The Girl Guide

Studying

Ugh. Midterms, finals, state tests, and even regular math quizzes you have at the end of the week are brutal. Studying can be difficult. Here's my tips for studying!

1. FIND A FRIEND.

On the bus to school in the morning, everyone's practically dead because it's so early. Well, unless you're on the bus with the crazy boys who never shut up and you want to choke them... But you know what I mean! So this is the perfect time to study. If you study with a friend, it's less boring and more fun. You'll remember more if you have a friend there to quiz you!

2. HIDE YOUR STUFF.

One minute you'll be trying to find out what X equals. Then, next thing you know, you're uploading selfies on Instagram. My iPad and my phone will be the death of me! Something you should try doing is giving your phone or whatever is distracting you to someone in your family or house. Tell them to give it back to you after ten to twenty minutes- no matter how hard you beg them to give it back! You'll have no option but to study, and once you've been studying for a while, you're eventually going to forget about your phone.

3. TAKE BREAKS.

If you're like me, with ADD and ADHD, you have a hard time concentrating. You should try setting a timer for five minutes. When the timers up, take a break and check social media and eat some food and all that stuff. Then, study for another five minutes. Keep repeating this process and after a while, it will pay off. Another option is to study during the commercials when you're watching TV.

4. MAKE UP A SONG/DANCE/PHRASE.

Okay, this is cheesy and corny, but it honestly works most of the time. To remember something for an upcoming test, change the lyrics in your favorite song to what you need to remember. Or, make up your own beat, or dance, or even change the lyrics in your old favorite nursery rhyme. It's stupid and weird, but a lot of times you WILL remember. I remember I started doing this when I was in first grade, and I've done it ever since. If you're a cheerleader, change the words to one of your chants. Believe me, you NEED to try this!

5. FLASHCARDS.

If you tried everything and STILL can't study well, try making flashcards! It's not something I personally would do, but it helps some people!

BEFORE THE TEST
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The night before the big test, you should go to sleep earlier than usual. Before going to sleep, you should study again.

In the morning, eat a good breakfast and have your mom, dad, or whoever lives with you to help you study. Have them quiz you while you eat. Make sure you don't just eat a granola bar and go. Wake up earlier if you have to, and eat something like eggs or some waffles you put in the toaster. Eating a healthy breakfast will help you concentrate more.

For testing, wear comfortable clothes. I like to wear sweatpants, or my comfortable jeans. I wear something I can bend in, because I usually sit with my legs on the chair, and not on the ground.

And lastly, don't cheat! It's going to get you no where!

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For me, middle school was a breeze and I had straight A's for my full two years there. Once I reached high school, though, my grades started to drop and it became so stressful. My parents would yell at me a lot and since I was going through a lot of hard things, I think that's why my grades started to drop.

You might have great grades your while life, but that may change in high school. You really need to stay organized and actually study.

In high school you may get that "whatever, I don't care" attitude, but really, you need to care. College is in just a few years and you really should go. It will pay off in the future once you get a good job and become successful. You won't be sorry.

I know you may be trying your hardest and you're still getting bad grades, but don't worry! Hang in there no matter how much stress you're under or how much your parents/guardians yell at you. Ask for help from the teacher or even look into getting a tutor. Just hang in there because you are not alone.

Feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to!