Report Card Blues
Sarah Cohen
November 6, 2009
Filed under Student Life
With report cards coming out this week, grades are on everyone’s mind. After seeing low grades, some students are probably wondering what they did wrong. If you are thinking this the next thing you need to think is how to bring the grade up.
The first thing to do when trying to bring up averages is to go to the teacher and ask to see an itemized list of grades. Determine what the weakest area is (test, quiz, ect.). Once this is figured out, its time to sit down and get serious.
If the lowest average is the test average, there are many things that can be done. English teacher Mrs. Heath says to “Try different study methods like writing things down, making flash cards, etc.”
Most students do bad on tests because they do not know how to study. Economics teacher Mrs. Barnes says that students who don’t know how to study should “come to a teacher and learn how to study”. Another thing that helps students, according in Math teacher Mrs. Tucker, is to “practice making up tests based on notes and example problems.”
Cramming for a test will not help. A student should spend at least fifteen minutes a day studying for a future test. Try forming a study group. This way you will get to hang out with your friends and prepare at the same time. Last but not least, get a good amount of sleep before a test day. It may be cliché, but it really does help you to focus.
For some students quizzes are a problem. Mrs. Heath says that “quizzes are the lowest average because people do not take them seriously.” To many students, a quiz might not seem like a big deal. However, several low quiz grades will definitely put a dent in grades.
Reading over notes and listening in class usually helps to bring quiz grades up. When taking notes, highlight things that sound like they may be important. Use these highlighted notes as a study guide to review for a quiz.
For the majority of students the lowest grade is the same: homework. Homework is bittersweet. If homework is completed then it could bring a grade up several points. However if it is not finished, it could be the difference between passing and failing.
Mrs. Tucker says that it’s important for students to “prioritize and use time wisely.” If possible, find out what the homework will be several days in advance. Start to plan ahead and don’t wait until the last minute to get homework started. Another thing to do to ease the woes of homework is to start doing it while in school. Obviously this does not mean doing it during another teacher’s instruction time. Homework should be done in school when there is free time, like during lunch, study hall, or before the bell rings after a teacher has finished instruction. According to Mrs. Heath “students need to learn that school is first priority”.
In the end, it can all come down to willingness. If a student is not willing put the time into a subject, then he/she will no doubt receive a bad grade. As Mrs. Barnes says “input equals output.”
