Introduction

Many high school students today face challenges in their coursework and even struggle with passing classes. Often, this isn't due to a lack of intelligence or effort, but rather a lack of key skills. These include effective test-taking, consistent homework completion, and focused attention during less engaging lessons. These abilities are crucial not only for academic success in high school but also for future professional life. Think about it: staying attentive in a particularly boring class can be very similar to staying engaged during a long meeting at work. Learning to appear focused, even if the subject isn't very interesting, is a valuable skill.

However, these essential skills are often overlooked in traditional teaching, and students are frequently expected to develop them independently. While many do learn these strategies through trial and error, many others don't acquire what they need to succeed. These skills play a huge role in your academic success. Even Albert Einstein faced difficulties with schooling; he struggled to focus when a teacher talked about something that didn't interest him. To help you learn these extremely necessary and valuable skills, this page provides resources and strategies to improve your test-taking abilities, time management skills, and overall approach to your education. We hope you find these resources helpful!

How to Manage Your Time

Managing your time is one of the most crucial skills you'll develop. It impacts everything from finishing homework to achieving your personal goals. However, it's also one of the hardest skills to truly master.

Long-Term Planning

Long-term planning is one of the most effective ways to manage your time. Using a calendar is a reliable method for achieving this. Whether you prefer a physical planner or a digital one on your device, calendars are incredibly useful. You can buy physical calendars at office supply stores or use many excellent free options online. Google Calendar, for example, is a great digital tool. It lets you set reminders, customize how long events last, and even schedule recurring activities like weekly classes or club meetings.

More Detailed Planning

While calendars are excellent for seeing your big picture, they can't do everything. It's often tough to write a detailed, step-by-step plan for your day on a calendar due to limited space. This is where tools like whiteboards and notebooks (such as composition books or daily planners) become very helpful. Both offer unique benefits.

Whiteboards are often more visually obvious, acting as a constant reminder of your plans. They're also easily erasable, offering the satisfaction of marking things off as you complete them and allowing you to quickly adjust your schedule. However, they have limited space and aren't practical to carry around.

Notebooks, on the other hand, can be taken anywhere. They offer much more space to write detailed plans, letting you schedule out longer periods and keep a history of your past schedules.

Our recommendation? Use both! One of the best parts of these tools is that you don't have to choose just one. Using a combination often provides the most comprehensive way to manage your time.

Other Tips & Tricks

Here's some more general advice to help you manage your time: 

• Schedule in plenty of break time! Taking short breaks helps you stay focused and prevents burnout.

• Plan for unexpected events. If something comes up, it could throw your whole schedule off. Prevent this by scheduling some "empty time" or buffer periods. That way, you have flexibility if something unexpected happens. If nothing does, you've just gained some extra free time!

• Write down commitments immediately. As soon as you agree to something, add it to your calendar or to-do list so you don't forget.

• Check your calendar and to-do list at least once a day. A quick check helps you stay on track and aware of what's coming up.

• Don't panic if, and when, things go wrong. If your plan gets derailed, take a deep breath and adjust. Do what you can, and don't let perfection be the enemy of progress.

How to Study

Studying is one of the most vital, yet often challenging, parts of succeeding in school. By now, you've probably heard countless times how important it is, and we want to emphasize that it is critical, perhaps more than you realize! There's a good reason why everyone stresses its importance. Here, we aim to provide you with the resources needed to study effectively, along with one crucial piece of advice you may not often hear. 

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a popular work method used by many, including famous individuals like actor Tom Hanks. It gets its name from the Italian word for "tomato" simply because the timer used by its inventor looked like one. The technique is quite simple: when you start working, set a timer for 25 minutes. When it rings, take a 5-minute break. Repeat this four times, then take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. This method is designed to boost your productivity and reduce mental fatigue. You can also adjust the times to what works best for you, but these are the most common intervals. An extra step in this technique is called "overlearning": if you finish your task before your 25-minute work segment (or "pomodoro") is over, use the remaining time to review what you've learned, make small improvements, or look ahead at your next tasks.

