Going to high school is a real challenge, and, at this point, it is no longer possible to be promoted due to the broken cap. What you do in high school has some impact on your future academic career. In fact, many faculties are limited in number, and the grade taken at maturity partly affects your admission. Also, the tuition fees are high, and you have a better chance of getting a scholarship this way. In short, you have to accept the reality of the facts: to enter the university of your dreams and attend it without financial problems, you have to do well in high school.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Prepare yourself before High Schools Begin
Step 1. Try to get good grades from when you are in the second or eighth grade
Many students think it's not important to give it your all until the first year of high school (or the third, when credit points begin to accumulate), but this is not true at all. If you want to start off on the right foot, it would be better to get high marks since you are in middle school, otherwise it will be more difficult to get noticed in a competitive and difficult environment like that of high school.
Each school has its own little differences. There are institutions that are more competitive than others, so if you are planning to enroll in a notoriously difficult school, you need to prepare as much as possible before classes begin. On the other hand, there are schools that are more tolerant of students' initial preparation and overall performance. To make sure you take the path to a distinct advantage, it's best to make a good impression since you're in middle school
Step 2. Start taking care of your extra-curricular education right now
If you have other interests besides school ones, take advantage of them now. Being a well-rounded student allows you to earn scholarships and improve your education in general to be successful in college and in life. If you are an athlete or a musician, do not neglect these interests, because they allow you to have a competitive advantage.
Experiment with a few activities while you are still young enough to drop them (and be able to choose others) if you don't like them. And don't stick to just one area of interest; while being a good athlete, enrich your skills by giving it a try with dance or a musical instrument. If you have an artistic soul, look for a sport to give a chance to. Who knows, maybe you are naturally inclined
Step 3. Choose carefully the courses that interest you
Learn about what is covered in class and talk to other students who have tried the courses that appeal to you. Signing up for a class just because a friend of yours isn't going to help you, and if that's not enough, this company will likely be a distraction. Instead, prefer lessons in which students are slightly better prepared than you and whose materials are a little more difficult than usual: competition is the best motivation there is.
- If you want to be top of the class and recognized, one of the ways to do this is to engage in lots of outside activities, especially those organized by the school itself. Of course, this is no excuse for neglecting grades. A high average is essential, especially in the most important subjects. Try to match your commitments: a person who gets high grades and who manages to engage in external activities is increasingly successful, but you must not compromise your school average. If you don't have time for everything, consider that school always comes first.
- Find out what subjects are needed to pursue your dream career. For example, if you plan to become a psychologist, prefer external courses focusing on subjects like psychology and sociology instead of enrolling in a woodworking or pottery course.
- If you can, take a look at the textbooks for the various subjects. Often, the difficulty of the manual reflects that of the lessons.
Step 4. Get your textbooks in advance, as well as additional ones
As soon as the list of books comes out, go straight to the bookstore to buy them and browse them before classes begin. If you want to start doing this in the summer, get in touch with older students and borrow some of their books. Unless completely new manuals are planned, there's no reason these summer readings shouldn't come in handy.
- Ask professors, reach out to older students, or browse the web to find the best possible resources for supplementary reading. Use several reference books to increase your understanding of the study materials. In this way, you will actually be able to fully grasp any concept that the teacher presents to you.
- Don't be afraid of seemingly difficult materials. Consider them a challenge and face them right away. Now it may all be confusing, but when these topics are covered in class, you will be able to put two and two together and you will be far ahead of the others.
Part 2 of 5: Succeed in School
Step 1. Always pay attention in class
This is principle number one for getting good grades: always, always, always pay attention in class. Here are a number of reasons to do it:
- You may miss some important information. In class, many teachers talk about classwork and questions. If you're not careful, you may be missing out on vital details.
- You may get bonus points. Most professors reward active and participatory students by giving them extra points for that. They may come in handy for increasing your votes considerably.
- Paying attention in class makes homework a lot easier. If you have been attentive in class and thought through the topics, you will have much more free time in the afternoon, because your homework won't take as much effort.
- Preparing for classwork and questioning will also be easier. When you pay enough attention to the explanations in class, you have to study much less.
