Habits That Can Improve Grades

andPerformance

byGrace Fleming

edited by Mr. Hawk

NOTE: Grace Fleming wrote a series of articles about academic success with grades. Those articles were compiled and edited to form this paper. To view the individual articles, search for them at the above website.

Your homework habits might be affecting your grades. Are you staying on track with your assignments? Feeling tired, achy, or bored when it comes to homework time? Are you arguing with parents about your grades? You can change the way you feel by taking better care of your mind and your body.

Use a Planner

Did you know that poor organization skills can reduce your final scores by a whole letter grade? That's why you should learn to use a dayplannerthe right way. Who can afford to score a big fat "0" on a paper, just because we got lazy and didn't pay attention to the due date? Nobody wants to get an "F" because of forgetfulness.

The most logical place to write down your assignments in a ​planner. It is absolutely essential to your success to write down every single assignment, due date, test date, and task.

  • Pick the right planner.Take your time when choosing a planner. Find one that fits inside a special pocket or pouch in your book bag if you can. Avoid planners with locks or zippers that will only annoy you.
  • Name your planner.Why? You're less likely to neglect something with a name and a strong identity. When you name an object you give it more of a presence in your life. Call it something goofy or something sentimental—it doesn't matter.
  • Make the planner a part of your daily routine.Carry it with you at all times and remember to check it every morning and every night.
  • Fill in your assignment due dates as soon as you learn them.Get in the habit of writing in your planner while you're still in the classroom. Write the assignmenton the page of the due date. When you write a due date in your planner, go back a day or a week and give yourself a reminder that the due date is approaching.
  • Use acolor-coding system.Keep some colored stickers or pens on hand and use those for reminders that a due date or other important event is approaching. For instance, use a yellow caution sticker or note to serve as a warning two days before your research paper is due.
  • Puteverythingin your planner.School isn’t your whole life and sometimes you have a lot of clubs and engagements to keep track of. Having all that information in one spot will help you organize everything in your life, to make sure you never have conflicting obligations. Anything that takes up time, like a date or a ball game, will keep you from working on an assignment. If you don't put these things in your planner, you may not realize how limited your homework time really is. Putting things in prevents cramming and all-nighters.
  • Go ahead and congratulate yourself ahead of time.On the day after a big project is due, put in a reward appointment, like a trip to the mall or a meal out with friends. This can serve as positive reinforcement.

Fight the Urge to Procrastinate

Do you get the sudden urge to feed the dog at homework time? Don't fall for it! Procrastination is like a little white lie we tell ourselves. We often think we’ll feel better about studying later if we do something fun now, like playing with a pet, watching a TV show, or even cleaning our room. It's not true.

When you put things off a lot, you end up putting things off until it's too late from time to time. It's that simple. When you procrastinate, you're really taking the chance that nothing will go wrong at the last minute--but in the real world,things do go wrong. Imagine it's the night before a final exam and you have a flat tire, or an allergy attack, or a lost book, or a family emergency that keeps you from studying. At some point,you willpay a big price for putting things off.

So how can you battle the urge to procrastinate? Start with trying to recognize that a feisty little voice that lives inside every one of us. It tells us it would be more fun to play a game, eat, or watch TV when we know better. Don’t fall for it!

Communicate With Your Teacher

Every successful relationship is built upon clear communication. A student-teacher relationship is no different. Miscommunication is another one of those factors that can causebad grades, despite good efforts on your part. At the end of the day, make sure you understand every assignment that's expected of you. Imagine getting a bad grade on a 5-page paper because you didn't understand the difference between anexpositoryessay and a personalessay, or you didn’t know what format you should use when you are writing a paper or taking an exam. The more questions you ask, the more prepared you'll be.

Remember to Bring Your Homework to School

It sounds simple enough, but many F's come from students forgetting to bring a perfectly good paper to school with them. Is there a special place where you always put your paperwork each night? You must get in the habit of putting your homework where it belongs right after you finish it.

  • Establish a Homework Base

You should have a desk in a well-lit, comfortable, and quiet area. Keeping your workspace organized is just as important as your work. Is there a special place where you always put your paperwork each night? To avoid forgetting your homework, you must establish a strong homework routine with a special homework station where you work each night.Then put your homework where it belongs right after you finish it, whether this is in a special folder on your desk or in your backpack.

