This is easier than you think! You do have to work at it, though. It doesn't matter what your normal grades are (unless you're already an A student) you can improve through these simple steps.
Steps
take notes of everything. For most courses in high school and junior college, most of what is on the tests and homework will be discussed in the class. If your teacher draws a diagram on the board, copy that down - it can help you remember the information. Don't just copy what they write on the board, either: take extensive notes on everything.
Calculate how much of your grade a project is worth. prioritize. You won't get a high score if you don't aim for one.
homework comes first over everything else: set yourself goals and make sure you reach them before you go out and party. Social life is important too, but make sure your work comes first.
With homework, don't travel into unknown territory, use your notes to answer what the teacher is asking for: if you see something that you're not sure is true, or that you're not sure your teacher will agree with, don't say it. Do it correctly, checking to make sure you have no mistakes, and you can't mess up. Look over your homework in detail at least once before you turn it in, and if you're uncertain about something ask your teacher!
With tests, take the notes and make a study guide. Look in the textbook and add anything not in your notes, do not omit anything. Then make someone test you on the study guide, sing the question and answer, whatever. Use memory tricks. If you know it all, then make yourself do an essay on tricky stuff, like really understanding the thing. In the essay, write: know how to understand _____. Then do a problem with _____, or two problems, not omiting anything of any type. Make sure you did it right. Ask your teacher if you can do an essay or extra sheet of problems for extra credit. If she says yes, hand it in the next day. If she hands it back before the test, you'll see your mistakes and be able to fix them
when taking tests, relax. if you're fidgety, or worried that you'll fail the test, you're sure to get a low score.
Remember the most important advice to get good grades is very simple; do well on tests and quizzes to get yourself a a or a-. Do your homework and do what your teacher says, and the chances are fairly good that you'll get an a+. Don't stress yourself. Act cool and calm.
write good legible notes. Colored pens are fun to write with if you want to get more creative with your notes, but use them only for sections of your notes that you feel will be on a test or that are important. It makes them stand out. Use highlighters if there's something you need to find easily flipping through your notes, but don't highlight too much text or it destroys the point.
Making your notes fun to read will make them much easier to understand when you go back to look!
Watch to determine how your teachers teach, use the same method to learn the information. If they write on the blackboard, take notes; if they lecture, listen hard or record the lecture to listen to multiple times. This sounds simple, but many will find it hard to stay focused for an entire class period. Here is where the hard work comes in - staying focused.
Try to do your homework immediately after school. time management is essential. If you're given an assignment that's due next week, don't procrastinate; get started the same day you get the assignment (see more about this in tips).
Note that teachers want you to give them back what they gave you. So give it to them! By now you have learned how the teacher is giving you the information and you have had plenty of time to sink it in. Give it back to the teacher. Do this by using the knowledge they've taught you and apply it to your homework, tests, and projects.
always do your homework! this can't be stressed enough. It's so easy to forget or to just put it off. Get a calender system for your computer to remind you a few days before the homework is due. If you have trouble remembering it, use a notebook to write it down everyday, right after the teacher assigns it. Homework counts for a large portion of your grade. If your teacher has any extra credit assignments, do them! It won't hurt if you try it out. Even if you get some wrong, have confidence that your teachers will still give you some points back.
Stay organized. A lot of people say this but it really does help. Organizing your locker helps you remember to bring your supplies to class and to your house to do your homework or studying. Organizing your notes will make them much easier to understand later on. Also keep your desk/study space tidy, and make sure you have a clean, quiet place to study and do homework that is withdrawn from the main part of the house and from noise.
Review your notes every night, so when the big test comes, remembering what you learned is a snap.
Get good sleep. You need sleep in order to stay focused and with out it you will have a hard time staying on task and you will forget what you just learned . So get lots of sleep and always eat a good breakfast. The breakfast will help you stay focused along with the sleep.
Tips
- ALWAYS do extra credit. It can save your grade if you fall short on homework or tests, and even if you did well it will help your GPA later on.
- Ask lots of questions in class! This will clear up anything you're unsure on and possibly give you new information to spice up a paper, and participating actively in class can actually raise your grade!
- In math if you see a problem you don't know how to do, or didn't understand, write it down and look it up when you get home. When the test comes around those problems will be very useful.
- Organize your work area. Make sure everything is neat and you can find it easily. As any college student will tell you, working in an untidy environment will only lead to distraction. Make sure you have all of the supplies you need for class.
- Don't be ashamed of being smart or needing a tutor. Tons of smart kids get picked on, but being smart always pays off in the end. Also, don't be afraid to get a tutor because it doesn't mean you aren't smart. It just means you need a little help and that you are learning at a right pace for you, which is perfectly okay. Some teachers will even recommend tutors and add to your grade for getting tutoring: if they do this, be sure to get the tutoring! A couple extra points to your grade can never hurt.
