Now that we are finally reaching the end of our first full month of the school year and winding down from summer, schoolwork and tests are all that’s occupying students’ minds. By now, most students have had tests in almost all their classes, especially those taking AP classes, and have already had piles of homework for some classes. Here are some ways you can improve your test scores and get amazing results on your homework to help towards a positive year.
To be successful with these tests, there’s a lot of preparation and studying required. According to princetonreview.com, there is an effective 10-step process to ace your next test: get informed, think like your teacher, make your own study aids, practice for the inevitable, study every day, cut out the distractions, divide big concepts from smaller details, don’t neglect the “easy” stuff, don’t skip school, and review the day of the test. From the research mentioned, it’s stated that “students who are tested regularly actually learn more content and retain it longer…” On top of those useful strategies, some other great study tips are meeting up with study groups, making flashcards, and dividing the studying into multiple days, allowing each day to focus on different topics or sections of the learning material rather than cramming it and not feeling confident about what you’re trying to retain.
If you’re looking to keep up those grades and GPA, you need to perform well on assignments. Of course, the best way to do that is to give your teachers your undivided attention, but for many, it’s hard to stay focused in class. If you feel bored during lectures or lost in the teachings, there are many online resources to help you stay on top of your work. Many websites like khanacademy.org give lessons, practice problems, and videos on many different subjects. Two creators on YouTube that I think are great at explaining concepts are CrashCourse and OverSimplified. CrashCourses videos are separated into different subjects, like math and science, but then go even further into specific topics such as chemistry and then the different components of chemistry such as Bohr Diagrams, understanding the periodic table, etc. OverSimplified is a less “in-class” appropriate, but funner way to study history. As self-explanatory in the name, the purpose of these videos is to be an oversimplified explanation of historical events. Personally through his videos, I’ve been able to understand moments in history because he explains it in a more modern way while also actually teaching. I recommend OverSimplified to those who get bored easily and usually have a hard time staying engaged.
When you keep up these tricks steadily through the school year, you should be able to end it contented with yourself and keep a confident mindset until next year.