4 Smart Student Strategies
The school year is well underway. It’s time to think about how successful your student strategies are. Are you getting the grades you want? Are your strategies helping you work smarter not harder? If the answer is no to either of these questions, check out these 4 smart student strategies to make a difference.
Get in a groove
Great routines help you get the grades you want. A routine is a daily habit or series of habits. This includes recording your homework in a planner or on your smartphone, getting started with your homework at about the same time each day, and finishing up at a good time to get in bed. Routines are not easy for everyone, but a timer and smart phone reminders can help too. Be sure to have a great planner for school and a clock in your study space.
Study space
Your study space needs to be distraction free and inviting to help you make the most of your study time. A distraction free environment means clear of clutter and easy to work in. Your family dining area or office can be one of the best spots for this. Your room is usually one of the worst spots for this. Set aside your devices or use the tech tools below to stay on track. Set yourself up for success by pulling together all your tools and set up a space that works for you.
Plan for your papers
Many schools are going paperless with online tools to learn. However, we still have some papers no matter. Create a paper management system that works for you. It can be a single binder with tabbed slash pockets or an accordion file. Have a small file box with hanging files for each subject for papers that you have finished with but need for later. Start a routine of refreshing your paper plan and filing these papers weekly.
Tech tools
We love our smartphones and there are many tools we can use. Here are some of my favorites:
- Quizlet for vocabulary review and foreign languages
- Khan Academy for learning math and science content
- Study Blue for collaborative study of content areas
- Books on tape or recorded books
- Freedom, Anti-Social and Rescue Time are internet blockers
- More tech tools here.
Know your style and know how to study. It’s not just about spending the time, it’s about making the time valuable. Take a quick learning styles quiz to learn about your best modality to study. You are ready to make the grades you deserve by learning more about yourself.
Routine was my number one student tip in a recent presentation… it just eliminates arguments and makes everything run smoother. Of course, it can be easier said than done, but I think even something like a predicable dinner time can make life easier.
So true! It’s much easier to have the consistency and routine than reinventing the wheel every evening!
I agree routines are so important. My daughter had issues last year with her math teacher so we relayed solely on Khah Academy to figure out what the teacher was talking about. They have amazing videos. Thanks for sharing these links. It’s great that they are in one place.
Thanks Sabrina! Having another resource for content, especially in a learning style that works, makes it much easier to learn. When content is a challenge, finding other explanations are critical.
Christmas break is coming up and it’s a great time to take a look at systems that haven’t been working for your child and set up some new one’s. Thanks for the resources Ellen!
Thanks Autumn! The second semester is a time to get started with new strategies for the second half of the year.