Three ways to stay on track in high school

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Caitlin Pennegar

Time management, good study habits, and staying after school: three ways to stay on track in high school and achieve short and long term goals.

High school, a time where everything matters from grades to actions. It’s important to stay focused and keep one’s eye on the prize! Keeping up with grades leads to prosperity in life: attending college, earning a degree, landing a secure job, etc. When applying to colleges and for jobs, having a diverse background of academic experiences inside and out of the classroom increases the chance of acceptance. While achieving all such goals may prove to be difficult and stressful, there’s a few tips to stay on track that will improve goal accomplishments.

Time management:

Managing time is one of the most important things to do during the school year as balancing homework, sports, and work proves to be stressful. To juggle it all, students should make a schedule that allocates time for each event, so specific dates, times, and locations are never forgotten or confused. In doing so, students can easily stay on track for when it’s time to work and when it’s time to play.

Good study habits:

Having good study habits steer students towards a more successful test grade and a better understanding of the material. Studying the night before the test is not a good study habit; depending on how little or big the assessment is, students generally need to study at least 3 to 4 nights. From the moment a teacher informs students of the assessment date, 20 to 30 minutes each night should be set aside for studying. During these 20-30 minutes, students should review notes and memorize vocabulary. To stay on track and maintain time management, students should put a timer on for how long they plan to study. Also, to avoid any distractions, students should put their phone on do not disturb.

Staying after school:

Staying after school is also a great way for students to better understand the material they’re learning. There’s nothing wrong with asking for extra help. If students don’t understand something, it’s better to stay after and get the extra support, than going home, not understanding the material, and not doing well on the test or quiz.