- Sometimes, your grades find themselves in the balance between a classic full number, a plus, a minus or half an extra grade: 10, 8-, 6 ½, 6+. In many cases, the teacher is influenced by your behavior, and considers whether you are a respectful person and whether or not he appreciates you. The more you pay attention, the more likely the professor is to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Step 2. Do your homework
By doing your homework, completing your readings, and paying attention in class, it's virtually impossible to get bad grades. Make sure you don't get lazy and leave out the exercises that are scored but are generally not corrected by the teacher. There's no point in doing your homework if you're not going to give it your all. This information will come in handy later when you take tests or final exams.
The time you spend on homework can be fun. Put on some music and keep some snacks close at hand. If that doesn't work, think for a moment. Remember that teachers have to do the same amount of work as you, only they do it for all their students. They only mark a quantity of tasks necessary for you to acquire the concepts of the subject
Step 3. Organize everything
Take all the papers and notes you have scattered everywhere and put them in order. When the study is structured, it's easy to find exactly what you're looking for, streamline the learning process, and avoid frustration. Here are some ideas:
- Invest in a few small binders (having multiple small binders is better than having a large one). Make sure you puncture the sheets instead of shuffling them into binder pockets.
- Keep the lesson plan in the front pocket of the binder. You'll often take this into consideration, so make sure it's easily accessible.
- Keep the finished notebooks and papers that you do not need for now in an archive. Archiving lets you know where old jobs are, so keep everything until the end of the year.
- Use bookmark stickers to divide the different parts of a binder and access the sections you need more easily. Clearly label each piece of paper with a colored pen: LL for “class work”, CC for “homework” and A for “notes”.
- Clean the backpack. Empty it completely on the floor, divide all the contents into piles, then arrange all the necessary sheets in the right bins. Throw away what you don't need.
Step 4. Create and organize a place to study
If you haven't prepared a predefined angle in which to do this, make one. Is the place where you study organized and clean? Is it well lit? Is it quiet and breezy? Do you have everything you need close at hand? If so, great! If not, work on it. When you have a neat study corner, it's easier to put in the effort and do whatever you have to do. And the television will not distract you!
Keep all textbooks, notes, and so on. Keep them close at hand. If possible, also have a computer (desk or laptop) with internet access in this area. If the house is always crowded or noisy, try going to the library
Step 5. Find out about the syllabus for each subject
The program outlines all the topics that will be addressed in class and the relative dates. The professor should give you one. If not, be sure to request it. That way, you know what topics you need to focus on (classroom assignments and questions will likely focus on these topics) and when tests are due.
Know the program or, at least, keep it handy to refer to often. In this way, you will have very few doubts and pending questions. You will know which topics the professor will spend more time on, you will know all the due dates and you will be aware of classwork and questions months in advance. With the program by your side, it will be hard to go wrong
Step 6. Set yourself high standards
Make a promise to yourself, and to others: you will get acceptable grades on classwork and questioning and complete all your homework. If the grades start to drop, get busy before someone else points it out to you. Find ways to motivate yourself and convince yourself that you want to go to college more than anything else. Motivation is the key to success!
If this is really important to you, talk to your parents about it to help keep you motivated. They want you to get high grades too, so they may be well-versed in helping you out. Maybe, at the end of the term, when they see that you have all 10, they can give you a gift you always wanted or allow you to come home later. You never know if you don't ask
Step 7. Study a little every afternoon
The afternoon before a certain class, read the chapter you think will be explained the next day (or you know for sure). Use the comprehension questionnaire at the end of the chapter to make sure you understand the basics. Write down any questions you have and then ask them to the teacher. The next day you will be so much more advantaged than your teammates that even the hardest questions for you will be trifles.
When it comes to specific facts, such as dates, names and equations, the mind generally forgets easily, especially when these notions are simply replaced by new ones. Studying a little every day keeps information fresh in your memory, so it's easier to remember it
Step 8. Take actually useful notes
As a general rule, it is good practice to copy all diagrams as completely as possible. Also, write down anything you think you can't remember. Jot down each concept in a notebook and then sort the notes by date so you can easily refer to them later.
- Think of a way to shorten your notes so you don't have to write down every single word. Use abbreviations whenever possible so that you can stand up to explanations.
