How to Get Motivated to Do Well at School
Do your job., Balance your time., Find out how to get what you want., Keep track of your grades., Figure out who grades what., Show up., Get to know your teacher., Honor where you are., Participate in class., Be honest., Ask for help., Don't beg...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Do your job.
If you are a student, it is your job to be a student.
In general, students who succeed are most often those who accept the difficult aspects of that fact with a positive attitude. -
Step 2: Balance your time.
If school is your job, then your job might have weird hours, especially if you are in college.
Map out the projects you have and give yourself deadlines for certain segments of each project.
Also, give yourself enough time to look over the final product.
As you plan, be honest about which courses are more time consuming. , Whether you are in high school or college, figure out what you want to do when you grow up.
But don't stop there.
Find someone who has what you want and ask for fifteen minutes of their time to find out how she or he did it, even if this someone is a CEO.
Prepare questions that address the amount and types of work involved and how the person succeeded.
Then, write a thank-you note to that person.
This technique is far more beneficial than just trying to get good grades because that is what you are supposed to do.
Talking with someone who has achieved your goals allows you to encounter the reality of what it takes to get what you want. , If you are in high school, ask your teacher about your grade after class or after school.
If you are in college, read your syllabus and find out how your grade is broken down, i.e., how much each test affects the final grade.
If attendance is part of your grade, keep track of that too.
If participation is part of your grade, ask your professor or TA what adequate participation is and then do more.
If you have questions after reading your syllabus, then email your professor. , In high school, this one is easy.
In college, courses often have a professor and a handful of TAs.
The professor lectures, the TA runs discussion sections and grades certain tests and papers.
The professor may grade the final, or nothing at all.
Professors sometimes communicate poorly with their TAs and often leave it up to them to figure out guidelines for whatever they are grading.
Be sure to have clarity on this issue and follow up with each major assignment. , Some states send the police after high school students who are always absent.
In college, no one cares.
Most college students do poorly when they do not attend class on a regular basis.
Often, this does not become a problem until it is too late.
Professors or TAs will purposely not review material in order to reward those who have attended regularly.
Remember, this is a job.
Also, do not get in the habit of having a friend tell you what you missed.
Eventually you will be in a class where you do not know a soul, or you will get to grad school without the right level of discipline. , If you are in high school or in a college seminar with a couple dozen students, then be cordial and polite.
If you are in a college lecture hall with hundreds of other students, act the way you would if you were seeing a play.
Drop by your professor's office hours and talk about points from class that interest you, even if these points only interest you somewhat.
This same point applies to classes run by a TA, which are usually small.
Interacting with your teachers is a form of networking. , Go to class like you would go to a job.
Don't browse social media, text, or talk.
High school teachers are more likely to call you out on it with little actual punishment.
In college, you might be asked to leave or drop the class.
You get the respect you give. , Again, this all depends on the class size.
Large lectures discourage questions, which are meant for the TA in discussion sections.
If the class is a seminar with a few dozen students, participation is absolutely necessary.
Being vocal in class helps your professor or TA remember you, and even if you ask questions that seem "dumb," it shows them that you are genuinely engaged in the material. , Teachers have heard every single excuse for why an assignment is late, why you were late, or why some other catastrophe hindered your performance in class.
If you miss a deadline, own up to it, admit your mistake, and ask how to fix it. , Part of your job as a student is to learn.
A lot of learning involves getting direction from people who know more about a topic than you.
When you ask for help, you ask to know more about something a person has dedicated his or her life to understanding. , Inquire about grades in a professional manner.
If you are not satisfied with a grade, ask about it privately during an appointment you made in advance.
Ask what you can do next time to avoid making the mistake, or ask if it is possible to redo the assignment.
Many professors will give opportunities for extra credit if a student asks about it in a timely manner (not the last class day). , Join a group or a club that requires a certain GPA.
Sports often have minimum GPAs, as do fraternities, sororities, and many internships. -
Step 3: Find out how to get what you want.
-
Step 4: Keep track of your grades.
-
Step 5: Figure out who grades what.
