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Hey!

So the big question is… HOW ARE YOUR MIDTERM GRADES? First off let me say, that after they were posted, I noticed a lot less kids in all of my classes. They either dropped or somehow about 30 kids were sick this week. Hopefully you were one of the kids still in class and not dropping the course, however, if not, this blog is all about study tips.

I highly believe that no teacher here is intentially trying to fail anybody at all. With that in mind, check out the next 10 tips… maybe take some of them to heart, maybe forget others. If your wondering if I am even a credible source to give study tips, let me tell you one small statistic. My midterm grades ranged from 95%-114%. I am taking 5 classes, and I have 2 part-time jobs. I also do not live on campus. That being said, no matter what your schedule, by following a couple tips- maybe even you can raise your grade a percentage or two!

10. SHOW UP! It is alarming how many people skip or are not in class at all. Each day the teachers in all my classes give out the answers in subtle hints to all the tests. Just show up more.
9. Take 10 minutes each day and instead of playing on the internet-actually do the homework. Maybe it is only worth 2-3 points, but ya wanna know something? Those 2-3 occassional points can be the difference between failing and passing. In one course, those 2-3 points add up to 50! That alone can knock a grade down by a full letter!
8. If you show up, pay attention. Yes, have some willpower to put your cell phone away, take your ipod off, and listen. Heck, take the occassional note. If the teacher says, ” Now this next part is important,” it is practically code for “this is on the next test!”
7. Find that you talk too much to your friends in a certain class? Move. Big deal, you will be picked on for about 5 minutes. If you are paying $300 to go to a class, and not get the content area, but you leave college with great friendships- did you really get your money’s worth? No. And neither did they, so those friendships won’t necessarily help you move ahead in life.
6. Quit making excuses. “That teacher doesn’t like me,” or “that test wasn’t even fair,” or “I don’t have time to study because I was….” are not effective. It takes less time to study than it does to make excuses and complain about them.
5. Do the extra-credit. Treat extra-credit as an actual homework assignment. Not just as extra-credit. In one course, I did not properly study for a test. I got a 46% on it. However, I did do about 20 points of extra credit. My grade in that class is now at a 99.8%. It adds up. The only key is you have to trick yourself into believing it is actually an assignment.
4. Have more time this week than you will next week? There is no rule that says you can’t work ahead. Really far ahead. It is all about time management. I took a break to give you this tips because my assigment due November 20th was getting a bit tiring. You know what? I bet I’ll get a good grade on that one too!
3. Be nice to your teachers. They are human. You will not be a suck-up but you will be respected. Maybe once a mutual respect is established, you will be able to understand their lessons better.
2. Know what your teachers expect. Hint: They tell you clearly in your syllabus. It isn’t a trick.
1. Know when to admit you need extra help. It’s okay to not understand something. It’s okay to admit you are human. For example, I can never quite figure out what an exponent is. I read the examples, and still when I double check my homework get them wrong. My teacher has an open door policy. Numerous times she has been there for those silly little questions and self-doubt I get. By admitting that certain things are difficult, I have a 98% in that class. It pays to be dumb sometimes.

Now…log out of myspace or facebook and go study.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 16th, 2008 at 2:52 pm and is filed under Life As A Reiver. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.