How to get good grades
Adapted from Woodburn Press
STEP ONE - Believe in Yourself
You must believe in yourself and in your abilities to be successful. Make goals for yourself and put a plan or plans in place to achieve those goals. Remember though that those goals are only achievable when you stick to the plan.
STEP TWO - Be Organized
Use a student agenda/planner to keep track of important dates and assignments.
Break down assignments into smaller tasks so as not to get overwhelmed when the due date approaches.
Use three-ring binders for class notes, and be sure to keep notes, handouts, etc. dated and in order. When possible use dividers as well to organize units of study for better organization. Keep all of your class work in its respective binder and in order!
Have a study buddy that you can contact when you miss class due to illness or appointments.
Keep a neat locker, backpack, and study area so you can find things when you need them.
Get organized for school before you go to bed so you're not scrambling in the morning packing up your things. There's nothing more frustrating that getting to school late because you were rushed only to realize you left your math assignment on your night stand at home.
STEP THREE - Manage Your Time Well
It's important to use class time effectively by not wasting it. Using class time wisely cuts down on homework time. Find the most productive times of the day for yourself, and plan to do your homework then. Find a quiet place to do your work that is free of distractions to keep you focused on the school work at hand.
STEP FOUR - Be Succesful in Class
Be in school, on time, every day. To do well in school you have to be here every day to fully understand the material presented and get the assigned work from the teacher. Except in extenuating circumstances you should not miss more than a few days a school year.
Learn how to adapt to different teachers. Just like you will have to adapt to different bosses and managers in the work world, you will have to do the same in school. This is good practice for a skill you will need later in life.
Be prepared for each class with all your required materials and a readiness to learn.
Sit in a seat that offers as few distractions as possible. This means picking a seat away from friends whenever possible. It's nothing personal, it's just that you are in class to learn, not socialize.
Be aware of your body language, because it's often in how things are communicated through our actions rather than exactly what we say.
Always do your homework, no excuses. Every time you miss an assignment you lose marks that you cannot earn back, and that quickly adds up. If you had time for video games, television, talking with friends on the phone, text messaging, etc. then you had time for homework. If doing homework is a problem then put it before everything else you want to do to make sure you get it done first before you get to the fun stuff.
Be a good group member by fullying participating. This means doing your share of the work, being open to different ideas and opinions, and supporting your fellow team members. Being able to work in a team environment is cricitical in the work world.
Particpate in class. Class is what you make of it, and if you get engaged in the material you will likely find it more interesting.
Treat others with repsect, just like you expect from others. Being polite means making eye contact, actively listening, not speaking over another when he/she is speaking, offering asssistance, etc.
Involve your family in your schooling. You will find that family members (i.e. mom, dad, brother, sister, grandma, grandpa, cousin(s), etc.) often are pretty smart people and can help you with your homework when you need it.
Take responsibility for your education. When you do well on a test or assignment, be proud, but when you do poorly reflect back on where you fell short, and what you should do differently next time. Blaming others won't fix the problem, only prolong it.
STEP FIVE - Take Good Notes
Be an active listener by truly paying attention to what is taught in class. This means not only hearing the message but also processing it's meaning and understanding it.
Take notes when directed, and add any anecdotal information the teacher may give that helps you to understand the information better.
Recognize important information by paying attention to what’s written on the board, how many times the teacher mentions a given topic, etc. If the teacher keeps referring to it, it must be important.
Take notes that are easy to read. This can be done by properly dating and giving a title to all your notes and handouts. Be sure to keep your notes and handouts in proper order according to date, or as directed by the teacher. Use things like bullets, indentations, skipped lines, highlighters, etc. to make your notes more easily scan-able.
Review your notes as often as possible to make studying easier.
Get copies of class notes if you've been away.
STEP SIX - Know How to Read a Textbook
Important words are usually in bold or italics.
Pay attention to charts and graphs as they usually illustrate important points.
