How to Be a Great Student in Middle School

Being Prepared for School

Motivate yourself to succeed. It can be tough to focus on school work, but without motivation, you’ll quickly lose interest in your academic goals. Motivated students are more likely to do well in middle school by keeping up with classwork and homework. You can stay motivated by reminding yourself that the work you’re doing in middle school matters and contributes to your overall academic success. If you’re having trouble staying interested in school and being motivated on your own, look for a study group of students in your year. A study group will help keep you motivated by providing socialization and letting you work with other motivated individuals.

Keep your things organized. In middle school, unlike elementary school, you’ll be responsible for keeping material for several classes organized and accessible. You’ll need to keep your English papers separate from your Math homework and keep track of which assignments are due on which days. To keep organized, make use of binders, folders, or spiral notebooks—whatever system you prefer to use. Ask your parents to buy you one folder or binder per subject. That way, you can always place papers and assignments in the correct folder that corresponds to the subject. Rather than shoving materials from multiple classes into your backpack, organize the materials into a separate subject. Also, avoid letting old papers pile up in your desk or backpack, pull everything out regularly to make sure you haven’t missed an assignment or handout.

Manage your time wisely. Time-management skills are one of the most important things that you can learn in middle school, although many students do not realize this at the time. Managing your time will help you avoid panicking the night before a large project is due, and will help you break your homework up into manageable segments.

Plan ahead for your homework and assignments. When you’re given a new assignment, estimate how long the work will take. Then, plan to do a portion of that each day or every other day. This can help you break large, daunting projects down into smaller, manageable chunks. See if your school provides an agenda book or a day planner. A day planner is a great way to keep track of multiple obligations, including classes, after-school activities, and social plans.

Excelling in the Classroom

Have all of your supplies with you. You won’t be able to focus and do well if you don’t have the necessary supplies with you, so make sure that you come to class prepared. If you come to class prepared, you’ll show your teacher that you’re there to learn, and you’ll help keep yourself focused as well. When coming to class, make sure you have: The required textbook and reading materials (handouts etc.). A couple of functioning pens and pencils. A notebook with blank paper. Any class-specific items: for example, a calculator for math class.

Participate in class. Participation will keep you interested in the material being discussed, and will also show your teacher that you’re attentive and focused. Focus on your teacher’s instruction, and follow along in the text or assigned reading. Show your interest in the subject, and if you are well prepared, try to start a discussion. To begin participating, see if you can answer a question posed by the teacher or another student. If you’re unclear about something covered in class, don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask questions. This will help you learn, and chances are that if you’re confused about a topic, other students are confused also.

Take plenty of notes in class. Note-taking will keep you focused in the classroom, and will help you retain a large portion of the material that the instructor tells you. When you take notes, don’t worry about transcribing full sentences—rather, write down keywords to jog your memory later. Also, listen to your teacher for verbal cues. If they say something like, “this is important,” or “here’s the main point,” be sure to write down what they say next. Taking effective notes will also help you study better; you’ll be able to review the material from class without having to guess what the teacher lectured on, and you won’t have to struggle to remember important class points. Keep your notes organized. Have a separate folder or notebook section for every class—that way, you won’t mix together notes from different subjects.

Don’t distract other students in the class. An academic class is a collaborative community, and it’s important that you focus on learning what the teacher has set out for everyone. Don’t pass notes, talk out loud to your peers, or participate in other distracting activities. If you’re focused and attentive, you’ll enjoy class more, too. Although it can be tempting to socialize during class, it’s not worth missing the material you’d otherwise learn. Save the socialization for lunch break and after school, and stay focused and attentive in the classroom.

Keeping Up with Homework

Designate a specific study area. You’ll study better if you make homework part of your nightly routine, and if you have a single area that you always do your homework in. Pick a location that’s relatively quiet and set away from distractions, including TV, snacks, and other family members or friends. Make sure that your study area is consistent. You’ll be distracted by new sounds and sights if you study in your bedroom one night, in the kitchen the next, and in the basement the next. Pick a location away from distractions.

Create a nightly study schedule. If you get in the habit of working on homework every night, it will become second nature to you. You’ll get into a study routine more easily if you pick a consistent time to do homework. This will reinforce in your mind that studying takes time. Figure out which time(s) of day work best for you to study in: are you at your best in the morning before school, or at night, following dinner? For example, do your homework on weekdays after school from 5:00 to 7:00, and then another hour after dinner from 8:00 to 9:00.

Study effectively to learn all you can. When you study, review the day’s in-class work, and then move on to any new assignments. When starting a new assignment, apply the concepts from class to the work. Make sure that you understand the problems before beginning to work, and focus on learning and applying the concepts behind the homework. Flashcards are a great way to learn tricky material. Write a problem or question on the front of the card and the answer on the opposite side. Flip through the cards to learn the material—this can be especially effective before tests. Be aware that some facts—such as periodic elements, will simply have to be memorized. To aid in this process, try coming up with an acrostic or other memory-aid systems. Reading ahead in advance is often helpful if you don’t want to be overwhelmed with the new concepts and information being given to you on the next lecture. Skim the chapter before class to get an idea of what you’ll be covering.