Be an All Around Good Student

Listening and participating makes a great student. If your purpose in school is to excel and get great grades, the following tips may just make it easier for you to achieve your goal.

Steps

Be Organized

  1. In order to be a good student, one of the key areas you'll have to work on is being organized. Color code your notes, arrange them in sections or folders, whatever you feel is best for you. Without organization, you'll have trouble finding your school supplies and notes!
  2. Buy a binder to store your notes, homework, and tests/quizzes in it. To distinguish the difference between each class, purchase tabs or make some of your own. Another option is to purchase folders to either replace the binder or assist it.
  3. Buy a pencil case and put all your writing utensils in there. Be sure you always have an extra pencil in there in case something happens to the pencil you're using. If you prefer mechanical pencils, make sure you have extra lead in the pencil case as well.
    • In case you have no access to a pencil sharpener in the classroom, bring your own small one. The kind that catches the shavings is recommended, and make sure it doesn't make too much noise! And if you don't have a small one already, ask a nearby student for one!
    • To be prepared for math, it is recommended you slip a small calculator in the pencil case as well. If your pencil case is big enough, put a ruler in as well.
  4. Buy a planner or an agenda to make note of the due dates of assignments, tests, and big projects. That way, when you arrive at home in the evening, you will be able to organize your homework schedule and figure out which assignment is due first, and when you should work on it. Good prioritizing is necessary in this area.
  5. Make sure your locker is clean and organized. Keep it free of random papers - keep all papers in your binder or folder(s) - and do not clutter it with unnecessary decorations, as they are pointless and you'll have to take them down at the end of the year.
    • It is recommended you stack your books in your locker in the order of your classes. That way, you can easily grab your book from the top stack, and later slip it underneath the pile for tomorrow!

Dress Modestly

  1. Dress appropriate and nicely, as it shows respect. Avoid wearing clothes that are too small or too big. If you have a uniform, wear it neatly, tucking in your shirt and making sure it looks fine.
  2. Follow your school's dress code, keeping in within the boundaries. Be grateful that the school board was willing to allow you to wear your own clothes, and know that they could have made you wear a uniform instead.
  3. If you add accessories to your clothing, follow the rule: look in the mirror before you leave and remove one item.

Performing Well in the Classroom

  1. Make sure you have done your homework and take good, clear notes that you will be able to read later on. Leaving until later what could be done today is asking for trouble and crammed results. If a report is due by Monday and you've had three weeks to do it, don't wait until Sunday. Try to work on it daily for a while until you are finished with the report.
  2. Show that you are a willing participant and that you are eager to learn. If you do not understand don't be afraid to ask the teacher. When you have something to share, raise your hand.
  3. Read further than the chapter in class. If you want to take the lead in your class you need to work hard (sometimes, teachers don't want you to read ahead, so this is not always a good idea). Fill out the study guides if they are supplied, or make your own guides.
  4. Feeling refreshed and awake are perfect studying conditions. Distractions during study time will make your studying less effective. This includes TV, people talking, the radio, and some music etc. - anything that is taking your mind off the task at hand.
  5. Go to school with the attitude to learn! If you are thinking that you will totally fail the test, think again! When you learn something new, you will get smarter every day.

Your Social Life

  1. It is proven that people with 3-5 extra-curricular activities do better in school, so don't overload your schedule, but don't be anti-social. Join clubs and extra-curricular activities such as the school sports teams, drama clubs and other things that might put on performances for the local community, or have competitions against other schools.
  2. If you see someone being mean to a newbie, stand up for them. Get yourself known as a great friend and helpful person and people will respect you. Besides, if they can rely on you to help them, chances are you can rely on them when you need help.
  3. If someone looks upset and is on their own, go and check on them. Invite them to hang out with you. If someone is sitting alone at lunch, invite them to sit with you, or go to sit with them. Perhaps they're very insecure or just need someone to talk to. If you befriend them, you can help them gain confidence in themselves. If they're on their own because they have no friends, chat to them, invite them to go shopping with your friends or to a movie.
  4. When in a conversation, don't dominate it by going on and on about yourself. Remember: almost everyone's favorite topic is themselves. People will feel like they belong, and they'll feel happier and more comfortable in front of people, rather than a sad little loner.
  5. Run for class president and/or school council - go somewhere along those lines.
  6. Relax! Once you are done with homework, have some fun. Maybe catch up on TV or start that book that you've been dying to read.

