Tips for Top Grades

Earning good grades in school has always been a concern of both parents and students.  It must be understood that not any two students will process the materials covered in exactly the same way.  What seems easy for some is difficult for others, but all students can, with consistent effort and assistance develop effective study habits.  The grade to be proud of in any class is a grade that is reflective of the student's best effort, whether an A, B, or C grade is earned.  Listed below are some study skills and practices worth trying.

GET CREATIVE

• the ways to learn are endless, try different ways from time to time

• make learning fun, enjoyable, and self-challenging

GOALS

• your reach should exceed your grasp (stretch yourself)

• set attainable or realistic goals

• should be written down, be specific, positive, be in important areas with time frames, and kept track of

EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN

• develop both right (artistic, creative) and left (analytical, precise) hemispheres

• using both sides stimulates better recall and better grades

GET TO KNOW YOUR TEACHERS

• know what expectations are and try to meet them

• demonstrate a "sincere desire to learn" and teachers are more apt to help

GET A JUMP START

• first two weeks of a  semester, give it everything you've got

• get textbooks and supplies before class -- stay one chapter ahead

• early, non-pressured study is less "boring" and a lot less stressful

DEVELOP AND USE YOUR MEMORY

• commit things to memory only when well rested

• study in short bursts (5 minutes) rather than study marathons

• eat well + memory vitamins (C, B1, B3, B6, B12, lecithin, etc)

• read joke books (Gary Larson is fantastic) before going to take an exam

• memory strategies -- acronyms, rhyming, linking ideas, use "key" words to link to words already known

INCREASE READING POWER

• sometimes reading aloud helps stimulate right (visual) and left (verbal) sides of your brain

• read regularly and read different types of things

STUDY ACCORDING TO YOUR BIOLOGICAL CLOCK

• determine whether you're a day or night person -- study accordingly

• use "three minute drill" if you tire while studying (lift up your feet, take some slow deep breaths, and eat something sweet)

MASTER THE ART OF STUDYING

• don't study when exhausted

• study in short sessions

• study actively with pen/pencil in hand

• make your review a "dress rehearsal" for exams

• review material when you begin to forget

BECOME AN EXPERT TEST TAKER

• old tests make the best study guides (use them)

• taking tests is a skill that "must be practiced"

• know what material the test will cover (if in doubt -- ASK!)

• keep track of the time given and use it all

TAKE WORTHWHILE NOTES

• take notes with a purpose, that is, on what you don't know

• take short notes (use study cards)

• don't miss class

• use notes to make up test questions of your own

• review notes as soon as possible after class

• if you don't understand, ASK!

KEY TO PERFECT PAPERS

• never turn in homework late, poorly done, messy, or unedited

• written work is a game of comparison between papers

• always have someone double check your material

• appearance of your works makes a significant difference in how it is viewed by the teacher

ATTENDANCE

• never miss a class if at all possible

• don't be late

• check with study buddy if absence is necessary

STAY MENTALLY, SPIRITUALLY, AND PHYSICALLY FIT

• establish your goals

• follow your plan

• use the gifts you were given at birth

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