🚀 Hey, Fiveable fam! Strap in as we launch into this week's essential study tips, current events, and inspiring stories. 📚

📲 Content Corner

A weekly roundup of the best study hacks, tools, and insights to boost your academic game.

🤯 Physicist Bryan Cox lays out the rules of quantum mechanics in just 60 seconds!

🧬 AP Bio teacher shares his go-to study options that he gives students to help study before an exam.

🤓 3 quick learning tips that don’t take a lot of effort, but can pay big dividends in your studies.

📖 APUSH students! Check out this fascinating story behind the first American celebrity – George Whitefield.

💸 This student who got paid to go to college with scholarships shares a quick-guide on how to find (and win) them!

📣 Homeroom Headlines

Teens Innovate with $12.5M Brain Health Startup, Vytal.ai 🤖

High school students Rohan Kalahasty and Sai Mattapalli co-founded Vytal, a startup aimed at harnessing eye-tracking technology to detect early signs of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Using simple and affordable methods, they're turning everyday devices like laptops and smartphones into tools for rapid biometric calculations and eye tracking—all from the comfort of one's home.

What this means for students: Kalahasty and Mattapalli’s journey showcases the potential of young innovators to have a big impact in the real world. Their dedication to technology underscores the power of teamwork and the value of transforming academic research into tangible solutions.

They highlight the power of collaboration, real-world implementation of academic research, and the ability to pivot based on feedback and a deeper understanding of market needs.

Their achievements serve as a powerful reminder that age doesn't limit one's ability to address significant challenges innovatively.

Deep Dive: Reevaluating the Role of Grades in American Education 🧑‍🏫

A deep look into the evolution and implications of the grading system in American schools reveals a complex history. Grades serve dual roles: as immediate feedback tools and as long-term evaluative records.

However, their dominance and focus have increasingly shifted away from genuine learning. Teachers, faced with large classes, struggle to provide meaningful feedback, and students, recognizing the long-term stakes, often prioritize grade attainment over deep understanding.

What this means for students: Currently, grades try to take on too many roles, leading to distorted incentives that push students to focus on grades over learning.

Moving forward, redefining grading systems to adequately serve short-term and long-term needs could help restore grades as useful feedback tools. Even within the current system, students can take control by pursuing education for its own sake.

That’s part of our mission at Fiveable – to facilitate real learning, while supporting students achieve their academic goals, too.

Pandemic-Era High School Grads Show Resilience in College, But Support is Needed for Completion 🤝

Three years post-pandemic, higher education students display strong persistence, with rates comparable to pre-COVID-19 levels. Despite this, enrollment remains below pre-pandemic figures, and a disparity in persistence exists across states.

Experts suggest that to bridge the gap, there's a need for better alignment between high school courses and college requirements.

To tackle this challenge, 11 states launched the Complete College Accelerator, aiming to share best practices for college persistence, particularly for marginalized groups.

What this means for students: While the resilience of recent high school graduates is evident, the journey to complete college remains challenging, especially for first-generation, low-income, and minority students.

As states work on initiatives to better support students' transitions from high school to college, students can benefit from actively seeking guidance and taking advantage of resources that can assist in navigating their college careers.

This includes utilizing dual-credit programs and seeking holistic counseling to ensure successful college completion.

😌 The Wellness Workshop

Feeling stressed out already this semester?

You’re not alone.

• 45% of high school students admit to being stressed almost every day in school. (Is that all? 😅)

• 61% of teenagers feel stress over producing satisfactory grades.

Yikes.

Fortunately, we discovered a unique, science-backed way to reduce stress that you may not have heard of before.

It’s called Yoga Nidra, and before you write it off, check this out:

In this 3-month study, researchers monitored participants’ stress, anxiety, and depression levels in 3 groups:

• Folks who tried meditating

• Folks who tried yoga nidra

• Folks who tried nothing

You’ve probably heard all about the proven benefits of meditation.

But surprisingly, they were equally beneficial for reducing stress…

And Yoga Nidra was more effective for helping to reduce anxiety. 🤯

Best of all? It doesn’t involve any fancy poses — you literally just lie down and relax.

If you’re keen to check it out, here’s a quick 15 minute guided audio to help melt the stress away.

P.S. If you try this out, did it work for you? Reply to this email and let us know!

⭐ Student Spotlight

This week's student spotlight goes to Chelmsford High School’s inspiring Junior trio in Massachusetts: Jennifer Yu, Sofia Trottier, and Emma Kelley!

Determined to create a supportive space for all, these three changemakers launched the Body Positive Alliance (BPA): 

A club dedicated to celebrating body positivity, raising awareness about body image issues, and fostering inclusivity for all.

Using their Instagram platform @chelmsford_bpa, they've effectively raised awareness about critical statistics regarding eating disorders, emphasizing the importance of support.

Bravo to Jennifer, Sofia, and Emma for bringing a crucial conversation to the spotlight and offering their peers a haven of hope and empowerment. 🌈❤️

Got an inspiring student story from your school or community?

Hit reply and tell their story — we'd love to spotlight them in future editions!

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🌟 Until next time, Fiveable fam! Keep shining and see you soon! 🌟