Get
to know your professors. Visit with your teachers outside
of class, and inform them that you are determined to do well in
their class. Then visit them periodically to discuss your grade
status. At the end of the semester, send the teacher a note thanking
them for their support. It can prove very useful at the end of the
semester should you have a borderline grade.
Make
friends in class. Having a friend in class can help you
when you get sick and can't attend. Their notes will be better then
anything you write while on cold meds. Also if you do not understand
something in class, your buddy may be able to explain it better
for you. Most important of all is that a friend in class can give
you someone to complain with. Knowing that someone else feels your
pain about a class or teacher can give you the strength to get through
the semester.
Dress
for success. There is something about dressing nice that
improves your self-esteem. When you feel better about your looks
you feel like you are capable of anything. Heels and ties are not
required, just try not to wear the sweats and tee shirt you wore
the night before while stressing about studying. Any boost to the
self-confidence can help. Why do you think lawyers wear power suits
to court?
Practice
memory strategies. When studying, associate terms with
images for memorization. It’s pretty difficult to forget how
to spell “dessert” when you remember the “s”
represents scoops of ice cream, and everybody would rather have
two scoops than one. Also studies have shown that if you wear a
scent while studying and then wear it again during a test you will
remember more of what you studied. Smell good and remember more.
Sit
up close. People say that sitting in the front of the class
helps you hear, see and understand class better. Besides the obvious
reasons, sitting up front will also keep you awake. Being that close
to the teacher will force you to keep your eyes open since you do
not want them to see you sleeping in their class. Also teachers
believe that students who sit in the front are better students.
So if you sit up front they will think better of you.
Include
things that you like. In every class you have, try to connect
it to something outside of school that you enjoy. For example, if
you have a research project in your writing class, find a topic
that you are actually interested in. This will keep you motivated
to learn more about it. Also try to use information you already
know. It's easier to write 10 pages on something you like and know
about then to fake interest in something you care nothing about.
Teach
to learn. A good way to test yourself on newly learned
information is to try to teach the topic to someone else. Con your
best friend or a kind family member to listen to you for 5-10 minutes.
Then try to see how much you remember about what you have learned.
If you can not remember enough or you can not explain it well enough
for your listener to understand, chances are you need to study more.
This can also be a good study technique with your class bud. You
teach them a chapter and they teach you the next. Soon you both
will be experts.
Do
not study in bed. Ever notice that when you study on your
bed after a few minutes you fall asleep? This is because your brain
is programmed to sleep when you come in contact with your bed. No
matter how hard you try you will get sleepy. If you do not have
a desk or table to write on, spread out on the floor. Your bed is
not your friend for study time.
Eat
your breakfast. Mom was right when she told you to eat
your breakfast before school. If your stomach is full you will have
the energy to stay alive in your way too early classes. Also if
you do not eat before class you will soon get hungry and will not
be able to concentrate with the sounds of your tummy grumbling.
Grab some fruit, eat your Wheaties, or snag the last slice of cold
pizza from the fridge, just eat something. 
Get
some sleep. No matter how important that final exam is,
do not stay up all night studying. There is no use studying all
night if you can't stay awake during the exam. Your brain can only
take so much before it starts to forget things anyway. Also if you
get some sleep you will be more relaxed and have better concentration.
So get some shuteye and don't worry, your grades will thank you
for it.Created by Heather Heddlesten
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