<p>i honestly have not ever had to try super-hard in any classes. possibly in terms of workload (i.e. AP Euro last year the workload was probably 8+ hours a week), but in terms of material I've always been a complete procrastinator and last-minute studier and haven't had a problem. This year I've been working on procrastinating less, but I haven't completely turned that habit around...but still, so far in high school i have no final course averages below an A.</p>
<p>so maybe I have good fact retention skills? I tend to remember things pretty well, whether I learned them at the beginning of the year or the night before.</p>
<p>there's probably been enough written on this subject, but I'm kind of tempted to add my bit.</p>
<p>first of all, from a bried glance at previous responses, it seems clear to me that there are plenty of ways to get straight A's, from pure intelligence to hard work, to something inbetween. i'd also like to point out that straight A's are not as easy as some ppl who get them think, at least at my school. ppl who work hard but are said to not have much intelligence are said to have straight a's just because they work so hard. im sorry to dissappoint you, but that's not true. i know from my own experience that a lot of times we say that because we don't like how easy it seems to be for that person we're claiming does nothing but study. but really, someone who works hard is very intelligent in his/her own way. why? because i, for example, know for sure that, even if i tried, would not be able to do something like that</p>
<p>as for my personal experience, i've found that the most helpful thing is to know how the teacher thinks and what he/she expects for an answer. that way, for example, you don't have to write very long essay answers, hoping that somewhere in the mass of info that you pile on the right answer resides. instead, you suffice with something much shorter. that usually means u don't lose as many stupid points for things you knew, but didn't put down.</p>
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i've found that the most helpful thing is to know how the teacher thinks and what he/she expects for an answer. that way
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<p>how sad that you are forced to feel like that. I've found that most of my teachers respect unconformity as long as you do it with conviction. I mean sure, sometimes you have to PRESENT/FORMAT stuff the way a teacher wants for whatever reason, but in terms of answers, as long as you can back it up you are good to go. Don't go to college thinking like this... you'll get slaughtered.</p>
<p>Your conclusion is one that many high school students have reached and it's often hard to break free from the mold formed by teachers. After all, it's sort of like survival of the fittest and any edge helps.</p>
<p>I'm gonna keep it simple: If you are reasonably intelligent, the only thing standing between you and straight A's is work ethic. Do ALL the work. If you are given the opportunity for easy extra credit, even if you don't think you need it, do it. And on papers and projects, you don't have to know what you are talking about, just know what the teacher wants to hear. </p>
<p>Of course I've always suspected my straight A's are because I go to a really really crappy school and that in general I have good testtaking skills.</p>
<p>Oh, and most importantly: CARE ABOUT YOUR GRADES. I have friends that might be smarter than me, but they get Bs and Cs b/c they are lazy with a capital L.</p>
<p>1) Care about your grades
2) Do all the work
3) Figure out what your teacher likes</p>
<p>That's pretty much it, I think. I mean, time management is not even that important. I'm HORRIBLE with doing things on time; I'm all about studying the night before and putting things off. And I still manage almost straight A's - my only B+ is in AP Chemistry, which one of the hardest classes in the school.</p>
<p>I don't try at all and have gotten straight As throughout high school (and have taken every AP/Pre-AP class offered aside from AP Biology...I'm taking AP Physics instead). I procrastinated like crazy, didn't pay attention half the time, didn't bother to do homework until the class period before the one it's due, and pretty much just showed up to fill a seat. I'm the type of person that always comes through in the end, though. I love pressure and stress is what makes me perform well. </p>
<p>I could be first in my class with a killer GPA, but why bother when I can still be second with a great GPA? Besides, I wouldn't have been able to do half as much as I have with Band, Debate, NHS, Student Council, or my friends if I'd been worried about making 99s and 100s all of the time.</p>
<p>I have, however, turned all of my bad habits around for my last semester as a way to start the transition between just showing up to hs and actually having to work for my grades in college. Yeah, since I definitely won't be able to do that kind of stuff and do well in engineering.</p>
<p>Ok, I'm not sure what my insight into this question is, but I'm a weird case. In high school I did NOT have a 4.0, not by any stretch. Then I went to college and started getting all A's. Now my college is not really challenging for me but it isn't super easy either. I work hard, very hard, but I don't think that is really the secret of my success. I spend a lot of time with professors, going over things, making sure I'm doing everything right, getting them to help when I don't understand something. I'm also a good writer, I have to say the most valuable thing I learned from my quite rigorous private high school is how to write a good essay.
The only advice I can give is do all the work, not at the last minute and take time to do it properly, talk to the professor if you don't get something, and, as much as possible, take classes you like and are interested in, usually you'll do better. But I know that isn't really that helpful and if someone had told me in high school how to get all As I wouldn't have probably listened.
But a 4.0 isn't everything, almost everyone eventually encounters at least one teacher or professor who just will not give him or her an A, it might be personal or it might be no one gets an A. I have one right now. And that is what it is.</p>
<p>You have to find out what each teacher WANTS.
