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10 Steps to Help You Get Straight A’s

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The school’s choice for “Most Likely to Succeed” was easy.

Gary always seems to have everything going in his direction. In all his classes, Gary is the first to raise his hand when the teacher asks a question, the one who always gets the highest grades. He’s a straight-A student.

He’s also active in his Scout troop and in school activities and plays baseball in the spring, tennis in the summer, football in the fall and basketball in the winter. How does Gary do it all and stay so relaxed and happy?

Here’s the secret to his success: Gary believes in himself, takes things seriously, works hard and knows what he is doing.

We can learn a lot from Gary. Here’s a 10-step program to get in on Gary’s secret so you, too, can become a straight-A student.

STEP 1: Take the right subjects …and school will be a lot easier!

You’re probably not ready to decide on a career. Even if you are, you’re probably not certain exactly where that career will take you. So take courses in school that give you the most possible choices later on. The three key courses: English, math and computer science.

Take as many courses in English and math as you can, even if you find them to be difficult. The more courses you take in these subjects, the easier they become—and the easier every other subject becomes, too. Computer courses, too, are important. Computer skills are required just to be considered for many jobs.

STEP 2: Work with your teacher …because your teacher is your coach!

Every teacher is looking for students who are serious about the subject at hand, who work hard in the classroom and who show progress and ability.

Consider your teacher a friend in learning, someone there to help you. Too many students think of their teacher as an enemy, someone who forces them to sit and be quiet then gives them assignments. Guess what? Your baseball coach tells you what to do and gives you assignments on the field. Is he an enemy? No, he’s a friend in winning. Your teacher wants to reward you, too.

Here’s how to work better with your teachers:

  • Show respect and interest. Participate in class.
  • Learn their style in the classroom.
  • Get to know your teachers as people. Know their likes and dislikes.
  • Think of them as coaches in the classroom.

STEP 3: Never miss a class …it will always catch up with you!

Most test questions come from material your teacher presents in class. Every day, your teachers cover the subjects they think are important for you to understand—some even tell students the specific questions that will be on an exam. Reading assignments alone can’t tell you that.

STEP 4: Always sit up front …because that’s where the action is!

You can use your brain more effectively if you are in a good environment. The best place to use more of your brain is in the front row, because this is not only where you will learn more, but also remember more.

STEP 5: Complete your homework before class …so you will be prepared in class!

Homework is not punishment. It is assigned to help you learn more about a subject.

Your first job is to find out what the teacher expects from you in the way of homework assignments. Make sure you understand exactly what to do. If you don’t, ask.

As soon as you get home from school, think about the homework assignments you need to complete before the next class. Then think about the order in which you will do them, and how much time you’ll spend on each one. The sooner you start, the quicker everything will be done. Then you will:

  • Be prepared for the next class.
  • Understand more of the teacher’s lecture.
  • Turn in assignments on time.
  • Ask — and answer — good questions in class.

STEP 6: Take notes during class …so you will become an active listener!

When you are trying to learn something complicated, it is much easier to learn and remember if you take notes. If you go into just about any college class, you will find that most if not all the students are taking notes. They know that taking good notes is one of the keys to making good grades.

Listen carefully, write down everything of importance (not everything the teacher says) and look for potential exam questions.

STEP 7: Review your notes before the next class …it’s never too soon to start studying!

If you are going to understand everything that your teacher says in class, not only do you have to take good notes, you also have to review and correct them before the next class. There is no other way to learn at the same rate that the teacher presents new information. And you have already started studying for the test!

STEP 8: Prepare for tests ahead of time …by studying a week in advance!

By doing your reading assignments and taking careful notes and reviewing them, you have mastered information as your teacher presented it to you. This does not, however, mean that you are ready to take a test without doing anything else.

Here’s how to prepare for an exam:

  • Start studying a week in advance.
  • Review your notes three times, leaving two or three days between reviews.
  • Think about potential exam questions.
  • Conduct your review in an organized manner.
  • Never study up to the last minute. (This creates pressure in the final hours before a test.)

STEP 9: Be testwise and confident …because confidence breeds success!

Don’t be afraid of tests. Be confident. If you have followed the first eight steps of this plan, you should be confident that you will test well.

