Tips

• Be sure and have a regular time to study each day. It is much easier to do your homework daily than letting it pile up and try and do it all at once.
• Find a good place to study. Try and find a place that is free from distractions. Be sure that you have all your materials at your fingertips.
• Make a list of what you need to do. Rewrite the list in the order of importance. Then, as you complete each task, check it off. 
• Enlist the help of your parents if you get stuck, but don't expect them to do your work.
• Keep an assignment notebook and write in it each day. Check your assignment notebook before you leave school every day so you are sure to bring home the books and information you need to get your work done. (Parents hate having to drive back to school to pick up that forgotten math book!)
• Be a good listener in class. Sometimes teachers change or alter the assignment during class. Make a note of any change in your notebook.
• When studying for a test, be sure you know what will be covered on the test. Is it going to be a quiz or a test? Ask the teacher how the test will be graded.
• In each class, be sure you understand the grading system. Some teachers put more emphasis on certain things than others. Understand what each teacher expects.
• Keep track of your grades. Average your grades often so you know where you stand in class. If you feel your grade is low, ask your teacher how you can bring your grade up.
• ASK FOR HELP! That is what teachers are there for, to answer your questions.  Never hesitate to ask for clarification or additional information.
• Make your own flash cards for vocabulary words, important dates, definitions, etc.
• If you are absent from school, take the initiative and ask your teacher what work needs to be made up. Teachers want you to learn to take responsibility for your assignments and will appreciate that you are checking in.
• Form a study group or find a study partner. It is easier and more fun to learn and study with a friend.

Web sites

• How To Study
  This site provides good tips on study skills.
  www.how-to-study.com
• Study Skills Checklist
  Good "test" for you to rate your study skills. Sponsored by Virginia Tech Division of Student Affairs.
  www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/checklis.html
• Teachers & Families
  This site has specific links for middle school students. Just click on k-12 and find great links to all subject areas.
  www.teachersandfamilies.com

Information is from Adventures in Education www.aie.org

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