Its kinda sad actually. It is no longer about learning and doing well,
its doing what the teacher wants.</p>
<p>Well, I've done it...once (although I missed it by one point this quarter, whatever), so I'm not much help, but the key for me is to never miss an assignment. </p>
<p>I know when I was a fairly consistant B-student, I usually did well on my uncontrollables (meaning assignments that, even if I tried my hardest, I could still miss some questions) like quizzes, but I often lost some points when I missed or did poorly on several homeworks, or neglected help when available from friends, etc. Typically, those 5 point homeworks on a 300 point scale can bring an A- to a B+. Often, as long as a good average is maintained on quizzes and tests, reviewable and non-time based work (homework) can help a grade noticeably.</p>
<p>As has been said, if you are aiming specifically for an A as your goal, knowing a teacher's grading system can be key. For instance, one of my classes has a 40/30/30 set-up for Tests/Quizzes/Homework. I know that in that class, typically (considering the # of quizzes is similar to the # of homework assignments), the homework requires just as much preparation as the quiz. However, another of my classes ran on a points system, with 100 points for a test/quiz and 10 points for a homework, so a lot more time was spent studying for that test instead of doing a current event. Weighing between classes is also significant, as bringing that 92 to a 93 may make a quiz more important than a test in the class you have your A locked up in.</p>
<p>I'm pretty much repeating what was said, but I'm not overly smart (I am smart, but not exceptionally) and I manage it recently in a place where I would say < 5% of students are able to, so it works.</p>
<p>I get straight A's and I honestly can't say why. I rarely study (only for APUSH) and I'm the worst procrastinator I know. I am fairly organized though.</p>
<p>In the end I think that it is the fact that I have a photographic memory and absolutely refuse to accept anything besides A's...</p>
<p>I received straight A's all throughout middle school and all throughout high school (I'm graduating in less than a month) and I seriously have NO idea how I did it. I look back and wonder to myself how I was able to do it.</p>
<p>I think actually doing your homework and paying attention in class has a LOT to do with it. I know plenty of smart kids, many who I consider smarter than me, who do not do their homework and this causes their grades to go down. </p>
<p>My advice:</p>
<p>DO your Homework.
Don't sleep in class.. (unless you are some genius or something)
Pay attention in class.
Enjoy what you are studying. I struggled most with classes I had no desire to pay attention in (CALCULUS) but still forced myself to pay attention.
If you don't understand something, GET HELP. Slacking off and thinking "oh well" does not get you anywhere.
Don't stress out too much. I went out every weekend and had friends who studied their a**es off and still did not receive straight A's. </p>
<p>Everyone is different, but I'm sure if you just TRY, you will receive decent grades.</p>
<p>heh... good point Reeze. i find that the best teachers do indeed accept anything as long as you can back it up. if anyone's ever taken theory of knowledge, that class is all about being able to back up whatever you want to say, no matter how ludicrous. </p>
<p>but even in cases like that. i find that getting good grades is much easier if u give the teacher what he/she wants. for example, in IB we have 'origin, purpose, value and limitations' questions. and value and any limitation will do, as long as you can back it up. what i mean is what my teachers tell me to do on the IB exam - actually write out 'a value of the source is ______' so that the examiner sees it. </p>
<p>doing stuff like that, i have found, means that you do a lot less writing for the grade, at the very least. the problem is, it's not as easy as it may seem at first.</p>
<p>Making sure you're fully awake is very important, too, both during class and while studying/doing homework. If you're having trouble, I highly recommend a Starbucks' Triple Nonfat Grande Marble Mocha Macchiato. :]</p>
<p>Good advice folks, thanks ^^
I'm the kind who doesnt get everything right away - so i gotta work lol.
Gaucho8 - you probably didnt procrastinate and thats why you were able to maintain those As.</p>
<p>Any tips on how to avoid/stop procrastination?</p>
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I highly recommend a Starbucks' Triple Nonfat Grande Marble Mocha Macchiato. :]
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Haha, starbucks is such a wallet killer. For a moment there that sounded so fattening, and then i saw the words "nonfat" xD Coffee really is a bad thing to get hooked on though *thinks back to the days of coffee withdrawal ><</p>
<p>I've kept up with my grades just by being able to expect what your teachers want. I've really noticed that it's not intelligence that matters the most (though that is needed if you want an easy time getting those A's). A friend of mine is extremely smart and hardworking - just not in the work we have to do in school. He doesn't get straight A's but I know that he probably has more innovative ideas to offer.</p>
<p>The thing is, you just have to do the work. If you do the work, you get credit for them and end up understanding more than if you hadn't done the work. Tests are easier to take because you already understand the whole idea so there isn't much need for intense studying and last-night cramming.</p>
<p>As for procrastination, well, I think I've come up with a system that works. </p>
<p>I never used to procrastinate in my FR and SO years but when JR year came, my motivation and determination were shot. I'm still keeping my grades in A's (though they slip in the middle of the quarter) but they're not constant. </p>
<p>See, you can still procrastinate. It just matters how much you do it.</p>
<p>Set up a planner. Write down all the things you have to do and their due dates. Think about how much time you think you'll need to do the work and ADD an hour or so to it depending on how big the project is. If it's just a worksheet, then maybe half an hour will do. If it's a research paper, then maybe 2-3 hours would work well. Once you've done this, you have to KEEP at it. No cheating. This lets you calculate how much work time you'll actually need so you can start at the latest time possible. If you don't finish within the time span you first thought of, then at least you have that time allowance to try to finish. And if that still doesn't work, you can always live the next day minus a few hours of sleep.</p>
<p>I dunno if it'll work for everyone but that's what I do right now and it seems to be working. Hope it helps.</p>
<p>Adderall is a HUGE BOON if you seek all A's.</p>
<p>Seriously, I started taking Adderall earlier this year. Before, I was a mediocre (A,B, maybe an odd C) student. NEVER BEFORE had I had all A's, but for the first time this semester, I do. In the most demanding courseload I have taken my entire high school career.</p>
<p>Not to mention having ADD is very, very helpful for scoring high on the SATs... heh heh</p>