Top Five Tips For Getting Good Grades |
| 1. Get your binder in order: Clean it out once a week. Recycle papers you don’t need. Put completed homework in a special “homework folder” so you always know where to find it. When a trimester ends, keep older papers in a separate "archive" folder so you don’t have to carry them around with you. |
| 2. Do homework better: The single most common reason students fail classes is because they don’t do all their homework. Pick a consistent place and time to do it after school. Shut off your IM, stereo, and TV while doing homework and you’ll get it done quicker. If your house is too noisy or distracting, stay after in the library or with a teacher to get it done. |
| 3. Use that agenda: You might think you’ll remember what was assigned for homework, but you won’t. Write it down every day. Telling your parents each night that you don’t have any homework will work for about two weeks, then they'll pick up the phone, call your teachers, and find out you were lying! |
| 4. When confused, ask a teacher: At least one of your teachers is here after school every day except Friday. Nearly every kid who stays after regularly with teachers sees his or her grades improve within a few weeks. Also, most teachers offer review sessions the night before a test. If you attend, you won’t have to study as long by yourself later. |
| 5. Look out for yourself: If you think something
is getting in the way of your grades – conflict with a teacher, distractions
in class, problems at home – talk to your counselor about it. They
will usually help you find your own solution, but even if they can’t,
you’ll feel better just telling someone. |