As students, you juggle so many tasks and expectations, whether school assignments, clubs, activities, friends, family, chores, or volunteering. Whether you are getting high grades in the most challenging classes or are getting B’s, C’s, D’s, or lower, all students have the capacity to pivot. That is, to stop, and turn in a new direction for the better. In this blog, I will give you a checklist you can use to see if you may need to make some changes to your study environment, study schedule, note-taking skills, and even sleep schedule, all with the goal of getting better grades, studying the right way, and hopefully in less time. Here is the checklist:
- Do you start your homework within 1 hour from when you get home from school?
- Do you have a plan for the order of your homework subjects?
- When writing a paper, do you start your outline 5 days out, giving yourself time to write a first draft, revise, and have time to make improvements each day with a new perspective?
- When studying for tests, do you start studying three days in advance?
- Are you able to accomplish all of your homework by 10pm latest and get 8 hours of sleep?
- If not currently doing a sport, did you get any outside exercise today, even as simple as going for a walk?
- Do you have trouble sleeping due to stress related to school?
If you answered even one of these questions with a “yes,” then keep reading, because this series helps students like you reimagine what it takes to be a successful student today. No single factor is the magic solution that will solve all problems. Rather, the combination of small improvements, made at a comfortable pace, will help you step forward toward becoming a successful student. In this series, I will walk you through some study habit tips and strategies, suggestions about courses and tests, and help you know when to begin college planning, but also how to get ready for that process.