Bottom line on your GPA is that it counts for all four years of high school. You can put off paying attention to it until you’re a senior, but the GPA that will be mailed to prospective colleges will still reflect the average of all of your classes throughout your entire high school career—not just the stellar grades you pull off as a senior.

-  Pay attention to grades from day one of freshman year.

- If you’re having difficulty with a particular subject, ask to meet with the teacher. Ignoring the problem makes it get worse, not disappear.

- If you’re having a problem getting along with or learning from a particular teacher, the best solution is to talk with the teacher. However, this may be easier said than done. The next best thing may be to talk with your counselor and parents about how to approach the issue.

- Understand what you can do for extra credit to boost your grade.

- Midterm grades indicate problems that you still have time to rectify.