It’s time for a wakeup call; gone are the long summer days and workless nights. It may feel like school has just started but it’s already halfway through the first quarter. With the stress of sports, clubs and looking for colleges, students had to factor in time for their schoolwork because interim grades were due by Oct. 4.

The familiar voice of Dean of Students Hassan Mims called students’ homes to remind parents that all students would receive their interim grades on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Interim grades aren’t final; they are meant to show how students are progressing in their classes. Interim grades aren’t a shock for most students, but for some it’s a helpful motivator to improve their class grades.

“I have no problems managing my time with football because I’ve done it for four years, but I have bad study habits that cause me to get poor grades in Spanish,” senior Ian Griffin said.

Most students were content with their grades, happy to see that their work was paying off with good grades.

“I’m pretty pleased with it,” said sophomore Madeline de Mello. “I did a little better than I thought I would and I hope to do as well at the end of the quarter.”

For others, interims were a reminder that the quarter’s already half over and it’s time to get themselves together.

“My grades were less than expected, but I plan on getting my focus on school to get my grades up,” said junior Ahmad Haj-Assaad.

Interims only mark the halfway point in the quarter, and there are still three weeks remaining before report cards come out. Interims are a useful way to let students know their standings in each class, and give all students plenty of time to improve or maintain their grades before second quarter.