Tips for a Successful School Year

      Only one month of school has passed, and you have been overwhelmed with all the school work piling up each week. Many students at PV High are probably feeling this way, and thankfully there are ways to accomplish getting good grades through these stressful classes. Here are some tips that may help you succeed during this school year.

Time Management

   Do you ever feel as though you have so much work to be finished in so little time? Managing your time is critical. In fact, you can spend just 5 minutes planning a to-do list and what you want to accomplish in a day. Priorities should be set at the top of the list, and the less important tasks should be placed after the important ones. Of course, most high school students are busy with extracurricular activities such as sports that are part of their everyday lives. However, by planning out a schedule and following it will help you accomplish your goals for the day.

Stay Organized

    Besides being organized with your planner, organizing your binders and notes is important as well. If you have a folder for each class, color coding it can help with your organization skills too. Organize your notes by class and date so that it is easy to find and study. Some teacher give binder checks at the end of each semester, so by starting off neat you will save the time of assembling your binder last-minute before the binder check. Always stay organized with all your school supplies and notebooks–or at least try your best to. After all, binder checks can be easy points to earn at the end of the semester as long as you stay organized!

Study habits

    Studying is definitely something that every student dreads, but it is vital to getting good grades in a class. Instead of “marathon studying”, you should study for a shorter amount of time and take breaks in between. Note taking is important during class since it is a tool used when studying for a quiz or a test. When a teacher lectures, do not write everything verbatim that the teacher says. Instead, work on finding the big idea or the significance of what the teacher is saying. Make sure you notes are legible and easy to follow. Also, when taking notes in class, don’t forget to ask questions on things that you are not sure about. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class. Flashcards are also very helpful and easy to study with, whether you are waiting for a class to start on the way to soccer practice.

Essays and Papers

    Writing essays in a short period time is definitely stressful and difficult; however, by outlining your thoughts can make writing a paper much easier and faster. For in-class essays, students are given an allotted time to write an essay, which is often very short. If you organize your thoughts and ideas for each body paragraph that you write, you will find it much easier to write the essay rather than pausing for long moments of time, thinking of what to write next.