Almost every highschool student can agree on one thing: they want a high GPA. Personally, this is something I greatly focus on. I definitely would not say my GPA is the best, but I know I worked hard to achieve it.
In order for me to obtain my GPA, I focused on taking classes that are weighted and knew I would succeed in. For example, my French classes are college courses, so my school weights the grade. I knew from an introductory course that I like French and was interested in the culture. It is a good mix between my passion to learn it, and my ability to understand the curriculum allowed me to succeed in the class. Ending senior year of high school not only do I have 6 college credits for the university I plan to attend, but my gpa also benefited from the class. However, this strategy did not always end up working for me. Junior year I skipped an intro physics class and went straight into AP Physics 1. I thought since I was good at science and it was an AP class that my GPA will not be affected. Unfortunately, the workload became too much and my final grade ended up doing more harm than good for my GPA. That experience made me realize that balance in life is key.

This motto also extends to my studying practices. Between work, school, friends, and personal matters, finding a balance improved these parts of my life. I always overwhelmingly felt like I never had time to study, and it was starting to show in my grades. I decided in order to maintain my GPA I had to manage my time better. Although I still have yet to perfect this, allocating a specific time in my day to study benefitted my GPA.

Additionally, it is also important to find the most effective way to study. For me it even depends on what class I am studying. With math I like to sit down with a friend and work out problems, so if one of us gets stuck then the other can help. Or with history, flashcards help me memorize dates of wars and facts about the presidents. Even if I did not have much time to study, I could do it the most efficient way. I think everyone has different needs in order to perform at their best. What works for me might not work for others.

Leading me to my final point, comparing oneself to others does not help. This is especially hard to do in the technological age society is currently in. When I start comparing myself to others it tends to lead me into an unmotivated space. All of a sudden while being upset my GPA is not as good as a random stranger online, it also causes my GPA to go down from being demotivated.
At the end of the day it is important to remember that everyone has a different road in life, it may not be made of yellow bricks but still ends at the emerald city.