HOW TO GET STRAIGHT " A "

How to Get Straight "A"s

INTRODUCTION:

Four Methods:General PracticesWorking Hard in ClassWorking Hard At HomeHelpful School Tips and Tricks

Being a great student doesn't mean hours and hours of being studious and having no social life! There's always room to improve, so it helps to always check the work you do. This will lead to happiness and satisfaction with not only yourself but what you are doing with your life. And you know: accomplishments are for life; they last! If you get good grades, you're that much closer to a good college, which leads you to a good job. Keep reading to find out how to be more successful in school.

Method 1 of 4: General Practices

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   Go beyond the surface information. Don’t just stop learning at the bare facts. These will not make you any smarter, nor will they give you the analytical tools you need to get straight A’s. If you really want to excel in school, the most important thing is to always ask why. Learn why things work the way they do, why things matter, and you can apply that knowledge across a vast amount of information, correctly guessing even things you might not have learned about.
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   Use the knowledge of others. We don’t mean cheat…. when we say use the knowledge of others, what we mean is that you should talk with friends, family members and teachers about the subjects you are studying. Get their opinions on topics, see how they would have approached a problem, or learn their method of doing something. In opening your mind to new ways of thinking and doing, you will be better prepared to handle any academic challenge.
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   Be proactive in your education. Participate in study groups. Get help when you need it. Study over time, rather than cramming before a test. Basically, getting straight A’s is hard (if it were easy, everyone would do) so you need to work at it if you want to do this.
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   Get organized. Consistently place all assignments or handed back work/handouts separate and in chronological order. Not only does this make life in generally easier, but it also helps when exam time comes, especially if there will be a cumulative "end-of-the-year" exam. You should also organize your time (to give yourself plenty of time to study and sleep!), organize your notes, and your study space (a cluttered space is distracting).
   • Study and do homework in chunks. If you have 2 days to do a homework assignment, do most of it the first and do the other part the second. Or, if you have 1 week to learn 10 vocabulary words, do a few each day, and review ones already learned. This way, you'll be less overwhelmed and ultimately have more time free from cramming.
   • Get a planner. One of the most important things that you will need to succeed is a planner. Write down your homework right when the teacher assigns it, not later or you will forget! If a teacher tells you when a project is due, or a test, or quiz will be given -- write it down! This will help you know what you have to do.
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   Choose courses you are interested in. If you can, make sure you are studying things you enjoy and can get invested in. You will do better if you care about the material you are studying. This is why you will find that you get the best grades in your favorite classes.
   • Remember to balance things you enjoy with things you need to know! Keep your future in mind!
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   Be aware of your body clock. The human body learns best at specific times (usually in the morning for most people). Be sure you save this time for studying and internalizing important class materials, and reserve the other time for less pensive activities as homework or socializing. Avoid studying when you are tired. In general, you should try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
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   Give your best effort. You need some talent but persistence is most important. Never give up on yourself. If you don't get a question on a test, then think it through and write it out so that you can see what you are doing.

Method 2 of 4: Working Hard in Class

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   Pay attention in class. You would be surprised to know how much you can learn from just listening. You will notice that, if you pay attention, you won't have to study hard for your tests! You will understand the subject better and know what the teacher is talking about prior to a test.
   • If you lack focus or get distracted, remember your vitamins, proper nutrition, and take any prescribed ADD medications (if applicable) before you leave for school so that you can pay attention to the subject. Be lively, wide awake, and interested!
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   Ask questions. Ask the teacher real questions, not fluff. Try to figure out what you really don’t understand, what the key information seems to be, and then ask about that. Wait until you've listened, read and tried to understand, yet don't understand a topic. If you're embarrassed by asking, do it after school, at the instructor’s office hours, between classes (if it's quick), or make an appointment if needed.
   • Never be embarrassed to ask questions! Not everyone knows everything and there’s nothing wrong with not knowing something. We all had to learn at some point! Your teacher knows this and they will understand….they’ll even be happy that you’re asking! Curious students make happy teachers! Make sure you understand each and every concept perfectly. You should not have the slightest doubt!
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   Understand the course of the class. Read any syllabus you are given and generally know where the class is going. You should be aware of what you will be expected to know in the future, so that you can begin making connection in your brain with the material you’re learning now.
   • For example, if you’re in a history class and you’re learning about the formation of the states but you see that the next section will be about the Civil War, try to think about how those two events could connect to each other while you are learning about the formation of the states. This will help you to analyze information much better.
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   Take notes. Don’t write down everything your teacher says. Learn to instead write down an outline and fill it in with bits and pieces of key information. Write a summary of what you learned in class to use it for future reference.
   • You can also work ahead of the class and take notes on what you don’t understand, so that you are well prepared when your teacher explains those things.
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   Show up. Never skip class. This will only hurt your grade. Never play hooky! You will get behind. Only miss school if you are really sick. If you are sick for more than two days, get your work picked up from your teachers by parents. When you come back get all your work done early. Strive to get perfect attendance!
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   Talk to your teachers about your grades. Ask about your quality of work and reasons for any weak grades. Asking about your grade will help you raise your grade, motivate you to do better, or help you feel rewarded for your work. Be careful! Don't ask about grades too often or your teacher may start to resent you, as seeming shallow, and that will not help your grade.

