Get Good Grades in Middle School
Middle school is a big step up from elementary school. There, you had one teacher, two at the most. But your grades were simple because the core of your subjects was with one teacher, then you might have switched off for one other subject. Now you have six to eight different classes to keep up with, and a different teacher for each one! You don't want to disappoint your parents with a bunch of horrible grades! You want to show them some good B's, but always strive for an A! Here's an article that will help you! Always, always, always strive for the best. Never give up on your expectations!
Steps
- Get organized!! A HUGE part of middle school is being organized. You need to have a binder. Try to get folders with inserts or dividers to put in the binder. This will help you to stay organized by color and by class. If you have all your papers together and not separated you'll get disorganized and you won't be able to Succeed! Also get a folder for each class. A plastic one is best because they last the whole year. Use these for homework and for any loose handouts. Get a notebook for each class, too, so you can take notes, from which you can study for your tests. When you get homework, schoolwork, or anything else, always put the date, subject, and teacher name so when you do organize, it will be easier to find things. The more organized you are, the easier to keep track of school events and homework.
- Get a planner. You should get a calendar, planner, or agenda. This way, you can write each of your assignments, tests, quizzes, projects, essays and notifications such as dances, field trips, or holidays. Make sure that you actually use it daily. There's really no point in purchasing equipment that you don't use.
- Take notes and study with them! When you hear a test or a quiz is coming up, immediately write it in your homework book and start planning study time. If you have 3 days before a quiz then study for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening until the test or quiz. It's very helpful to write the problems and answer them because they will stick in your head. Also, make sure your notes are readable. If your notes aren't readable, how can you use them as a study tool?
- It helps to have a study group so you can all get prepared for the test. You can even study with one person if that's all you have!
- Do your homework. An important part of getting good grades is finishing and turning in homework on time. Take as much time as you can to finish your homework. Don't leave it until the last minute because that will stress you out and you won't be able to complete your homework effectively.
- Don't procrastinate. If you put off too many things you will not get good grades. Remember to do homework first. Not track, choir, or anything else. School always comes first.
- Sing a song. If you can make it match the work you're doing it'll be a lot more entertaining. Just be sure not to get distracted.
- Know when you have a quiz or test. Study a lot for the ones you're bad at. The hardest subject is usually math because memorizing the answers won't work. Go over previous quizzes and tests. Realize your mistakes and don't do them again!
- Ask a Teacher for Help. Your teachers are there to help you. They sometimes love questions. If you are confused about something, drop in during lunch or free time, after school or before school!
- Find out if you can do any extra credit. This will help during the end of the quarter or trimester or semester. If you have an 85% in the class and you really want an A, do the extra credit! Always ask early; you don't want to wait! Before depending whether you should ask for extra credit work, consult your teacher and make sure they accept extra credit, whereas many teachers will not.
- If you have a substitute, ask the teacher or a friend to help. They can always help you if they get the problem.
- Have a Good Relationship with Your Teacher. This will make your teacher more willing to answer questions, share information, etc. Make friends with your teacher by introducing yourself on the very first day of school, answering any questions they may have, and being polite. Show your teacher that you are a good student. Do this by asking questions, putting lots of effort into your schoolwork, using your free time to do extra research, doing your work without being distracted by talking to your friends, and always following your teacher's rules. Doing this will make your teacher think you deserve to get good grades. Now that you have developed a friendship with your teacher, and proven to them that you are a good student, it’s time to sit down with them and ask them what exactly you have to do to get a four in every subject. If your teacher is your friend, and thinks you are a good student, they will be happy to share. Write down everything that they tell you, and do it. Knowing exactly what your teacher expects of you, will make the chances of getting good grades, much better.
- As well as following the instructions that your teacher gives you, do extra work that they didn't mention, such as reading the dictionary a lot to find the meanings of long words that most kids your age don’t know so your teacher will think you are smart.
Tips
- Be involved. Join choir, sports, art, and different extra- curricular activities. especially if you get an award for it in school.
- If you're not sure on a certain subject, ask your teacher after class or during homeroom. It is very important to understand skills covered in class. You never know if your teacher will have a pop quiz the next day.
- One of the biggest originators of procrastination is electronic distractions. Turn all electronic distractions off or put them away completely while doing your work. If you need the computer to complete your work, pick up your willpower and avoid opening any tabs that are not relevant to your work. You can also get a friend or family member to watch over your shoulder as you do your work, and keep you from getting distracted.
- For math tests, study your notes, memorize how to do the concept your teacher is quizzing you on, and when you get to math class, get a sheet of paper and write how to do the concept down. This isn't cheating because you wrote it down when you got to class, not before class.
- Put a whiteboard in your locker! After each class write down what you need to bring home. All your assignments are already in your planner so don't waste your time writing the assignments! Only write what you need to bring home!
- Don't stress over it! If you have an A- or a B, you'll be able to bring it up. Have a positive attitude and enjoy it!
- Don't wait until the last minute. The more work you have, the more stressed you will feel.
- The morning of a test make sure to have a healthy breakfast.
Warnings
- Always get enough sleep before a test. If you get hardly any sleep, then you won't be able to think.
- Do not start slacking off in 6th grade, You'll find yourself slacking off more and more throughout the years!
- Make sure that you have all the supplies you need to complete your homework before you leave school. The last thing you want is to have to go back to school, or even miss the assignment completely.
- In general, always get enough sleep. Don't start down the all-nighter path.
- Never talk back to your teacher, it will be put into your records and High Schools wouldn't like to see that.
- Don't let people cheat off of you.
- Do not flunk in 7th grade. It is the most important grade of Middle School; High Schools skim through your 6th-grade things and go to the 8th-grade report card, but they look at everything you did in 7th grade.
- Don't get the cheap paper folders. They will currently rip. The teachers also don't care for them.
- Always spend less time on your locker if you have one. If not you'll lose those privileges and have to carry all your books and your jacket and backpack for the rest of the day.
- Don't worry too much. As important as your future is, you're still 5, 6, 7 years away from college. Don't let yourself stress out - take a time to enjoy life, spend time with friends and family. Don't sacrifice your academic performance either, but try to find a balance. Life goes by way too fast, so don't forget to make the most of it now.
- Never cheat! This will only hurt you in the long run because there will likely be times later in your educational career when you will need to know the information.
Things You'll Need
- School supplies
- Studying time
- An organized desk
- A Planner (Important!)
- A Binder
- Homework
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