Of course, like any technique, use common sense. You don't need to finish your pomodoro if your house is on fire! These techniques are meant to help, not stress you out by making you follow them exactly. Being too rigid can sometimes do more harm than good.

Active Recall

Active recall is another powerful tool for remembering information. Unlike many other study methods, you can use this one even when you're reading something for the first time. To use it, simply quiz yourself on what you've learned after you finish a section. Challenge yourself to remember as much information as you can. If you can't recall much, it's a good idea to review that section again. If you remember a lot, that's great! Either way, your brain now recognizes this information is important, and it will work harder to remember it later. 

This tool works even better if you try to answer specific questions about what you've read, rather than just recalling the general idea. Obviously, it's hard to write a question about something you don't remember. Luckily, there are solutions. The most convenient is using questions provided in your materials. Some textbooks and resources include check-in questions within or at the end of each section. Try to answer these, even if just in your head. These questions are often designed specifically to make the most of the active recall technique.

However, many sources don't have these questions, which is where AI can be very helpful. AI sometimes gets a bad reputation in school, and for good reason. There's a big problem with students using AI to write essays (and getting caught, since it's often easy to tell). There are also issues with students not realizing AI use counts as plagiarism, teachers misunderstanding AI, and AI sometimes claiming human-made content as its own. Because of this, we strongly encourage caution when using AI for schoolwork.  

However, using AI for personal studying is completely fine, as long as you don't submit any of its work as your own. In fact, AI can be an extremely useful and powerful tool for studying, especially for active recall. When you finish a section, you can simply copy and paste it into an AI tool and ask it to create questions about the text for you to answer. It really is that easy! Just remember that AI can sometimes make mistakes, so if you use it to check your answers, always double-check its information too! 

Note-Taking

Note-taking is a timeless study tool. It's practically the oldest trick in the book, and frankly, it's still more effective than many newer methods! There are many ways to take notes, and we'll go over a few popular ones here. 

The sentence method is very straightforward. To use it, simply write down each main idea as a complete sentence. This method is helpful when you're first learning to take notes, for taking quick notes on the fly, or when you want to easily turn your notes into a more detailed outline later. You can also use incomplete sentences or short phrases to write faster, as long as you can still understand them when you review later.

The Cornell method is a widely praised and easy-to-use system that's excellent for studying. It's also fairly easy to switch to from the sentence method, as part of the Cornell method actually uses the sentence method itself. To use it, you take notes as you would with the sentence method, but while leaving about a quarter of the page's space empty on the left side and a section empty at the bottom of each page. When you finish taking notes, review them. Write down any key ideas or important words in the empty left column. Then, summarize the main points of your information in the space at the bottom of the page.

There are also many other visually focused methods like the mapping method, the box method, and the charting method. However, most of these are more complex and can sometimes be more distracting than helpful for new note-takers. We'd suggest you consider these advanced methods only after you've had practice with simpler note-taking techniques.

There's often a discussion about whether to use digital or physical notes. Digital notes are usually cleaner, can be easier to write quickly, and make it simpler to use some of the more complex note-taking methods. This might make digital seem like the obvious choice. However, taking notes by hand also has its benefits. For example, you're much less likely to get distracted by other apps or notifications, and you're less likely to draw a teacher's attention if they think you might be goofing off or cheating. Another key benefit of physical note-taking is the physical act of writing itself. The very motion of writing notes helps to reinforce the memories in your brain. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Digital might work better for you, or physical might.

If you don't have time to take notes on a popular book or subject, or if you've misplaced your own notes, you can often find pre-written notes on websites like SparkNotes. SparkNotes is a popular, free website offering pre-written notes on many books and topics commonly taught in school. Just remember, you should never claim these notes as your own, and it will be obvious to any teacher if you try to submit them.