Establish a Study Zone at Home

Take the time to assess your individual style and your real needs and plan for the perfect study place. After all, if you can’t concentrate, you certainly can’t expect to learn very well. Students are different. Some need a completely quiet room free from interruptions when they study, but others actually study better listening to quiet music in the background. Also determine if you work better by sitting quietly for a long period of time or if you need to take short breaks once in a while and then return to your work.

  • Find a place to study that fits your specific personality andlearning style.Communicate with your parents and explain the ways in which you study best and why it's important for you to take breaks, listen to music, grab a snack, or make use of whatever method best enables effective studying.
  • Identify the space and claim it.Your bedroom may be the best place to study, or it may not be. Some students associate their bedrooms with rest and simply can't concentrate there. A bedroom can also be problematicif you share a room with a sibling. If you need a quiet place without distraction, it might be better for you to set up a place in the attic, basement, or garage, completely away from others. If using the space is realistic,ask your parents to help you set it up if it's conducive to your needs.Then stock your study space with school supplies that will help you avoid last-minute emergencies.

Know Your Dominant Learning Style

Many students will struggle in a subject without understanding why. Sometimes this is because students don't understand how to study in a way that matches their brain style.

Auditory learnersare those who learn best through hearing things.Visual learnersretain more information when they usevisual aids. Tactile learners benefit by doing hands-on projects.

Every student should examine and evaluate their habits and their natural tendencies and decide how they might be able to improve their study habits by tapping into their personal strengths. The following gives brief information about the learning styles. It is suggested that students take a free learning styles test to see what kind of learner you are and how to best maximize your learning once you identify your learning style.

  • Visual Learners are those who learn through seeing things.Look over these traits to see if they sound familiar to you.

Is good at spelling but forgets names. / Likes colors and fashion.
Needs quiet study time. / Dreams in color.
Has to think awhile before understanding lecture. / Understands/likes charts.
Is good with sign language.

Learning Suggestions forVisual Learners

Draw a map of events or scientific process. / Watch videos.
Make outlines of everything. / Color codewords,research notes.
Copy what's on the board. / Outline reading.
Ask the teacher to diagram. / Use flashcards.
Diagram sentences. / Use highlighters, circle words, underline.
Take notes, make lists.

Best Test Type for Visual Learners: Diagramming, readingmaps, essays (if you've studied using anoutline), showing a process

Worst test type: Listen and respond tests

  • Auditory learners are those who learn best through hearing things. Look over these traits to see if they sound familiar to you.

Likes to read to self out loud. / Is good at grammar and foreign language.
Is not afraid to speak in class. / Reads slowly.
Likesoral reports. / Follows spoken directions well.
Is good at explaining. / Can't keep quiet for long periods.
Remembers names. / Enjoys acting, being on stage.
Notices sound effects in movies. / Is good instudy groups.
Enjoys music.

Auditory Learners Can Benefit from:

Using word association to remember facts and lines. / Participating ingroup discussions.
Recording lectures. / Using audiotapes for language practice.
Watching videos. / Taping notes after writing them.
Repeating facts with eyes closed.

Worst test type:Reading passages and writing answers about them in a timed test.

Best test type:Auditory Learners are good at writing responses to lectures they've heard. They're also good atoral exams.

  • Kinesthetic learners are those who learn through experiencing/doing things. Look over these traits to see if they sound familiar to you.

Is good at sports. / Likes adventure books, movies.
Can't sit still for long. / Likes role playing.
Is not great at spelling. / Takes breaks when studying.
Does not havegreat handwriting. / Builds models.
Likes science lab. / Is involved in martial arts, dance.
Studies with loud music on. / Is fidgety during lectures.

Kinesthetic Learners Can Benefit from:

Studying in short blocks. / Studying with others.
Taking lab classes. / Using memory games.
Role playing. / Using flash cards to memorize.
Taking field trips, visiting museums.

Worst Test Type:Long tests, essays.

Best Test Type:Short definitions, fill-ins,multiple choice.

Improve Reading Skills

Critical reading is "thinking between the lines." It means reading your assignments with the goal of finding deep understanding of a material. It is the act of analyzing and evaluating what you are reading as you progress, or as you reflect back.

Take Great Notes

Good notes capture the most important facts and enable you to understand how every fact fits into a larger puzzle. The key to good notes is identifying the most important things to write down.

