#motiation

a little back story, when i was still back in 7th grade, my grades were not high but they were not also too low. just around the middle, i guess. but my grades started rising when i entered 8th grade and eventually went higher again now that i’m in 9th grade. i hope this post will help people who are aiming to increase their grades. 1. i fixed my mindset to always aim for 101%

for any school requirement, i always put into mind that it will always affect my grades. don’t hesitate to put extra effort. be extra if you want.

2. never be unprepared for quizzes, tests, exams, recitations, etc.

a habit i regret in 7th grade is that i slack off thinking that i already know a topic. never follow the whisper of laziness saying that you already know this and that so you don’t have to study. a quote my mo told me is “never leave any stone unturned”. even if it is an easy topic, do not skip it when studying for your exams. 

3. i made rules for myself to follow

i always post this on my wall

- do homework on the day it was announced

- make notes or reviewers for a topic on the day it was discussed

- finish projects on the week it is announced (this is not applicable if it’s a group project though)

- spend my break periods to do something productive in the library

4. i always took down notes

never assume that this topic will never go out on a test. one time, i was the only one who took notes on a lecture because my other classmates thought it was just a mere chit chat with my teacher. but guess what, my teacher gave a quiz on that topic so a win for me :))) just don’t rely on the materials your teacher distributes, sometimes they include stuff included in the test that are not mentioned in the slides.

5. advanced study

this is so cliche but this saved me so many times (especially during hard topics). i believe almost everyone is given a course outline every start of the academic year. a course outline (some people call it course syllabus) is a paper where all topics on a specific subject are listed. i use my course outline as a guide to advance study. studying in advance gave me an advantage so that topics will be easier to understand when it is discussed by your teacher. when you already studies in advance, your teacher’s lecture will just serve as a ‘refresher’ for your knowledge.

6. i trained myself to make studying a habit

back then, the thought of studying feels so tiring. but when you set it as a part of your routine, you’ll love it! to be honest, i can’t imagine my life when i can’t study in a day. it will just come to a point where you won’t force yourself to study. it will be something you will love <3

7. always track your deadlines, exams,  and other important dates

a digital or physical planner will work. back then, i missed some requirements because i relied on my classmate’s reminders. so pro tip: never rely on another person. be responsible on your school work.  personally, i use a digital and a physical planner. i update them both (i know it might sound tiring for some of you but it’s not for me). i use my digital planner so i can access my requirements anywhere and anytime through my phone. however, there are classes where phones and laptops are not allowed so i use my physical planner to track the important dates down. i use the muji weekly planner so i use the weekly spaces as my to do list area. i will expand on how i use my planners in another post someday. at the end of every day, i update both. filled calendars and planners are very satisfying to view so that’s the fun part. 

8. do nongraded or optional tests

for some people, when they hear that a homework is optional and nongraded... they don’t do it :’) for me, i use them as an opportunity to learn more. and you can ask your teacher any time for help. it’s also fine to make mistakes since it’s nongraded so it won’t affect your grades haha (but for real, making mistakes is fine --> even i myself struggle with this)

9. i reflected on my faults

01.04.18 // 09:11 // day 1/30

day 1 -  what do you have going on this month?