Making the Grade
Author: Melissa Lahti
August 27, 2012
Along with fall comes not only shorter days and cooler weather but the dreaded piles of homework and loss of any type of social life you may have had over the summer. That’s right, school days are back again and that means it’s time to focus and get things in order. Half-way done with my bachelor’s degree, I have taken many classes over the years and I can tell you first hand it’s not easy to succeed. Especially if you add children and/or a job to the mix.
I have put together a few tips that I use to stay organized and keep up with my school work. There are several things to keep in mind that will make a huge difference in your grades and performance during the school year.
• Get enough sleep. – Sometimes this is hard, especially when you have an exam the next day or if you have a job in addition to school but you will be rewarded if you take the time to get the much needed sleep.
• Eat and Drink Water – Your body needs nourishment not only for your brain but to function correctly.
• Do something fun at least once a week. – It’s important to take time for yourself and take a break every now and then or you will get burnt out fast.
The number one tool necessary to succeed in school is a day timer. Planning and budgeting your time is highly necessary if you would like to have a life outside of school. I personally plan out my day hour by hour.
Once classes start all teachers give out a class schedule. Take all your homework schedules from all your classes and make a homework list. The easiest way to do this is put them in order according to the day of the week you go to the class. This way it will be easier for you to put all the homework in date order.
Get a sheet of lined paper and begin to put all the assignments in date order so you have a check off list. I always write my list in pencil so I can erase if I need to. Teachers always change things several times and sometimes if you don’t finish a reading assignment before the class you may need to change the due date to the next class. I put stars next to due dates that are absolute so I know to pay special attention to these assignments. I also skip spaces to allow additions to the list. As I finish assignments, I highlight them. You can do this or check them off, whatever works best for you.
Now with your time budgeted and your priorities set straight, you will have more time for yourself and be able to enjoy school and your free time, while making the grade.