Getting Good Grades in Intermediate School

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get a planner or calendar.

Whether it's a day planner you carry in your backpack, a calendar on your wall at home, or a to-do list you make at the end of every day, it can help you keep track of when assignments are due and stay organized. At the beginning of the term, when you get a planner, write down every test, quiz, and assignment due date. Do this for each class.

Every day when you get home from school, check your calendar and see what needs to be done before tomorrow, as well as what's on the horizon for the next few days. Check off what you have already done.

 

 

 

 

 

Organize your locker/backpack/desk.

Organizing whatever you use every day helps your mind feel clutter-free. It may sound silly, but when your visual environment is simple and orderly, your mind can concentrate on the more important stuff. Once a week, clean out your locker or backpack and organize your desk. It only takes a couple minutes.

You won't lose things when you automatically put them where they belong. Having a backpack, desk, or locker that's full of loose papers just gets confusing and frustrating.

 

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Make a study schedule

You have a calendar for the week or month, but you need a weekly study schedule, too. Map out your week to see when your studying can and should get done. That way you know just how much time you can devote to each class and when it makes the most sense to study for each one.Make sure that you abide by the plans that you make

Use your common sense when it comes to allotting time to specific classes. For example, Badminton needs a lot less time than math and reading.

Make sure you have an agenda so that you can write down all of your tests, when you have to study, and when you have homework due.Be sure that you complete all your homework. It boosts your learning.

 

 

 

 

Know your learning style Links to an external site..

The matter of fact is that certain techniques don't work for certain people. Some of us learn with our hands, some of us with our eyes, and some of us with our ears (and others a combination). If you can't remember a thing your teacher said, maybe you're just going about it the wrong way.

Once you find out your learning style, you can zone in on what's best for you. Do you remember best the things you've seen? Then study those notes and make graphs!  Things you do with your hands? Turn the concepts into something you can build.

 

 

 

 

 

Read the textbook.

As much as it is boring and monotonous Links to an external site., it's incredibly useful -- sometimes teachers don't even mention the info in class! After reading a paragraph, revise it in your head without looking. Then read it again. It will stay in your mind for a longer time. It is particularly effective when you have less time for studying.

Often the things mentioned in class that are also mentioned in the book are the most important . If you run across some of this while reading, highlight it. You'll want to know where it is to find it later.

Don't write off the benefits of scanning. Concentrating on the main ideas (the highlighted text, italics, etc.) will get your mind going.^{[1] Links to an external site.} If you can fill in the blanks, great! If you can't, read deeper.

 

 

 

 

 

Take good notes.

For most courses in middle school, high school, and junior/community college, most of what is on the tests and homework will be discussed in the class. If your teacher draws a diagram on the board, copy that down - it can help you remember the information.

Write good, legible notes. Use highlighters if there's something you need to find easily flipping through your notes, but don't highlight too much text or it defeats the purpose. Colored pens are fun to write with if you want to get more creative with your notes, but use them only for sections of your notes that you feel will be on a test or are important.

 

Want to learn how to take Cornell notes like they do in AVID? Watch the video below!

 

 

 

Study effectively Links to an external site..

Wasting nights pouring over books and emerging feeling like you've gotten nothing out of it is just about the worst. Instead of falling asleep over your textbook, try the following:

• Make a study guide and review it. Look in the textbook and put all important ideas and details in your notes. Go over it until you feel like you know the material well. If you've written it, you'll probably remember more of it.

 

• Make someone test you on the study guide. Talking about the information out loud is a lot easier to retain than going over the same stuff in your brain over and over. When you have to explain it to someone else, it forces you to understand it, not just know it.

 

• Invent fun ways to study. Make flash cards Links to an external site., have a friend over, or join an after-school homework club if you can for help from a teacher or friend from the same class. You can make a board game to make studying fun and easy, or you can just type up your notes if it makes it easier to read. Do as much as possible to make sure you know the material.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participate in class.

You've done your homework, so you're totally prepared to participate in class. Show that you know your stuff! There are a few reasons this is a good idea. The most important one is that participating in class will cement in your head the stuff you learned from doing your homework (before it was more like Jell-O).

• The second good reason is that it will cement the information in your brain. Seriously. Talking about it out loud (especially in class, where it's a bit more stressful than when with a friend) uses a different part of your brain than just writing about it. This way, you're covering all your bases.
• The third good reason is that your professor will totally appreciate it. No teacher likes a room full of crickets. Get on their good side, and you'll get treated better when grade time comes around or when you ask for extra credit.

 

 

Ask for help.

If you're not sure what's required for a good grade or are struggling with the coursework, ask your teacher for help. It doesn't have to be a complex question; your teacher is always happy to help you. Ask after class, during office hours, or in an e-mail for assistance.

• Often things we're told one-on-one stick with us more than things we're just being lectured about. In addition to the personalized learning session, your teacher will appreciate your efforts and straight up probably like you more. Having a teacher that likes you can come in very, very, very handy.

 

 

Get a tutor.

If in the end the subject is super hard and you just can't understand it, get a tutor to help you. sometimes a tutor is even more helpful than getting a one-on-one with a teacher because they are closer to your age and can explain things to you in a manner that you can understand better. Ask you teacher or go see your school counselor for tutoring information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do your homework immediately after school.

Time management is essential. If you're given an assignment that's due next week, don't procrastinate; get started within a few days of receiving the assignment. The more time you have, the less you'll stress.

• If possible, try to get assignments finished at least two or three days before the due date. This is to avoid last minute emergencies, like "the dog eating your paper," a party invitation, the printer running out of ink, illness, family emergency, etc. Most teachers will deduct points for each day your work is late. Some do not accept late papers at all. If it helps you, try handing in your homework a couple days before it's due.
• Homework counts for a large portion of your grade. If your teacher has any extra credit assignments, do them! It won't hurt if you try it out. Even if you get some wrong, your teachers will still notice your effort to try to learn Links to an external site. more.

 

Why you should do your homework.

Make sure that if you do your homework when your teacher or friend checks it that after school you go through it. If you do not understand it it will be better if you write down any questions that you need to know and ask your teacher after politely. Join extra classes too it will help you get better grades fast. Get tutor lesson if you can not afford your teacher will help you for free if she or he wants to.

 

 

 

 

 

Put homework first. Links to an external site.

Set yourself goals and make sure you reach them before you go out and party. Having a social life is important, but your grades can affect a lot of your choices for the future. Schedule time each day to study, just as you would schedule dates or parties.

• You can reward yourself for getting your homework done! Once you've completed it, it's TV, food, or party time. If that's not enough, ask if mom or dad can help you get incentivized. They want you to get good grades, too!

 

 

Work with friends.

Studying for tests with friends is super beneficial, so why not do homework with friends, too?! Not only will you stay motivated (and possibly stay interested in the class), but you'll be able to combine your levels of awesome and get things done more quickly, effectively, and possibly creatively.

• The key here is to choose a friend that will pull his/her weight. You don't want to work with a friend that expects you to do all the work. Nor do you want a friend that wants neither of you to work! Choose a friend that's as goal-oriented as you are.

 

 

 

 

 

Don't plagiarize.

The quickest way to get a zero on an assignment is to plagiarize it. Technology is amazing nowadays and your teacher will know if you're plagiarizing. Whether it's Google Translate or a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., they'll know. So don't risk it.

 

 

 

 

The entire article can be found here Links to an external site.