Spring Student Tips to Get Organized and Succeed

Yesterday, I spoke to a woman who was concerned about her twelve-year-old son.  The mother called us because her son’s grades had gradually dropped as he fell farther behind.  He was overwhelmed and stressed!  In situations like this, a feeling of hopelessness can crop up, and this can prevent a student from making the effort needed to ‘spring back’.

In some cases, students may not have sufficient skills in organizing their time, materials, and/or homework assignments. Others may have a hard time with reading, writing, and studying efficiently and effectively. Good time management, use of strong organizational techniques, and solid study skills can help many students regain control, and are often the key to success.  The following guidelines and spring student tips are intended to assist students to get control of study patterns and overall academic achievement:

Make a List, Write it Down, and Keep it Close

To avoid the list getting misplaced keep a small notebook exclusively for this purpose. First, list your general goals.

Here is a sample list:

Adam’s Goals

1. Catch up on Math – figure out inequalities and absolute value. Also, learn those awful problems about 2 trains passing each other.
2. Hand in English assignment from last week.
3. Find a way so this week’s homework all gets done.
4. Find time for all this before or after baseball practice.
5. Organize papers so they don’t get lost.

This is a list of general goals. Although the list may be overwhelming, it is usually reassuring to write these goals down. Now it is time to break the list down into parts. Does Adam have a homework notebook? Probably. Does he always write down all his homework in it? Maybe, maybe not. What about long term assignments, such as projects and major tests? How are they handled?  This leads us to the next step:

Keep a Calendar

Every student should have a homework notebook which travels between home and school. In addition, it is helpful to use a large desk calendar to display the month as a whole. The space for each day should be large enough to write down at least four comments.  Copy assignments from the homework notebook to the calendar. Note the days of special events, when little homework can be done. Note any test or quiz as soon as the teacher announces its date. For each day in between the announcement and the test, list what you will study. Cramming at the last minute is not as effective as spacing out the studying. In addition, cramming is unlikely to result in long term retention, which is why it is useful to keep up with the material all along before any test is announced. Do not forget to note the due dates of long-term projects along with which piece of the project you expect to accomplish each day. Jot down all homework assignments on the calendar. Capitalize, highlight, or use a different colored pen to write all due dates and test dates.

Alternatively, use your homework assignment book in the same way as a calendar.

Adams’s Assignment Book

MONDAY, APRIL 8^th, 2013

MATH P.35
LA P.20
HISTORY
SCIENCE Study pp. 12-20
TEST FRIDAY!
BAND

Organize Paperwork

Every paper should be in its appropriate folder or notebook – never loose in a backpack. Now is the time to tidy up notebooks.  Using one folder strictly for homework and parent notices decrease the likelihood of lost materials.  At home in labeled files, be sure to save notes and tests you may need for a midterm or final exam.

Develop a Catch-Up List

List all the subjects that need catching up, whether it is an assignment that is overdue or something you just did not understand. For each subject, write down specifically what you need to do, when you will do it, and whether it requires someone’s help. How can you tackle the assignment? Who can help? Try to catch up on only one subject or assignment in a day.

Prepare a Daily Homework Schedule

Make sure your workspace has all necessary supplies – paper, sharpened pencil, ruler, etc. This will reduce excuses for interruptions. Work in a space away from distractions such as TV, the internet, and visitors. Review all homework at the beginning of the homework session, and visualize what completing it will be like. Then ascertain which homework may need someone’s help, and schedule that assignment for a time when help will be available. Prioritize assignments. First, complete the ones due tomorrow, and then begin the longer term projects.

Adam should adjust these times to reflect the amount of time expected for each subject. One subject may take longer than expected or there may be a delay due to a phone call. (Of course, Adam should keep the phone call short on a busy homework night.) If Adam has not finished his Math homework by 8:30, he could Tivo the TV show and watch it later. If he does not have time for the overdue English assignment, perhaps he can reschedule it for the weekend. The schedule is not written in stone but is a guide. It is better to have a plan you can modify than to have no plan at all.

Is Homework Taking Too Long? Can study skills be improved?

Some students take hours and hours to do homework that other students do in one hour. If a student spends too much time on homework, speak to the teacher to find out how much time the homework is expected to take. Ask other parents how long their children take to do homework. Good study skills should reduce homework time. A student can read more efficiently by focusing on the main ideas, visualizing, skimming, and scanning. Organizing ideas for writing is difficult for many students. Writing process techniques such as brainstorming, outlining, organizing paragraphs, using more colorful language, revising, and editing is helpful. Studying for a Math test should include not simply reading over the chapter, but practicing problems, particularly those in perceived weak areas, and checking the answers.

Can Adam catch up? Yes!

Adam needs to figure out what he needs to do, write it down, create, and follow a schedule.  He must also learn study skills that will improve his knowledge of the subject matter and simultaneously decrease the time required for daily homework. He may need help from a parent or tutor. He definitely needs to be motivated to put in the time and effort required to catch up and improve his grades.

Making use of these techniques will greatly improve any student’s academic performance and free up more time for other important spring activities.