You wonder how they do it? Do they have two heads? Are they better than you? Do they have an elephant size brain?
I was once in your shoes, I would struggle and strive, those sleepless nights, the sacrifice and so on, yet when the results are out I see something different from what I expected. Watching others get 5.00, 4.00 and me on 3. Something else. That hurts!
I would always sit and wonder how they do it, is there something am doing wrong? Are they really better than me? I kept on researching to find an answer for this, but I later realize the fact that “just because you came last doesn’t doesn’t make you a dull person, and having straight A’s doesn’t make them Heroes” I realised Motivation, Determination and Focus was all I needed.
So I would be sharing steps I followed in
becoming a straight A student, and I was finally successful after years of struggle. if you choose to take my advice you’ll surely get there, and live a balanced life, not having to always sit there with those open books.
Step one: Focus In class!
Where you sit matters, you have those friends that when you sit close to, you always have to get distracted when a lecture is on. Cut those friends out, do not sit close to them, because you need focus at that moment. When you understand right from the class, revisions becomes easy for you. Learn to speak up and ask questions where you’re not cleared.
Step two: Note taking!
This is where I have issues with most of my course mates, when I keep noting down important points and statement from the lecture, they see me as a fool, some would tell me “what’s the use of taking note when the lecture slides would be given?” I would always smile because at the end they always come to clearify where they don’t understand from my notes.
This step works for me! It’s the second pillar. when you focus in class, noting down important points and explanation to use for revisions, you could still pass a course without going through the lecture slides full of big grammars.
Step three: Have a plan!
If you fail to plan, then definitely you plan to fail.
Create a weekly study schedule template, where you have to study and review your upcoming classes in just an hour or two hours a day, then you have the rest 22hrs for other activities.
This helps alot because you get to understand what you’ve learnt in your previous class, and you won’t be lost when the current class is going on, because you have the background.
Step four: Organize yourself !
This way you won’t have trouble finding your notes or assignments when you need them, because you would probably end up wasting time looking for them, and then you finally decide to borrow them from your friend.
Cut out all sort of distractions when you set out to study, your phones, laptop etc
Step five: Your health matters!
The common complain is “sleep overtakes me every time I start reading.” They complain the can’t focus in class,they lack energy.. why won’t all these happen to you, when you know you have an exam or a test coming up, you spend late hours chatting on social media, you exhaust your self, you miss your precious sleep, then when you try to read sleep overtakes you.
Health is wealth! And you need to realize that health is the foundation to academic excellence, so you need to sleep well, eat healthy and exercise the body, because exercise enhances your memory and thinking skills.
Step six: Do not cram!
Cramming is a bad idea, the mistake we make is that, we spend four months or more attending lectures and never care to revise our notes, then come exam time you want to cram 10-different course with four month lectures in one week, It doesnt work that way! You even get stressed, and crash down.
That’s why step three is important because if you periodically revise the new information you learn, you’ll move that information from your short-term to your long-term memory. This way, you won’t forget important points come exam time. This way you get more A’s with less stress or anxiety.
Step seven: Form a study crew!
if you study alone, you tend to procastinate and get easily discouraged, but when you find your self a perfect study group you, people with same mission,vision and determination as you, you get motivated as you learn from different views. Your group should consist of three to four people, including you. More people than that would be really distracting.
But some students enjoy studying with friends, because there’s a healthy pressure to stay focused. But other students concentrate better when they study alone. So experiment and decide what works best for you.
You can do it! Because top grades don’t always go to the best students!
And knowing how to make most out of your ability matter, it’s not how long you sit with those open books, but setting your priority right matters.