High school can be a busy and stressful time in a young person’s life. With classes, homework, extracurriculars, preparing for important tests like the SAT, searching for and visiting colleges and more, high school can be overwhelming for students. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Establishing good study, time management and organizational skills can help students stay focused and on track during school, and the benefits of these skills will transfer to college as well.
- Time management. High school students spend several hours each weekday in class. Add on top of that extracurricular activities, study and homework time and maybe even a part-time job, and there is little room for wasted time. Learning to properly manage time and establish priorities will help keep students on track and ensure they are able to accomplish all important responsibilities. In addition, these important habits will transfer well to college life. College students spend far less time in the classroom and more time working and studying independently. Students who are able to manage their time well in high school will arrive at college one step ahead.
- Effective study habits. One of the most important study habits for students is simply attending class. High school is a fun and exciting time, but students who get distracted and skip classes will only suffer later. Attending class and paying attention is essential to academic success. While in class, students should also be taking clear and concise notes. In one lesson, a lot of information is presented to the student. Good note-taking habits will help them identify and retain the most important information. Students should then review their notes not too long after class and clarify or fill in anything they may have missed while the information is still fresh in their minds.
- Organization. A clean and organized workspace is essential for every student. An unorganized space and materials strewn about in different places will only add to the stress a student can feel. Keeping books, materials, study aids, etc. in one place and organized will save students time and stress, allowing them to focus more on schoolwork and studying. In addition, if work and study materials are out and visible on a desk at all times, students will be able to easily monitor and keep track of what needs to be done.
- Practice consistent studying. Many students practice what might be called binge studying – scrambling to finish assignments or cram for tests only shortly before they are due. This habit not only causes stress and poor work quality, but the information is hardly ever retained for long. Students should make an effort to consistently study, taking time to review notes on a daily or near-daily basis. They should also work on assignments beginning when they are assigned and not just before they are due. This will ensure students are able to balance responsibilities, put their best effort into all assignments and spend time actually learning and understanding the information.
- Establish best learning methods. Students learn and retain information in different ways. Some are able to simply read and retain information well, others rely on study groups or tricks like flash cards or writing down important vocabulary words or dates repeatedly. Students should pay attention to what works best for them and stick with it. They can experiment and try new study methods, but knowing what works best for them and returning to those habits when they need to will help them succeed in school.
High school is a fast-paced time in life with many responsibilities to balance. For many students high school is a prelude to college, so establishing good time management and effective study habits is critically important at this time. Doing so while still in high school will not only allow students to be successful at this time, but they will be able to enter college confident, accomplished and prepared to take on the new challenge.
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