Pre-Tests & Study Guides

Pre-tests and study guides are among the most helpful tools available when you're getting ready for an exam. Pre-tests give you an accurate idea of what to expect on the actual test and study guides go even deeper into the topics that will be covered. There isn't much more to say about these, except that when they are provided they are incredibly useful, and you should use them as much as possible. Pay attention to what is and isn't on the study guide so you don't waste time studying things you don't need to know. Also, try to take the pre-test as if it were the real thing. Don't just grade it and forget about it—take note of what you got wrong and make an effort to study those subjects more!

Flash Cards

Flash cards are another timeless study tool that almost everyone knows about. They're super easy to make yourself, whether physical or digital, and there are endless free sets available online on websites like Quizlet.

Flash cards are incredibly versatile. Using them is simple. The most traditional method involves writing a term on one side and its definition on the other. Then, shuffle the cards, pull one out, and only look at one side. If it's the term, try to say the definition. If it's the definition, try to say the term. It's that straightforward. However, there are many other ways to use flash cards. We've listed a few ideas below, but remember that you can adapt them in countless ways: 

• Term - Definition

• Important Person/Place/Object - Why They are Important

• Date in History - Respective Event

• Word - Synonym/Antonym

Making flash cards is easy. All you need are some index cards, construction paper, or any sturdy piece of paper, and something to write with. That's it! If you prefer digital flash cards, you can go to a website like Quizlet. Creating your own set is free, and there are tons of other free sets created by other students!

Long-Term Learning

Wouldn't it be great if studying could be made even easier? Let's face it, even with all the tools we've just given you, studying will still require effort. But there's one more way to make it more manageable. What if we told you there was a way of learning that even helps with pop quizzes? Well, sort of. We're talking about long-term learning—learning not just to get through a lesson, but to remember it for a lifetime.

A big part of this is your mindset. Your brain listens to what you tell it, directly or indirectly. If you're just trying to get through a lesson, your brain will pick up on that. It might hold onto the information just long enough for you to finish the task, and then, once you've answered all the questions, your brain might just discard that information. After all, if you were just trying to get through it, why hold onto information that feels like a painful reminder of something you endured?

However, if your brain can figure out how the information will be useful to you later beyond just passing a test, it will hold onto that information for much, much longer. We encourage you to ask your teacher or a classmate why a particular topic might be important to learn. Generally, here's why learning the core subjects is important:

• Math: Often seen as the most challenging, Math is also incredibly important. You might use the formulas you learn in school more than you expect. While some specific formulas might not come up again, learning them helps build your "math sense"—your understanding of the world through mathematical concepts. This is much more common than you'd realize and isn't easily measured, so you might have to trust us on this. Plus, the harder math problems you solve, the easier simpler math problems will become when you encounter them in everyday life.

• ELA and English: If you want to be taken seriously in professional settings, you'll need a strong command of the English language. Understanding how English works and how to use it helps you grasp the subtle meanings behind what people say and write, and it empowers you to speak and write more powerfully and clearly yourself.

• History: If humanity has learned (or should have learned) one thing, it's that history often repeats itself. Learning history is vital not just to understand the context of the world today, but also so you can learn from past mistakes and even anticipate what might happen to you, others, or entire countries in the future. As a common saying goes, a wise person learns from their own mistakes, but a wiser person learns from the mistakes of others.

• Science: The reasons why learning science is important are similar to why math is crucial. At first, it seems obvious why you need to know things like ice being frozen water. But as topics get more complex, you might wonder if you'll ever use this information again. We're here to tell you that, even if you don't, your understanding of the world and how it works will have increased dramatically by the time you finish. Think about the difference in understanding between a young child and an adult; a big part of that comes from education, and science is no exception.

Our final thought on long-term learning is this: The most effective way to learn is to enjoy learning. Work hard to find a reason to enjoy what you're studying. If you genuinely enjoy what you're doing, your brain will hold onto information much more clearly and for much longer, and you'll often find the lessons feel much easier.

When You Shouldn't Study!

Now that we've covered how to study, we want to give you a valuable piece of advice about this topic that you're often not told—something quite unexpected, in fact. In some cases, you shouldn't study! Did you ever think you'd read that on a school website? Of course, you should always aim to study, and most of the time, you definitely should. However, there's one type of studying that almost every student has probably done at least once: Cramming.

