We all want to crack the code when it comes to the easiest and fastest way to improve our grades. Truth is, there isn’t a universal answer that will lead to sleeping all day and getting As without second thought, but there are behaviors we can adopt that will help improve our success in school.
1- Get a GOOD night of sleep
Oh no, here we go. Mom has told you enough times that you need to sleep more so you’re not tired in the morning. She’s not wrong. Getting a good night of sleep has been proven to lead to better retention and recall time, which is vital for taking exams. Cramming the night before sounds like the surefire way of acing a test, but this is far from true. If we don’t sleep well the night before a test, because we were up studying, then the information isn’t transferred to the long term memory centers in the brain, and all that late night cramming becomes useless. So make the time and get to studying earlier, and sleep the full 8 hours the night before a big exam.
2- Drink a lot of water
What? Another voodoo advice? How does drinking water help? Well, you know that feeling of grogginess and sleepyness you feel in class? Many times it’s not that your body needs sleep. Actually, that feeling can come from being dehydrated. We’ve all heard that our bodies are mostly water, so in order for it to function properly we need to make sure it’s replenished so that we don’t feel foggy when we’re at school. Staying hydrated will help with concentration and energy. This will allow you to sit better through class and have less trouble paying attention, meaning that you will have a better understanding of the material, thus leading you to better grades.
3- Cut back on caffeinated drinks
This goes along with drinking more water. Caffeinated drinks tend to be diuretics, they make you pee a lot, meaning that they rid your body of a lot of water. This can lead to your body feeling dehydrated. Not only that, but the way caffein works will, in the long run, make you foggier through the day, rather than keep you on task. The way caffein works is that is blocks melatonin receptors in the brain, so they stop your body from taking the hormone that makes you sleepy. Thing is, that melatonin gets clogged like Walmart’s doors on black friday, and when the effect of the caffein wears out, the melatonin rushes in all at once, leading tho that famous “crash.” If we can prevent that crash and keep ourselves awake throughout the day, this will lead to higher grades as we are more alert and aware in class.
4-Revise as soon as you get home from school
This sounds like an impossible myth we hear some people do somehow. How are we supposed to come home from school and just redo everything we didn’t enjoy doing during class? Well, when we’re doing a task, our brain is on “on” mode. When we get home from school our brains are still on from all day, and if we take too long of a break after we get home, then we have to turn our brain on all the way again. Rather than letting your brain turn off and check out for the day, sit down and do some homework as soon as you get home and when the lecture is still fresh in your brain. I’d recommend doing this, specially, with the subjects you have the most trouble with. Rather than sitting after an hour long break for three hours to study, sit down for an hour and take 5-10 minute breaks in between.
5- Hire a tutor
Here at Math Tutoring Professionals we offer an array of subjects to tutor, including Math of course. We have help anywhere from reading and history to physics and chemistry. Tutors are a tool that can really get you ahead of the curve. Because their attention is solely on you and not on Becky texting and Johnny talking to Sarah, you have easier and better access to information that may have become clouded in class from all the distractions. Here at MTP we cater our lessons to you and your needs. Get in touch with us and we’ll find someone that will help you improve your grades.
Ultimately, it may sound odd, but it’s true. There are lifestyle changes we need to do to improve our grades. I noticed it in university. Early on I ate badly and wasn’t thinking how much I was giving to Starbucks, but when I decided to cut back and start changing my focus, I saw a direct improvement in my grades, which lead to a successful college career.