ACADEMIC SUPPORT RESOURCES
Please use the resources here if you need a little extra academic support.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT RESOURCES
Please use the resources here if you need a little extra academic support.
YOU CAN ALSO TRY SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Sign up to attend ACCESS period for the classes in which you are struggling. Don't just default to your assigned ACCESS teacher! You can also sign up for teachers that are teaching the classes you are taking. Sign-ups for ACCESS are due in FlexiSched every Wednesday by 12PM.
Communicate with your teacher(s) often! Ask specific questions about how you can improve.
Need help with Math? Sign up for free virtual tutoring at Las Positas with students & teachers!
Need help in Spanish? You can request peer-tutoring for Spanish through the AVHS Spanish Honors Society.
Need help with Chemistry? You can request peer tutoring through the AVHS Chemistry Club.
Form study groups with friends/classmates
Utilize videos on Khan Academy for additional support at home (if applicable for your particular classes)
Request an appointment with your counselor to discuss study skills, time management, organization, etc.
Check out the academic resources below!
RESOURCES FROM THE AVID PROGRAM
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is an in-school academic support program for grades seven through twelve. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for college eligibility and success. For more information please see the information linked here.
6 EVIDENCE BASED STUDY STRATEGIES
Study smarter, not harder! By actively developing good study skills and learning strategies, you will keep your motivation high and achieve your goals more easily and more efficiently. Good study skills can increase your confidence, competence, and self-esteem. They can also reduce anxiety about tests and deadlines.
ACTIVE LISTENING + MEMORIZATION
Often learning how to remember or improving your memory is as simple as learning how to listen. You say you don’t have a problem hearing? Nearly everyone believes that they're a good listener. Hearing and listening, however, are two different things, and it makes a world of difference when it comes to memorizing names and faces, or important things people are saying to you. Memory improves as listening improves.
IMPROVE YOUR NOTE-TAKING SKILLS
Taking notes is easyyyy! You listen, write down stuff and you're good to go, right? If only it were that simple... Note-taking depends on active listening. Unfortunately, few students are taught how to do this. You can improve your listening when you determine positively to hear and understand, even in settings or with subjects that may be difficult.
TIPS FOR USING YOUR PLANNER
Your student planners are still on the way but we thought it would be helpful to review some things so you are ready to effectively use it when it arrives! Most of us have a lot on our plates, so we need to prioritize the most important things. Spending time on unimportant activities makes us less productive. Using a planner helps us make sure our essential tasks get done first.
From your Support Counselor, Ms Yu: It’s important that we pay attention to our emotions. Emotions are physical biological states within our nervous system. Emotions have energy that need to be released through expression or appropriate action. If you are having trouble managing some less than desirable feelings, please review this workshop!
From your AVMentors: With the fresh start that comes with a new semester, I thought it'll be great to finally stop procrastinating and get around to writing this blog post on one of our prior freshmen workshops held in late 2020: the Art of Self-Care. This was a special workshop that all the officers really enjoyed working on, so we hope it's helpful to all the freshmen who came and our online readers :)
From your AVMentors: The presentation involves three main sections: understanding classes, familiarizing oneself with the curriculum, and creating a personalized study plan. We demonstrate examples of different study plans, and provide different study templates, (like: post-test analysis & reflection, before finals review, list of topics & strategies for classes, and a daily schedule template). This presentation was created by co-president, Carol Xu.
The AVMentors team held a workshop for over 40 Amador freshmen, giving various tips and tricks for efficient studying. Since Quarter 1 is over and done with, we thought it would be a great idea to give advice on how to prepare and study before an important test, and just as importantly, how to destress before the exam.
From your AVMentors: On Wednesday, 23rd of September, the AVMentors team held our 2nd virtual workshop to our new group of 27 mentees! This workshop gave them tips and tricks towards taking clear and succinct notes, spotlighted the notes of our officers and mentors, and finally involved a live demo by our co-president Carol.
From your AVMentors: On Wednesday, August 26, the AVMentors team held our first workshop over Zoom! After a week of strenuous and thorough planning between the officers and our advisors, we were super thrilled to be sharing our unique tips and tricks to a total of 106 freshmen from Amador Valley High School!
All zoomed out? Lost in space? Having trouble focusing? Let us help! Please watch this video if you'd like some tips on improving your remote learning experience created by your AV counselors! As always, please don't hesitate to reach out of you need additional support!
Make a Schedule & Follow it: The first step towards time management is to properly plan what you want to achieve in the given time period. You can make a schedule for a week, dividing the work daily into hours. Don’t just make a plan, follow it. Following the schedule can be difficult for you but it is absolutely essential to follow the plan that you make. This way no plans will be needed to get altered especially the academic ones.
Set Realistic Expectations: Don’t overburden yourself. Know what your capabilities are and your limits. Make a very realistic plan for yourself so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Typically you would not study more than 10-12 hours, so don’t create a schedule of 15 hours. You have to keep in account that you need time to relax, socialize and do other things, alas we all are humans and our brain function has certain limitations.
Eliminate Distractions: Isolate yourself from Mobile or other electronic devices that you use for entertainment. Switch off notifications from Instagram or Snapchat or any other social media you use. This way you won’t have the temptation to rush for your phone to see what notification you’ve received. Time is the highest wasted due to distractions, surround yourself with people who motivate you for good.
Set Priorities: The crucial step where most of us go wrong; is deciding the priorities. Postpone unnecessary tasks. If you desire for a flexible time execution, perform activities in order of importance. Give ABC grading to tasks - "A" being the most important, this way by grading you will know what needs to be done at most urgency and what plans can be postponed.
Take Some Breaks: Did you know that breaks are as important as studying? Your brain has certain limits to which it can keep functioning. Typically teenagers can concentrate on a single thing for 10-20 minutes. It may vary from person to person, but you should give yourself rest for some time after such duration.
Make a "To-Do" List: Write EVERYTHING down that needs to get done. Organize by task list (school, personal, sports, etc.). Prioritize each task (see tip #4) and keep everything in one, centralized place.
Create a Routine: Your routine and expectations might not fit in nearly as perfect as you expected, and that is okay. The point is to make use of your productive times for the challenging tasks and your less productive times for the less challenging activities. Having a routine and sticking to it is incredible, but you should give yourself time. Productive habits take time to develop. If you are too hard on yourself, you might never have the chance of enjoying the benefits of a routine. Your success depends on how seriously you take your routine. The benefits outweigh the willpower you invest at every step, so it is worthwhile.