The first report card of the year can be stressful to receive as new concepts and teaching styles are introduced to students in this first quarter. These grades impact a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA), but the change is not seen immediately.
“We only calculate GPA after the first semester, not first quarter,” guidance counselor Deborah Slocum said.
However, just because this impact on GPA doesn’t show up immediately, this does not change the stress that comes with first quarter.
“Every grade is important to me because it all will factor into the end grade in the class, which is why people don’t only freak out about tests at the end of the year,” Melissa Beretta ’14 said.
Brian Saunders ’14 said that first quarter grades are especially important for seniors with respect to the college admissions process. “Stress is always a battle for Staples students, and first quarter of senior year is no exception,” he said.
Beretta agreed that first quarter grades are important because they will be sent to colleges when applying early. “[My grades] have always been important, but this time I’m paying a little closer attention to them because they will be sent to my early schools,” she said.
People agree that for students that are still getting the hang of new classes, this may be stressful. “My first quarter grades are generally lower than my final grades because during that time I’m still acclimating to the expectations of the class,” Julia Eisman ’14 said.
“You can see it in the worried faces of the kids taking their first unit test or writing their first in class essay of the year: everyone freaks out about first quarter, that’s just how it is,” Beretta said.
