Tools for Success

Improve My High School Study Skills

Tools for Success

If you think you can do well in school, you’re right. If you don’t think you can do well in school, you’re still right, but at Brunswick High we have help for you because we know that it is not a matter of brains, it’s a matter of attitude. You can get better grades with less effort, less pressure, and less anxiety if you follow this guide carefully. Study smart, not hard. An example would be: if two people were given the task to cut down a tree, one takes a chainsaw; he works smart. The other student takes an ax; he’s going to work harder. Both got the job done. Which student do you want to be?

Let’s agree you’re going to work smart. Learn to use the right tool to get better grades:

Brain: Learning can be fun and it’s what you do best. You began to learn when you were a baby. Believe in yourself. Set priorities. Learning should be fun and #1.

Creativity: The ways to learn are endless. Use your imagination to make your study time something to look forward to.

Goals: Your reach should exceed your grasp. Make yourself stretch. Write your goals. Make your goals specific. State your goals in all areas of your life, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, family, social, money. Put your goals in time frames. Keep score. Let your goals belong to you alone.

Exercise: Your body and your mind.

Choices: Choose classes and activities that you like when you get the opportunity.

Knowledge: Get to know and enjoy your teachers.

Speed: The first two weeks of school give everything you’ve got. Maintain a reasonable pace and the rest will fall into place. Use spare time well.

Memory: Learn to train your memory by practicing acronyms, rhyming, linking ideas, using key words, and preparing pneumonic devices.

Reading Power: Underline important ideas, take notes while reading, and review your underlined material.

Study Time: Study according to your biological clock. Determine when you study best then take advantage of it. Study in short sessions. Study actively with pencil in hand. Review material. Study alone and in groups. Find the right environment to study.

Organization: Bring pen, pencil, and marker to every class. Cover all books neatly. Have one notebook for each class. 3 ring binders work well as you can move materials when needed. Use an assignment notebook as provided by the high school or tape an assignment sheet to each notebook, use it. For some, keeping assignments in their phone can also work along with reminders. Keep your locker organized. Have a book bag or two. One for each school color day. Take notes with a purpose. Short notes using key words. Mark assignments, long term projects, and test dates on a desk calendar as well as in your assignment notebook. Revise your notes when studying. Organize and pull your material together in the evening. Use a milk crate at home to organize your school work into hanging file folders so that it will be available to you during mid-terms and final exams. Save all homework, quizzes and test papers dated during the year and placed by subject into your milk crate. Throw nothing away until the semester or school year ends.

Attendance: Don’t miss class, listen carefully, sit close to the front, be visible, be early, leave late, speak to the teacher. If you should miss class, borrow someone else’s notes. Participate, stay alert, and have a great attitude.

Perfect Papers: Written work is a game of comparison between papers. Write on front side of paper only, leave margins, name and date in top right hand corner. Skip lines between sections. Always have someone double check your papers. The appearance of your papers does make a difference. Use a computer whenever possible.

Homework: Student achievement rises significantly when teachers regularly assign homework and students conscientiously do it. Homework is most useful when teachers carefully prepare the assignment, thoroughly explain it, and give prompt comments and criticism. The way you do your homework will greatly influence the way you learn. Adjust the way you study by: the demand of the material and the teacher, the amount of time available. Do not cram, connect new material to things you already know, break large tasks into smaller parts, and pass all work in on time.

Testing: Know what the test will cover and study the right things. Answer study questions at the end of each chapter. Quiz with a partner. Be prepared not nervous. Be physically comfortable. Look over the whole test before beginning. Read the directions carefully. Put answers in the right places. Budget your time, but don’t watch the clock. Answer the questions you know first. If you don’t know the answer, try eliminating before you guess. Leave the question and go back to it at the end of the test. Don’t become anxious about what you don’t know answer what you do know. Go back over your test. Learn from your mistakes.

Relax: Relax during class and tests. The brain records all information. If you relax you can find what you need. Relaxation after mental and physical exercise increases your mental preparation. Avoid harmful substances. Let someone know if you are feeling anxious. There is help: friends parents, teachers, counselors, administration are all willing to support and assist you.

Reward: reward yourself after studying and doing a good job on your homework. Always use positive self talk.

Responsibility: If you perceive yourself as being in control of your own destiny you will be responsible for your own learning and you will be motivated to continue learning new skills. Don’t blame your teachers. Your grades are your paycheck. You get what you work for.

Successful High School Students Do These 10 Things

Success in high school isn’t easy to quantify. Is it earning a 4.0 GPA? Getting elected class president? Simply being happy and generally successful? Success might look different for every student, but the tools for achieving it are generally the same.

In this post, we outline ten things that successful high school students do to maximize their learning opportunities and prepare for the future. Doing these ten things will not only help you to become a successful high school student, but a successful college student as well. Lay the foundation now for the mindset and work habits necessary in college and you’ll not only optimize your high school years but also hit the ground running when you graduate.

