High School Tips: 22 Best Tips for High School

It’s not surprising that both parents and students alike look for some of the best high school tips prior to starting out or even as sophomores! High school should be a time of fun and learning, but sometimes the pressure to succeed academically can be all too much. Our goal here is to help those who feel they need a little helping hand to achieve what they are capable of in an educational capacity. These 22 high school tips are easily implemented to ensure a stress-free and successful high school experience.

 

High School Tips – To Do at Home

Sleep

Getting enough rest is vital to success. When you are well rested you are more able to concentrate, which is useful in class as well as when studying. Try going to bed at the same time each night in order to get maximum rest. Make sure your bedroom is clean and tidy, and don’t use your bed as a study space – study at a desk and keep your bed for sleeping only!

Don’t Multitask

It might seem like a good idea to work on several tasks at once, after all, you’re getting more done, right? Wrong. It is best to focus on one task at a time and see it through to completion, or at least for your entire allocated study session. That means no phones, television or other distractions! You’ll be surprised at how much faster you can work when focusing on single tasks – leaving plenty of time for all your other activities!

Get Organized

This is probably the most common piece of advice for every student, but why is it so important? Being aware of your time, and what you can do with it, will help ensure you have enough time to complete assignments and prepare for exams.

Create a Positive Study Space

Studying on the sofa in front of the television is not the most effective place to study. To make your homework and study sessions the most productive, create a calming and productive study space. Ideally this space would be away from distractions such as the television, and kept clean and tidy. Try allocating a space in your bedroom for a desk and a place to display your homework and study schedule, keep all your necessary equipment such as pens, paper, and highlighters in the desk so you have no excuse to leave your space for the duration of your study session.

Do Your Homework

This one seems obvious. Teachers set homework for a reason – to help your learning, leading to academic success. Not only are you consolidating what have learned in class, but you are preparing yourself for exams as well as developing positive, independent study habits.

Eat Well

Snacking on sugary drinks, chips and candy will not help you learn! A sugar high will quickly be followed by a sugar low, leaving you lethargic and unable to concentrate. Instead, maintain a balanced diet for brain development and energy. Ensure you eat a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, with plenty of protein. The odd late night coffee and snacks won’t do you too much damage, but keep it minimal.

Manage Your Time

Don’t leave assignments and test preparation until the last minute! When you are given a task, write it in your diary or calendar as well as regular reminders. Break assignments into manageable chunks and tackle them well before the due date. Always allocate yourself more time than you think – any leftover can be spent on other tasks, or even having fun!

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Have Fun!

High school should be enjoyable. Sure, academic success is crucial, but if you spend all your time studying you risk burning out or dealing with excessive stress. Make sure you leave some time to hang out with your friends, play sport, go to concerts, or do whatever it is you love! When you settle into you study or homework session, you will be refreshed and able to focus on the task at hand.

Individualize Your Study Plan

Each student is different – different strengths, weaknesses, interests, goals and ambitions. Your study calendar should take your personal academic goals into consideration and work around any other commitments you have such as sport or employment. By doing this, you are sure to have enough time to tackle your academic tasks and are more likely to achieve your own personal goals.

Get Tutoring

Seeking help from a professional will ensure any issues you have will be eliminated. A tutor will work closely with you and tailor-make sessions to suit your individual academic needs. The one-on-one time is invaluable and will help keep your academic goals in check.

While many can go it on their own, it can make a semester more challenging. Plus, if you do start falling behind or not understanding as well as you need to, it becomes doubly difficult to play “catch up” for the semester!

Prioritize

Each week, rank each task and assignment in order of importance to make sure everything gets done. It can be easy to fall into the trap of studying your favorite subjects first, but this often means the subjects you struggle with are left until last, creating a vicious cycle. Try tackling the tricky subjects first in order to make sure you fully understand the content so you can ace exams!  There’s a TON of information out there about starting with what’s most difficult so that you get a sense of accomplishment and then the rest of your day goes more easily.

Seek Help

There is no shame in asking for help. Whether it is help with understanding content taught in class, asking a sibling to do your chores so you can complete an assignment or asking your parents to quiz you before a test. You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to help you when you really need it.  It’s also one of the best ways to prepare for tests and exams as well.

Learn to Say ‘NO’

Taking on too much can be detrimental to your academic success. Be selective when it comes to extra-curricular, sporting and social activities. They are important, but you can’t be involved in everything. Choose what you enjoy most and focus on them and your studies. Don’t be afraid to turn down small opportunities, especially those that don’t really have an impact on your future.

 

High School Tips – What You Can Do at School

Set a Schedule

Using a schedule will help you keep on top of all your tasks, including the many assignments that you are bound to have! Create a rough plan for each semester and a more specific schedule on a weekly basis. Be sure to include your regular commitments and then prioritize your schoolwork. Check your schedule regularly in order to remain focused on and track!

Check in with Your Career or Guidance Counselor

These people are an untapped resource when it comes to academic success. Speak with them about subject and grade requirements to help you focus on the most important aspect of your studies. By channeling your time and energy to where you need it most, you are bound to hit academic success!

Choose the Right Classes

Know your strengths and weaknesses! Don’t take classes that you know you will find incredibly difficult. By taking classes that you enjoy and know you can succeed it, your results will be more than pleasing!

Accept Criticism

Teachers will occasionally give you feedback that you won’t want to hear. Instead of getting upset and disheartened, don’t take it too personally – they are saying it to help you! Focus on what was said and take steps to make positive changes, you’ll soon reap the rewards!

Ask Questions

The only way to be certain of information is to clarify it with your teacher. If you are too embarrassed to ask a question in class, speak to your teacher privately, they’ll be more than happy to help. However, it is important to remember that there are no silly questions, and any questions you have will probably be on the minds of other students too, so you’ll be helping others as well.

Maintain Good Attendance

Succeeding academically is so much easier to do when you actually attend class! Simply by showing up on time and prepared, you are setting yourself up for passing. Even if you are feeling slightly unwell or tired, show up and do your best – your success depends on it!

Form a Study Group

Working with other like-minded people will do wonders for your learning. As a small group, you can learn from each other, discuss key points and keep each other motivated. For best results, make sure your group meets somewhere free from distractions and remains on task throughout the session.

Connect to Your School Community

While you don’t want to take on too many extra-curricular activities, networking and forming positive relationships can be beneficial to your academic performance. Learn from students older than you, make yourself known to teachers, and take on leadership roles to help make high school the most successful experience possible.

Set Goals

This is one of the best high school tips that you can really take action on! Decide exactly what you want to achieve and write it down. Think about the steps required to reach your goals and write them down as well. Having goals (and mini goals) will help keep everything else on track ensuring the ultimate academic success!

With these 22 tips for high school, you can breathe a bit easier and know that you have many of the areas covered.  It’s an exciting four years that are loaded with many opportunities, exciting challenges and new beginnings.  It’s up to you how and what you do with this time and these high school tips.