Look at your new scores to see how that’s working. Use them to gauge how effectively you are studying. Grades are also a sign of how well you are learning the material. And it’s fun to show your family and friends. Study Tips 7: Use grades to keep on track with learning Pull out the major points and make an outline. Represent them in a manner that clicks for you. But, you can reorganize the ideas your way. There’s not really one best way to present ideas for everyone, because our minds are all different. The ideas don’t really seem to flow in a way that makes sense to you. Build your own ideas off of the material presented. Taste the flavors and decide if they agree with your palette. You can approach learning like a master chef. Well, you don’t have to consume your courses that way. Study Tips 5: Think critically about what you’re learningĭo you feel like you’re supposed to swallow all that your teachers tell you in one big gulp? And then regurgitate for the test? Over time, you’ll see that you really can learn any new thing. To get lasting confidence, you have to show yourself that you can. Your confidence may inflate easily if you often hear how smart you are. Study Tips 4: Build your competence and gain confidenceĭo you believe you can get straight A’s? Do you think you can master any subject?īelieving in your ability really helps you push in and learn something new. Taking control of your learning is the start to ruling your world. Use the teacher’s lesson plan and assignments as a starting point.

You can also start taking charge now by controlling how you learn. Of course, you’ll gain more say in what you study as you advance levels. School can make you feel like you have zero control. You can brainstorm, or search the web for phrases like: What’s an application of X? How does X get used? Answer for yourself: How is this relevant to my life? Study Tips 3: Take charge of your learning The best students start with the idea that there is some value, and then try to figure out what it is. Yet, it’s also easy to dismiss anything they do say, as not relevant to you. Sure, it’d be nice if teachers did more to point out the applications of the topics they cover. That the subject matter is just not important. It’s common to complain that we don’t learn anything useful or relevant in school. Push yourself to learn new topics, even if they seem really tough at first.Īim to become a better learner than you are right now. The better you get at learning new things, the more powerful you become.įor each class you take, try to grasp the material as deeply as possible. In a quickly changing world, learning is survival. You will be doing it for your whole life. It doesn’t end with High School or College. Here are 21 study tips liberated from these master students to help you get more out of your studies and boost your grades. And it was the main measuring stick used in the Zimmerman and Kitsantas study.įor this post, I’ve combed back through the research to illuminate the tactics, procedures and mindsets for studying that set these high-achievers apart. It built on the earlier work, and revealed a few more critical study strategies. The secrets of these master students were exposed.Ī few years later, Professor Paul Pintrich and his team introduced the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. In a 1986 study, they found that high-achieving students used 13 learning strategies more frequently than lower-achieving students. Zimmerman and his colleagues have chased those questions for over 30 years. Those who’ve really mastered the art of learning? So, what exactly do those top students do? Professor Barry Zimmerman of CUNY and Anastasia Kitsantas of George Mason University published their results on academic achievement in Contemporary Educational Psychology. One study found that a key set of learning strategies explained 90% of the variance in high-school GPA. Students who get good grades simply use essential study skills and strategies. You see, scientists have been snooping on these top students for decades. The students who seem to breeze on through.

Tips for surviving high school game