How to Do Well at School

No matter what level you are in, studying well can be quite a challenging goal. However, you can excel at achieving this goal by developing consistent study habits, scheduling your study time, and keeping your school supplies organized. It’s also important to take care of yourself to stay healthy and full of energy ready to learn!

Table of Contents

Active activities in school

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Take notes while listening or reading. Taking notes not only helps you remember what you are hearing or reading, but it also helps your brain function and absorb information better. If allowed by the teacher, take notes while the teacher teaches. As you read, you should jot down important points or questions you have about the lesson. ^{[1] X Research Source}

While typing is a quicker and easier way to take notes, writing by hand can help you absorb and remember things better. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Do you know? Taking notes with scribbles can really improve your concentration and help you better remember what you’re hearing! ^{[2] X Harvard Medical Schop Trusted Source Go to Source}

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Ask the teacher when you don’t understand something. The teachers’ job is to help you learn and understand the lesson, so don’t hesitate to ask questions! Not only will this help you understand the lesson better, but it will also show your teacher that you’re focused and interested in the lesson. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If you don’t dare raise your hand and ask questions during class because of shyness, try going to the teacher after class or sending an email.
At the college or university level, instructors have office hours where you can come in to ask questions or have a private discussion with them about the lesson.

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Do homework. This may seem obvious, but sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in your homework and forget about the tasks that need to be done. Remember to complete the assigned reading and prioritize all assignments that need to be submitted.

If you don’t do your homework, not only will your grades suffer, but you won’t gain much knowledge!

Jennifer Kaifesh

Founder of Great Expectations Cplege Prep

Jennifer Kaifesh is the founder of Great Expectations Cplege Prep, a consulting and tutoring services company in Southern California. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience administering and organizing tutoring and test preparation to prepare for standardized tests related to the college admissions process. She graduated from Northwestern University.

Jennifer Kaifesh
Founder of Great Expectations Cplege Prep

Expert warning: Don’t lose out on hard-earned points just because you didn’t turn in an assignment or turned it in late.

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Attend school diligently. Attend school regularly every day if possible. Even if you don’t have to be present, you will learn more and not miss any important points if you attend class regularly. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you miss a class, see your teacher or classmate to see if you missed something that needs to be revisited. There will always be someone willing to lend you a notebook.
Ask your teacher’s permission if you need to miss a class but don’t want your attendance points deducted, which also count toward your grade. The teacher may give you a tour that day or give you an opportunity to make up for it.

Create good study habits

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Self-test your knowledge. Self-testing can help you improve your understanding of what you’re learning. It also helps you identify your weak points to focus on while reviewing. ^{[7] X Research Resources} You can try self-test methods, such as:

Create flashcards
Ask a classmate to ask questions and try to answer them
Make use of multiple choice questions and test your knowledge in textbooks
Take mock tests or quizzes if your teacher provides them

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Create a quiet and comfortable study environment. To stay focused, you should find a study space where you won’t be disturbed by noise or interruptions. Your study corner should be tidy, bright and not too hot or too cold. ^{[8] X National Education Association Trusted Source Go to Source}

For example, you could study at a desk in your own room, find a favorite corner in the library or in a quiet coffee shop.
Be careful, don’t choose a place that’s too comfortable! If you study on a comfortable bed or sofa, you can fall asleep without knowing it.

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Get rid of your phone and other distractions. Distractions can be a big problem when you’re trying to study. During class time, turn off your phone or keep it somewhere (in your pocket or drawer, for example). Turn off the TV, radio, or anything else that might distract you. ^{[9] X Research Source}

If you’re easily tempted to play on your phone, try installing a productivity app that limits access during study time, such as Offtime or Moment.
If you are studying at home, you should let everyone in the house know that you need to remain quiet and undisturbed while studying or doing homework.

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Set up breaks during study time. When studying or working, you should try to take a 15-20 minute break every hour. This is your time to recharge and refocus if your mind starts to wander. ^{[10] X Research Source}

During your break, you can get up and go for a walk, eat a healthy snack, watch a short movie, maybe even take a short nap to recharge.
Just a short jog can help your brain, improve problem solving and creative thinking skills! ^{[11] X Research Source}

Neatly arranged

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Use a planner to keep track of your class schedule. If you have a lot of subjects, it’s a good idea to use a daily or weekly timetable to keep track of all the subjects easier. At the beginning of the semester, sit down and write down your schedule for each day of the week. Note the time, place and duration of each lesson. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Include extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports teams if you participate.
You can take notes on paper or use a planning app, such as Any.do or Planner Pro.

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Schedule time for homework, housework and recreational activities. Once you’ve filled out your class schedule, you should also schedule activities that you need to do each day. This will help you avoid spending too much time on any one task. ^{[13] X Research Source}

For example, you can schedule 2 hours of study after school to go home on Monday, followed by half an hour of cleaning and 1 hour of hobbies, playing games or having fun with friends.

