How To Become a Straight-A Student Without Struggling Too Much

How To Become a Straight-A Student Without Struggling Too Much

How to become a straight-A student? How to effectively manage time and succeed in studying without being chained to a library?

A lot of students ask these questions. However, not many of them actually manage to not only find answers but also transfer knowledge from theory to practice. High grades open many doors and provide great opportunities.

Getting straight A’s is all about hard work, discipline, and perseverance. But there are some lifehacks that will help you to improve your studying process on your way to higher grades.

Check out the best tips on how to score high while studying and maintain your social life we gathered for you.

Manage Your Time

The most effective way to start getting higher scores is organizing your studying process. Scheduling your time may seem tough at first, but it will definitely pay off.

The first thing you need to understand is that quality matters more than quantity. That’s why being focused while studying is the key to save time and get better results.

Set up a rule to turn off your TV, phone and exclude any other distracting factors when studying. Seems too boring? Maybe. But you will notice, that time you spend on one assignment will be drastically reduced because of this simple but effective practice.

The Pareto Principle

You’ve probably heard about “80/20” rule or the Pareto principle. It states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.

How can you use this rule in your time management?

Basically, keep focused and devoted while studying instead of distracting on entertainments. Studying without distractions for one hour equals 3 hours of studying with side activities. It will increase your productivity during studying time and help you reach better results while spending less time.

Get Organized with Online Tools

There are a bunch of online tools and applications for organizing your studying process in high school or college. For example, there are many apps which allow you to use online schedules and notes, folders, journals, and stickers. It seems like an unnecessary waste of money, but they actually help.

Design your own sorting system that will be suitable and convenient to use. Keep all your lecture notes in one folder and all of your assignments in another folder.

Keep track of the due dates and mark them in your calendar – digital or daily planner. This way, you will be able to see the amount of work and deadlines which will help you to manage your time. Check your planner every day and make notes if needed.

Setting goals or mini tasks for a day and check daily accomplishments in the evening is also a powerful tactic.

Tips from a real straight-A student:

Don’t forget to set reminders at your desktop for the most urgent tasks. This way, you can focus on the assignments with upcoming deadlines and effectively manage your time.

Form a Group to Study Together

One of the most typical study techniques is studying in a group. Facing difficulties while doing your homework is not a rare thing. That’s why it’s great to have someone who can explain you something you haven’t caught in class.

Solving occurred troubles is much easier when you have someone to hold your back.

Studying in a group is very helpful for unorganized students.

It helps to:

• overcome laziness
• boost motivation
• get good grades
• get in the right mood for a study session

Gather your classmates for doing homework together. You can meet at someone’s home or a café, online chat or video call. The best ideas usually reveal in discussions.

Take into consideration: Studying in groups is not for anyone. You should try this method to make your own opinion about it. Some students feel their productivity decreases in a group, and it’s easier for them to focus when they’re alone. Find out if you are one of them.

Don’t Let Studying Stress You Out

Many students face this common trouble – stress. It causes health problems and makes studying even harder.

If you want to succeed and become the top of the class, it’s essential not to let stress manage your life. Coping with anxiety is not the easiest thing to do, especially during the end of semester and finals.

That’s why we prepared some tips for reducing stress while studying or taking exams.

Alternate Studying and Rest

Common and still ignored advice is having an 8-hour sleep. It’s crucial for your body and brain to have rest after a productive day and intense mental work. Many students prefer to party and sleep from 4 to 5 hours, which leads to poor productivity, reduced focus, and sleepiness.

Moreover, it also leads to weakening of the immune system, and one feels sick all the time. This isn’t the best way to become a top student, right?

Have a good rest and let your brain rest too. The relaxation techniques you should try are:

• yoga and meditation
• massage
• listening to calming music
• aromatherapy

As long as you keep your body healthy and your brain clear and sharp– you can succeed and focus on your studying.

Stop Procrastinating

Do you tend to postpone writing an essay or exam preparation? This makes things even it worse.

Being in a rush because of upcoming deadlines causes much more stress and anxiety. That’s why keeping your assignments piling up is not the best decision.

Solution:

Try to complete one small task every day and break large assignments into small pieces and complete them one-by-one. You will see how profitable it is to understand that you have a lot of time ahead till your due date and half-done work already.

Plan beforehand and track all of your incomplete tasks to make sure you don’t miss any critical date or assignment.

After you adopt these study habits, you will see that stress goes away.

3 P’s

You might have heard about Cal Newport and his blog with brilliant tips for better studying. He successfully wrote book series about his career and student life, which you can deservedly add to your motivational books list.

One of his brilliant tips is the 3 P approach which you should use when feeling like your brain took a vacation during quizzes and exams.

It helps to keep away from anxiety and includes three steps:

• Planning
• Proceeding
• Proofreading

Planning

The first thing you do when you receive your tasks is flipping through them. Make a quick plan of answering order, starting with easier questions. Plan your time and make quick notes of the key points of your answers.

Proceeding

The next step is proceeding answering questions starting with the easiest ones. This way, you will reduce the pressure and manage your time wisely, leaving enough time to think on other subjects. It also helps to clear your head and find the right answer.

Proofreading

The last step is proofreading, and it takes about ten minutes. Correct any mistakes and attentively reread your answers.

Wrapping Up

Sleep well, manage your time and keep your head up. Don’t forget that high grades are not the main thing in your life.

Keeping a balance in your life is essential. Consider that knowledge you get is much more important than your grades. Don’t sacrifice your social communication and health in order to get straight A’s.