Q&A for How to Become a Straight A+ Student

To some extent, you probably need to limit the amount of extracurricular sports, hobbies, and club activities that you participate in. While it's important to stay physically active and engaged in your family and community, too many outside activities will make it impossible to do independent reading and studying.

Balancing school with a job is tough—you practically have to be an expert in time management. Unfortunately, most students aren't quite there yet. So what can you do? Try to get in small chunks of studying early in the morning or between classes. Make flashcards or something similarly portable that you can take with you to work so you can get in a little studying when you have a break. Try not to study late at night if you can help it—you'll be tired and won't retain the information very well. Remember, even if you can only fit in a spare 5 minutes here and there, all that time adds up.

Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) once said (to paraphrase) that we do the things we want to do and procrastinate doing the things we want to have done. Sounds like studying and schoolwork is something like that: a thing that you want to have done (completed), but don't necessarily want to do. Break your studying time into small chunks (10 or 15 minutes) and give yourself a reward for completing each chunk. That puts a lot less demand on you and allows you to focus more easily, since you're only needing to do it for a short period of time. Good luck! This takes some effort, but the results are worth it.

If you're too tired to study, it might be time to look at your schedule and cut out some of those demands on your time. If that's not possible, try to get your studying and homework done earlier during the day before exhaustion sets in—maybe by waking up earlier and doing it in the morning. That also means you'll probably go to bed earlier, but you also won't have to worry about studying at night if you're doing it in the morning.

Absolutely! It's not very encouraging for a teacher to say such a thing, but it happens. Put it behind you and focus on the work. Ask questions when you need help—if you don't feel comfortable asking that teacher, maybe talk to a friend who's doing well in the class and get help from them. You don't have to be the smartest person in the class to get an A+, you just have to be willing to prioritize your education and manage your time.

If speaking up in class makes you uncomfortable, try sitting in the front (as long as you don't have assigned seats). You'll have fewer people in your field of vision, so you can pretend they don't exist. That might make it easier. There are also other ways you can talk to your teachers. For example, you might send an email explaining that you're shy and aren't comfortable speaking in class, but you have some questions. Your teacher will be happy to help you and might even have some other options for you.

Figure out how you best remember things. People learn in different ways, and it sounds like simply reading material passively isn't working for you. Try watching a video that includes the topics you need to study for, or listening to a podcast. If you enjoy drawing, maybe try drawing pictures related to the topic that summarize information in your notes.

Unfortunately, you can't really force yourself to "get excited"—but you can do some things to build your motivation. Think of a small reward you could offer yourself, then break your study time into 10-minute increments. At the end of the 10 minutes, take a 5-minute break and indulge in your reward (maybe it's watching funny videos on YouTube). Then, start another 10-minute session, followed by a 5-minute break. Doing a little exercise during your breaks, such as a minute of jumping jacks, will give you a little more energy (and an endorphin rush) as well. Play around with it and see what works best for you!

The best way to do this is just to start. Don't procrastinate and make sure to make time for studying. The best way to become a good student is be aware of the classroom and the teacher and try to contribute to the class.

First, find out why you have a C. Do you have missing homework assignments, class projects, notes, etc.? Once you find out why, complete what is missing and turn it in to your teacher. Eventually (or very quickly) your grade will bounce back up to an A.

Studying hard may stress you out and cause you to be nervous when taking tests, and as a result, you do poorly. Try to find a balance between relaxing and working hard to control your nerves while still preparing for your exams.

First, make your schoolwork a priority in your life. Think about how much less stress you will have when you become organized in your schoolwork and study habits. It can be hard to get in the habit of studying well and doing homework on time, so make a schedule for yourself. Ask friends to study with you so you can keep each other accountable. If you need to, set up rewards for yourself. Make plans to get ice cream or hang out with a friend at the end of the week if you successfully studied every day. Or, just enjoy the good grades you start getting.

Get as much as help as possible. I take both A.P. Physics and English as well. Ask your teacher when he/she is available to help you, and get a peer tutor as well. If you have a lot of extracurricular activities and you're short on study time, you may have to quit a few of them. Schoolwork should always come first. Also, keep in mind that nobody's perfect, make sure your expectations for yourself are realistic.

It would be best to talk to your teachers - tell them about what you learned in your old school the previous year, and ask if there is anything else they learned here that you should catch up on. Your teachers should help you get caught up on everything.

Set specific goals you want to achieve in a lesson, and make these realistic and attainable. Once you have achieved that goal for the lesson or week, treat yourself. This may be getting a new pair of shoes or having a night off homework. Over time your brain will begin to associate studying with good things.

There will usually be bad elements in any environment, but the key is to focus on the important resources available. If there are certain individuals that deter you from your studies, it's best to avoid him/her by sitting further away, or just by politely stating the issue and asking them to stop.

Try buying a pretty planer or diary. Also, think about the benefits of organizing and how it can actually become really handy later in life.

Check out the wikiHow articles Make a Study Timetable , Create a Study Schedule and Plan a Homework Schedule for some great time-management tips.

Your report card consists of all your assignments, participation, homework and tests. Therefore, if you get a bad grade for your assignments or your homework or you do not participate in class, but A's on your tests, then they will all balance up in your report card. In short version, your tests are not the only thing that goes to your report card.

You don't need to isolate yourself from any of those things, and you shouldn't. Just make sure that you put your technology away and you ask your friends and family not to disturb you while you're studying. Find an appropriate balance between schoolwork and your social life.

You can make your own study guide, review the lessons periodically, or write notes on small cards so whenever you have extra time, you can just take them out and start studying.

Reference the tips in Create Good Study Habits for Exams .

Ask the people around you to be quiet, or approach the teacher before or after class and explain the issue you're having. They should be able to help, either by moving your seat or by telling your classmates to be quiet.

You should go to the teacher at the end of the day and ask how to do it. The teacher will probably appreciate your efforts and help you. If you still need help, get a tutor to walk you through how to do everything.

You have to prioritize. Begin by cutting things from your schedule that aren't directly related to your grades, such as sports, extracurricular activities, groups, clubs, etc. If you don't want to cut anything from your schedule, you'll have to settle for lower grades.

Do all of your assignments and study/review your class material every day. If you can, try to ask your teacher if you can sit in front. Research says that pupils who sit in front have a much higher chance of getting good grades than those sitting in the back.

I have always found that writing things down (an agenda or notes), making lists, and making schedules for study sessions and homework time really help increase productivity of learning. I would also advise striving for success but not perfection. One of the keys to being productive and efficient is having some balance in your life (adding in things aside from schoolwork in your schedule) so you don't become overly tired or stressed.

Going to a new school is very hard, but you can make new friends. When you get to class, focus and don't mess around. Study! Studying is so hard, but it will help you do good on your tests. Most people are just as nervous. Getting a B on a test is not bad, also you can always ask for extra credit and if they allow it. If not, go in early for help, etc.

Just listen to what other students have to say and try to be more like them. Your teacher probably still likes you but isn't willing to show it while you're not trying hard. So, try to be that one student that's on top of everything in class.

Either fill out a daily planner or a weekly planner. Devote that planner to only schoolwork. Make sure that you are crossing stuff out, this will help you feel more accomplished. Assign stuff to days but don't stress over it. Try your best to get homework done, so you can participate in class more.