Apart from study tips, there are other elements that come into play to determine how effective of a student you will be. I have included below some skills that can you can incorporate so that you can become the best student you can be:
Time Management & Organization
Time management and organization really go hand in hand so that's why I've lumped them into one category. It's always important that you stay organized and budget your time appropriately. High school can be pretty hard and it can be overwhelming but I can guarantee it's going to be that much more stressful if you don't get some sort of organization system down.
You don't want to be that student who always has random papers crumbled at the bottom of your backpack and you can't find the homework you worked so hard on the night before. You also don't want to be in a situation where your teacher tells everyone it's time for the quiz and you didn't realize it was today! As someone who LOVES organization and time management, here are some tips that I have for you:
1. Use a planner or some other method to keep track of all of your assignments and due dates. You can purchase a planner for pretty cheap at Target or other stores carrying office supplies. You can also use the Calendar feature on your MacBook, set reminders on your SmartPhone or other electronic device, or you can print out a check list of all of your assignments with their due dates.
2. Create specific folders/binders for each of your classes. Having a special folder or binder for each class allows you to know where to find everything. You can also create a file on your computer for each class so that you can save word docs and other related items. This reduces the risk of not being able to find that important piece of paper your teacher has told you 1000 times not to lose.
3. Always make time for organization. I remember what it can be like in high school. Your desk is covered with papers, the bell rings and it's time for your next class so you frantically shove everything into your backpack. This is when the chaos can begin! But always make time for organization so that you don't fall into this trap. Even if this means you wait to organize everything until your next class or once you get home, you'll be happy in the long run that you took these extra steps to keep things orderly.
4. Don't procrastinate!! This can be a tough one. It's really hard to motive yourself to get an assignment done, especially if it's boring or you can tell it's going to take a lot of time and effort. But I promise you'll be SO happy with yourself if you force yourself to get started on your work early. The sooner you start on something, the less time you're going to have to spend on it each day - but if you wait until the last minute, you're going to find yourself feeling more stressed and the quality of your work might be impacted. Trust me: 1 hour of work each day leading up to the due date > 10+ hours working on something the day before it's due.
Here are two printable templates you can use to work on budgeting your time: Time Chart Weekly planner
Pick Your Priority
It's very important that you are honest with yourself and understand where your priorities lie. Whether your priority is making the best grades you can or devoting all of your time to extracurriculars, you need to analyze what is important to you, plan accordingly and understand that you can only accomplish so much without spreading yourself too thin. I know that it's not realistic to expect every student to put school first, but I also don't think it's realistic to expect to be successful taking the most challenging classes possible while also devoting countless hours after school to your extracurricular activity. I do not mean to suggest that this is impossible, but this is just where you need to consider your priorities so that you aren't putting unrealistic expectations onto yourself.
It's okay if you don't have time to take all advanced classes because you have late night practices and games every day of the week. It's okay if you don't take all advanced classes because you have to work a part time job. On the flip side however, it's also NOT okay to put yourself in a position where you're not going to pass your classes and graduate because you're trying to do too many other things. Figure out your priorities, and then decide what you have time for where you will still be a successful student.
Advocate For Yourself
High school can be intimidating and it can be difficult to voice when you are confused about a topic or you need additional support. But you should start practicing advocating for yourself NOW so that you will be prepared for your life beyond high school.
In class, your teachers are not mind readers. If you are confused, they're not always going to know unless you speak up or until they see that you did poorly on a test - and by then it's too late. Get in the habit of speaking up and asking questions when you have them. I get that it can be hard to ask a question in front of the whole class, but chances are if you have a question, someone else in the room has that same question. If you really don't see yourself feeling comfortable asking a question out loud, write it down in the moment you're confused and ask your teacher for more clarification later when you're in a one on one or smaller setting.
In addition, I always have so much respect and appreciation for my students that take the initiative to reach out to me to ask questions and set up appointments on their own. Maybe you're not doing so great in a class and you're not sure why, perhaps you just feel a little in over your head with the whole college application process or maybe you're just feeling stressed in general and aren't sure of ways to cope with the stress. Advocate for yourself and come talk to me so we can come up with various solutions together!
Parent involvement is great and welcomed, but I can't stress enough how important it is that: students need to learn to advocate for themselves first. Once you get to college, your professor is probably not going to take too kindly to your parent reaching out to them instead of you. Once you enter the workforce, you're going to need to be able to voice your own concerns to your boss if you ever have any. Therefore, high school is a perfect & safe setting for you to start get some practice advocating for yourself now!