- Try to rewrite your notes the day you took them, adding any extra information. Some teachers move casually between topics. You may remember a concept they mentioned, but you didn't have time to copy it, or maybe you can find it elsewhere. Then, study the notes and any extra information you added.
Step 9. Find a tutor
A good tutor can help you understand concepts, make the lessons fun, and confront you with problems that are neither too easy nor too difficult for you. Do not think that this figure is meant only for “foolish” students or those who have special needs. Even the smartest kids can take advantage of the tutoring they take after school. There are institutions that offer a tutoring service: they can give you a hand and suggestions between lessons or at the end of the school day.
Talk to your school counselor or teacher to find out if they have a tutor to recommend. He probably knows an older student who needs this work experience or who has started a tutoring program after school and is looking for students to help
Part 3 of 5: Shine at Tests and Projects
Step 1. Start studying a few days before a class test
Usually, three days before the test are enough for adequate preparation, as long as you have always been careful in class and done your homework regularly. If you postpone until the night before, you probably won't be able to assimilate all the necessary concepts, and you certainly won't be able to remember them after the test, for the final tests.
- If you have time left over at the end of your study session, review some old notes so you can refresh them for the final tests. It only takes a few minutes at a time to significantly reduce the amount of time you will have to devote to studying at the end of the year, when fatigue sets in and you can't wait to go on vacation.
- If several tests are planned in the same period, consider the difficulty of the various concepts and organize the study accordingly. If the topics you know well take up as much time as the ones that challenge you, your grades in the more difficult subjects will suffer. Once you have grasped certain concepts, reviewing them again and neglecting the less clear ones will not be useful at all.
Step 2. Avoid spending a sleepless night studying for a test or question
A lot of research has been done about it, and the results are always the same: a mad and desperate study the afternoon before a test does not improve the grades. Obviously, it is true that studying a little is better than not opening a book. However, when fatigue makes itself felt, the memory cannot function effectively, so studying becomes useless.
Sometimes, it is necessary to stay up late to write essays or complete projects, since it is better to be exhausted and deliver a job on time than to sleep and lose points that could make the difference between a 9 and a 10 or a 6 and a 5. In these cases, when you have to meet an expiration date, coffee and energy drinks become your best friends. But be careful: once the caffeine has lost its effect, you will probably feel more tired than before
Step 3. Study a little more than you should
After you finish your homework, read an extra chapter, or solve some difficult problems that haven't been marked to you. Take old exams or learn new techniques to make the most of your lessons. Because? Because many professors are aware of your commitment and feel encouraged to raise your grades in general, especially when your average is in the balance and you need half an extra grade to get to a whole number. Not to mention that you will increase your culture.
In fact, doing extra work means arriving better prepared at university, so take advantage of it as much as possible. The more you manage to have solid knowledge right now, the less you will run aground and be in crisis at a later time
Step 4. Take a break from studying when you need it
While it might seem counterproductive, it's better to work hard for short periods of time and take regular breaks than to study for hours on end and fry your brain. You may feel like you're wasting time, but what you actually do is make sure your mind is in top shape.
Almost everyone can work for 50 minutes straight using their efficiency optimally, and then they need a 10-minute break before being able to properly recover mental functions. Try to figure out what's right for you and don't be afraid to take a break from your schedule to reward yourself for a job well done, especially if it involves a difficult subject. Trust that you will be able to get back to work with a fresher mind later
Step 5. Start working on long-term projects as soon as they are assigned to you
The longer they are, the more important they are. Here is a quick formula for calculating the time you should spend on a project:
- Let's assume you have to deliver one essay a month over a quarter. This means that you have to divide the work of each text into four weeks.
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The first week, do your research. The second, write. Third, correct. The last one, review all the work done and fix any errors. Spend a maximum of half an hour a day on the essay.
This way, you will finish much earlier. In fact, the last week you can use it to review the work. If you have done everything right, the review will take very little time, and you can relax and dedicate yourself to something else because by now the bulk will be done!
Step 6. Create a study group with your friends
In general, studying in company is more effective than studying individually. And it's more fun! If practical, arrange a meeting twice a week. Just make sure everyone involved knows that the sessions are for study only, not chat about anything else.
