You tell yourself this will be the year that your name will show up at the top of the Honour Roll. Then, within a few weeks, instead of taking notes in class, you are passing them. Well, this year can be different! Forget the boring, by-the-book-stuff.... and check out this grade a guide on how to get good grades! Take notes in The T-zone. The area in the classroom (the front row and the desks down the middle) that is usually occupied by the students who make the best grades. Students who sit in this T-zone" tend to do better. It is easier to hear, see and pick up on non verbal clues. Avoid sitting near a talkative friend or by a window where your concentration can shift toward what is going on outside. Then, take notes! Why? The average student between 15 and 18 hours a week in classes listening to lectures. If you just listen to what is being said, you may remember 60 to 70% of what you hear.... for about and hour. But, 48 hours later, you are likely to have forgotten 90% of what you heard! So, listen up! And if you are really want to remember what is being said, take notes! Get to know your teachers. Make I contact with your teachers when they are addressing the class and take time to stay after class and let a teacher know what you like about the class and fill him or her in on your goals and concerns about the class. Sure, you may have to endure being called a Teacher's pet, but the payoff is that teachers do pay more attention and give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to grading to students who show and active interest in class. Study Smart & Study Effectively What is the single most important technique to school success? Break your studying into small pieces and complete something everyday. Set aside a regular time and place to do homework so that it becomes habit, like brushing your teeth. Set realistic goals and reward yourself for achieving them. A reward can be something as simple as if 5 minute break or crossing a task off your list. Practicing good time management techniques(such as setting goals, prioritizing then so you do the most important ones as soon as possible, and sticking to your plan to action) create the time for fun as well as work. Sometimes it is best to start with your easiest assignment, because finishing it gives you the sense of accomplishment to go on to the next assignment. Usually it is best to do your hardest homework first, though, and you have the most concentration. Get hooked. When you read, use the SQ4RS (survey, question, read recite record and reflect) reading strategy. First, quickly survey the headings, bold type, charts and questions at the back of the chapter to create memory hooks. The main idea of each paragraph is usually in the first sentence. Ask yourself questions as you read each section. Answer these questions after you read it section; recite the answers out loud to engage your various senses; record your key answers in a notebook; then reflect by tying in the new information with what you already know. Memorize for Total Recall. To memorize lists such as the names of human bones or state capitals, take the first letter of each word and make up a sentence with those letters. Or picture them on different parts of your body, from head to toe. Your brain Learns by stimulating various senses, using pictures, sounds and feelings. We all have different ways we learn and remember best. Some of us learn best by seeing, some by hearing and some by doing or practicing. Your school counsellor maybe able to give you a learning style analysis so that you can hone in on learning methods that are your strengths. Tap into Test-taking Strategies to take tests well, try to go into the situation relaxed. Imagine the most calm and perfect place for you, such as a beach, a lake, a mountain top or a sand dune. Then, look at the teacher for a moment to focus and get started. Read the instructions carefully. Note point values so you can spend more time on the most important questions. Tilt the paper and sit up so your head is not bent over in a slumped, tired way. Go through the questions and do the easy ones first. when in doubt, go with your first response. Then, go back to the questions you are not sure about. If you have time, check over the answers several times before handing in the test. To improve your test-taking results, be over-prepared and avoid cramming. Try to predict questions as you study and write down answers on study cards. Don't leave any answers blank, even if you have to guess. In true and false tests, words like "all" and "always" often flag a "false" statement. There are usually more true than false questions on a test. Longer questions are likely to be correct. Read multiple choice statements, nothing weather each is a "T" or an "F", so that you can respond to an "all of the above" choice. Devise a Formula You just got an assignment? First, make an outline to support your theme. To come up with points to support your team, try " clustering," drawing a circle with the main topic inside. Then, draw lines radiating from the circle, like a star fish, and label them with ideas to support or prove your main idea. Do this quickly, without stopping to second-guess what you have written - just brainstorm. Then, list the most important points you intend to use. The first paragraph should tell the reader what you are going to write about, why, and the main points you will provide to prove your position. Then, develop the points you have listed in the introduction in the body of the essay, each following logicaly from the other, using your outline. In your conclusion, summarize one or two of the most important points. It is important to allow time to reread various drafts of a major assignment. You will be surprised at how differently you see you are writing after some distance from it. No professional writer ever turns in a first draft and you shouldn't either. If you become committed about doing your homework, studying at night, concentrating in the class, setting goals and rewarding yourself for achieving them, you can make the grades!