- It's not about how long you study, its about how well you study. Skimming a book for five hours doesn't help as much as reading your notes and the book for two hours.
- Stay focused on the goal.
- When taking tests, you have to relax. Easier said than done? Remember - you have all of the answers in your head already! The only challenge is getting them out! Your first instinct is nearly always correct. Don't go back and change answers. If you are really not sure, skip it and come back later.
- If your uncertain about the wording of a rest question, go and ask the teacher what they mean! As long as you don't flat out ask for the answer to a question, just what they meant by the question, they will usually answer.
- Use your time wisely. If you are given an hour to complete a 120 question test, that's 30 seconds per question. 30 seconds can be made into a lot of time. Many of the questions will take far less than 30 seconds, so apply the balance to a tougher question. Don't think too deeply on the time, and don't let yourself get distracted by the ticking of the clock.
- If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask the teacher! You have the right to learn. Plus, they'll be happy to help you. Also remember that you're smart if you ask questions.
- Do not procrastinate. Don't do a project the night before or on the morning of. If it seems like a huge project, then break it into little steps and do a couple per day. Or, find a partner to work with, if your teacher allows it, and split the work between you two.
- Don't cram right before a test. Study well in advance. This will allow you the luxury of breaks between study sessions and to study with friends once in awhile.
- Study with a friend as much as possible. Plan a weekend study session, or weekday sessions and help each other. This tends to work best when you are in the same class and not just with the same teacher - one class can be further ahead than the other.
- Look to the future, and make sure you see what the benefits of actually studying are.
- Sometimes it helps if you reward yourself. if you've gotten good grades, take a day off of studying. Just don't slacken too much.
- Having small goals also helps. Your goals should climb to improvement: a C+ to a B-, a B- to a B+, a B+ to an A-, and finally an A. Aiming for an A right away leaves you feeling unrewarded and makes your goal seem unreachable.
- Read from the text book (if you have one). There are sometimes things in there that the teacher didn't mention or you didn't hear.
- Always follow instructions on assignments, tests, math problems, etc.! It may not seem neccessary sometimes, but reading the instructions beforehand is crucial.
- Set a study schedule. May seem overrated but it actually works. Give yourself 15-20 minutes to wind if you feel stressed from school, unless you can stay in *school mode* right after you get home. Do not save your homework for 9 p.m.
- Remove all distractions. Although it may be okay to listen to music or leave the TV on while doing simple work, it is best to be in a quiet enviroment, preferably alone. Make sure you have plenty of space and good lighting.
- For new college students coming out of high school, it helps to not become overwhelmed. The work is not any more difficult, there's just more of it. Break large assignments down into subcomponents, divide and conquer.
- Keep a small notepad or even loose paper will do. Write down any and all assignments, due dates, and have a check box next to each one. If it helps, break things down into as many smaller components as possible. Instead of taking on large tasks, the more things you can accomplish and check off, the more refreshed you will be and you will maintain a better outlook toward the assignments.
- Rely on good sources. A bad source might give you inappropriate information and the information might be wrong.
- Study even if you do not have a test until a week or so, if you study a night before you will be nervous and not do close to as good. Study your notes and vocabulary also because you never know what will be on the test.
Warnings
- You may have to cut down on social habits and partying in order to succeed. The best students know how to say, "No, I can't hang out because I have to study." Some friends might tease you, but your real friends will understand.
- Do not compromise your future with any one. There will always come a time in your life where you will face should I or shouldn't I.
- Try to avoid using "rote memorization." That is where you repeat something over and over again until it finally sticks in your brain after the 100th time. It is the worst and most inefficient method of memorization. Instead, search for and read about memory tricks such as The Link Memory System, Method of Loci, or acrostics.
- Even if it is not your turn to work on a group project, or a component thereof, make sure you have a backup plan. This is simply because you cannot depend on other people. Many people at two-year colleges especially are plain lazy and will drag your grade down with their minimalist attitudes if you rely on them to do their part. If possible, avoid working in groups larger than two people.
- Always ensure completion of assignments at least seven days prior to the due date, if possible. This will create a buffer in case of absence, poor communication, illness, family emergency, etc. Have an alternate way to get in touch with the professor and members of your project group, such as e-mail addresses and telephone numbers.
- Don't be afraid to be great. Don't worry if people think you are a perfectionist or an overachiever. Be persistent with your work while everyone else is screwing around in class. In four years you will more than likely never see these people again, but you will see the C's and D's on your transcript that could have been A's and B's.
- Study groups are a good mental reinforcement, and it is helpful to exchange knowledge and information. Do not, however, get lazy and subdivide all the homework assignments ("You do problems 1 through 5, you get 6 through 10, I will do 11 through 15..."). Remember that you cannot collaborate on exams and the deficiency your understanding will resurface when exam time comes.
- When you come home from school don't use the cell phone or go on the computer, or watch T.V. get straight to the books.
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