Improving Study Skills in Middle School
Middle school is a critical phase in a student’s schooling because it serves as a transition from the easy and relaxed atmosphere of elementary grades to more difficult lessons, more subjects, and a hectic high school life. At this stage, students must develop study skills so that they will be able to cope with their high school classes in the next few years. Many students have developed some study skills while they were still in the lower grades but these must be improved. Here are some tips in improving study skills. First, learn how to make a daily plan for studying. The plan must include the tasks to be done, the time needed to finish them, and the strategy to use to come up with better results. There are several subjects taught in middle school and the student must know what strategy is appropriate for each of them. Some subjects would require students to remember facts so memorization is needed. Mathematics needs computation skills so the most appropriate strategy could be answering drills and varied problems. In planning, you must also list down all materials you need for studying so that they will be at hand anytime. Have a handy dictionary and other reference materials within your reach while studying. In addition, plan where you will study. Choose a comfortable and quiet place which is free from distractions so that you can focus well. Second, learn to make an outline of your lessons. Memorizing or remembering the content of your textbooks or the discussions in class is difficult. Making an outline of your lessons will help you eliminate unnecessary things and study essential areas that you are sure to be included in the test. Making an outline will also help you note down important details of your lessons. Third, always review your lessons after the class. Review does not mean rereading. When you review, take note of salient points and underline them. Perform some exercises to check your mastery and readiness to take the test. Do this regularly. Waiting for the day of the exam to study will be a great waste of your time and effort. Fourth, learn to prioritize your subjects. Decide which subjects you must study first. Some subjects may be easy for you and you are sure that you can remember almost everything. Spend a short time on these subjects and focus on the subjects that you find to be difficult. They need more of your attention. This is also true when you have several assignments or homework for the day. Doing them one at a time is better than cramming to finish all in s few hours. Last, find help from other sources so that you will understand your lessons well. There are online middle schools where you can take lessons on subjects that you find too difficult. These online schools have teachers who can guide you on how to improve your skills in studying. The schedule is highly flexible so you can have review classes with them at night if you want. If you are already enrolled in an online middle school, your teachers will be able to provide you with techniques to improve your study skills. They have expert teachers and support staff who are ready to help students improve their study skills and school performance.