How to Become an Excellent Student

• Like all exceptionally great students, you must pay attention! When a teacher is giving a lesson, take notes and if you don't understand something, raise your hand and ask questions. The more questions you ask, the smarter you'll get, believe it or not. By passing notes and talking to friends, you won't learn anything, so pay close attention!
• Review your notes when you have free time.
• Take some time to write some problems up, or you could ask someone to write them for you. Just remember, it doesn't hurt to go over what you have learned
• Do your homework. Teachers give you homework for a reason. It is to review what you have learned that day. Take advantage of your free time. Do your homework on the way home from school in any spare time. Do as much at school as you can-there you have the teacher in case you need help. Make sure not to rush on your homework, to check over it, and to be neat. If you really want to be a successful student, you should know right from the beginning when you want to be great at anything, you have to put up with things that just don't seem fair. Doing your homework is not a big deal. Remember, homework can also help you develop good habits and attitudes.Always do what is asked of you.
• Be prepared. Bring everything you need with you to class. Books, folders, pens, pencils, homework, review sheets etc. whatever you need it would be a good idea to bring it.
• Get organized. Keep a folder for each subject, and yes, you put your math papers in your math folder, you put your Language Arts papers in your Language Arts folder, you put your science papers in your science folder, and so on. It would really be a good idea to color code or label your folders.
• Study. It would be a good idea to start studying a few days before a test. Make a studyschedule. If an extracurricular activity gets in the way of your studying, tell the person in charge of that certain event, that you will not be able to attend that event, or you will have to leave early. However, there will be certain situations where you will have to attend whatever it is. In this kind of situation, you will just have to study another day. This is where your study schedule comes in. Write out a schedule of the week of your test and find your free time. Always remember, use your time wisely. Study as if you are motivated for the outcome of your hard work.
• Start to read a little more. If you are not already a reader, start at your level and work your way up. You may not know this, but by reading more challenging and difficult books, you are expanding your vocabulary.
• Ask a parent or older sibling to look over your notes and create a mini-test for you 3 days advance of your test. You should always want to study before the night of your test.
• If your mind is not working properly then do not lose your heart. Just focus on your work and you'll succeed.
• Use of mind maps can be helpful for understanding hard topics.