-
Step 6: Show up.
-
Step 7: Get to know your teacher.
-
Step 8: Honor where you are.
-
Step 9: Participate in class.
-
Step 10: Be honest.
-
Step 11: Ask for help.
-
Step 12: Don't beg.
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Step 13: Force yourself to be accountable.
Detailed Guide
If you are a student, it is your job to be a student.
In general, students who succeed are most often those who accept the difficult aspects of that fact with a positive attitude.
If school is your job, then your job might have weird hours, especially if you are in college.
Map out the projects you have and give yourself deadlines for certain segments of each project.
Also, give yourself enough time to look over the final product.
As you plan, be honest about which courses are more time consuming. , Whether you are in high school or college, figure out what you want to do when you grow up.
But don't stop there.
Find someone who has what you want and ask for fifteen minutes of their time to find out how she or he did it, even if this someone is a CEO.
Prepare questions that address the amount and types of work involved and how the person succeeded.
Then, write a thank-you note to that person.
This technique is far more beneficial than just trying to get good grades because that is what you are supposed to do.
Talking with someone who has achieved your goals allows you to encounter the reality of what it takes to get what you want. , If you are in high school, ask your teacher about your grade after class or after school.
If you are in college, read your syllabus and find out how your grade is broken down, i.e., how much each test affects the final grade.
If attendance is part of your grade, keep track of that too.
If participation is part of your grade, ask your professor or TA what adequate participation is and then do more.
If you have questions after reading your syllabus, then email your professor. , In high school, this one is easy.
In college, courses often have a professor and a handful of TAs.
The professor lectures, the TA runs discussion sections and grades certain tests and papers.
The professor may grade the final, or nothing at all.
Professors sometimes communicate poorly with their TAs and often leave it up to them to figure out guidelines for whatever they are grading.
Be sure to have clarity on this issue and follow up with each major assignment. , Some states send the police after high school students who are always absent.
In college, no one cares.
Most college students do poorly when they do not attend class on a regular basis.
Often, this does not become a problem until it is too late.
Professors or TAs will purposely not review material in order to reward those who have attended regularly.
Remember, this is a job.
Also, do not get in the habit of having a friend tell you what you missed.
Eventually you will be in a class where you do not know a soul, or you will get to grad school without the right level of discipline. , If you are in high school or in a college seminar with a couple dozen students, then be cordial and polite.
If you are in a college lecture hall with hundreds of other students, act the way you would if you were seeing a play.
Drop by your professor's office hours and talk about points from class that interest you, even if these points only interest you somewhat.
This same point applies to classes run by a TA, which are usually small.
Interacting with your teachers is a form of networking. , Go to class like you would go to a job.
Don't browse social media, text, or talk.
High school teachers are more likely to call you out on it with little actual punishment.
In college, you might be asked to leave or drop the class.
You get the respect you give. , Again, this all depends on the class size.
Large lectures discourage questions, which are meant for the TA in discussion sections.
If the class is a seminar with a few dozen students, participation is absolutely necessary.
Being vocal in class helps your professor or TA remember you, and even if you ask questions that seem "dumb," it shows them that you are genuinely engaged in the material. , Teachers have heard every single excuse for why an assignment is late, why you were late, or why some other catastrophe hindered your performance in class.
If you miss a deadline, own up to it, admit your mistake, and ask how to fix it. , Part of your job as a student is to learn.
A lot of learning involves getting direction from people who know more about a topic than you.
When you ask for help, you ask to know more about something a person has dedicated his or her life to understanding. , Inquire about grades in a professional manner.
If you are not satisfied with a grade, ask about it privately during an appointment you made in advance.
Ask what you can do next time to avoid making the mistake, or ask if it is possible to redo the assignment.
Many professors will give opportunities for extra credit if a student asks about it in a timely manner (not the last class day). , Join a group or a club that requires a certain GPA.
Sports often have minimum GPAs, as do fraternities, sororities, and many internships.
About the Author
Ronald Ramirez
Enthusiastic about teaching pet care techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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