Study Effectively, Stay Organised and Manage Your Time in School
Want to ace your next test or exam? Want to be the top of the class? Well, you are in the right place. Studying, managing your time and organizing are the main components of your school life. But to really achieve, you need to stir in some endurance and determination. Pushing yourself through the tough times is the key to unlocking the door of success.
Contents
Steps
- Dream big. Grab a paper and pen. Jot down all your goals: short-term and long-term. What you want to achieve this year or what you want to do in your life. Remember: Dream big - really big. Stick it up on the wall or on your cork board, in your workplace. That way, when you feel discouraged,your goals will motivate you to achieve them.
- Take notes. Summarize what the teacher is saying. Write down the important points rather than the unnecessary information. Don't pay much attention to spelling and grammar. This is just a rough draft of your summary.
- Ask questions in class. There is no point in going to school to learn, if you're going to leave the class in a confused mess. When students do not understand a concept, they usually don't accomplish well in their exams. Do not be afraid to ask. Teachers are always more than happy to help.
- Pay attention to what the teacher is saying. Don't go around passing notes to your friends, doodling on your notebook or twiddling with your pencil. You won't understand a single thing, and when it comes to exams and homework, you'll be begging your friends for help.
- Do your homework. Homework usually revisits the essential concepts that must be learned.Try making homework time fun. Bringing along friends can be fun too. Just don't start chatting, instead of working! Do not copy your friend's answers. You will not learn. Avoid any distractions that you may encounter while doing your homework and be sure to focus.
- Take breaks. When studying and doing homework, you can't go on forever. Information just won't stick in your head. Instead, have 10 minute breaks every hour or so. Do whatever. Read, exercise, write or even lay down. Just make sure that what you do doesn't set you off task.
- Rewrite. Rewriting the notes you took in class on the same day, allows the information to stick in your head. Make sure you understand everything you write. If you don't, make sure you ask your teacher the next day. Reading your notes won't get the information a hotel room in your brain.
- Create detailed notes and summaries. Using colored pens always makes things fun. Make sure you have subheadings and vocabulary in different colors. Try to write things in your own words rather than copying straight out of the textbooks. Make your notes neat and organized.
- Type it all up. Keep a binder for each major subject. Type up all your notes and summaries. Make them pretty. Put the vocabulary in bold type or italics. Again, make sure you are typing it actively rather than passively. It needs to glue into your brain. Put on some music for some extra fun.
- Listen to the Study Music Project. This amazing music is especially made by the superb composer: Dennis Kuo. It was created for hard-working students to listen to while studying. The beautiful music is a must for any study session.
- Create the perfect study space. Buy an organized workstation and a comfy chair. Not too comfy, though. Boxes, drawers and shelves are great way to arrange things in an organized manner. Label boxes and put a cute pen cup on your desk. Good lighting is an essential must. You don't want to get tired while doing homework because you can't see. A cork board or whiteboard is good too. You can put up a calendar and write down important dates. Corking up your goals list is a great idea too. Add some pictures of family and friends.
- Have a binder for each subject. This is more organized than cramming everything into one large, heavy binder. Have tabs like: homework, tests/quizzes, etc... Have some loose leaf paper and plastic sleeves at the back. Keep your notebook at the front as well as your weekly timetable. Don't forget to be creative: decorate the inside and outside of your binder.
- Have a planner or diary. This is a real must. You cannot rely on your memory. Jot down due dates, homework, your weekly timetable and test dates. Keep this 'book of miracles' with you and make sure you actually use it! It is a guarantee that you will never forget about homework again.
- Keep your locker organized. Pile things neatly and put a shelf or two (unless you have a small locker). Put in a pen cup and a magazine file with your notebooks inside. Clean out your locker every week. Decorate your locker as cute as possible. (Optional). Try not to put food inside so your locker doesn't stink.
- Buy a sturdy backpack. Make sure it is big enough for all your books and binders. Lots of pockets will also help you organize your belongings. Put the larger and heavier objects closest to your back so that you can spread the weight over your shoulders.
