to get an A in high school by doing any number of mindless extra credit projects, like cleaning the whiteboard or watching a Disney movie.
And one grade below a B means not making the cut? That is harsh. Could be a teacher student personality conflict, missed assignment due to illness, or lack of interest in a required course. One C is an anomoly and should be discounted.(speaking as someone who got a C in a HS math class but did just fine at BYU and graduate school afterwards).