LIFE

If your grades are looking a little, well, deflated right now, don’t fret! There are tons of easy things you can do to boost your report card by the end of the semester *without* studying for hours on end or relying on extra credit. Bring your A-game, check out the following tips and you might just walk away with a row of shiny A’s.

Search online for notes and practice problems

The internet contains a treasure trove of teacher’s blogs, book summaries, practice tests, PowerPoints and pre-made flashcards. Lots of teachers also post videos on YouTube explaining the same concepts you learned in school. If you’re struggling to wrap your head around the respiratory system, rational functions or the themes in Animal Farm, search for a video or website that can explain it to you. Seeing the information presented in a different way might help you understand it more easily.

Go over mistakes with your teacher

Your teachers want to see you succeed—so don’t be nervous about asking them for help! They can give you insider advice about how you can better complete assignments or study for tests. If you didn’t do as well on a test as you’d hoped, meet with your teacher to go over it, one-on-one. They’ll be able to answer any questions you have in more detail without 20 other students also vying for their attention.

Ask someone who’s acing the class for tips

Do you study, study, study, but still don’t get the results you want? Sometimes it’s just a matter of studying the right material or giving the teachers what they’re looking for. Find a friend who’s breezing through the class, as they might be able to give you useful advice. Steer the convo toward the class you have in common, and ask them about what they study (class notes or textbook?) and how they prep for tests (flashcards or quick quizzes?). Try out some of their study habits, and adopt the ones that work best for you.

Get a tutor

Running your eyes over and over your notes and not actually taking in any of it isn’t fun. If you’ve tried everything and the material still isn’t clicking with you, find a tutor. That can be a friend, a sibling or an actual professional one. Many schools have free peer tutoring programs, so ask your teachers if anything like that is available. 

What do you do when you're having trouble in school? Share below!

by Grace Zhou | 2/1/2018