1. Talk to your teachers

Your teachers are the best people to ask when it comes to what you’re learning. It’s worth taking your time out of the morning or during FLEX to talk to your teachers about what you’re not understanding and what the best plan of action is in order to do well.

2. Ask questions in class

It’s most important to not simply copy down what’s on the board before making sure you completely understand it. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask if something doesn’t make sense and you need clarifying, because chances are a bunch of your classmates are wondering the same question.

3. Keep clean notes

Of course, it’s hard to keep up when your psych teacher is giving a lecture about every part of the brain. And of course, your notes will become a little sprawled and messy. Maybe the messy notes are the best to take during class, but at the end of the day spend some time rereading and rewriting the notes while they’re still fresh in your mind so you can get a good understanding.

4. Stop procrastinating

All of us are guilty of procrastinating, especially when you think it’s probably best to go to the gym with your buddies, take a quick shower, and of course you can’t forget, Grey’s Anatomy is on tonight! But by the time you cross all the other stuff off your list, it’s 10 at night and all you want to do is sleep. The best way to tackle procrastination is to set out a little bit of your day to do what homework needs to be done, and still set out some time to catch the latest episode.

5. Get your activities organized

To-do lists, to-do lists, to-do lists. Write down your homework throughout the day in your agenda, write down what activities you have on the calendar in your phone. Everyday after school write it all out! Plan out your weeks, making corrections as you go. No matter what you do, just write it out. It helps much more to see it in front of you rather than having it jumbled in your brain.

6.  Plan out your time accordingly

As long as you’re writing things out, you should know when your next math test is. If it’s next Friday, you should spend 30 minutes everyday studying for the test. If you spend 30 minutes everyday, 5 days in a row- the time will add up much more quickly instead of cramming for 2hours the night before.

7. Eat snacks

If you’re having trouble concentrating in class, chances are you’re hungry! Have a handful of almonds or even some cold cuts. Snacks highest in protein will give you the greatest energy. Small snacks in between classes and a water bottle will keep you focused and help your brain stay concentrated.

       8.   Take breaks

50 minutes with uninterrupted studying and 10 minutes checking your phone or taking a couple laps around the house. Research says that if you regularly take breaks it’ll help you feel more at ease and not ridiculously crammed. It will also improve your mental and physical well-being along with improving your productivity.

9. Put yourself in a good studying environment

By turning your phone off and closing off the room in which your (clean!!) desk is, you can immediately begin to direct our focus on our school work and solely the school work. The best thing to do is to figure out what kind of environment you work best in. Whether you need soft music in the backroom, a freezing cold bedroom or a quiet library, find out what is best for you.

10. Read the textbook

It’s boring, we know. But it also holds almost every single bit of information you need to know for the test, especially the things that teachers don’t mention. Spend 20 minutes reading the textbook every night and highlight everything you think might be important. And never forget, always ask your teachers questions if you need to!

11. 11. Study with friends

Friends that you know will you keep you focused. Friends motivate and reinforce you but only if you choose a group of friends to study with that have the same goals you do and will be able to discipline you to use the time together to study effectively. Friends can make study time more enjoyable and you won’t feel conflicted about having to choose between the friends that you want to spend time with and the studying you need to do.

12. Find a healthy outlet

For some it’s going for a run, for others it’s yoga, and for some it’s even a coloring book. There are tons of way to blow off steam, you just have to find which works best for you. When stress builds up, things only get worse so the best thing to do is find what helps you relax.

13. Use flashcards

Flashcards are one of the best studying techniques in almost every subject. By writing out the information, it can help your brain focus solely on the subject you want to learn. Once you’ve finished writing everything out, you can test yourself for an extended period of time, and then let others test you.

14. Change topics

Concentrating on one subject for an entire study session can be counter-productive. Vary what subject you are studying. This will freshen your concentration by fixing your eyes onto a new topic.

15. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Sleep benefits your health, lowers your risk of injury, betters your weight control, and puts you in a better mood. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems and keeps you unfocused. If you have to choose between sleep or cramming, sleep is always the answer. So turn off your phone, netflix or put your text books away and get some sleep!