***Study Tips for High School Students

The transition between Junior High and High School can be challenging for many students. The amount and intensity of the homework often increases and students can become overwhelmed, frustrated and run out of time to complete assignments or study for the exams.

Set reasonable expectations about your ability to handle academic classes, sports and extra-curricular activities. Colleges want to see that you have challenged yourself, but not to the extent that your grades or health are suffering or that you have no time for extra-curricular activities. However, you may need to balance your extra-curricular activities to concentrate on your class work.

The following is a list of study habits that we hope will help you organize your time. Time Management is a skill you will use your entire life.

1. Make a list in your smart phone to help keep track of all your assignments and cross items off as they are completed.

2. Find a place to study that works for you…if you are more productive in the hustle and bustle of the kitchen rather than tucked away in your bedroom, that is OK.

3. If your study area is a mess, put the mess in a box on the floor and tackle the box on the weekend! Now is the time to study - not clean your room!

4. Get your comfy clothes, books, supplies & snacks together before you start studying.

5. Turn off Social Media – It will still be there when you have finished your homework!

6. “A task will take as much time as you allow it.” If you are really struggling to get started just say, “I am going to work on this assignment for 20 minutes” – at the end of 20 minutes determine how much more time you will need to complete the assignment and either continue, or put it aside until tomorrow. If you put it aside, make a note in your smart phone.

7. 30 minutes of concentrated focus is far more productive that three hours doodling, day dreaming and internet surfing.

8. Staying up all night or going to bed later than usual adds great drama to your life, but does not help your productivity. It is more beneficial to get up early to review for one hour than to go to bed 3 hours later than normal.

9. Pace yourself. Look at your weekly schedule on Monday. If you have 2 tests Thursday and a paper due on Friday, you need to plan your Monday & Tuesday so that you complete your assignments.

10. Flash cards aren’t just for multiplication! They are a great way to review any subject. Making & reviewing flash cards is a great way to use your time when you only have a few minutes.

11. When writing a paper, a basic outline is helpful to organize your thoughts.

12. Don’t spend time agonizing over the perfect topic sentence. Just start writing and getting some thoughts on paper. As you continue writing, your will be able to formulate your thoughts and the topic sentence will appear.

13. The first draft of a paper is not the final draft. Put the paper aside for a few hours or a day and you will come back to it with “new eyes.”