How to Excel in High School, Part 2

Steps: 15. Give yourself a study break when you need it. It is better to work hard for a short time then take a break than to work too long and lose valuable productivity. Most people can work for 50 minutes at their optimal efficiency then need a ten minute break before being able to function at their best again. Figure out what works best for you and don't be afraid to stray from your schedule to reward yourself for a job well done on something difficult. Trust that you will be able to come back to your work later. 16. Begin working on long-term projects as soon as they are assigned. The longer you have, the bigger they are, so estimate the time you should spend it by calculating the following: total points possible divided by days given to work on assignment = points per day (round up). 1 point is about 6 minutes of work. For example, if you have a 200 point essay with 1.5 months to work on it, 200/47= 4.25; so you should work on your essay about 25 minutes per day. If you do it this way, you'll generally finish light years ahead of time, and have the all-important "crunch time" before the essay is due to kick back and relax because you finished early! 17. Form a study group with friends. If it's convenient, meet bi-weekly. You will be able to gain valuable insights from your peers and get to know each other even better. If you decide to align your classes with your friends', make sure everyone involved is clear that you are meeting to study, not chat about other things. 18. Be resourceful with your time. Carry around some flashcards to run through if you have a spare moment. All of that time begins to add up. 19. Cram as a last resort. This should not be your everyday routine, but if you just have to keep that grade up and you've fallen behind on a busy work assignment because you didn't deal with your time accordingly, don't just give up. Five minutes before class can be very rewarding. Learn the art of cramming. It helps on essays, homework, busy work, and many other note assignments. However, it does not help you learn. 20. Know the syllabus set by your school or relevant board This is like a set of guidelines or outcomes that a student is to learn or be able to do after the period of learning a subject. Your teacher may sometimes provide these guidelines or outcomes, and if they haven't, be sure to ask for them. That way you know which area (or how big an area) you will be tested on in that subject. Make sure that you follow these guidelines or outcomes when you study for your exams (You will not go wrong on this one). In fact, these guidelines will assist you in knowing "how much" you need to study for a particular test. 21. Get involved. Good grades are an excellent way to impress that certain college but something extra will show that you can do more while maintaining excellent grades. o If you are athletic, consider joining a sports team that you are particularly talented in. Try out every year for the team to establish a reputation within your high school. o If you lack certain skills required to join your high school's sports team, then simply join a club. Join any club you are interested in or have a good background knowledge in e.g. If you are great in Spanish, then join the Spanish Club. If you're good at music, join something music related. o When you get a 70 in an Honors class - You are actually getting in the 80's on your weighted GPA 22. Always pay Attention in Class. If you don't pay attention, you might miss some important information. So always have your pencil and paper ready to catch everything they say. Who knows, you may need it in the future. Warnings: • If you have an exam or a test, make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before. • It's best if you have an idea about your aptitudes and interests so you can choose a career. Don't choose something you don't like just because the jobs are good, it won't pay. • Don't try to be too perfect. By setting unrealistic expectations for yourself, you'll only hinder your own chances of achieving them. • High school retains its traditional status as the place where kids do much of the socio-emotional experimentation required to become young adults. Neglecting this other sort of "work" to focus solely on studies will leave you alienated from your surrounding culture as you enter college. • Before committing your life to doing perfectly in high school "to get into a great college", consider whether this is really your goal, your parents', or someone else's. If it is genuinely your sole dream to go to that name brand university, then by all means, go for it. If it is not, remember that this is your life, not preparation for life: do well in your studies, but be yourself and follow your own dreams. • Life isn't about (insert sport here), and chances are your playing ends after high school (unless you've already got college scouts checking you out). Don't let it consume your time; making that free throw isn't going to show up in place of that "F" on your report card. Not to mention, there are a billion (insert sport again) players that probably have better grades too. • Always be on time! Especially if your school has a certain number of unexcused absences you can have. (e.g. tardiness, ditching, no note/call from parents...Etc.) • Don't just take the easy classes. Harder classes look much better on college applications, and you'll have a much nicer feeling when you get good grades in them. Things You'll Need: • Motivation • Patience • Enrollment in a High School • A study area • School supplies (paper, books, pens, flash cards, etc.) • Determination • Self-control • Friends to help you • Organization originated by: Anonymous, Ben Rubenstein, Sondra C, Jack Herrick Source: www.wikihow.com