Want to learn what many successful high school students already know? Check out these ten things successful high school students do.

1. Set Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Goal setting is a skill that develops over time. In fact, it can even be described as an art. To become a successful goal setter, you’ll need to get to know your own work habits and motivators. Setting unrealistic goals gets discouraging quickly.

Instead, set realistic long-term goals and work backwards from those to set smaller short-term goals to act as stepping stones. Then, make a plan to achieve these goals. Break your work down into manageable chunks and find a way to hold yourself accountable. Sometimes it can even help to coordinate with a group of peers so that you can help to hold one another accountable too.

For example, if you want to study for the Human Geography AP exam, you should set some smaller goals to help prepare for it. By setting a deadline for ordering study books, joining online study programs, and completing tutorials, you break the big task down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

2. Master Time Management

In order to optimize your performance across multiple aspects of your life, you’ll need to develop strong time management skills. This means making and sticking to study schedules, developing systems of organization that work well for you, and learning the art of multitasking.

3. Select a Balanced Course Load

Many students struggle with finding balance. If you commit to the most challenging track of classes and then load up on uber-challenging electives on top of it, you might overextended yourself, and your grades could suffer. On the other hand, if you don’t take on a course load that is challenging enough, you might feel bored, or find yourself with limited options when it comes time to apply to colleges.

Early in your high school career, try to identify the right balance in course load for you. Freshman year is a great time to experiment with different levels of challenge and different subjects to figure out what works best for you personally. Try to take the most challenging level of core subjects that won’t overwhelm you and then balance it out by selecting electives that truly interest you.

4. Be Active Outside the Classroom

Successful high school students don’t disappear outside the walls of their classroom. They are also engaged members of their community. Get involved with issues that impact your student experience. Educate yourself about the issues facing your community and learn to use your voice productively so that people will listen to your ideas.

Successful high school students are ones that are capable of speaking up and effecting change in a positive way..

5. Participate in Class

You might think that this one goes without saying, but many students seem to think that if they study and achieve high grades, their participation will be a secondary factor. Successful students know, though, that class participation is a means towards the end. Students who participate in class are more engaged in their learning and are better able to encode information in their memories, since thoughtful questions and consideration lend context to new information. In addition, participating in class shows your teachers that you’re listening and thinking about the material that’s being presented. Teachers are more likely to think of you as a dedicated student when you participate regularly in class discussions

6. Take Good Care of Yourself

Sometimes, when you are committed to being a strong student, a dedicated participant in outside activities, and a model of effective prep for standardized tests, you might forget that you also need to be committed to yourself.

Getting enough sleep, eating well, and taking good mental care of yourself are all necessary to success. When any one of these fall by the wayside, you are unable to perform at the peak of your ability no matter how prepared you are otherwise. Put yourself first to ensure that you’re capable of following through on the rest of your commitments.

7. Find Your Passions

High school isn’t just a time to prove your intellect and capability of tackling college level work. You should also think of it as a unique opportunity to figure out what makes you tick. Students who can identify their passions and pursue them are more engaged and motivated to succeed. Experiment with different extracurriculars and pursue the activities that truly interest and fascinate you. You can’t fake passion and your authentic motivation to pursue these activities will shine through and could even lead to a future college major or career

8. Learn to Say No

Academics aren’t the only area in which you risk overcommitting yourself. Dedicated students and active members of the school community also risk overextending themselves in activities and outside commitments. Of course you’d like to chair the homecoming committee. Running a fundraiser for the food pantry is right up your alley, and tutoring your friend for the Spanish AP exam just seems like the right thing to do. If you do all of these things, though, will your other commitments suffer?

Successful students know how to say no in a way that is both graceful and humble. Saying something along the lines of “Thanks so much for thinking of me, but I don’t think I have the time to do justice to such an important role right now. Please do check in again, though,” lets people know that you appreciate the opportunity and might be available sometime in the future.

9. Earn Leadership Roles

What’s more impressive than playing on four varsity sports teams? Many admissions committees would argue that they’d rather see you advance in one sport from JV to team captain over the course of four years, or even to team manager if you don’t make varsity. This advancement into a leadership role shows that you are a dedicated hard worker who is respected by your peers.

The same can be said for other activities, too. Instead of spreading yourself thin and participating in many activities, try to focus on a few and advance to leadership roles. Successful students know that this focus and determination sets you apart more than simply a commitment to attend many weekly meetings.

10. Build and Use a Support Network

You might think that juggling all this by yourself is the marker of true strength and independence, but successful students are those who know how to use the resources available. Build strong relationships with teachers and peers, establish connections with learning resources like the writer’s center or study hall teachers, and connect with mentors to ensure that you have a support system in place, even if you never use it.

Further, don’t hesitate to reach out to the appropriate resource should you need a hand. Don’t wait until you’re drowning to call for help; instead let others know when you’re worried or confused and let them help you out before it gets over your head.

Article from “collegevine”

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