The Keys To Student Success

“Okay everyone take out last night’s homework. ” You didn’t do it. Again. You forgot about your lab report until 11:45 last night and by the time you finished, you missed the 11:59 Turnitin. com submission deadline. You fell asleep attempting to start your math homework. Now, you have six classes worth of homework incomplete. Tonight, you will have to make up for what you miss during today’s classes which you will spend making up last night’s homework. Does this situation sound familiar to you? Unfortunately, this remains a frequent reality for high school students around the world. With copious technology including smart phones, social media access, and television, it is easy to misuse time and evade responsibilities.

A considerable number of scholars procrastinate assignments until the last minute, resulting in late nights of insufficient sleep, incomplete assignments, and unsatisfactory grades. Auspiciously, the solution to this dilemma lies in habits of time management, organization, sleep, healthy diet, and exercise. By effectively handling their time, students become capable of balancing all of their classes, extracurriculars, social life, and rest. Practicing organization allows students to conserve time, reduce stress, and establish connections between fragments of material. Healthy diet and exercise routines empower pupils to ensure their bodies function at their highest potential, allowing them to perform at their best academically. Time management, organization, and healthy practices help students perform their best and excel inside and outside of the classroom.

In order to achieve maximum success in high school, students must become proficient in time management. There are only 24 hours in a day and you must make the most of the limited time in order to attain favorable outcomes. If scholars cannot learn this practice, they will struggle to accomplish everything and feel unsatisfied and apathetic. In fact, in middle school, I completed all of my assignments the night before the due date. My achievement in middle school led me to assume I could carry this habit with me into high school. My freshman year I faced hardship in completing all my work. Frequently, I would come home from practice and face large tasks such as composing a five-paragraph essay, writing an extensive lab report, and completing my honors math homework while still seeking to get a reasonable amount of sleep. However, this method proved ineffective as I slept very little and received lower grades. I found myself feeling tired and discouraged.

Setting goals for what you would like to accomplish each night can help you stay productive and reduce overwhelming feelings. I discovered this goal-setting strategy in my junior year and have continued this practice into my senior year. Each night, I produce a list of what I would like to complete in that night, what I will continue to work on, and what I need to study. By completing assignments in small chunks over several nights and studying small sections days in advance, I have reduced the amount of time I spend on homework, therefore giving me more time to participate in other activities. This method has become especially helpful as I have begun the college application process while taking advanced courses and working 25 hours a week. Not only is time management helpful in high school, it becomes essential for the future. If students cannot learn how to effectively manage their time now, they will face difficulty in future jobs. For instance, my mother works as a pediatrician. She sees roughly 25 patients a day. If she spends too much time talking with one family, her schedule will fall apart and other patients will wait unhappily. She must address the needs of the patients while remaining mindful of her time so as not to disrupt her day. By setting goals and dividing assignments into smaller sections, students can work more effectively, better manage time, and produce their best work, providing success in high school and beyond.

Organization of materials presents another crucial discipline for prosperous high school students. If students are not organized, they may face penalties for their untimeliness, such as fees and lost opportunities. Keeping notes, papers, and tests in appropriate areas can help students in various ways. First, this practice allows one to save time. In my freshman year biology class, we had mandatory monthly binder checks. One of my classmates became unorganized and did not categorize her work. When it came time for these monthly assessments, she would spend large amounts of time searching for assignments or even reprinting and redoing them because she had misplaced them in her messy binder, backpack, or bedroom. If she had kept an organized binder from the beginning, she would not have had to waste this time and energy.

Another way in which this practice becomes beneficial is in reducing stress. Working in an unorganized environment naturally makes individuals feel anxious. When papers lie in different places, problems arise. For example, my brother keeps all of his homework, tests, and notes for all of his subjects in one binder. He does his homework each night and places it in this binder. However, this causes issues when he gets to class and cannot find his assignments in the multitude of papers. Frequently, he is unable to find assignments on the due date and loses points, resulting in lower overall grades. This practice also helps students when studying. This classifies all of the information and allows students to establish connections among different pieces of information. Students recognize the relevance and improve their understanding when all of the information of one topic in in the same place. When studying for finals, it is easy to study from my binder which is organized into the corresponding units in the textbook. Thus, sometimes in taking a test I remember from what unit the information came and connect it to the other information in that unit to formulate an answer. Organization remains important for any successful student.

Observing proper health practices presents another vital step in becoming a good student. Sleep is important for many reasons including improving brain function, repairing blood vessels, and increasing productivity. It is especially important in the teenage years when the brain is still developing and adolescents assume greater roles of responsibility including that of driving. However, many of my classmates stay up late (mostly due to procrastination) and have difficulty concentrating in class. Some of these individuals even sleep in class. This results in confusion over assignments and lower grades. I always aim to get at least eight hours of sleep to ensure I am able to perform my best in the classroom. To continue, what you eat also impacts your academic performance. What you choose to fuel your body with has a large impact on overall wellness and performance in various areas of life. Certain vitamins improve brain function, development, and learning.

Choosing the right foods can also provide an abundance of energy. Namely, one of my friends recently transitioned to veganism. In making this change to a more plant-based diet, she has noticed an increase in energy and has been more productive in her everyday activities. While a vegan diet is not ideal for all people, simply incorporating more fruits and vegetables into meals can improve cognitive performance and overall wellbeing. Additionally, exercise helps to release endorphins and reduce stress while increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain. When I feel overwhelmed, I prefer intense cardio such as long-distance runs, cycling classes, or playing soccer. However, this release of stress can come in different forms. For my older brother, weightlifting provides his relief. For a friend, yoga provides her with the mental clarity needed to persevere in her intensive studies. One should try the various forms of activity and find what works for them. Taking care of your body is an important part of high academic performance.

Time management not only allows you to become a better student but overall a more well-rounded individual as it allows you time to participate in other activities as well. Being organized becomes an essential part of any future. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important in and out of the classroom as it reduces future health risks and helps keep your body working at its best. Being a good student in high school becomes important when applying for college.

Academic success leaves you with a wider range of career options and more opportunities. Beyond school, a good student is well educated and able to make a difference in the world. It allows you to display your skills and can be achieved in a few simple steps. Through practices of time management, organization, sleep, diet, and exercise, you can ensure that you will never again be that student, stuck in a cycle of procrastination, who forgot to do last night’s homework.