If you're not familiar, cramming is trying to study as much as you can in a very short period right before a test. Students often stay up late into the night trying to cover entire chapters in just a few hours before an exam. However, this usually works against them, as they end up too tired and stressed the next day to perform well on the test anyway.

Our advice? Don't cram! If you've messed up and forgotten to study until the very night before, first, take a deep breath. Being stressed out doesn't help anyone, especially you. Then, maybe just skim over the main subjects. Give your brain a quick refresher, like asking it, "Oh yeah, remember this?" If it doesn't, then that's okay—there simply wasn't enough time. All you can do at that point is get a good night's sleep and do your best on the test tomorrow.

In summary, while cramming might seem like the right thing to do if you've put off studying until the night before a test, it will often just waste your time, stress you out, and deprive you of sleep. It's often the one time not to study!

How to Test

Tests are often one of the most dreaded parts of school, and we're sure you can agree. They can be stressful and usually count for a lot of your grade. In fact, many students who are very smart and get great grades on their homework sometimes do poorly on tests. Is the homework just easier, or is something else going on? The truth is, many students struggle with testing, and it can really hurt their grades. That's why we've created this section, to help all students learn how to do better on tests!

Choosing Which Questions To Do First

This strategy isn't something most people think about. Questions are usually in a numbered order, so why do them any other way? Well, there can be real benefits to doing them "out of order." However, always remember that if your teacher tells you to do them in order, your teacher's instructions always come first!

If you're feeling really discouraged or nervous about a test, try looking for the easiest-looking questions and tackle those first. Finishing these can give you a boost of confidence, helping you approach the rest of the test more calmly.

If you're feeling frustrated with a test or just really don't want to deal with it, consider starting with the hardest questions. You might not want to at first, but if you push through, you'll often find the rest of the test becomes easier. You won't be dreading the remaining questions since you've already conquered the toughest ones. This method can also be an alternative if you're feeling discouraged, as it can help build momentum.

Keep in mind these are just general suggestions. Some tests have questions that build on each other, with earlier questions laying the groundwork for later ones. These strategies may or may not work for every situation, so feel free to experiment. If one doesn't work, try the other. If neither feels right, simply answer the questions in order.

Answering Questions With Excellence

Beyond deciding which questions to answer first, there are also techniques to help you answer the questions themselves more effectively. We'll go over a few of them here.

First, if the questions you need to answer are about a specific reading or source provided during the test, the trick is to read the questions before you read the source material. Don't answer them yet! Just keep them in mind as you read. Then, when you come across the answer to one of the questions, you can answer it right away. This is an extremely useful technique that has worked well for many students.

Next up is advice you've probably heard countless times. In fact, it's more of an instruction than advice: if a math assignment or test says to show your work, do it! Many students lose points daily for not showing their steps or skipping sections. Not only can failing to show your work mean losing points on a correct answer, but some teachers may give you partial credit for a wrong answer if they can see you were mostly on the right track. How can they do that without seeing your work? Simply put, not showing your work on a math assignment or test is missing out on easy points.

Sometimes you might encounter a question you just don't know the answer to, and that's perfectly fine. If you can't figure it out, spend a minute or two on it, depending on how much time you have, then move on. This allows your brain to keep working on it in the background while you tackle other questions. Another question might even jog your memory. You might be surprised to find that when you come back to the question, it suddenly makes complete sense.

Other Tips and Tools

For some more general advice, here's what we have to offer:

Always make sure to estimate how much time you have to spend on each question. A simple way to do this is to take the total time you're given and divide it by the number of questions. Of course, a multiple-choice question won't take the same amount of time as an entire essay, so use this estimate as a guideline.

On that note, it's also important not to rush through a test. If you finish with 20 minutes left but get a D, what's the point? That's where estimating your time per question comes in handy. Our recommendation is to spend a little less time than you think you have on each question in case you get stuck on one later, and to leave yourself some time at the end to check your work. If you do finish a question early, quickly review it to make sure you didn't make any silly mistakes, then move on! You now have extra time for later or if another question takes longer than expected.

