As a senior, I get it it’s hard to keep being motivated especially now at the end of the year. After 4 years of being in high school I have come up with ways to maintain my grades high. And by the way, these tips will work for you whether you are a freshman or senior, whether you take AP’s or regular classes. These tips are for everyone.

So if you are struggling with grades and interested in raising your grade to A’s, take a look at these 7 tips for getting better grades.

1. Attend All Your Classes

You might think this is an obvious one. But I speak from experience when I say that many students skip classes for one reason or another. But if you want good grades, there are many reasons why you should attend your classes. Sitting in a classroom or joining Zoom and listening to the lectures/discussions will help you absorb the materials.

2. Stay Organized

Whenever I have an assignment the first thing I do is write it in my planner. You can also use your calendar and write down what the assignment is and when is it due. This way you will always keep track of your work. With this method I’ve never missed turning in an assignment because I forgot to but maybe because I was too lazy to do it.

3. Break larger assignments/projects into smaller, easy to accomplish pieces

If you have a huge project or research paper to do and it’s due in a month from the day your teacher assigns it to you, break up the work into smaller pieces and assign deadlines to each part. This way you will accomplish your work much faster and without stress as you would if you leave it to the last minute to complete it.

4. Be an active listener in class

Most students don’t pay attention when the teacher is giving a lecture they are usually gossiping with friends, watching movies, texting their friends, or reading something during class. Instead, listen attentively and actively and ask for clarification when you need it. I am a shy person but when I need clarification on something I always ask. I’ve learned that your teachers are there to help you not judge you.

5. Take good notes in class

Another reason for attending class is taking the class notes. The notes your teachers give are vital clues to what they think the most important material for you to learn. The key is to write the most important details down so that you can refer back to them when you’re studying for a test.

6. Study

I think this an obvious one. I usually study early and often if you break your studying into shorter periods of time it will make it seem less of a chore and give your mind time to absorb the material. If you don’t like studying alone you can also study with friend but don’t turn it into a social event where you can’t get anything done.

7. Take care of yourself

Take care of yourself by eating well, getting the proper amount of sleep and exercising this will help you remain focused on what you need to. I started working out sophomore year I would jump rope for at least 45 minutes and when I would be done with my workout I would be so motivated to do my school work and I would also focus on it.

Following these guidelines should help your grades immensely. Another tip is to see your teachers as friends and not enemies. Their goal is for every student to learn and master the material s in the class your taking. And if you master the materials, you should have a good grade in the class. And if you’re still struggling with some aspect of the subject, just ask your teacher for help. They are there to help us become the best we can be.

These tips have helped me through my sophomore to senior year. Freshman year I really struggled to keep up my grades because I was lazy and didn’t care enough to keep them up but sophomore year I had to come up with ways to at least maintain them high enough and with these tips I was able to get A’s and B’s. Hopefully you will too.