Method 3 of 4: Working Hard At Home

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   Do your homework. Even in college where they might not always check it, it is important to always do your homework. It is to help you learn the subject and identify what you don’t understand so that you know what you need to study. Homework is assigned to reinforce skills learned in class, so it will lower your study time a lot. Also, if you don't have any homework in a subject, read your notes, read the textbook, anything to practice what you learned.
   • On average, about 10% of your grade is homework but how it is incorporated into your grade really depends on the teacher.
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   Don’t procrastinate. Never stay up doing an assignment, unless you have not finished and it is due very soon. Instead, if you have two weeks to do your assignment, spend the first week outlining and doing the basics. Over the weekend, neatly put it together, and the next week, just put the finishing touches on it, do some editing, and print it out. Don't forget to hand it in to your teacher one day before you actually should. This will show your dedication and give your teacher time to suggest revisions.
   • Starting an assignment ahead of time will also give you time to meet with your teacher and discuss problems you have, directions you can take, and get other assignment help that is crucial to getting A’s. Just going to the extra trouble of asking for help and taking your teacher’s advice will probably earn you a slightly higher grade.
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   Teach the material to someone else. Find a quiet place, like your room, lock the door, and imagine you are the teacher explaining the subject to a student. This is also a good way to measure your understanding of the material, and explaining it to someone who doesn’t understand it at all can often help you develop a better understanding of the material yourself. If you can participate in tutoring programs in school, this serves the same purpose.
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   Get a dedicated study space. You need a space that you know is just for studying. This will help minimize distractions and keep you on track. Studying is just another habit, and if you teach your brain that a certain desk or room is just for studying, then you will have a much easier time focusing and getting work done.
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   Read extra material if you have time. You can always go onto the internet or go to the library and find more books or information about the subjects you are studying. Learning extra, and tossing that information into papers or test questions, will impress your teachers!
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   Consider getting a tutor. If you can afford to, consider getting a tutor. It may seem bad, having to ask for extra help, but there's nothing wrong with getting in some extra learning and it can really make a difference in your grades!

Method 4 of 4: Helpful School Tips and Tricks

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   Learn to take great notes. Still having trouble taking notes that help you later? There’s a wikiHow for that.
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   Learn to outline. Outlining can make any assignment easier, by breaking it up into easy to understand chunks. Dealing with these pieces, rather than trying to wrap your brain around the whole thing can really help you excel!
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   Learn how to spell correctly. If you want to get perfect points on an assignment, you’re going to need to be sure it’s free of spelling problems. We’ve got lots of helpful hints on breaking bad spelling habits and writing like a pro.
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   Learn how to ace that test. If you want to get straight A’s you’re going to need to get A’s on your big tests! To find out how, read our helpful tutorial.
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   Learn how to concentrate. Ever have trouble concentrating while your little brother is running around screaming like Tarzan, or your roommate is blasting country music? Read our helpful guide for getting past the racket and concentrating on your work.
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   Learn how to do well in school. Doing well in school is about more than just getting A’s. Read about how to succeed in school as a whole.
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   Get subject help. WikiHow offers help in all sorts of subjects, including tutorials in Math, a helping hand in Science, and advice for English. Find more general help in the Education and Communications Category.

Tips

• If you're taking an Advanced Placement class, be sure to purchase an "exam preparation book" as a useful study reference.
• When reading text, look for words that wrap the paragraph. Things like "therefore", "additionally", " furthermore", "however", and others like it. Pay attention to these, and the sentences they are contained in.
• Come up with a clever way that will motivate yourself to work harder. For example, try looking at grades as money $100 versus $95, 90, 85,... The higher the mark, the more money you get. The lower the mark, the less money you get.
• When doing an assignment (especially a project), follow the directions as closely and accurately as you can. It sounds like a given, but ensuring you meet and include every requirement is the best thing you can do. Overlook nothing.
• Try to balance all areas of your life; if you're having trouble socially or not getting along with your friends or family, you might feel too emotionally stressed out to do stuff like your homework.
• The skills required to maintain perfect grades vary across levels of education (high school, university, graduate, professional, etc.). Entering new phases of your education will require you to learn new skills and to develop different sorts of study and work habits.
• Set goals for the day and try to finish them by the end of the day.
• When writing an essay, make sure you include as much evidence and research as possible, as well as sticking to your topic. Ensure that you do not get off track on certain topics that have nothing to do with answering the question at hand.
• Know the syllabus. You can not get an A, if you do not know what work and understandings are required to get an A. You might not even do the minimum if you don't know what is expected.
• Make post-it notes! Write your high-lights and important points on post-it notes gradually as progress through your course, and stick all of them in a place (or places) where you find yourself looking everyday. For example: bathroom mirror, closet door, assignment book...
• If you have finals, prepare from day one of class. Keep notes clear, and note what is asked on tests. Also be sure to flip back once in a while to check whether you've remembered things.
• Do not stress too much about final exams! Study daily and prepare early. The more you study, the less stressed you will be. Seek help from adults if there is a concept you do not understand.
• Read about strategies. Books such as Cal Newport's Getting Straight A's, detail the specific study strategies employed by real straight-A college students.
• If you're doing an exam, study past exam papers, and attempt every question -- near the end of the test put something down on paper; you can't lose points by putting something down (at last) when an approach may have come to you:
  