If your test is open-book, open-notes, or open-anything, take full advantage of it! Use the index in the back of your textbook if you can; it will save you countless minutes of searching. However, even with an index, it usually takes much longer to find an answer in a book or your notes than if you already know it. Our recommendation is to only use these resources for questions you're unsure of.

A final tip is to take micro-breaks during the test. Yes, take breaks during the test! To clarify, we don't mean leaving your desk and wandering away for thirty minutes. Every twenty minutes or so, or when you're feeling overwhelmed, lean back in your chair, clear your mind, and close your eyes for a few minutes. If possible, set a timer for about five minutes. Just be sure not to fall asleep! You'll be amazed how much easier the test feels after coming back to it. Your mind will be clearer, you'll be much more relaxed, and your performance will likely improve. Just make sure you don't spend too much time on your break, or you could fall behind!

If you've done all this and still have extra time, well done! There's still one more thing you can do, arguably one of the most important. You should take one last look at your answers and make sure they all make sense. Sometimes you might accidentally check the wrong box or write the wrong word, for instance. Try looking at the questions as if you haven't answered them before, and see if you agree with your previous answer. You can even spend this time checking your work using your notes or book if allowed. Just be careful not to start something you won't have time to finish, like rewriting an essay from scratch with only ten minutes left!

Finally, remember that any answer is usually better than none. On a standard multiple-choice test, there's still a 1 in 4 chance you'll get it right, meaning you'd average 25% of the points you'd have missed by not answering at all. This applies to short responses, essays, and similar questions. If you just show effort, your teacher is much more likely to give you some points than if you submit a blank or overly clever answer.

Why do We Test, Anyway?

Most students would agree that testing is quite annoying. Yes, we know. But we're here to tell you why tests even exist in the first place. Hopefully, knowing why tests are used and why we all have to take them will help make them a little less annoying.

If you read the "How To Study" segment, you'll remember Active Recall—a tool that helps your brain truly remember what you're learning. Tests operate on the same general principle. Having to answer questions about something you've learned reinforces that information in your brain, signaling that it's important not to discard. Additionally, tests force you to actually remember the information in the first place, rather than just hoping students won't skim their reading and not truly learn anything. Finally, tests encourage you to remember information long-term, not just until the end of a single lesson, since tests typically cover several lessons at once. All of this combines with the fact that tests give us—and you—a way to measure your progress in a course.

So, now that you know why tests exist, hopefully they'll feel a little less annoying the next time you face one.

How to Stay Focused

Staying focused is a difficult task, especially in today's world. When patience for even a three-minute video is low, it highlights a common challenge. However, all is not hopeless. Far from it! Here, we offer some tools to help you concentrate on your work. It is important to note that these tools may not be a long-term solution for focus issues. Addressing those might require more sustained effort. However, while you work on those deeper changes, these tips can certainly help.

Using a Recurring Timer

This is one of the easiest and most helpful tools available. Simply set a timer for every five minutes or so. When the timer goes off, use it as a quick check-in. Are you still working? Did you get distracted? If so, simply get back to work! It's that straightforward.

This method also helps you keep track of time. If you've ever accidentally spent an hour on one math problem when you have thirty more to do, you know how useful this can be.

Write a Log

Writing a log takes more effort than most other tools we will recommend, but it often yields much greater results. All you need is a notebook and a pen or pencil. When you get distracted, write down the time and a few details. Note when you get back to work and what you're focusing on. Record when you finish a project and what you've accomplished. Write down whenever you get interrupted and for how long. Even jot down what you plan to do after work for the day. Think of it like a schedule, but in reverse: your actions determine what gets written, not the other way around.

When you finish for the day, look back over your log and try to notice any patterns. Did you tend to focus better earlier or later in the day? Did that break you promised yourself actually help? Perhaps taking your daily video game break tires your brain too much to focus later. Whatever you observe, make a note and consider making a change. You'll likely see major improvement in the days to come.

