despite the discouragement I decided to stick through, and found it best to manage all of this work by allowing myself space from it all and putting aside dedicated time towards the things I enjoy most like watching football, and being with friends and family which ultimately has helped me succeed.”
When it comes to studies, everyone has their own unique ways of managing it all. Weyers said “that being alone in his room listening to music and setting a goal for his studying is one of the practices that has helped him to be successful in his classes, no matter how hard they may get.”
“Although the workload in my AP classes are a lot harder than my regular ones, I have found comfort in the weighted system and scaling of grades,” Weyers said. “I feel that it has given me reassurance in my grades knowing that one test won’t predetermine the outcome for my final letter grade.”
This system of boosted grades alone is one of the most enticing parts of taking AP or weighted classes, giving students a cushion. Along with this, Weyers explained that his main goals for taking these classes were the college- level entry exams, which are provided through them. In the end, his hope is that taking these challenging classes will ensure a brighter future for himself, which he cares more about than the vague letter which pops up in the gradebook. Along with all of this Weyers has taken up a job which he hopes will even further benefit him for preparations to the future,
“With all of this, I still have to balance my job at the nursing home where on some days when I’d rather be catching up on due work or missing assignments I find myself working full weekends creating a bigger hurdle to overcome than beforehand.”
Despite all of these seemingly obstacles Weyers advised “I think that students should use their time here to not devote all of their energy towards a letter grade but rather learn to balance relationships, extracurriculars, and make the most out of your high school experiences as you grow closer to preparation for adulthood.” Even with all of the stress which is put upon grades in society today, Weyers has managed to take advantage of his opportunities at school and still live a fulfilling life outside of his classes.
