Layout by: Mark Louie Pocot
Published by: Rich Antonette Pescasiosa
Date published: July 3, 2025
Time published: 8:32 AM
Straight-A student. Academic achiever. Consistent honor roll. These are terms that could not have described Alex Dunphy any better. As one of the standout characters in Modern Family—a sitcom with 11 seasons that has garnered multiple awards, including 22 Emmys, a Golden Globe, and three Critics' Choice Television Awards—Alex made a lasting impression not just with her witty personality but also with her remarkable persona as a model student.
Ever since she was little, Alex has been the “bright” one in the family. While her siblings, Haley and Luke, were busy—Haley with being the popular girl and Luke, well, let’s just say exploring things—Alex found herself buried in books. Hence, it didn’t come as a surprise that she became a cut above the rest.
With her focus and intelligence, the fruit of Alex’s hard work was a long list of accomplishments, like being valedictorian in high school and getting into a prestigious university. However, with characters like her portrayed as nothing less than brilliant, people are bound to ask, more specifically, the question of “how do they do it?”
The thing is, Alex, even though she’s already smart as it is, practices habits that help secure her spot among the top students. And these might just be the code to claiming academic success. These might just be the answer that people are looking for. So, if you’re curious to figure out her secrets on acing her report cards, especially now that classes are running, then buckle up as we discover some of Alex’s tips on becoming an academic weapon.
TIP NUMBER ONE: READ, READ, READ
"You're never alone when you have books." – Alex Dunphy (Season 2, Episode 3)
Reading is a commonly recognized activity that is often linked to sharpening one’s mind. It’s a crucial skill for a reason. Reading—whether it be books of any genre, magazines, scholarly articles, or other text materials—comes with benefits.
Throughout the episodes of Modern Family, Alex, if not bickering with her siblings, especially Haley, could often be seen spending her time with a book in hand. However, she didn’t just read for the sake of reading. She found a friend in her books. To her, reading is a meaningful and productive activity that can significantly contribute to one’s foundational knowledge. So, she read and read and read. Then the reading did the work.
In fact, there is scientific evidence that supports the idea that reading can make an individual smarter. For instance, Boston Children’s Hospital conducted research and found that reading can generally enhance your brain, including interhemispheric communication, as it can boost the white matter in the corpus callosum, which leads to a faster learning process [1]. Setting aside all those scientific terms, this only tells us one thing: reading works.
Thus, if you’re looking to improve your study game, just like Alex’s, a suitable way is to start with reading. As simple as the saying goes: the more you read, the more you learn.
TIP NUMBER TWO: STUDY ENVIRONMENT MATTERS
"You know what's not real conducive to studying? A hundred nerds crying in every different Asian language! You knew finals were coming, people – calm the hell down!" – Alex Dunphy (Season 8, Episode 21)
Can you imagine studying, or at least trying to study, while a non-ideal remix of noise—people shouting, dogs barking, and the sound of motorcycles’ exhaust pipes seemingly about to burst—plays non-stop in the background, and the place where you’re at looks like anything but appropriate for learning? Most probably not. And this is exactly the reason why you would want to dedicate a place that is actually fit for studying.
No different from any other activity, setting the mood for studying is important, and that’s where the study environment comes in. Having a favorable environment for learning can be advantageous, as it can foster motivation, stress-free study sessions, concentration, and, most importantly, keep your focus. Minimizing distractions that could be a hindrance can play a supportive role while you’re hitting the books. Given that the temptation to scroll on that phone or watch that TV show is pretty much a canon event, a solid way to counter it is by turning it off or going somewhere else entirely.
On top of that, studies have shown that learning environments significantly affect students’ academic performance. Students in good study settings were associated with better learning outcomes compared to those in less ideal environments, who encounter more issues in studying [2].
Then again, let’s be honest—not everyone is able to have their own study area, and there’s nothing wrong with that. All that counts is that you have a place where you can ultimately lock in, where studying is “real conducive,” as Alex might put it, and you’re practically good to go.
TIP NUMBER THREE: KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES
"Really? What’s the difference between a gamete and a zygote? That’s it. I need the internet. I’m out of your stupid contest!" – Alex Dunphy (Season 2, Episode 5)
One word: trade-off. You gain something at the cost of another. When the calendar becomes full and there’s more than one thing to do on your list, it’s quite inevitable to have to make a choice. What comes first, what comes last, what’s most important, and what’s not? It’s all up to you to decide. In this specific scenario, attempting to get things going could be overwhelming. However, if you begin by setting your priorities straight, then there’s one less thing to worry about.
In the Modern Family episode entitled “Unplugged,” Claire and Phil, mom and dad of Alex, Haley, and Luke, challenged their children to a contest on who could stay offline the longest, in which the winner receives a prize—a car for Haley, a chicken pot pie for Luke, and a new computer for Alex. In Alex’s case, winning proved to be difficult as she had no choice but to rely on their outdated encyclopedias for her schoolwork, resulting in a lower score than what she aimed for. Due to this, Alex had to give up winning, claiming that she needed the internet for her studies.
Choosing to go on the internet over getting a new computer mirrors Alex’s priorities: studying and getting good grades. From this, it’s safe to say that prioritizing academics over anything else can be considered as one of the many factors why Alex is brainy.
Moreover, prioritization plays a part in both our studies and our day-to-day lives. This is further explained in an article by Rebekah Pierce, where she stated that “Prioritization is that essential skill that helps us manage our time and resources efficiently by figuring out which tasks or goals matter most. It goes beyond just creating a to-do list; it’s about strategically deciding what needs immediate attention and what can wait” [3].
With that said, knowing and identifying your priorities allows for a fine-tuned routine and planning process, particularly in terms of student experience.
If this is your first encounter with prioritization, then it’s a sign to try it out—it could be your next go-to step in studying.
All in all, Alex Dunphy’s characterization and distinct qualities in the show made room for an opportunity to uncover how achievers like her get and maintain their impressive school records. Although she’s a work of fiction, the tips that can be derived from her role as the smart kid reflect real-world strategies and can be applied beyond the screen.
One thing to take note of, however, is that though Alex made use of the mentioned tips—reading, having a study space, and knowing priorities—she still upheld a value that strengthened her title as an academic weapon, and that is determination. She was driven to get what she wanted. So, with the help of these habits, she did.
This leads us to one thing: becoming an academic weapon primarily relies on whether you take steps to achieve it or not. May it be following one of Alex’s tips, all of it, or completely doing something else, getting hold of those high marks is more likely to happen if you do something rather than nothing. Because the bottom line is, it all starts with you.
REFERENCES:
[1] Kwik, J. (2023, February 25). 10 Brain Reasons To Make Reading a Habit. Medium.
[2] Hendrix, E. (2025, April 18). How your surroundings affect the way you study. UCAS.
[3] Pierce, R. (2023, July 29). 16 Proven Strategies on How to Teach Kids to Set Priorities. Life Skills Advocate.
[4] Gibbs, L., & McCormick, C. (2023, July 19). Modern Family Cast & Character Guide. ScreenRant.
[5] TV Quotes. (n.d.). Alex Quotes - Modern Family - TV Quotes.
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