The beginning of the new year, along with a new semester, brings in many opportunities for resolutions. Getting good grades is one of the most common among high schoolers. Attaining a 4.0 GPA may not be as hard as it seems. School can be stressful and a challenge, but learning ways to take notes and study effectively can have a significant impact on students’ grades.
The first thing that is necessary to get the best grade possible is to get homework done on time. Homework may only be a few points and not seem like a large portion of the final grade, but after a while, those points add up. Sophomore Penny Herrera says, “It’s like a spiral, one bad grade leads to more, and then you fall behind.” Medical Daily wrote about a study that has shown that kids who procrastinate with their work have gotten scores that are about 5% lower than students who did not wait.
Taking good notes is the perfect way to bring classes back home. There are a few different ways in which people go about this step to retain the information they’re learning. One of the simplest ways to take notes is by just copying what’s on the board. A way to spice these up and make them easier to remember is to incorporate more color. Getting some colored pens to accentuate titles and important vocab words will draw attention to a specific topic, which, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, increases memory performance.
Another technique for taking better notes is to take some notes in class and some at home. Taking notes in class can be rushed, messy, and hard to decipher. But once at home, there is more time to take prettier, more organized notes that are more effective study tools. For some people, it may also be more useful to include visuals, drawings, and flowcharts.
The next step to getting that A is studying for an exam or quiz. Tests can be extremely stressful, and one of the best things to do, no matter the chosen method of studying, would be to begin ahead of time. One way to study is to make note cards; note cards are good for hands-on workers because they can be carried, and studied anywhere.
Another way to study is by using the study guide provided by the teacher. These guides give an idea of what’s going to be on the test without providing the exact questions. A study group can also be helpful because it mimics being in a classroom where students can compare answers and get positive encouragement.
Passing your classes is valuable for college and life after high school. Being focused and hardworking can get teens on the path to a 4.0 GPA.
