The first semester of the year is over, and you open your school report card to find your grades are nowhere near your (or your parents) expectations. What do you do? Don’t panic – most students will end up receiving a bad school report at some point, and your academic performance for the following 6 months can be improved through dedicated effort. As Semester 2 approaches, boost your grades by following these steps.
Plan ahead and schedule your time
One of the most important starting points for achieving a good school report is getting organized and proactive about your study. Begin by scheduling your time in a calendar, either paper or digital. Slot in allocated, uninterrupted study time for most days of the week, and ensure you also factor in at least one day off for well-earned leisure time. Write down the due dates of homework and assessments, and create an action plan that works towards achieving your academic goals by breaking down your to-do list into small, manageable chunks and committing to doing a little bit every day.
Take notes in every class
Take notes in every class, in a way that works best for you. While you don’t need to write what your teacher says a word for word, you should be noting down key points and concepts, dates, names of important people and events, definitions, etc. Getting into the habit of taking good notes will improve your next school report as it means you are actively participating in the classroom. Remember not to worry too much about bad spelling or grammar when writing your notes, but do make sure they are neat and make sense to you. To help you retain the information learned, read over your notes on the same day after class, and if you find you’re struggling to understand a certain concept, ask your teacher or tutor for clarification as soon as possible.
Review where you went wrong
Don’t make the same mistake twice – when you receive bad grades, it’s important to learn where you went wrong, and why. Revisit both your school report and past assessments to critically consider the feedback given by your teachers and make notes on what to focus on improving. Reviewing allows you to identify your weak points and reach out to a teacher or tutor for help in that particular area, which will greatly boost your marks next time around.
Hire a tutor
Success in school is imperative for the following years to come. Once you have got yourself organized, created a schedule and reviewed your mistakes, consider hiring a tutor to ensure the results in your next school report are improved. It’s better to ask for help sooner rather than later, and you will be surprised with what only a few hours of tutoring can do to enhance your grades.
C3 Education boasts a wide selection of experienced tutors that develop personalised learning programs to help you reach your full academic potential. Contact us today to see how our highly experienced C3 Education tutors can do to help you reach your academic potential.
