Study Secrets of Smart Students

Here are 12 simple ways to help students bring up their grades, improve test scores, reduce stress, and enhance their self-esteem.

1. Set goals and access your grades in PowerSchool. Be specific. Write your goals down. Put them where you can see them. Figure out what you need to do to reach your goal. Review your goal sheet and grades daily or weekly, and update as needed.


2. Plan your time. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Prioritize what you need to do first, then add in what you want to do. Use a calendar. Write down assignments. Remember, school is your first "job," everything else comes second.


3. Study every day. Good athletes and musicians work out and practice every day. So do good students. Work on your homework in blocks of time or chunks of material. Don't put it off until the day before it's due. If your homework is done, review past material or work ahead. You should spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours nightly on home work in junior high.


4. Take notes in class. Kids who take good notes get good grades. Teachers usually tell you what is likely to show up on the test. Your chances of getting good grades improve when you take notes.


5. Review your notes shortly after class. A quick review will help move the information you learned in class into you and into your long term memory. It only takes 5-10 minutes of study time to accomplish this.


6. Make sure you have the tools you need. You don't paint a house without paint, so don't go to class without your books, binder, pens, pencils etc. Bring your tools with you!


7. Check the details. Details make all the difference. Spend just a little more time on your work instead of just rushing through. Take time to proofread and check for accuracy. Complete assignments, and if you're absent, make up all the missed work!


8. Get ready the night before. Have one place in your house for all your school stuff. Make sure you have what you need in your backpack for the next day. Put it in the same place each night. Get ready the night before and your mornings will be less stressful!


9. Keep your homework organized. Use one binder with pocket folders, to put in homework to be done, and homework to turn in. Review it daily. Organize your backpack and notebooks.


10. Go to class everyday and use your time in class!! You will miss something important if you don't. Pay attention to what your teacher is saying, not your neighbor. Your teachers hand out the grades, not your friends: Make sure you ask your teachers for help when they are not in the middle of a lecture or speaking with someone. Get answers to what you don't understand.


11. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your teachers. Ask questions in class. Get someone at home to help with your homework. Talk to your teachers before or after school or during Flex. You can even ask your counselor to put you on tracking.


12. Improve your Attitude. Believe you can do it and you can!!