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How To Be A Better Student
As a student, it is hard to find the time to do anything outside of school. Between classes and homework, there isn’t much room for extracurricular activities. What’s more, with so many distractions on your phone or computer during class (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat), it’s getting even harder than ever to focus on what you’re learning in the classroom.
Luckily there are some easy ways that students can boost their grades and graduate with a high school diploma early – without putting any extra work into studying!
Make a routine for your day-to-day life
It can be extremely difficult to focus while you are stressed and anxious about what will happen that day. When you get home from school, it is important to write down plans for the next day in order to keep yourself on track.
You should also make sure that you know where everything is so that you don’t stress out every time you need a pen or pencil for class. This way, when it comes time for exams, you will already have an idea of how your studying will go and won’t spend hours eating away at precious study time worrying about whether or not you know what’s going on in your classes.
Say NO to social media!
This one might be hard if you’re someone who uses Facebook, Instagram or other social media sites to keep in touch with your friends. However, social media is a HUGE distraction for students who are trying to study or get work done.
It’s so easy to get distracted by ‘likes’ and silly memes that it can be hard to focus on the task at hand (studying). If you do have social media, make sure that you set aside specific times of day where you will spend time scrolling through these sites rather than having them open all day long.
Have a healthy diet
Students who don’t eat properly might feel sluggish during school and fall asleep at their desks, which will only hurt your grades in the long run! Make sure that you eat breakfast every morning before school as well as healthy snacks such as fruit and granola bars that won’t weigh you down. You should also try to eat dinner with your family or friends at least twice a week in order to maintain healthy eating habits as well as social ones!
Prioritize your needs and wants
Many students struggle with deciding what they need to do in order to succeed academically and what can wait or be done later. When you write out a schedule or daily routine, make sure that you include time for things like sleeping, eating healthy foods, personal hygiene (like showering) and even cleaning your room!
No matter how well you plan your study sessions ahead of time there will always be something looming on the horizon that is more important than studying- but if you put those things off until after school/study hours then it just becomes one more thing hanging over your head. Sometimes we forget the basics and don’t take care of ourselves as much as we should so prioritize self-care whenever possible!
Take breaks
There’s a lot to learn in high school, so your brain will get fatigued if you study for too long without breaks. After about an hour studying or working on something, take a short break and go for a walk or listen to some music. Check up on social media or try listening to classical music while doing homework- there are all kinds of ways to relax and refresh your mind!
Organize everything
Having a messy room can cause distractions as well as it taking longer to find things that you need when trying to complete homework assignments. Keep things like books and supplies organized by where they should be used rather than using them for several different classes (for example: keep English notebooks separate from science notebooks). It’s also easier
Take care of yourself – eat well, exercise, get enough sleep
It’s important to take time out of your day to take care of yourself. If you don’t have a healthy lifestyle, it will be harder to focus and do well in school!
Make sure that you are eating healthy meals every day; these should include protein, carbohydrates and some kind of vegetable as well. Also make sure that you are getting enough sleep so that you can wake up early for school rather than wanting to stay in bed all morning.
Stay motivated!
Stay motivated by setting goals for yourself. A good way to do this is by writing down your goals and motivation in a planner or on the back of your homework. It’s always good to have something that you are working towards!
Collaborate with others
Collaboration is a great way for students to form friendships and learn from one another such as doing well on tests or staying at the top of your class. Getting good grades shows colleges/universities that you have what it takes to succeed in their programs- which is especially helpful if they’re looking at standardized test scores.
Have a study space at home
Having your own dedicated place to do homework is very important- and not just any old table will be good enough! Make sure that you have a comfortable place where you know that no one else will bother you; if this means spending some time cleaning off your bedroom desk, then go for it!
It’s also really important to make sure that you have all of the supplies you need on hand so that there are no distractions from having to find things- in fact, sometimes writing down what kinds of materials you need helps motivate me because I don’t want to forget anything!
Ask for help when needed
High school is an important time to get help from resources that are available. Most schools will have a guidance counselor as well as teachers who would be more than willing to work with you so don’t be afraid to ask for help!
If you’re struggling in a class, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the road. In some cases, these steps can make all the difference in your academic career.