  Use some comparison and arguments pro and con, if you aren't sure to show effort and logic!
• Think of how your future will be if you do not do well in school.
• Learn about your teachers: ask friends who have had them before.
• Stay up to date, enjoying your subjects, throughout the School Year.
• Not all students get straight A's. It's important to try your best, and it will be reflected in your grades.

Warnings

• Never cheat or copy someone else's work! Cheating could get you a zero on the assignment/test and you could risk getting expelled from your school, if you get caught. Cheating won't help you in the long run.
• Stand up and take a 5 minute walk, like on the stairs, every 45 minutes of study or work. It will be healthy for your stamina, eyes, your leg and back muscles, vitality, snap!
• Don't skip assignments; always do your reading or assignments, otherwise you'll just have to make up the work/learning near exam time when you have so many other things to do.
• Enjoying your subjects, seeing the A on the report card, getting into your dream college or grad school, and getting your dream career will make all these bits of extra work, worth it.
• Don't stress, if you do get a B on classwork. Chances are you will get B's on tests, but instead of stressing about it, realize you need to try smarter/harder next time. It's as simple as that.
• If being numero uno, top of the class, is the only thing that matters to you, you need to stop and muse. You probably won't always be the best, (thousands of valedictorians/salutetorians may go to your college) and when that event happens, you need to have something else that makes you happy: like satisfied by doing your thing/as your best, not compared so much to others. That can be anything from sports, reading, to music to stamp collecting, as long as it isn't your grades alone that define your avid interests. You'll be pretty near the top of your class, and your drive will certainly lead you down a successful path in terms of getting into an elite college, grad school -- but also, if you've learn to learn and to work smart/hard, you will be full of good success in life -- which is technically the only benefit of being top of the class, anyway.
• Keep working at that one problem in your book that you can't seem to figure out. Once it makes sense, you'll be proud of yourself, and it helps with your studying.
• You should definitely work at it, but it's important to realize when something's not realistic for your talents. It is a far better use of time to develop a different topic or skill that comes easier to you or is more enjoyable.
• Give yourself a prize, when you have achieved your goal.
• Also, look around a little, don't sit and stare at the screen of a computer for long, uninterrupted periods because of the risk of myopia. Don't lean on your elbow(s) for hours, it can do nerve damage and cause stiffness, numbness,...
• Network in person. Don't only do schoolwork. Unless it's exam week, make room for social activities, sports, and hobbies. Neglecting these things will make you more focused on un-reality while studying, because you'll wish you were doing something else.
• If you get grades that are lower than your friends, don't feel depressed or sad. Move on and learn from your mistakes to achieve better marks.
• Just because you may have all As, or you're the best student, it doesn't mean you're the most talented. So don't pick on kids who might not have as good grades as you.
• Don't compare your efforts and grades -- if you stress after seeing this. Thinking, "It's too much" and feel you're not worth it: so you don't strive for that A and settle with the B. Non-motivation is feeling like you don't get it, and aren't as capable of doing it as someone else. It might sound like a story, but "if you think you can do it, you can usually do it, when you keep on it!" (You can drop a class in college, study on your own -- and try again next semester, or take a transitional class such as a "refresher"/or get a/another tutor as needed!...)
• Make use of additional resources and spend more time studying to accomplish the same goal if necessary, that may be easy for others, but for example: some children that have cerebral palsy, have learning disabilities but do just fine without additional resources or help because of extra effort to do all things (Challenged individuals with learning disabilities will, similarly, need to use courage and extra effort to excel in one's own way!).
• Don't brag about your grades. It only makes people irritated and bitter towards you. Keep them to yourself, family and other excelling students -- and be proud!
• Don't expect to use all these tips in just the last month or weeks of school and see an A. You might, but depending on your grade before you might not.
• Make sure you get enough sleep every night. If you don't, you will find it hard to concentrate. Plus, a lack of sleep reduces your ability to remember what you have already learned ^[1].