Study groups are most effective when organized correctly. This is not the right time to waste time. Choose the leader of the group and decide what topics will be covered on a given day. Ask everyone to bring a snack and a couple of drinks. Try to think of a few questions in advance to guide the study. However, if you invite a friend who usually discourages or distracts you while you study, explain that you need to focus. Instead of wasting time and chatting, ask him to see you in your free time
Step 7. Study when you have small free time slots
Bring flashcards with you to review in dead moments. For example, take them out when you are on the bus, stand in line at lunchtime, wait for your mother, and so on. All these little intervals start to add up, and give you more free time in the afternoon and evening to enjoy yourself.
To make these moments more productive, involve a friend. When you have five or ten minutes to spare before class starts, go to a classmate and ask if you can ask each other quick questions. In this way, you can study using the sense of sight and hearing, and this facilitates the memories
Step 8. As a last resort, study hard in the afternoon or evening before a rehearsal
However, it shouldn't become a constant or a bad habit. However, if you can't do otherwise and you are left behind with a difficult task because it was impossible to manage time properly, you absolutely must not give up. Studying for five minutes before a class starts can get you some results. Plus, learn the art of bad nights spent on books. It can help you in stressful times, when essays, homework, difficult jobs, and many other commitments pile up and you can't coordinate them.
However, this method is not useful for long-term learning. Studying hard for hours tires you, wears you out and makes you lose your memory very quickly. It is necessary to repeat a topic several times to actually absorb it, it is not enough to do it in the evening before a test or a few minutes before a lesson
Part 4 of 5: Profitably Dedicate Out-of-School Commitments
Step 1. Get involved
Having good grades is certainly ideal to be able to enter the university you want, but dedicating yourself to other activities is useful especially on a personal level, and to write a good resume in the future. In fact, you demonstrate that, in addition to maintaining excellent grades, you have managed to do much more in your school and academic career.
- If you are a sportsman and you are particularly inclined to a certain sport, you could join a team. Try to be consistent with your workouts and work hard to build a good reputation.
- Art, music and acting are also impressive, especially if you are planning to pursue a career as an artist, singer, musician, actor or dancer.
- Sign up for an after-school course. Look for one you are interested in, or have a talent for. If you have a talent for Spanish, for example, take lessons. The same goes for chess. By the way, you will probably make new friends.
Step 2. Get involved in more than one activity
It's great to be a great sportsman. If that's the career you have in mind, great. But do you know what else you need to be successful in life and in the world of work? Being able to do something else, like knowing how to play the violin and participate in a political debate. To really impress and be a 360 ° person, you need to know how to do a little bit of everything.
Your ability to do something doesn't matter that much, what really matters is to try. No university or potential employer will go to you and ask you "Okay, you took part in the musical Little Orphan Annie, but are you really good at singing?" or "Sure, you play football, but how many goals have you scored?". What really matters is that you have been an important member of your school or community, and that you have given your all
Step 3. Volunteer
Do you know what is more impressive than a footballer who always scores? A footballer who also knows how to play the piano and talk about politics. And do you know what is more impressive than a very good footballer capable of playing the piano and talking about politics? A footballer who, in addition to finding the time to do all this, also dedicates himself to volunteering. Nothing more than charity shouts "I love my community" and "I'm the right person for this job".
There are dozens of opportunities that you probably haven't even considered, yet they are right there, right in front of your eyes. You could volunteer at a hospital in your city, an animal shelter, a senior residence, a soup kitchen, or even your neighborhood theater. You could help out at a local church, a shelter for battered women, or tutor less privileged kids. In most cases, all you have to do is ask
Step 4. If your school does not offer any activities, start one yourself
Taking the initiative on your own is even better than attending a course served on a silver platter. Don't you find ecological associations around? Open one yourself. A theater company? Create it yourself. You may find yourself with five friends recycling school waste at half past four on a Wednesday afternoon, but this will come in handy for life and your resume.
If you are planning to open an organization in the school itself, first talk to the teachers or the principal to make sure it is possible. In this way, you will be officially recognized, the club will be bigger and you will be able to use the experience more easily to enrich the curriculum
Step 5. Homework comes before extra-curricular activities
Continue to indulge in the hobbies you adore and deeply engage in, but also give yourself plenty of time to study. Extra activities are important to becoming a complete student, and will often help you in the future, at university and at work. Generally speaking, however, the votes come first.
