Listening, Motivation, and Success
Getting Good Grades and Being Successful
in High School
The Big Question:
Given your responsibilities and your obstacles, how will you be successful in
your freshmen year of high school?
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You Will Be Successful!!
1. Believe in Yourself
*Whether you’re an athlete preparing for competition or a
student tackling a difficult subject, it’s important that you
believe in your self. You must recognize the talents and
abilities that you possess, and you must know, and believe,
that you can succeed.
2. Be Organized
Use an assignment notebook (as a freshman, you already
have one) and use it to organize your assignments in a way
that makes the most sense to you. Keeping your locker and
backpack neat will help, too. You could use folders or three
ring binders to try to keep your schoolwork neat.
3. Manage Your Time Well
Remember to PLAN AHEAD! Use your class time and
study halls to finish your school work, so there is less of a
chance that you will have to take it home. Find good study
habits that work for you and you will have an easier and
more successful time in high school.
4. Be Successful in the Classroom
You should be on time to class, and prepared for each class.
Always have something to write on and write with. Having a
separate folder and notebook for each class will help you stay
organized.
5. Take Good Notes
Before you can take great notes, you have to be an active
listener. That means you hear the information, and you try to
think about and understand that information. Note taking can
help you in your active listening, making it possible to
remember the larger points and the “bigger picture.”
6. Study Smart
Make sure that you find a good place to study, and make sure
that place is perfect, or close to perfect, for your learning
style. Knowing your learning style can also help you figure
out the best way to study for tests and help you memorize
necessary information.
7. Use Test-Taking Strategies
The best way to get a good start on a test is to prepare
BEFORE the test. Know the information to the best of your
ability. If you have trouble with one or two questions, skip
them and go on. Give yourself time later in the test to go
back and answer them. The same is true for true and false or
essay questions. Start the easier one first in order to get
yourself in the mindset of answering essay questions.
8. Get Help When You Need It
When you have a problem with your school work or you
don’t understand something, and you can’t figure it out by
yourself, make sure you find someone to help you. Teachers,
as well as administrators and counselors, are resources that
you can go to with problems that seem to big or
overwhelming to deal with on your own. Helping you learn
and grow is what we are all here to do.