Take Breaks

This might seem obvious when stated. Taking a break can absolutely help your focus, but only if you use it wisely. Note that last part: "if you use it wisely." If you spend your break trying to beat your Minesweeper speedrun record, that's a break from your schoolwork, yes, but it isn't truly a break for your brain! Instead, do something that doesn't require much mental effort. Sit down and read a casual book for a while. Go outside and play some basketball. You might even do some chores that don't demand much thought, like sweeping or vacuuming. When you return, your brain will be refreshed and ready to work!

Accountability

Accountability, where another person observes to help ensure you stay on task, is one of the most powerful tools you can use. This doesn't mean having a parent or older sibling stand over you, staring at your screen. It could even be a younger sibling! More seriously, all you need is someone else in the room who can see whether you're working or not. It's especially effective if you can work side-by-side with another person. Doing schoolwork with a sibling could be great. You could ask your parents to work nearby if you study at home, or even call a friend on Discord and share your screen while you both work. The key is to have someone who can see if you're working, and, of course, that you don't get distracted by—or distract—the other person. That would defeat the purpose.

Get Up and Move!

Sometimes all you need to regain focus is to get up and do some jumping jacks. Seriously! Physical activity can significantly help refocus your brain. That's why people often take walks to clear their minds. The next time you're struggling to focus or feel like your brain needs a reset, try going for a walk, doing some jumping jacks, getting some exercise, or even just standing up for a bit. You'll be surprised how refreshed you feel afterwards!

Regulating Your Noise Environment

One of the trickiest factors affecting your work is the environment around you. Sometimes the noise—or lack of it—can be very distracting. If you find your noise environment is disrupting your focus, there are a few things you can do.

First, you might be able to change where you work. Move to a different table, a different room, or even a different building entirely. Many students find local coffee shops and libraries are great places to work. Perhaps you could even work at a friend's house, as long as you don't get distracted, of course.

If that doesn't work, you can try putting on music to drown out distractions or fill silence. Listening to music while working can be tricky to do successfully, however. You must make sure your music isn't a distraction itself. Avoid spending too much time picking songs or changing music when one track finishes. We recommend listening to a playlist you or someone else has already created, a radio station, or, if you enjoy it, looping one song. This way, you won't be tempted to fiddle with your music when you should be working.

An alternative to music is white noise. You probably know what white noise is. It's the sound of fans, waves on a beach, or radio static. Obviously, some versions of white noise are more pleasant to listen to than others. Nevertheless, white noise is often found to have a soothing or otherwise helpful effect on many individuals, though some might find it a distraction itself. Similar to music, you can use white noise to mask distracting sounds or fill silence.

However, when using music or white noise, you must be considerate of others. What helps you focus might seriously distract someone else. For that reason, we recommend using headphones when possible, playing your music or white noise very quietly, or moving somewhere where you can be alone or where playing music or white noise won't affect anyone else.

A final tool to help you focus in a noisy environment is using noise-canceling headphones. Though often expensive, these headphones can transform even a construction zone into a peaceful silence, if powerful enough. While cheaper noise-canceling headphones may only attempt to block out noise using Passive Noise Isolation (PNI) technology, more expensive ones may also employ Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology. This works by listening to outside sounds, for instance, a noisy road, and then playing the exact opposite sound wave. The sound waves cancel each other out, leaving you with little to no noise. Do note that most headphones using this technology often struggle with high-pitched noise, and none are perfect, so you'll likely have some sound left over no matter what. Most noise-canceling headphones are also able to play audio, so you can play music or white noise on top of the existing noise-canceling technology to help fully drown out any outside distractions.

How to Know Your Limits

Despite what you might believe, you are not invincible. We know this; we were kids once, too. Some students get so caught up in the pursuit of great grades that they end up completely worn out by the time they graduate. While we strongly encourage you to work hard on your schooling, we also don't want you to burn out and lose the joys of life. That's why we've added this section: to encourage you to watch out for pushing yourself too far, and to give you tools to help.

