We all know and love the Montgomery County Public Schools 50 percent rule because you can literally do the bare minimum and still get by in the class. But the harsh reality is when you get to college you only have two options, pass or fail. That’s it. So how much is this rule really helping you?

In college you can’t turn something in late and just shrug it off and have the 50 percent rule to lean on. If you don’t start taking that into account, then you’re going to have a tough time in college. As a freshman or sophomore in high school, it may seem like just a problem for the upperclassmen, but the reality is if you don’t start taking it seriously as early as freshman year; you’re never going to learn. 

By depending on the 50 percent rule, you’re not putting your best efforts into  your assignments.  All you’re doing is building a very bad habit that’s only going to get worse as you get older.

I know so many alumni who went to college and wished they took things seriously in high school. But in their minds, change only happens after high school. So the same behavior they learned because of the MCPS policy became the something that hindered them in college. And when they took their first midterm test and failed, they realized something important: you can’t change overnight.

Trying to change a habit after so many years is difficult, so listen to your teachers when they plead with us to turn things in ON TIME, because they know first hand what it’s like to be in college. The tough love we’re experiencing now is exactly what we need to get through college. Because life will hit you like a truck and this rule is doing nothing but putting up a fake facade for what is yet to come. 

All those moment in class when we wondered  “When am I actually going to need this?” Well, this is one of those things we’re going to need. Learning to manage your time, prioritizing your assignments, and relying on yourself and what you know to take you far in life. 

So, take it from a senior that has overcome early-onset senioritis: when you actually take each assignment seriously and treat them like their going to make or break your grade, I guarantee it will help later on in life.