Do you have your eyes set on a college yet?
Or wishing for a scholarship to help you get through those expensive colleges?
Or you are tired of working hard but not getting the grades that you think you deserve?
Well, worry no more! We have excellent tips for you that will not only help you achieve better grades but also aid you to remain organized as well as enable you to work smart, not hard.
Step 1: Find out what motivates you?
Are your aims set on attending a prestigious university? Need to do well in a specific class? Or maybe you feel that you perform better in competitive situations. Think about all the factors that help you perform better academically and set realistic goals that are attainable if you work hard enough for them.
Academic goals can vary from student to student, set goals that you think will help you perform better academically like making sure you go through what your teacher taught in their class that day, finishing assignments as they are assigned and not procrastinating, strive to get As in every class or setting a grade point and aiming to secure higher grades than this point.
You can even ask your teacher for extra credit assignments that will help keep your grades above average. Most high schools have their own grade calculators in their official school websites; you can use these grade calculators to speculate your future grades and set your goals accordingly.
Rewarding yourselves for meeting goals can act as positive reinforcement. Say, if you stay by your set goals for a month and see that it is already improving your grades, you can reward yourself by buying something or go out for eating with your friends to some posh place.
You can even get your parents involved, they can help you stay motivated, keep tabs so that you don’t get off the track as well as act as accountability partners who will reward you for achieving your goals and academic success.
There might be times when you may encounter challenges like a particularly difficult assignment or a low quiz grade or you might not even like the teacher of a specific subject, but remember to stay committed. Instead of letting go and having a pity party when things go bad, plan a routine for overcoming the setbacks in the future and take action.
Step 2: Staying Organized
Staying organized is a crucial part of achieving success, especially academic. You can do well by keeping up with your coursework and not leave your exam preparations till the last minute.
Remember Cramming at the last minute is not learning! It’s highly likely that you will forget the stuff that you crammed only a couple of days after your exam. So try to keep on track and study every subject as its being taught.
You can manage your time efficiently and effectively by getting a physical or digital calendar. Calendars will help you set timelines for goals you want to achieve, due dates for assignments and be sure to mark down the dates for tests or quizzes scheduled by your teachers.
Extracurricular activities and socializing is a vital part of the healthy academic routine, make sure to leave space in your calendar for these activities as well.
Try to keep your study space neat and clean. This will not only help you to stay organized but help you concentrates as well and make it easier for you to find textbooks and important notes. It is best if you organize your class notes according to subject and date wise, this will help you readily retrieve data that you need.
Step 3: Work towards developing Better and Effective Study Routine
A good and effective routine always ensures success. By developing good study habits, you can not only improve your high school grades but these habits will also help you succeed in college and beyond. Practice these basic, easy tips and watch your grades improve:
- Try to attend all of your classes, only skip lectures only if it is absolutely necessary
- Complete assignments and reading tasks assigned in advance
- Review notes, and readings before each class list down topics or questions that you have and ask the teacher to explain
- If assigned with a large project, try tackling it by dividing the tasks into manageable increments
- Give yourself plenty of study time and avoid cramming right before tests or exams
- Be original! Do your own research and work for an assignment or project, do not copy of ideas of other students
- Always start by covering difficult topics and subjects, so that you don’t put them off till the end
- Work smart, not hard! Don’t waste your time, be calculated and approach each topic with a positive attitude
- Study in short periods and take small breaks in between. This will help you retain information better and keep you energized for prolonged study hours
- Before starting to study, make sure you have all your necessary things like books, stationery, water bottle, etc.
- Lightning is important! Make sure your study zone is well lit, and you don’t strain your eyes
- Establish some ground rules for people living with you, roommates, siblings, and even parents. Make sure they don’t disturb you when you are studying
- Make some rules for yourself as well! Remove any distractions like cell phones, TV, books that you think might distract you from your study goals
- Choose to study offline, or research beforehand and turn off your laptop before studying. There are many distractions online that are usually just a click away
- Use a grade calculator and forecast the grades you will achieve with your current performance, analyze the results and work towards setting up a routine for achieving better academic results
In the end, you should realize that persistence is key! You will only succeed if you stay true to yourself, work hard and stay on your goals!
Reference:
https://www.mydegreeguide.com/ how-to-study-tips/