Get Better Grades
Score higher marks on that oral report or exam with study tips that work (and you needn't be a nerd to try 'em!)
1. Divvy and Conquer. Cringing about a reading assignment as thick as War and Peace? Assign classmates to write a summary on a specific chapter or section, them email your insightful review reports to each other. That way, you can breeze through the rest of the chapters with a general idea of what's going on.
2. Read (and Write) Between the Lines. Scribble notes on your textbook. Make cross references to other pages, draw arrows and underline important points. Think of it as vandalizing the walls of your school . . . but with the ultimate graffiti being an A-plus on your class card.
3. Get Mental. Train your mind to think out of the box by occasionally playing board games, figuring out answers to riddles, and doing word games and charades. Hey, even the Sunday crosswords are cool brain tweakers!
4. Set the Mood. Your room's floor has been MIA since summer, and you wonder why you never stay put to study! Clear external clutter, and you'll decongest your mind of clutter too. Create a corner with pillows and good lighting where you can study.
5. Look on the Bright Side. Psyche your self after a bad exam. Tell yourself it was just one of those days and that you'll have your revenge next time.
6. Like makes Right. Join a school org or two (it'll look good on your resume!), but don't pile on the extra-curriculars like you would a club sandwich--you may bite off more than you can chew.
7. Make it a Date! Spot that cutie at the front row of you Philo class? Your mission is to get him--as your study partner that is. Call it multitasking: you up your grades by swapping know how with Mr. Smartypants--and stealthily work on a potential boyfriend (without him knowing it!)
8. Make like CNN. Nothing irritates a Lit teacher than a pure bolero whose ideas shift back to the times of Rizal and Balagtas. Inject up -to-the-minute energy to your papers by relating classics to current events.
9. A Chapter a Day... keeps exams stress away. Review in bits--this helps the brain retain details. it helps avoid cramming too. Just think: after you're done with the day's chapter, you can meet up with your crush at Seattle's Best for lattes!
10. A Novel Idea. Create stories to tie unrelated concepts together. want to remember Joan of Arc, Waterloo and The Ugly Duckling? Whip up a mental scenario of a girl standing on an arc watching an ugly duckling splash in the water. it doesn't matter how crazy it sounds as long as your "novel" helps you remember.
11. Sweet! Stock your study drawer with chocolates, candies or a granola bar. The sugar in these sweets helps supply you with the much -needed glucose to keep you physically charged and mentally alert.
12. Think Aloud. Remember how it was when you were a child, when Mom made you recite what you just learned in front of her and your visiting relatives from San Diego? Saying something out loud drills these ideas deeper into your subconscious. You can also read notes into a tape recorder. Play back while cleaning your closet or winding down from a long day.
13.Take a Break. After hours of memorizing dates, take a break to let what you just learned sink in and harden like cement in your brain. Take a walk, doodle, watch a music video or do anything you want for ten minutes. This is your reward. Then get back to work feeling refreshed!
14.Rhyme Time. Memorize lists by associating words with predefined terms that rhyme with numbers (i.e. one and gun, two and glue, three and tree, four and door, and so on). For example, to remember the sequence of the words ship, Magellan, and gold, imagine a gun on the deck of a ship, Magellan sniffing glue, and gold under a tree.
15.Perks and Rewards. Finally, bargain with Mom and Dad to buy you an outfit from Bayo if you ace your finals. Talk about motivation.
