Q&A for How to Excel in High School

Have a plan, number one. Know when the test is, and know what you know and what you don't. Definitely work on your areas of weakness, but also work on your areas of strength too so you do well on every part of your test. Make sure you give yourself enough time to study so you're not cramming at the last minute.

Nerves are not your enemy. Low levels of anxiety lead to better performance. Too much anxiety is the problem. So you want to lower your anxiety to a healthy, helpful level by studying for your test and preparing enough in advance. Then you can go into your test with a healthy level of anxiety.

Try talking yourself into liking what you're studying. If you can convince yourself that you're interested in the material and that it's fascinating, it will be easier to focus. The other option would be to try to find something in the material that can relate to your own life. You'll be more motivated to learn about something if it's relevant to you personally.

If you're scared to ask questions in front of people during class, then wait until everyone leaves to talk to your teacher about your issues. You could also ask your teacher if they do any kind of after school tutoring that you could attend. However, it might be worthwhile to practice overcoming your fear of speaking in front of other people, as it will be something you will have to do throughout your life. Try to talk yourself into asking at least one question in class per week. Remember, other people might have questions that they're afraid to ask too, so you might be helping someone else without even realizing it!

Any grades you received before high school are not likely to impact your life very much. However, the sooner you get into good study habits, the easier your life will become.

No. Today is a great day to start working hard at academics and everything else.

Wow, 4-9 pm seems like a lot. It's good that you're studying hard, but there is such thing as studying too hard. Here's an idea: set the desired time to finish. Study for half-an-hour and then take a five minute break. Then study for another thirty minutes and take another five minute break, and keep doing this over and over until it's your desired time to end. During those five minute breaks, do anything you need to do to loosen up. Grab a snack, practice your instrument, or do some yoga! You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish with a few mini breaks. Be sure to put in a thirty-minute break for dinner with your family!

It may be too late to finish the semester with straight A's, but it's not too late to change your habits and lay the foundation for great grades in future semesters. Redouble your efforts to understand the concepts they're teaching you now, because later concepts are built upon them. Ask for help from teachers, other students, friends, family and tutors. You'll wind up a much happier person for having made the effort now.

Ask a friend or an adult for help. Your math teacher would probably be happy to set up a time to meet with you and go over any material you're struggling with.

Take a few deep breaths and remind yourself how much you prepared. Try to get enough sleep the night before, and eat a good breakfast. These things may help you calm down a little bit.

Don't take notes if you're not allowed to. However, such a prohibition would be extraordinarily unusual. Double-check with the teacher to make sure you understand the situation.

The fifth habit for highly effective teens is to seek first to understand, then to be understood. Ask your dad why he needs you to work all of the time, and then tell him how you feel about it. See if you can work out a compromise, like you doing 15-30 minutes of yard work, then moving on to homework and other activities. You'll be amazed at what you could achieve!

Remind yourself that very often people who do poorly in school wind up doing poorly later in life. It's usually true that people who develop habits of consistency, promptness, and hard work enjoy success and fulfillment as adults.

Just make a checklist, to be sure you have done all of your work before you go to bed, and keep up with it. It's not very difficult, and you'll see this once you get the hang of it.

Don't strive for perfection! I know it might seem hard that your friend is "beating" you, but you shouldn't worry about that! It only creates more stress. Talk to your friend. Most likely he/she is just as stressed as you are. Maybe you could study together!

It's never too late to build up your confidence. See How to Build Self Confidence .

Get someone to remind you to study, if you can. Set a goal that's important to you, like getting good grades on an exam at the end of year so you can continue with the subject and go to college. Once you have something to head towards, you'll be more motivated to study for that. If you start studying in little doses, bit by bit, and then build up from there, that should work. Don't just keep studying what you already completely understand, you have to work on the more difficult pieces even if you don't want to.

Ask the teacher if you can get a drink of water or go to the bathroom. At that time you can get yourself together. Splash some water on your face, take a few deep breaths, try to clear your mind, etc. If you have a headache, ask your teacher if you can go to the office or school nurse and ask for Tylenol.

Luckily, you've caught this early. Ensure you are doing all required work in your class. If you are having trouble with a topic, ask your teacher questions before, during or after class. If necessary, ask your teacher for any extra credit opportunities.

It's okay to still socialize with your friends, you don't need to be studying 24/7, just don't let them distract you. If your friends are trying to talk to you during class, tell them calmly that you'll talk to them after class, and if that doesn't help, ask the teacher to move your seat.

First, make sure you are sleeping well and eating a healthy breakfast. This really boosts your mood and makes it easier to concentrate. Avoid sitting with those you know will distract you, and also take notes during lessons, so if you need to revise later you will find it much easier. When you're studying at home, put away all distractions (phones, tablets, etc.), and make sure you're working in a quiet room.

Don’t let them. Ignore them and study hard and you will do well despite whatever these people are saying or doing. Don't be afraid to ask for help from a teacher or counselor if you need it.

Follow the methods in Beat an Addiction to Cell Phones .

Try to manage your time and create a study routine. This will help you have time for the things you want to do. This is common when going through stressful times.

Try repeating what your teacher says in your head to help you remember, as well as take notes. Don't forget - it's okay to drift off sometimes, everyone does it, just don't drift off all the time. You should also tell your teacher about your headaches as well as your distraction problems. See if there is anything you can do to eliminate these distractions. If you learn virtually, go into a clean, quiet room with only the things you need to get through the school day (textbooks, paper, water, a computer). Also, during online school, try a website blocker such as Forest. You can use this to block (for a designated amount of time) any websites that distract you, such as YouTube or TikTok.