- Type (or write) a vocabulary list. When it comes to tests, teachers love to ask their students for definitions. Memorize the meanings of the main concepts.
- Create a schedule for your day. Write when you will do homework, when you will study and when you will have breaks. Especially when you panic, this method will help you calm down and realize that there is enough time to complete everything. It also gets your tasks done quicker.
- Do exercises when studying for math. Memorize those formulae and do an endless amount of exercises. Practice is the key to math. There isn't another way to study math and many people do not realize that until years of school.
- Grab a tutor. Tutoring isn't only for the 'dumb' kids. Tutoring can help even the best of students to further understand the given topic. An hour or two a week is usually sufficient to refresh your mind about what you are currently learning.
- Have a notebook for each subject. Write down class notes and summaries, formulae and exercises, anything important when studying should go in either your binder or notebook.
- Use flashcards. Put the question or word on one side and the answer or definition on the other. Have these in your pocket and test yourself wherever you are. Ask your parents to test you as well. Using flashcards is a helpful way of studying.
- Have reference books on your desk. Dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias and math books are all essential when you need something to refer to while studying or doing homework.
- Always have a diligent and determined attitude. Always go to school happy to learn. Take pride in your work and always try your very best. Don't ever copy those lazy students who do not care for their priceless education. They are the ones that will regret it when they are older and you will have the better job in your life; achieving the best.
- Prioritize after-school activities. If your art class or soccer training is getting in the way of your schoolwork, then you better take it aside. It doesn't have to be permanent; it can be temporary. Because as you know, school always comes first.
- Avoid cramming for tests. This useless 'technique' never works. Studying at least 3 days before is more successful. Cramming too much information into your brain causes you to have 'mind blanks' during the test. No-one likes these little devils as they cause you to panic in a test.
- Use Post-It notes. These bright, handy tools are excellent for reminding you to do things. Putting little tabs in your textbook can tell you the important pages to study. They can also help to remind you about what you need to do.
- Use memory tools. Mind maps are a great way to summarize information. PowerPoint is fantastic for notes and summaries as you can choose how many slides you want on a page.
- Keep that stack of homework. Invest in a cheap folder to file away those old worksheets and papers. In future years, you will definitely need to refer back to them.
- Always practice and study. In the bus or during that boring visit to your grandma's - study. It always recovers you from boredom and it makes the best use of your time. Carry around some flashcards for that spare moment. It all adds up at the end.
- Form a study group. Studying with friends can always be fun! Testing each other is a great way to learn. Make sure you do not get distracted, though.
Tips
- Always try your very best.
- Try staying organized in every aspect of your learning.
- Alongside those goals on the wall, stick up some motivational quotes to push you in those hard times.
- Manage your time wisely and always create a schedule. A small notebook is good enough to jot down your timetables.
- Have a determined and diligent attitude about your prized education. Don't say: 'Oh, I hate school.' That won't get you anywhere.
- Use your time wisely.
- Prioritize.
- Always study-whenever you can.
- Make sure you take perfect notes.
- Buy some cute stationery to lift your spirits when you are in a bad mood.
- Use Flashcards.
- Grab a tutor. A personal tutor would be better than a class as your teacher would be able to focus solely on you. Hopefully you can have a strong relationship with your tutor to increase your confidence around him/her.
- Buy a good quality backpack.
- Know the dates for your upcoming exams and be well prepared.
Warnings
- Do not let anyone discourage you.
- If you study with friends, make sure you do not laze around too much.
- Make sure your notes are legible.
- Never waste time in class.
- Never cram for tests.
- Make sure you don't come too tired after these activities. Take a relaxing hot (but 5 minute) shower when you get back home to feel fresh. How do you study if you feel groggy and sleepy?
- Prioritize wisely with after school activities.
- Do not buy a bad quality backpack.
- Do not put food in your locker.