Set goals that are attainable (or just set small daily goals)
Setting goals is a great way to motivate yourself. It’s important that you have realistic and attainable goals, otherwise you will be very disappointed when you don’t reach them. Also try to set small daily goals for yourself; these could include studying or doing your homework before taking a break (even if it’s just for a few minutes).
Don’t procrastinate!
The most common excuse given by students who procrastinate is that they “have too much work to do today”. In reality, the reason why they aren’t getting their homework done is because they usually put it off until the last minute! The stress leads to poor grades, which leads to even more stress…and the cycle continues.
Be prepared!
If you know where your homework is and what you need to turn it into, then you won’t have to waste time looking for it later- and if worse comes to worst and you forgot something, there’s always tomorrow (or the next day!). The same goes with studying for exams; don’t wait until the last minute before realizing that this isn’t enough time to study at all!
Use all resources available to you (and ask for help when needed)
It’s important to remember that high school is a very formative experience and that students who don’t do well in their freshman year often find they struggle throughout the rest of their school careers as well. Getting the help you need is a great way to reduce stress and improve your grade point average, which leads to more opportunities for college acceptance!
Make friends with high achievers
This tip may seem counter-intuitive but take it from me; making friends with people who are smarter than you can greatly benefit your own academic performance as well as your social life.
People like this are usually extremely motivated because they don’t want to be seen as “slackers” (even if they’re not). Sometimes just talking to them about school and their experiences in certain courses will end up motivating you!
Be confident in yourself!
Despite what most people believe, all students are capable of excelling academically…no matter what your report card says! Everyone has potential and it’s a matter of working hard to unlock it. Don’t let anyone put you down or make you feel stupid for thinking that you’re capable of doing well in school.
Remember, other students are just as concerned with their grades as you are; no one wants to be told by an adult at the end of the year that they will not be pursuing higher education because their grades did not meet the minimum requirements needed to qualify.
Even if your parents tell you that “it doesn’t matter” (while shaking their heads in disappointment), remember that it makes THEM look bad too, so don’t go around yelling about how much better than yours was when he/she was in high school. Remember: you are in control of your future and it’s up to you (and only you) to make something out of it.
Find ways to relax other than watching TV or scrolling throug media
Sometimes during study time, it’s easy to get distracted and feel like you don’t want to do your work. Our suggestion for this is to create a playlist of songs on your phone that will help you focus.
Before starting an assignment, make sure that nobody else in the house is awake (the last thing you want after trying really hard on homework or studying for a test is to worry about people talking behind your back). Put on some headphones (or turn up the volume so loud that it doesn’t matter if anyone else can hear), press play, and enjoy!
Learn How To Say No
Everyone wants to be liked and have friends, but sometimes it’s a good idea to recognize when you’re putting too much pressure on yourself and simply say no. You can’t do everything that everyone else is doing because there’s only so much time in a day!
Don’t feel bad about saying “maybe” or just flat-out refusing something. And if they start giving you those puppy eyes…DON’T TAKE THE BAIT! Think about how many times someone has stood up for themselves against peer pressure. What will YOU stand up for?
Get Enough Sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation, “Students who don’t get enough sleep at night can have trouble paying attention in class and may not be able to remember what they learned that day.” This will help you stay focused on your studies because if you are tired in class, it is easier for your mind to wander onto something more interesting than boring school work (like Instagram photos of celebrities).
If possible, try waking up 20 minutes before class starts so that you have time to find out where your classroom is located as well as study for any assignments due that day. Keep your phone off until after you are done with the day’s work; if there is a reason you need to keep it on, get a different alarm. In general, try to be in bed 30 minutes before your class starts so that you can get enough sleep every night and feel fully rested the next day.
Take Virtual Classes at High School of America
If your school doesn’t offer a course that you need in order to graduate, try looking at the High School of America website. You can take virtually any high school class from them and actually earn a real diploma along with it!
Taking online classes is an ideal way to manage your time as well because there is no risk of running into traffic if you live far away from the campus, plus they can be done anywhere since a laptop or mobile phone are all you need.
Plus, many students have noted that these courses give them the same “school feel” as taking classes on campus but without having to worry about missing too much information due to being out sick part of the week. This site also has access to AP (Advanced Placement) classes, which will help you get ahead in school if you learn quickly.
If you plan to take AP courses yet your high school or district doesn’t offer them for credit yet, this is an ideal time to look into virtual classes as a substitute!