Enjoyment of Everyday Things

One way to tell if you're putting too much effort into school is by monitoring how much you enjoy daily activities. Do you still enjoy going outside and being active as much as you used to? How about playing with your pet or watching a movie with your family? Losing some enjoyment in pastimes is part of growing up, but if you can't seem to find enjoyment in just about anything, that's when you'll want to take a step back and look at how you're spending your time. Make some changes if needed.

Measuring Your Motivation

Another great way to keep tabs on your mental well-being is by checking how motivated you are to do things. Now, it's perfectly normal not to feel motivated to write a 5-page essay, and circumstances will always change how motivated you are to get tasks done. But you should keep an eye out for any trends of generally and consistently decreasing motivation. This can also be a clear sign that you need to step back and reevaluate things.

What You Spend Time On

How you spend your time throughout the day can be very telling, both directly and indirectly. On the surface level of this line of questioning, make sure you aren't spending 90% of your waking hours on school each week. Dedicate time to your family and friends, and also ensure you get enough rest.

That being said, also make sure you aren't spending a disproportionate amount of time resting. For instance, if you come home after classes and nap for the rest of the day, you might want to consider if you're overworking yourself. Note that this doesn't just apply to school. Activities like playing outside and gaming can also greatly affect this balance. In fact, gaming can be so mentally demanding that there's an entire brand of headache medicine marketed towards gamers. It's true! So before you stay up until 1 AM playing your favorite video game, consider not only that you'll be missing out on sleep, but also that you're replacing it with a mentally draining activity.

A Footnote

While all the previously mentioned symptoms can occur due to overwork, they can also stem from many other factors or issues, such as depression. Mental health is complex, and you should always seek the help of a trusted adult, or even a professional, if you're concerned. While on this subject, remember not to believe everything you read online. A mild headache does not mean you have brain cancer, and a slight cough does not mean you have a rare lung disease.

Restful Relaxation

Though this may sound obvious, you have to make sure that your time off is actually restful. If you spend your "time off" trying in vain to fix a leaky sink and getting frustrated, that's not very restful. You probably wouldn't choose to do that, but a closer analogy might be deciding to play an intense video game.

Now, we want to emphasize that not all gaming is bad. In fact, not all stressful gaming is bad. If you've ever heard someone question how a stressful video game can help someone relax at the end of the day, you're aware of this seemingly paradoxical situation. The truth is there are two different types of stress: Distress, the negative type of stress we all think of when we hear the word "stress," and eustress, a good type of stress that actually feels positive. If you've ever competed in sports, or any type of competition, or even done anything challenging that you enjoyed, you'll likely know what we mean. It's that feeling of intense focus, of "locking in." Eustress can be an incredibly powerful tool to help you release built-up tension and distress in your body, and you'll often find it much easier to relax afterward. Again, though, you do need to spend enough time resting your body! You are not invincible, you know!

Is That Extra 2% Really Worth It?

Our final input on this topic of how to avoid overworking yourself comes down to one simple question: Is that extra bit of score really worth it? We want to state that you are not obligated to be perfect in your homework. You don't have to get that extra 2% on your homework if it means too much stress. Pressuring yourself to do the absolute best you possibly could, to the point of spending most of your waking hours on schoolwork, can lead to crippling fatigue and tiredness that could affect you for years to come. Additionally, it can hurt relationships with your friends and family, since you wouldn't be spending much time with them. Of course, you should always do your best, but always make sure to have a good work-life balance. Your work will suffer if you don't take breaks, after all. Make sure to take plenty of time off on the weekends; don't treat them as simply more time to get work done. Our recommendation is to, if possible, have at least one day fully off.

Final Thoughts

We hope that the advice we've provided will help you in the years to come, and we encourage you to act on the new information you've learned. Thank you for taking the time to read through all of this. If you know someone who's struggling in school, or even someone who has never once failed a test, we hope you will share this with them! Happy studies to all of you!