The recipe for getting good grades and doing well in school is actually quite simple. In this blog, we outline three secret study tips you might not have known about that will help you to achieve academic success.
1. Know the assessment
Every class you are taught in school is supposed to help you achieve the assessment objectives that you will be tested on. Most students may not know what they’re going to be tested on until the time comes or a week before, however, it’s important to know as soon as possible. Ask your teacher what the learning objectives are and the method of assessment so you can start to prepare early. For example, if you need to write an essay answering the question What narrative techniques does the writer use in How to Kill a Mockingbird? You know that you need to:
- Read the book (and remember what you’ve read)
- Know how to write an essay well
- Understand what narrative techniques are
Without knowing this, every lesson may seem irrelevant and pointless, so it’s important to know what the assessment and assessment objectives are.
2. Identify your weaknesses
Once you understand what the assessment and objectives are, you can start to identify your weak spots. Here are some example weaknesses continuing on from the example above:
- Finding time to read the book outside of class and with other homework, I have to complete.
- Knowing how to write an essay well – how do I make sure my writing is clear and structured well?
- What are narrative techniques?
3. Build solutions
Once you’ve identified your weaknesses you can then work towards finding solutions for them. For example:
- Plan a study schedule – read 20 minutes every night before bed. Take notes while reading so I remember key points in the story.
- Practice writing an essay once a week. Write an example essay summarizing each chapter. Get a friend to read it and give me feedback so I can keep improving my writing.
- Research narrative techniques and write a list of these. As I read each night, keep a list of the techniques I spot in the story.
By using these three strategies you will have a clear understanding of every assessment and the goals you need to meet in order to get the grade you want. Every lesson will become meaningful and you will see improvements week on week.