It sounds simple, but it works: Believe in yourself, keep an open mind about tests, know your teacher’s style and apply what you know. That’s confidence. That’s success.

STEP 10: Show what you know on the final exam …because it’s a big part of your final grade!

You have been working hard to prepare for the test, and everything is on the line. Don’t worry about all the effort you have put in, or how the teacher will grade your exam. Your goal should be to show the teacher how much you’ve learned.

How? Know what material will be covered. Start studying well ahead of time. Look for major themes that develop in your class notes. Review previous exams to learn your teacher’s style.

Then comes the final step: Ace your exam!

From HOW TO GET STRAIGHT A’s by Gordon W. Green. Reprinted by arrangement with Tom Doherty Associates LLC and available wherever books are sold.

60 Comments on 10 Steps to Help You Get Straight A’s

  1. thank you so much i seriously need this

  2. I trust that this step will help to improve my study

  3. thx ill try my best

  4. thx really apricate it

  5. I’ll be glad if this helps me😊

  6. Kawaii~chan // January 6, 2021 at 9:17 am // Reply

    Thank you so much I need this for an online class thank you very much I will come back to this website when it works!

  7. Thanks so much for the awesome advices you have for me. I hope they will help me so much .. Thanks a lot again.

  8. let’s do it.

  9. This will help a lot my grades are already above average so imagine what this would do

  10. I will just like to compare my grades before and after readings this effective steps ..

  11. i’ll be back when i get them A’s

  12. 🙏 thank you very much I will make it with 10A’s

  13. thanks

  14. ill try

  15. Omgg. This is going to help so much. My grades suck. Thx

  16. Thankz.atleast i have the last option b4 giving up on this journey of success

  17. I NEED HELP REALLY BAD

  18. You need to learn how to spell first it is straight. Also you just need to not turn in black papers you need to show all your work for everthing.

  19. I will try doing this 🙂

  20. thanks it will help

  21. Thanks alot

  22. I really need tons of help and I don’t know how show my mother that I can… I’m failing all of my classes I really need help

  23. I hope this helps cause I’m not doing that good

  24. I really need this

  25. thx i will get that xbox series x!

  26. Sammy shalom chiro // November 9, 2020 at 5:32 pm // Reply

    Thanks i hv got what i wanted

  27. i am going to try it

  28. Golden broadmore // November 8, 2020 at 12:01 pm // Reply

    i have tried my best in physics but when exams come i will mess up pls what i need help

  29. Thank you

  30. I do not know if this will help. but great job for the effort!

  31. Hi i need help, I am doing ALL my work and made sure it was ALL done, but my teachers ALWAYS return it back saying” you turned in a blank sheat” and now i have 3 F’s and D+, C, and a D. Plzzz help me i want to have strate A+!!!!

    Help a girl in need,

  32. honestly it’s not that easy..

  33. Thank you!

  34. Thank you

  35. Thank you very much for the enlightenment and it will definitely take me back ro being thw best of me in classes to maintain good grades👍✍️

  36. Thanks man or woman i really dont know or care just thank you man

  37. I will show my grades before and after this.

    Q1: C-77, B-85, B-85, D-65, C-79

  38. Bruh I’m just tryna do an assignment I messed up

  39. I’m doing pretty poorly compared to when I was in 8th grade (I have a B average, but I have mainly B-s), and I have 7 classes and only one break – lunch. No study halls. I needed this. Thank you.

  40. thanks

  41. This helped me so much I will always use this, thank you

  42. SneakyLilImpostor // October 12, 2020 at 12:00 am // Reply

    Ok.

  43. robloclover // October 9, 2020 at 1:53 pm // Reply

    ok ima try because my mom is mad at me

    • I try im not putting enough effort and i don’t want to fail 6th grade and im trying to fine better ways to make all a’s bc everyone says im rlly smart and ik i am is just that im not listening!!

  44. thanks i get as & bs but never straight as this will help a lot

  45. Thanks for wonderful advise, it worked. I also believe in my self. Also again thanks for the information

  46. I hope this helps because I’m kind of failing multiple classes…

  47. anonymous person // September 27, 2020 at 7:05 am // Reply

    Thank you so much. I really appreciate the great advice.

  48. Well what a great way to start an exam journey thank you

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