Tips

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • To be a good student, you must be willing to understand everything that is being said to you and you must also be very attentive and alert in the classroom.
  • Also, don't sit there and just listen. Get involved! Most teachers don't like it if you don't raise your hand at all, or just think that someone else will answer for you. Be that person! Even if you don't get called on, your teacher will know that you had something to share, meaning you were listening.
  • 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.
  • Try to work out your homework yourself, you'll learn more that way. Then you can ask your parents/guardians questions if you find something you need help with, that is, if you're really stuck even after working at it by yourself.
  • If a report is due by Monday and you've had three weeks to do it, don't wait until Sunday. Try to work on it daily for a while until you are finished with the report.
  • Don't be put off by anything, remember you can see people, do things at your lesson breaks and lunch.
  • Be civil to teachers and other students as well. They'll help you more if you're nice to them.
  • If you don't work hard now, it'll catch up with you later!
  • If the teacher happens to ask you a question, answer with confidence even if the answer may be wrong.
  • Keep around good company and help people who are in need.
  • Make sure you eat a good breakfast every morning. Food provides fuel for your body to help you concentrate throughout the day. Avoid making the habit of skipping meals.
  • Ask questions -- that's why your teachers get paid! They're there to help you, so don't be afraid.
  • If you don't understand the lesson, ask the teacher.
  • 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.
  • If you know a test is coming up, study for it. Even 10 minutes a day can be helpful!
  • Don't be silly just to entertain people, and don't sit with the wrong crowd.
  • Note for people who think school is the worst thing ever - Did you know that being smart gets you a better job, and a better job earns you more money?
  • When taking a test, if you come to a question you're blanking on, look at the rest of the test. Usually, some questions will have the answer to them as another question as a different part of the test.
  • Some schools have online textbooks.Ask your teacher for log in information.
  • Treat others the way you want to be treated.
  • 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 distract both of you.
  • 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.
  • Use mnemonics (devices for memorization) when you can (ex. the names of the planets in our solar system: My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Up Noodles).
  • Think of your studying as a workout. The harder you work, the greater the benefits. Sitting carelessly won't earn you good marks. If you have a test or an exam, set for it and put all your efforts in it. Seeing the results you will feel proud of yourself.
  • Do your homework the same day the assign it to you , it will really pay off
  • During tests, if you don't know a question, skip it and come back later. Another option would be to do the easy questions first, then spend more time on the hard ones.
  • During tests with multiple-choice questions, use process of elimination. Cross out the answers you are positive are incorrect, and the probability that you'll get the right answer will greatly increase.
  • Additionally, if you have an exam approaching, set yourself a goal. A little bit of pressure on yourself is fine, but if you begin to feel anxious or upset, speak to a teacher or parent.
  • 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.
  • Revise your material repeatedly, and re-check your examination for possible mistakes after writing it.
  • Participate in class and come organised. Do your assignments on time and get good grades..
  • Get a good night sleep.

Warnings

  • Don't talk in class. It is rude to the teacher and disrupts the class in general.
  • 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.
  • Don't stay in front of the computer for long periods, because this can contribute to the development of short-sightedness when glasses have to be worn. This can be uncomfortable.
    • Stand up and take a 10-minute walk after every 30 minutes of study or work. It is going to be healthy for your eyes and your back.

Things You'll Need

  • School supplies
  • Water
  • Pencils
  • Erasers

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