You just came back from a long December break, and your teachers are squeezing in as many tests as possible before Quarter 2 ends and midterm week begins. You have three exams all on Thursday and a five-page English essay due Wednesday at 11:59 PM. High school at its finest moments.
Although you are dismissed from the time-consuming ICU rehearsals, the Winter Sports Season continues. Practice is almost everyday this week, with an important match on Wednesday. The team is counting on you to help lead them to victory. Your teachers are counting on you to perform well on your exams—especially in calculus since you didn’t do very well on the last one. Your parents are counting on you to maintain good grades. Everyone is counting on you.
After procrastinating writing your essay, 15 minutes remain before it is due. Instead of writing an organic analysis of The Handmaid’s Tale, you turn to your AI handicap: ChatGPT. Next, you skim through your AP Biology and APUSH notes. It’s already past midnight; you want to sleep, but you still need to study for your calculus test.
Let’s take a quick break, 10 minutes won’t hurt.
10 minutes turns into 30 minutes, 30 minutes turns into 1 hour, and eventually it is 3 AM—we’ve all been there. Exhausted, you quickly glance over the messy handwriting in your calculus notebook. This should suffice. Finally, you go to bed.
You complete all three tests while running on 4 hours of sleep, and the wait begins. Despite feeling nervous and uncertain of the grades you will receive, you are relieved that the stress has been lifted off you temporarily.
A couple of days later, your essay is let off with a warning. Your exam papers are painted with splatters of red ink. Not one good grade. Your teachers announce new test dates, as midterm week is just around the corner, and the same cycle of unproductivity repeats again.
You can hide these grades from your parents and wait for the quarterly to cover them up. You will just study harder for the next exams.
However, with Wheatley’s newly introduced Infinite Campus Gradebook, hiding test grades from parents has become nearly impossible. This online portal provides parents and guardians with live updates and viewing access to all of their child’s grades. Principal Wayne Jensen first introduced the gradebook to parents at the beginning of the school year in September 2024. Teachers input graded assignments such as tests and quizzes, which become visible to the respective parents or guardians of the student. However, this system has raised some concerns among students.
The gradebook clarifies students’ grades at just a quick glance, serving as an efficient way to keep track of their grades. But some fear that they can no longer keep their bad grades hidden in secrecy. Wheatley students are known for being academically inclined. Already feeling overwhelmed by the expectations set by their parents, this has exacerbated their academic environment. As a result of the gradebook system, students struggle to keep up with their peers, establishing a highly competitive environment. However, some Wheatley students are also to blame. For example, it is common to see students completing the bare minimum and not studying beyond the teacher’s notes.
Although some students claim that they and their parents rarely check the portal, many others believe that access to the online gradebook has led to excessive monitoring of grades. Parents question students about even minuscule three-point grades, intensifying the pressure to perform perfectly. While it is important to consider parents’ concerns and well-meaning intentions for their children’s success, it is also important to limit this behavior.
Rather than solely embracing these negative aspects, the new Infinite Campus Gradebook can serve as a sign for students to begin changing their studying habits. Wheatley students already suffer from a lack of sleep and are swamped with new assignments daily. Rather than concealing their bad grades and avoiding the situation, the gradebook can serve as a way for students to confront their problems head-on.
The gradebook can motivate students to improve their productivity and time management skills, contributing to a healthier work ethic. They can become more task efficient and take control of their grades by dedicating time to reviewing areas they struggle in. Without experiencing failure, students cannot recognize their weaknesses, preventing them from self-improvement. Taking advanced classes in high school can foster the development of other essential skills, but this also depends upon the effort a student puts into the class. Students can prepare for real-world tasks and establish a greater chance of success in the future through practicing organizational skills. They can also use school to develop effective communication skills, such as with teachers.
Wheatley is a supportive environment where the teachers and staff care about students’ success. While it is important to seize the opportunities you are given and strive to succeed, it is equally important to execute these tasks to the best of your ability. Success is not achieved overnight–and it is certainly not easy–so remember to maintain a consistent routine that prioritizes your academic performance and health.