Get lots of sleep. You’ll need to get the right amount of sleep for your body if you want your brain to work at its best. [1] X Research source You should feel alert through most of the day. If you find yourself needing to shut your eyes by lunch, you’re not sleeping enough. For most people, you’ll need about 8 hours of sleep. Your body can’t work right if all you eat is junk like chips, candy, and hamburgers. If you want to be the best student you can be, eat your vegetables (like broccoli), some fruit, and lean proteins (like chicken and fish). Drink plenty of water. Your brain needs water in order to work right. In fact, your whole body needs water in order to work right. Drink several glasses of water a day but keep in mind that some people need more water than others. [2] X Research source
For example, have you noticed that it’s really easy for you to remember charts or pictures? This means you might be a visual learner, which means you should use more images and pictures in order to learn. [5] X Research source An example of this would be if you drew yourself a chart to memorize the parts of speech. Maybe you’ve noticed that you have an easier time studying when you listen to music quietly or that you can’t remember what your teacher wrote on the board but you can “hear” what they said in your head as if they were in the room now. This means you might be an auditory learner, which means you learn better with sound. [6] X Research source An example of this would be if you record your teacher when they’re talking so that you can listen to it while you do your homework or study. Maybe you’ve noticed that, during a lesson, you feel like you still want to pay attention but you really need to stand up or move around. Maybe you pace around your room while you study. This might mean that you are a kinesthetic learner, which means you learn better when you’re doing things with your body. [7] X Research source Try playing with a piece of clay in your hand while your teacher talks.
If you’re having trouble staying focused when your teacher is talking, try sitting in the front and participating more in the class. Raise your hand and ask questions when you don’t understand something or when your teacher says something interesting and you want to know more about it.
For example, if you’re studying American history, you can watch documentaries online to learn even more about the era you’re learning about. You can learn by studying books from your local library and you can also learn a lot online. While Wikipedia isn’t always accurate, it’s usually pretty good. You can also find documentaries and educational videos on YouTube, like the popular shows Crash Course and TedTalks. These have a lot of information that your teacher or professor didn’t explain it well enough for you. Learn when school is out of session too. Keep learning during the summer, on the weekends, and start preparing for your next year of school as early as you can by finding out what kind of stuff you’ll study. As for the summers, just reviewing the information you already learned for just two or three hours three or four times over the course of the whole summer can help make sure that you’re ready when the school year starts.
Write down the possible questions that can come on the test and start jotting down key points. Try waking up a little early the morning of the test and skim through notes you made while you were studying. It can really help you grasp last-minute details, by review those notes one last time. The harder the test will be, the earlier you should start studying. Two or three weeks is usually a good starting point.
For example, if someone was gone for a few days, offer to help them get caught up and share your notes with them.
Be respectful to people by not talking over them and definitely giving them a chance to talk if they want to. Respect their opinions and don’t worry if they think a little bit differently than you. You should also let people be themselves and don’t make them feel bad for being unique or different.
Help yourself calm down by breathing slowly. Remind yourself that everything will be okay. You’re strong enough to do this! Avoid worrying about perfect grades. Perfect grades really only matter your last year and a half of high school and then when you’re in college (if you plan on going to graduate school later). Otherwise, just focus on learning the material as well as you can and don’t worry about the numbers or letters that your teacher assigns. Knowing the material is more important than getting a grade.
For example, you might start learning about the planets in your science class. Find a cool picture of your favorite planet and show it to other people, then challenge them to find a cool picture of their favorite planet.
Don’t be disruptive. Don’t pass notes, talk to your friends, make jokes, or move around too much while your teacher is talking. Although it’s fine to joke around with your teacher if they like it. Just don’t do it too much or your teacher might get frustrated. Be punctual (on time or even early) and definitely don’t skip their class. When you’re talking to them, be polite. Address them as Ma’am or Sir and use words like please and thank you. Be serious when you use the words and don’t let them feel like you’re making fun of them by talking like this. If they don’t like it, you should stop.
For example, if your teacher is talking about chemistry and Avogadro’s number, ask them how they memorize the number. As a warning, however, try not to ask pointless questions. You don’t want to ask a question just so you have a question to ask. Eventually, this will annoy your teacher and they’ll think that you’re doing it just for the attention. Do not ask personal questions or something that is important only to you. You can ask about homework, pop quiz dates or something that does not bother you alone or if you don’t understand. “What pages do we have to read for tomorrow?” and “Ma’am, is there a better method to memorize this?” will be appropriate. “Why did I get a D?” and " Ma’am, which boy band is the hottest according to you?" are definite nos. “Ma’am, do you have a boyfriend?” type of questions that are related to personal relationships of teachers are not to be asked at any cost. Teachers get ticked due to this and can get you suspended.
For example, if there’s a math test coming up in a few weeks, and you know that you didn’t fully understand how to divide fractions, then ask your teacher if they can go over the instructions with you one more time and do two or three problems with you until you understand it. Say something like, “Mr. Green, I’m having a hard time with the homework. For some reason, the genitive case is just really hard for me to get. Can we maybe meet after school or during lunch, so you can try explaining it in a different way?”
You remind others (without being bossy or rude) to keep to classroom rules. If a fight breaks out, you immediately get the nearest teacher, or diffuse the fight, or whatever is appropriate to the situation. You help the teacher with tasks such as handing out papers, materials, making copies, helping a student with a question, or whatever is appropriate. You help classmates who are having problems. If a peer is clearly upset, you try to help him. You open the door for a teacher wheeling the AV cart. You do not pass on ugly rumors, even if it is juicy gossip.
Reward yourself and take regular breaks whenever you study or do homework to help you stay motivated![15] X Expert Source Alexander Ruiz, M. Ed. Educational Consultant Expert Interview. 18 June 2020. If you need some extra motivation to study for a test, ask a friend to study with you. It will make studying more enjoyable and fun. [16] X Expert Source Alexander Ruiz, M. Ed. Educational Consultant Expert Interview. 18 June 2020.
