Lately, I've noticed that my peers and I are not performing in school as well as we used to, but we should. My teachers have passed onto me thoughtful advice, and I will pass it on to you now.

Right about now, you'd be saying to me, "I know, I know, studying, and doing your homework," but studying and homework aren't the only factors of doing well in school.  Keep that in mind as I start off with everyone's favorites, those over-emphasized and under-done studying and homework!

STUDYING
Well, when I didn't do this, you can't imagine how bad my grades were! But one day, something triggered and I ACTUALLY TRIED IT! The next day I got a 96% on my Spanish test. Pretty easy to guess what happened next... I kept it up! You should have seen my Spanish teacher's face when she told everyone in my class (with my permission) that I had raised my Spanish grade from an F to an A in half of a quarter.

Yes, studying is a blessed miracle to me. However, this pleasant tale doesn't have to be only mine; it can be your famous accomplishment too. It's pretty much like memorizing, or practicing. Let's say your teacher makes you memorize a quote that's a paragraph long and then has you recite it. And you didn't memorize it, so your mind's a blank!  That's how blank your mind is on tests when you don't study!

So study regularly, not just cramming -- it truly works, and I can say this from experience!

HOMEWORK
Yes, my friend, I bring up the dreaded H-word. Sometimes, your homework grade takes up a whole half portion of your grade, or more! Usually, it's not that high, but believe me, it acts that high. Homework... COMPLETE IT! If you have a question, don't skip it: ask a parent, or even an older sibling or friend! If they can't help, come into your teacher's room at lunch, or even before or after school. I know, I hate coming home to a backpack full of heavy books with papers all over the couch, but trust me, turning in completed homework every time impresses your teachers SO much!

If you don't do your homework, at the end of the quarter you'll see not only a backpack full of loose-leaf papers and heavy books, but a long list of incomplete assignments! And that, my friend, is by far worse than any book bag I've seen in my life.

Me, I still have to finish four assignments in science, and I have no clue how to do them! But I'm going into my science teacher's room tomorrow at lunch for help. Believe me, it's better to do homework on something that is fresh in your head, not rusted and molded over as time has passed.

BE HEALTHY
An apple a day keeps the phone call to your parents away! Sleeping and healthy eating is one of the most important things you can do in life.

Make yourself a schedule. Say I'll do my homework between when I get home and dinner. If I still have more work, I'll do the rest after dinner, but if I'm done, I've got the rest of the night to myself! Then I'll go to bed at 9:00. This schedule could affect not only your mood but your concentration and attention in school! By eating and sleeping regularly and healthily, you're providing nourishment for your brain, heart, bones... EVERYTHING!

Try this new schedule for a week and see if it makes any difference in your performance at school. There's a money-back guarantee! If you don't like this new plan of living, feel free to do what suits you best. Being happy and healthy doesn't only help you concentrate better in school, it also helps you feel good about yourself! You have a clean, healthy body and it makes you feel great about yourself!

So there were a couple strategies to getting better grades. Can you think of any more? There are plenty out there! Maybe you could even post some down there on the BBS for everyone else to read and shake advice with you. But, remember, you will have frustration -- that's natural. All of this is easier said than done. Just try it out and see what you think. Have fun!

G2G do math hw now! ;-)
Sweden