We all know that summer is about to end and school is fast-approaching. Some of us didn't do well in school last year, so this year, we are determined to do the best we can. So, here are simple tips on how to get good [or better] grades this year. [b]Steps[/b] 1. Pay attention at all times and be prepared in class. Make sure you have done your homework and take notes. Show that you are a willing participant and that you are eager to learn. 2. Do not procrastinate. Leaving until later what could be done today is asking for trouble and crammed results. If a report is due by a certain date, make sure to finish it on time. 3. Participate in class discussions. When you have something to share, raise your hand. Do not be discouraged if the teacher doesn't call on you. Perhaps the teacher just feels that you contribute a great deal already, and is trying to give someone else a chance to contribute. Be persistent. 4. Work ahead of the class work. Read further than the chapter in class. If you want to take the lead in your class you need to work hard! However, do not work so far ahead so that it becomes detrimental to your grades. For example, if your class is participating in literature circles, NEVER read ahead! 5. Do your homework. Do homework consistently and methodically. Make sure that you proofread and double check your spelling and facts. If possible ask your parents/siblings/friends who aren't taking the same class as you to check it for you. Many times when writing a report, we tend to miss an error. Better to be safe than to hand in work with mistakes. 6. Prepare for upcoming tests and quizzes and everything else in between. Fill out the study guides if they are supplied, or make your own guides. Make up some essential questions that will test the area of interest to the test. 7. Get yourself in a good habit of waking up a little earlier. This will allow you to have a good breakfast, which is an important and energizing start to the day. Feeling refreshed and awake are perfect studying conditions. 8. Study in a quiet, non-distracting environment. Distractions during study time will make your studying less effective. This includes TV, people talking, the radio, some music etc. - anything that is taking your mind off the task at hand. 9. Repeat newly registered information quietly out loud. This will enable you to remember it more easily. Take advantage of lunch periods and extra studying opportunities, when available. 10. Remain calm during tests. Breathe deep breaths when the test is being handed out and keep a calm and focused approach as you go through the questions. If you have studied well, you will know the answers, so don't panic. 11. Skip the hard parts of a test. In a test, if you are truly struggling with a particular question, skip it and continue with the next ones that you can easily answer. Make sure you mark the one you skipped or make a note of it somewhere, so that you can go back to it later. After you have finished all the questions that you are certain about, return to finish the difficult ones. Use the process of elimination on questions where you are not sure, and guess when you can't logically narrow it down any further. [b]Tips[/b] * Consider working with a study buddy so that you can ask each other questions that you expect to be on the upcoming test. This way, you can quiz each other. Make practice quizzes and take them by yourself, make practice crossword puzzles and games to help you study. Be wary though -- studying with a friend could possibly distract both of you. * Be sure to write legibly and with the correct writing tool during tests. Using pink pens or colored pencils can cause you to lose points. * Use mnemonics (devices for memorization) when you can (ex. the names of the planets in our solar system: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Up Nine Pizzas). * Proper planning prevents poor performance. Use Google's calendar to keep track of what you want to do in the coming days in your academic and private life. The "e-mail alerts" and "cell phone (SMS) alerts" services available will remind you just in case you forget about anything. * To take good notes, keep them neat and complete. Write down anything that you think is important. Keep separate notebooks for each subject and think about having a table of contents in the front so you can go back and review your work easily. You may even consider keeping two notebooks, one at school and one at home, so if you lose one notebook, you still have another. * Follow up class notes with reading from the textbooks. Good reviews may also help. Google Scholar can help you find good review papers. Using the school's wireless internet system or library computers (whether at a public library or in school), you can access Jstor, which is a huge database of scholarly journals that could assist you in either study or writing papers. * Be civil to teachers and other students as well. They'll help you more if you're nice to them. * Study for upcoming tests that you know eventually will come. By the time the teacher tells you that you have a test, you will be fully prepared and not stressed. * Ask questions -- that's why your teachers get paid! They're there to help you, so don't be afraid. * SLANT. Over the years, scientists have been observing what good, well rounded students do. S stands for sit up. L stands for look and listen. A stands for answer questions. N stands for nod. T stands for talk to your teacher. Hopefully, while you are improving grades this will come to you naturally. [b]Warnings[/b] * Many international students are under a lot of pressure to get A's all the time because they are in scholarship programs. A warning for them and for all students in general: o Don't sit too long because there is a risk of getting disk hernias in the back which are very painful and medically impossible to cure. They become chronic illnesses. o Don't stay in front of the computers for long periods because there is a risk of getting myopia in the eyes. When the eyes get myopia, glasses have to be worn. It is not comfortable to use glasses all the time. o Stand up and take a 10 minute walk every 30 minutes of study or work. It is going to be healthy for your eyes and your back. * Make sure you retain all your notes from previous lessons. This will enable you to refer to them, at final exams or national/state/provincial/regional tests.