Miami High’s top scholars—how do they do it? As Miami High’s top students advance further into their academics, they have information to help other students feel more confident about their years of high school before graduation.

Is academic success important?

When students have an excellent academic performance, it gives them a beneficial impact. Senior David Andrade, who earned a scholarship to Yale University, said, “It shows colleges that you care and are ready for the next level of your life. If you have your classes covered, you demonstrate understanding of your responsibilities and determination to succeed.”

Senior Melissa Ravelo, ranked as No.3 of her class, stated, “Teachers are more willing to write letters of recommendations for college when they have something to write about. You receive more awards at the end of the year and have a better chance at getting scholarships.”

Students like junior Adrian Hernandez, who’s one of the top five in his class, said, “It is important to be on top of my classes since I hope to get a degree and be able to have a good life after I finish high school.”

Many top students love learning new things. The number one student in the senior class, Emmanuel Garit, said, “Besides getting good grades, classes can be very insightful in regards to life. Something you learn in one class may stick with you forever. Classes are not a task; they are a resource that are often misinterpreted.”

Make your past stay in the past

We are in the start of a new year, 2019, and half a school year has already passed. Will 2019 be another year to repeat academic mistakes? Or will it be the turning point in a student’s life where they decide to turn into a better student? The answer to this question is found in one’s self. It lies in whether a student will take the opportunities they are offered, while they still have them. Adrian Hernandez said, “Times like these only come once in a lifetime and you wouldn’t want to regret wasting it.”

Are there any ways students can make up for low performances? Yes. Through using your resources to pass classes. According to, who has a 4.25 GPA, “Go to tutoring afterschool and make study group chats with friends/classmates to help you improve.” Even though he already gets good grades, Adrian said he goes to tutoring, participates in study groups, and watches tutorials on YouTube to help him in school.

What you do every day throughout the school year, plays a role in your academic performance. Senior Melissa Ravelo stated, “Focus on time—it’s the only tool that never stops, so use it to your advantage. Set a lot of little easy goals instead of a few big goals, so instead of, ‘pass the FSA’ set the goal of ‘study for fifteen minutes on Khan Academy each day.’”

Junior Melody Espinoza, who’s one of the top five ranked of her class, said that not procrastinating, keeping a schedule, and not leaving homework for the last minute have helped her academically. She added, “I always manage to keep my work stress free, and I always try to do my work before I attend any social activities, so it allows me to focus on my social and academic life to create a balance.”

The importance of positive habits

Are you currently under a lot of stress right now? This stress can come from variety of sources:  from your struggling in class, your grades going down, relationships falling apart, going to college, or just your current life in general.

There are many effective techniques that top students use to deal with stress. The BEST way is learning how to develop positive habits.  Melody Espinoza said, “For school, I always use YouTube if I don’t understand a lesson, especially math. I always try to find tools to help me, so I can feel prepared for class.”

Emmanuel Garit says, “When school becomes stressful, I love to play basketball. Going out into my backyard to play for a bit helps me clear my mind and focus on my work. I try to breathe and stay calm, completing the work without considering time as a factor.”

Stephanie Silva stated, “When I have academic stress, I try to take deep breaths and stay organized. I write down what I have to get done in my agenda and try to stay on task, trying only my best.”

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?

• Attending all your classes can help you be on task.

• Managing your time wisely has been shown to improve grades

• Taking breaks from studying every ninety minutes can improve focus and attention [Via: Academic Success Center]

• Students who study smart find themselves spending less time on studying, all while having good grades!

• Talking to your counselor on how to improve academics, can help you

• Reaching out to your CAP (College Counselor), can help you get an idea of how your life will be after high school