If you’re visual person, you should make usefuldoodles. As soon as you realize something about a topic, draw a picture that makes sense to you. Sometimes the information will not sink in unless you see it in an image.

If you’re an auditory person, there are code words to look out for in a lecture. Learn to recognize keywords and phrases that your teacher deems important.

  • Record the theme for your notes.If you read back over previous class notes, you will see that each day's lecture will usually address a specific theme (topic), or a set of connecting subthemes. Your notes will make more sense to you if you identify a common thread and create a frame of reference in your head.When you understand the overall theme or message of the day, you will be able to identify important facts and understand why they matter. Before each lecture begins, simply ask if the teacher can provide a theme, title, or framework for the day's class.
  • Add Pictures to Your Notes.You may find that it helps to draw pictures while you take notes. You may find that you can understand a theme or overall picture of a class lecture when you turn words into diagrams or charts.For example, if your biology teacher talks about osmosis, be sure to draw a quick and simple picture of the process. Don't ever hesitate to ask the teacher forvisual aids!

Organize With Color

Devise your own color-coding system to keep your assignments and your thoughts organized. You may select a single color for each class (like science or history) and use that color for your folder, your highlighters, your sticky notes, and your pens. You'll be surprised to discover how much strong organization skills can change your life!

Color-coding is also a tool to use when conducting research. For example, you should always keep several colors of sticky flags on hand when you'rereadinga book for school. Assign a specific color for every topic of interest. Place a flag on a page containing information you will need to study or to cite. It works like magic!

  • Gather a set of inexpensive, colored supplies.
    You may want to start with a pack of colored highlighters, then find folders, notes, and stickers to match them. You can also use sticky notes, colored labels, and flags.

If you can’t carry around several packs of sticky notes, then keep white notes and use colored pens. Highlightersshould be used when reading over your notes. In class, take notes as normal—and be sure to date them. Then, at home, read over and highlight in appropriate color.

Find a Study Partner

Practice exams are the best way to prepare for a test, but the strategy is mosteffective when a study partner creates thepractice exam. Get together with astudy partnerand create practice tests. Then switch exams and test one another. This is a great way to improve test scores!

Prepare Yourself for Test Days

You know that it's important to study for test days, right? But there are other things you should consider in addition to the actual material that the test will cover. What if you show up for test day and the room is freezing cold? For many students, this would cause enough of a distraction to interrupt concentration. That leads to bad choices and bad answers. Plan ahead for heat or cold by layering your clothing.

And what happens when you spend so much time on one essay question that you don't have enough time to finish the exam? Another way to prepare for test day is to be mindful of time management.

  • Read the directions carefully. Students often read the questions incorrectly, which may mean that even though they know the answers to the questions, they get them wrong. It's, therefore, important to make sure you slow down and read the directions carefully and even underline KEY words such as "EXCEPT" or "ONLY" to make sure you are answering exactly what each question asks.
  • Boost your weak areas. If you find that you are consistently getting certain types of test questions wrong, go back and correct those areas. For example, you may need to work on one area of math, such as fractions or percentages, or you may need to work on improving and expanding your vocabulary by making flash cards.
  • Get a tutor if necessary.

Take Care of Yourself

Some of your personal habits might be affecting your grades. You can change your grades by taking better care of your mindandyour body.

  • Get the Sleep You Need.Studies show that teens' natural sleep patterns are different from those of adults. This often causessleep deprivationamong teens, since they tend to have trouble going to sleep at night, and have trouble waking in the mornings. You can avoid some of the problems that come with sleep deprivation by changing some of your nighttime habits.
  • Improve Your Eating Habits. Do you feel tired or dizzy a lot of the time? If you sometimes avoid working on a project because you just don't have the energy, you can increase your energy level by changing your diet. One banana in the morning might increase your performance at school!
  • Improve Your Memory. A great way to improve your homework habits is to improve your memory with brain exercise. There are many theories and ideas about improving memory, but there is one mnemonic method that has been around since ancient times. Ancient accounts show that early Greek and Roman orators used the "loci" method of remembering long speeches and lists. You may be able to use this method to enhance your memory at test time.

For example, between text messaging, Sony PlayStations, Xbox, Internet surfing, and computer writing, students are growing increasingly susceptible to the hazards of repetitive stress injury. Find out how to avoid pain in your hands and neck by changing the way you sit at your computer.