Develop a Study Plan!
With the holidays behind us, students in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, and beyond are officially in the second half of the school year. Yet for many students the pressure to maintain or improve their grades is nearly palpable.
To that end, if your student wants to maintain good grades in 2016, or is looking for ways to improve his or her grades in the latter half of the school year, Vogel Prep recommends the following Smart Study Tips for 2016.
· Focus on your hardest subjects first
Students should focus their study efforts on the subjects which are the most challenging for them first, before tackling subjects they find easy. For example, if a student wants to improve grades in math, he/she should complete math homework as early in the afternoon or evening as possible. By leaving the easier subjects until later in the afternoon or evening, students can best focus on the subjects needing most improvement before they become fatigued.
· Plan and schedule study times, then follow through
Students looking to maintain or improve their grades in 2016 need to plan study times, schedule study times, and follow through with their study schedule. Although nearly all students are guilty of “cramming,” at one time or another, “cramming” is not a smart study strategy as studies have shown that we all retain less information in a short amount of time rather than over a longer period. Instead, students should plan when they will study, and follow their schedule in the same way they would attend sports, music or other scheduled practices and activities.
· Remove distractions
When you’re studying, make your focus on studying. Stay away from distractions by turning off your phone, the television, or computer or tablet notifications. Find a quiet place to focus on your work, and give your full attention to the task at hand. Students often find that scheduling study times in blocks or chunks of time can be a great way to maintain focus for short periods of time. You can give yourself a “pre-arranged” break every hour or so, but then it’s important to get right back to work.
· Don’t forget to review
Even if you’ve completed all assignments for the week, it’s important to review your notes from class, and/or test questions over the weekend, in order to make sure that you’re prepared for the following week’s work. Furthermore, by keeping the material learned during the past week fresh in your mind, you’ll be less likely to find yourself in the situation where “cramming” is unavoidable.
Even students who have terrific study skills can benefit from academic tutoring in subjects they find challenging. The opportunity to work one-on-one with an experienced tutor has proven time and again to be invaluable when it comes to maintaining or earning good grades in middle school and high school.
If your student has resolved to maintain or improve grades in 2016, and you feel your student would benefit from improving their study skills or subject tutoring, please contact us at info@vogelprep.com, or by phone at (480) 990-7374 to schedule a free academic tutoring consultation to discuss your student’s needs.
Vogel Prep Tutoring and Test Prep offers private tutoring and small group classes for students looking to improve their grades and performance in class, as well as elevate their scores on exams such as the ACT, SAT, HSPT, LSAT, GRE, and GMAT. With our conveniently located tutoring center at 13951 N Scottsdale Rd in Scottsdale, Vogel Prep also provides college counseling services to students and their families. Visit www.vogelprep.com.