- Try to figure out how much time you need to do your best and, just to be safe, add 30 minutes. Then, calculate at least eight hours of sleep, the time it takes to get from one place to another, and the school day. Subtract the total from 24 and you will have the amount of free time you have left during the day.
- Buy a good calendar and write down all the activities you would like to do, as well as the amount of time each one will take away. If you have too many plans for a certain day and have practically no free time, prioritize and determine which ones are most important. Also, keep in mind that you need quiet moments, when all you can do is think, switch off and relax.
Part 5 of 5: Take Care of Yourself
Step 1. Get enough sleep
The brain needs rest in order to refresh itself, process all the information you have introduced over the course of the day, and prepare for the next day. If you don't sleep, your grades will suffer, you will be in a bad mood, and your body will begin to feel the pinch. Aim to rest for eight to nine full hours per night.
Not only does sleep affect your performance, it generally impacts your understanding as well. The less sleep you have, the less your brain will be able to grasp even the simplest concepts
Step 2. Have a good breakfast every day
The first meal should be high in protein. Breakfast provides the energy and nutrition you need to face the day, succeed in class, develop progressively and correctly. Foods rich in protein and fiber offer you most of this energy.
Stay away from substantially empty foods, such as donuts and sugary cereals. Sure, at first you feel full of energy from the sugar rush, but soon this moment ends, and you suffer a breakdown before the second hour even begins. And you'll be hungry before it's time for lunch
Step 3. Get help when you need it
It might sound silly, but many students are either too afraid to do this, or don't care enough about it. If you ask for a hand, you don't make a bad impression, on the contrary, you show that you care about your education.
- Ask for a helping hand when it comes to homework, quizzes, and tests. If your professors, parents and tutors know that you are trying to give the best of you, they will want to help you through all the difficult times.
- Ask for help even when you have moments of despair. High school is tough, and it's easy to get so stressed out until you get exhausted. If the class load is difficult to bear, talk to the teachers and a school counselor. They may come up with ideas to make your journey easier.
Step 4. Make time for fun
You are only young once. University will be even more intense, so make sure you always have time for fun. Every Saturday night, try to do something with friends and family, or just take some time to relax, unplug and do whatever else interests you. Otherwise, you will run out of all your energy reserves!
Having fun is also necessary to get good grades. If you're unhappy, don't sleep, and don't have a social life, it's impossible to appreciate the high school experience! Make time for fun so you can be happy, focused and give your all
Warnings
- Don't always choose the easy way out. The most difficult experiences allow you to cut your teeth for college, and you will feel much more proud of yourself when you pass significant milestones.
- Always try to be punctual, especially if your school has a minimum tolerance threshold for truancy (such as being late for no reason, skipping school, having an absence that wasn't justified by a note or a phone call from parents, etc.).
- Don't let totally disconnected drama keep you from taking care of your study commitments, which are the most important thing.
- High school has traditionally been known as the place where teenagers experience many of those socio-emotional experiments needed to become young adults. Neglecting this part of "work" (which is often not talked about) to focus only on studies only alienates you from your surroundings, and once you get to university it is more difficult to adapt.
- Before you sacrifice yourself to become a perfect student and enter a great university, consider whether this is actually your goal, perhaps it was instilled in you by your parents or someone else. If your only dream is sincerely to access a well-known faculty, then you absolutely must give your all to make it come true. If not, remember that this is your life, you are not rehearsing to learn to live - work hard to get good grades, but be yourself and chase your true dreams.
- Do not aspire to unattainable ideals of perfection. If you have unrealistic expectations for yourself, it will only hinder your chances of achieving them.
- Try having a study partner. Usually, it's more fun to do homework and learn with a friend.
- It is best to get an idea of your talents and interests to be able to choose a career. Don't go for a job you don't like just because you think you're more likely to get hired or earn a high salary, it won't pay off.
- Don't focus solely on sport. The chances that you will be able to continue playing after high school are slim, unless you have received a professional engagement. Don't let this waste your time. If you do poorly in school, all the goals you've scored won't magically replace the four you have on your report card. Try to cultivate other interests and get high grades so you have an alternative.