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Note important dates and deadlines. Besides the daily schedule, you also need to take note of upcoming tests or submission deadlines. Remember to mark all of these dates in your timetable or planner to avoid confusion or forgetting. ^{[14] X Research Source}

You can use an app like Google Calendar to get reminders from your phone or computer when important dates or deadlines are approaching.

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Prioritize assigned assignments over other tasks. When there is so much to do, it can be confusing to know where to start. To avoid getting overwhelmed or stuck, make a to-do list and put the most difficult or urgent tasks at the top. Once you’ve tackled these tasks, you can move on to the smaller and less urgent items on the list. ^{[15] X Research Source}

For example, if you have an important math test tomorrow, you could put the math review task first on the list. Reviewing English vocabulary for the week can be placed in the bottom row.

Tip: When working on a large project, it’s a good idea to break it down into easier-to-follow steps. For example, if you need to finish an essay by the end of the week, try breaking it down into steps like researching the document, writing an outline, and drafting the essay. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Centralize school supplies in one place. In addition to organizing your time, you also need to organize your school supplies. Gather your textbooks, notes, documents, school supplies, planners, and everything you need in one place so they’re easy to find when you need them. ^{[17] X Research Source}

To keep your notes, documents, and work, you can use a folder with multiple compartments for each subject.
Set aside a neat place as a study corner so that books and documents are not scattered in many places.

Take care of yourself

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Take enough time to get a good night’s sleep . It’s hard to study well if you can’t concentrate because you’re so tired. Schedule an early bedtime to get 9-12 hours of sleep each night if you’re a teen, 8-10 hours if you’re a teenager, and 7-9 hours if you’re an adult. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

For a good night’s sleep, create a relaxing bedtime routine, such as yoga, meditation, or a hot bath before bed. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Practice “sleep hygiene” by turning off bright screens at least 30 minutes before bed, avoiding caffeine and other stimulants in the evening, and keeping the bedroom quiet, dark, and pleasant at night.

Do you know? During sleep, our brain processes information received during the day. Sleep is an important part of absorbing and remembering what you learn in school! ^{[19] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}

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Eat 3 nutritious meals a day. If you do not eat enough, you will be tired, lose your ability to concentrate and feel restless. You need to eat at least 3 balanced meals throughout the day. A nutritious breakfast is especially important to start your day energized and ready to learn. ^{[20] X Credible Sources Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to the source} Each meal should include the following foods:

Fresh fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Lean protein like chicken breast or fish
Healthy fats, such as those found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils

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Maintain enough water for the body. Keep water at hand throughout the day to drink whenever you start to feel thirsty. Staying hydrated will help you stay focused and maintain your energy levels. While drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated, you can also drink fruit juices, herbal teas, soups or eat water-rich vegetables.

The amount of water needed for the body depends on each age group. For example, a 9 to 12 year old child needs to drink 7 glasses of water; Older children and adults should drink 8 glasses of water a day. ^{[21] X Research Source}
On hot days or when you exercise a lot, you may need to drink more water. Always listen to your body and drink water whenever you feel thirsty.
Avoid drinking a lot of drinks containing sugar and caffeine. These drinks will give you a temporary boost of energy, but will eventually leave you feeling exhausted and tired.

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Take measures to reduce stress . Studying is stressful work, so you should take the time to relax and do the things you love. Studying will be much better if you are not stressed and anxious all the time. ^{[22] X Research Sources} Some stress-relieving activities include:

Do yoga or meditate
Go for a walk or play outside
Spend time with friends, family and pets
Relax with hobbies and creative activities
Listening to music
Watch a movie or read a book

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Reward yourself for achieving your goals. When you complete a task, celebrate! It will give you more motivation to keep studying and working hard. Remember to reward yourself for achievements, big or small. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

For example, after every hour of study, you can reward yourself with a favorite snack or a few minutes of watching YouTube videos.
If you score well on an important test, you can celebrate by going out and eating pizza with friends.

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Practice positive thinking . A positive attitude about school will not only help you feel less stressed, but it will also help you do better in class. ^{[24] X Research Sources} If you find yourself having negative thoughts about school or subjects, try to replace them with positive thoughts.

For example, instead of thinking “I hate math! I will never be good at math,” think, “This subject is very challenging, but I will continue to improve if I work hard!”
Scientists have found that a positive attitude can actually help the brain’s memory centers work better!

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Find support when you need it. You don’t have to deal with the pressure of school alone. Talk to friends and family about how you feel and ways they can help you. If you don’t have a solid support network or need extra support, ask if your school has a school counselor to talk to. ^{[25] X Trusted Source American Psychpogical Association Go to Source}

Sometimes just talking to someone makes you feel so much better.
Don’t be afraid to call for actual support as well. For example, you could ask your mom, “Mom, I’m so worried about tomorrow’s test. Can I read the multiple-choice questions in the review for you?”

Advice

Take advantage of opportunities to earn extra points if the opportunity arises.
If you have difficulty, let your teacher know. Teachers can help you find ways to improve your study habits or understand the lesson better.

Steps

Active activities in school

Create good study habits

Neatly arranged

Take care of yourself

Advice

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