Before you begin reading a chapter scan it first to get an idea of what you'll be reading, looking for headings and important terms in bold and italics. Also take note of diagrams, graphs, and charts.
Read with purpose. The subheadings in your textbooks give you an idea of what you are reading to help you make sense of the material. Also, take note of any words in bold or italics as they are likely important.
Finally, review the material by scanning the chapter to commit it to memory.
STEP SEVEN - Study Smart
Find a good place to study.
Get started right away.
Know your learning style - kinesthetic, auditory, visual
Organize your study time
make a plan
prioritize your work
focus on one thing at a time
break overwhelming tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks
give yourself more time than you think is necessary
do the memorization work first
do the most difficult tasks first
alternate types of homework (i.e. English, then math, then history)
take short (i.e. 5 min.) breaks every half-hour or so
Know how to study for tests
find out what is on the test so you study the right stuff
start studying days in advance to avoid last-minute cramming
memorize important terms and diagrams as they are usually on the test
if you are provided with a review sheet make you know everything on that sheet
study things until you can explain it in your own words - that way you understand it
review as much as possible
make study sheets as you study for easy review before the test
Use tricks to help you memorize information
use study sheets
write down what you need to memorize and picture it written on the page
before you go to sleep review things you want to remember
use acronyms to memorize lists
chunk information so that it is easier to remember
Use tricks when making a presentation or speech
use props when possible and necessary
add enthusiasm and energy in your voice to maintain the audience's attention
make eye contact with the audience
Know how to write a paper
writing a paper is a process, not a day's event
follow the following process
pick a topic
gather information
make an outline
write a rough draft
read your paper out loud
think of ways to improve your paper and then rewrite it
have someone else read it and make suggestions/corrections
write the final draft
check for spelling and grammatical errors
make sure it's neat and flawless before turning it in
be sure to identify another person's words or ideas by using quotations marks or footnotes - failing to do so is plagiarism
STEP EIGHT - Be a Good Test Taker
get off to a good start
develop a plan
mark the questions that you want to return to
increase your odds on multiple-choice questions by...
trying to come up with the answer before looking at the possibilities
eliminate the choices you know are wrong immediately
if 2 answers are close, pick the one that is most correct
look for key words in true/false questions
statements with all, always, never, every, and none are usually false
statements with usually, often, sometimes, most, and many are usually true
one word will often determine whether a statement is true or false
know how to answer essay questions
read each question and start with the easiest one
it will give you time to think about the harder questions you will have to answer
be sure to answer the questions worth the most points - give yourself enough time to get to those
before you begin writing do some brainstorming - create a rough outline of your essay and points that you want to touch upon
begin writing - use clear, concise and correct grammar and spelling
write something even if you're not sure if you're right - you stand a better chance of getting some marks rather than none when you leave the question unanswered
improve your math scores by...
estimating the answer before you solve the problem to make sure you're on the right track
draw a diagram if you're having trouble visualizing the problem
skip questions you're stuck on and come back to them later
show all of your work - often this will give you partial marks
be prepared for open book tests by...
organizing your notes so that the answers can be easily found - this means using dividers, titles and dates on notes, highlighted or underlining of important terms, complete diagrams, etc.
use stickies on the edges of papers to indicate where to find that important info. quickly
check over your answers once you've finished the test
review your returned tests to see what you knew and didn't know - keep these tests either in the unit in which they fell or at the back of your notebook in order
STEP NINE - Reduce Test Anxiety
to reduce test anxiety study enough so that you feel confident you know and understand the material
this can be achieved by...
starting early - cramming is the worst thing for you
mentally practice going through the test - visualize
get a good night's rest the night before the test - the better rested you are the sharper your mind will be
be confident that you will do well
STEP TEN - Get Help When You Need It
if you need help with school then speak to your classroom teacher, parent(s), Guidance Counsellor, Vice Principal, Principal, etc.
you need to reach out for help when you find yourself dealing with a problem that you can't handle