I don't want to be a "B Student"

Pre-College Issues High School Life
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<p>So, we took finals this week. I was doing not-well-not-badly; I had about a 4.0 out of 5. And...I bombed basically all of them. I'm going to have Bs and Cs. I swore to myself I'd shape up again this year, and I did for awhile, until I realized I had no idea how to study. So when it got hard, I couldn't keep up. I have an 89 in a regular class that the teacher won't bump up (and I begged).</p>

<p>I don't really know why I made this post...my test scores are great, my ECs have strong leadership opportunity, and I have a cool life story, but I'm so afraid that my GPA will bring me down, you know? Anyone else out there? I'm thinking about joining one of those 3.0-3.5 threads. For comfort. =P</p>

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<p>Wait… you’re in high school and you don’t know how to study?</p>

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<p>First, your teacher shouldn’t bump up your grade and you shouldn’t have asked.</p>

<p>College is a lot harder than high school. If you don’t study you’ll flunk out. If you don’t know how to study find out why, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.</p>

<p>The lower your GPA the less options you will have for colleges that will accept you. They don’t want to see you fail so they aren’t going to accept you unless they think you can do the work.</p>

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Never really had to before this year.</p>

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<p>Consider getting Cal Newport’s books and visit his blog calnewport.com/blog/
They’re aimed toward college students but will probably work for any student. Ace site and book.</p>

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Wow, cool blog! Thanks, I’ll definitely bookmark this.</p>

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<p>There is nothing wrong with being a “B Student”. Being on here makes you think otherwise though doesn’t it? My dad went to Rutgers Newark for 4 years and didn’t do too well. His mom even thought that the admissions committee made a mistake so she mailed his application back to make sure he got in. </p>

<p>Today, he is a very well respected person on wall street and appears on CNBC every week or two. He has also been a mentor to many people and has helped them get their lives on the right track. After school, he worked his ass off to find jobs, and called over 75 companies. He spoke at Cornell a few years ago because he knows someone in Ezra Cornell’s family very well and he said he had never seen more arrogant students; half of them laughed when he said he attended Rutgers for 4 years. </p>

<p>I am not trying to say that everyone who goes to Cornell is like this… I am trying to get the point across that going to an ivy league school or getting straight As in high school is not going to make or break how you do in the future.</p>

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<p>I’m in a similar boat. I never faced a real challenge and just read the book to ace all of my classes.</p>

<p>Once there is too much material to read all of it? I’m screwed.</p>

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<p>I don’t think there’s any shame in being a B student. Seriously, a grade that reflects how well you are able to memorize/cram useless information into your head does NOT in any way show your intelligence. </p>

<p>Besides, there are too many teachers practicing grade inflation and corruption these days for grades to be taken as a true indication of anything. I know students who have cried and bribed their ways to getting A’s, but they’re probably some of the stupidest people I know in terms of street smarts and common sense.</p>

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<p>Basically in High School, study is a key role
In College, You will soon love not having class 7-9 hours a day and instead you end up with 3 hours a day up to 5 classes <em>More depending on majors</em>
You will not have homework
You may have 1-2 Projects
and only 1-2 Tests
So its important to study and get the projects done for the best grade.</p>

<p>Now how to study you ask.</p>

<p>A. Do your homework, while you do your homework you are also studying by learning the material of the class and it will stick with you more, so its important to do it at home so it sticks in more then to do it in the morning and not even know what you wrote down.</p>

<p>B. Ask the teacher for help/tutoring, if you have trouble with certain handouts or formulas or anything in general, ask to stay after or during some sort of study hall (for me spartan time) and ask her questions you may not understand, this is key not just to study but to show your teacher that you want to have better grades and you did study so that when she is grading, if you are on a border line between a High C or Low B, she may give the B.</p>

<p>C. Take Notes, Then Use them. Takes notes in class of basically anything your learning on the board, listen to things like
<em>This will be on your test</em>
<em>Remember This</em>
<em>Key Ideal</em>
<em>So to Summarize This</em>
I keep a 3 hole notebook that is in my huge uni-binder where i take notes, and use a sticky note to mark it, at the end of a week or 2 i pull them out <em>carefully</em> and organize them according to subject and make a archives of it back at home where when i take finals or exams or standard tests i cans study all my material.</p>

<p>D. Ask help from friends
I mean smart friends who are doing well and even better then you with possibly more honors and/or Ap’s, try making study groups but only with people you will work with more then socialize, and then possibly recommended going to a movie or place to eat when you are done with the social group so that you can focus on doing your work towards what you have later <em>Be careful as the con side is you may rush your work</em></p>

<p>E. Flash Cards!!!
It really is not that hard find subjects that may have (Vocab, Key Events, Formulas) that you may have to learn, so make flash cards and ask a parent gaurdian with help, and when you are given time before a test to study, ask the friend next to you to help you…
Of Course you can help them and make them study, and just by reading the cards and checking the answer you are also studying.</p>

<p>F.
AND FINALLY, if you still have trouble, talk to your counselor, as they can help make organization plans that will aid in studying and tips on being better at getting prepartion for tests/quizzes.</p>

<p>Yeah this is long, I am applying it right now this year boosting my horrid 2.7 freshman year to a 3.25 First semester of Sophomore year to hopefully a 4.0 next semester <em>Cause i started applying what i learned 1/2 through 2nd Quarter Sophomore year</em></p>

<p>TO Summarize what this will do:</p>

<p>Follow it, Learn it, Preach it
Now will it make you better at studying but a better student who can achieve possibly Straight A’s with a few trailing B’s and make you a overall god student with pepration for college.</p>

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<p>I guess I’m becoming more of a B student since I’m a Senior and I’m taking harder classes to prepare for college. Overall I have a 3.6 and am in the top 25% percentile. It’s frustrating to get B-'s and C+'s on tests, even though I have decent study skills. I’m a hardworker, but the competiton is simply getting harder. I’m content and am proud of my determination, even when times get tough. Grade inflation is another factor too when it comes to grades. Don’t worry about the small things. :)</p>