Too many high school students suffer from high levels of stress trying to keep up their grades and are forced into pulling all-nighters to complete major assignments or study for final exams. Stress and lack of sleep are neither conducive to real learning nor are they good for your health and wellbeing.

Adopting a system that has worked for generations of savvy kids who make learning and getting good grades look easy will also work for you.

Get rid of the stress and get your grades up.

Attend class regularly, pay attention when there and take good notes

The greatest amount of learning takes place when you listen to what your teacher says in class. Because the teacher has only a limited time to transmit knowledge and concepts, he/she will focus on what is most important. If you listen carefully and take good notes, you will give yourself a strong foundation in the topic even if you still need to read a textbook for more detail or complete assignments to hone your skills.

For many people, the act of taking notes and writing down what you just heard helps to reinforce retention and understanding. The same will apply to you.

When you are in class, it is a bad idea to try and do anything other than pay attention to the teacher and take notes. Your time is precious, spend it well.

Set up a daily homework schedule and stick to it

Set up a homework schedule for 5 days a week, setting aside at least 1.5 hours a day to complete assignments, review class notes and read new material. Your schedule can run Monday to Friday or Sunday to Thursday, depending on the time requirements of your extra-curricular activities. Schedule in short breaks during your study period.

Since high school students are busy with extra-curricular activities as well, you will have to set up a schedule that accommodates these activities.

Be disciplined about sticking to the schedule and do not get tempted by your friends who want to hang out after activities and do not get tempted to watch the game before you start on your homework. Treat your homework like your high powered job, you would not sacrifice it just to have some fun.

Review class notes daily, start assignments as soon as they are assigned, and read new materials early

Now that you have set aside time daily to get your homework done, make it a habit to review the notes you took in class the same day. This helps with retention and saves you from cramming for a test. The review will also highlight to you where you might be missing information or what you might not understand about the topic. If there is something you do not understand, you can ask the teacher about it in your next class when everything is still fresh for you and the teacher.

If you have been given a quiz, attack it the same day even if the submission deadline is a week away. The information is still fresh immediately after the class and you should breeze through the quiz without mistake.

If you have a larger assignment to complete, make a plan for how you will get it done over a few days, including allocation of time for information gathering, outlining your essay or report and finalizing it.

Set aside time daily to read assigned materials for your classes.

Stay focused during your scheduled home work hours

Tell your self that as soon as you sit down to do review your notes and complete your quizzes and assignments, nothing will be allowed to distract you. Turn your phone to silent and place it facedown on your desk. Resist the temptation to pick it up and check for messages or social media alerts.

Request your family members to respect your homework time and ask that they wait to talk to you only when you are done.

Ask questions if you do not understand something

Whether you ask questions during the lesson itself or you ask questions later, it is important to seek clarification from the teacher as soon as possible. For math and science subjects, where knowledge builds on itself, your negligence in not getting clarification can compound into a problem with disastrous impact on your grades.

Work hard even if you do not like the subject or the teacher

It is easy to be motivated when you like the subject or the teacher is really engaging. However, even if the subject bores you or the teacher annoys you, you have to keep the discipline because the grade belongs to you, not the teacher. If you tune out of the subject, your GPA suffers and it affects which colleges you could get admitted to.

Organize your homework/study area

You should have a fixed place, like your desk, where you can regularly do your homework away from distractions. Keep it cleaned and organized so that you always have space to spread out your notes and textbooks while doing your homework.

Have a bottle of water handy so you can keep yourself hydrated.

Stay positively committed at all times

View your academic performance in school as a stepping stone to a great future. When it gets hard to stay motivated, remind yourself that your education is something valuable that belongs to you, and you probably won’t ever dream of deliberately neglecting something valuable that is yours.

Be prepared to increase study time around finals

Even if you have been keeping up with your review of class notes and completion of assignments, you will need need extra time to review all of your notes and materials in advance of your finals. Starting about 2 weeks before your first finals, increase your study time by an hour or more so you have a disciplined schedule to systematically review your study materials and ace the exams.

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