How to Become a Straight-A Student

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

— Oscar Wilde

You must have heard that setting goals for yourself is the first step toward achieving. Having a goal in sight keeps you focused, persistent and motivated despite the hurdles that you may face in your path. While it is not healthy to pressurise yourself to score a straight-A all the time, it can surely be rewarding to aim high — because when you do, you are likely to be more driven towards achieving your goal. So, if you are keen to up your game this exam season, then here are some useful tips that can help you become a straight-A student. 

How to Get an A in All Subjects 

1. Learn the Art of Time Management

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One of the most common challenges that students face during exams is the lack of time. One way to overcome this is through time management — a skill that will not only help you become a straight-A student but also benefit you in the future.

The first step to learning this skill is to make a calendar for yourself. Make note of important dates for practice tests and final exams, assignment submission deadlines,  holidays, term breaks, etc. Make this calendar your desktop wallpaper or place it on your study table. This will help you consciously remember what’s coming next and help you prepare in advance and avoid last-minute stress or anxiety.  

During exams, make sure you schedule your revision sessions at the time of the day when you are the most attentive and focused. Make note of that time and try to cover most of your revision at the time of the day.  

Planning a calendar may seem like a hassle initially, but investing about 15 minutes of your week can help you become far more productive than before. Managing your time will help you become a straight-A student as it builds discipline and efficiency, helping you study smart instead of slogging for hours without focus. 

2. Participate in Class Discussions

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It’s simple — pay attention in class, ask questions and resolve your doubts right when they strike you. The more you dwell on your doubts, the more confused you become. This could later lead to procrastination, anxiety and panic during exams, affecting the outcome of your efforts. 

Getting straight-A in your studies means you have a thorough understanding of all concepts, and resolving your doubts is a great way to reach that destination. If you are someone who feels shy to ask doubts during a class, you can always approach your teacher outside the class. Where there is a will, there is a way! 

Always try to treat your classes as an active experience rather than a passive one. Proactively listen, take notes and ask questions to be more involved and better prepared to achieve your dream score.

3. Do Your Homework

Now that you know that paying attention during classes makes learning easier, you should also know that making notes during classes is a great way to memorise important points shared by your teacher. If you wish to be a straight-A student, then you must have a solid understanding of concepts. Building a routine of reviewing notes every day after school is a habit most toppers practise.   

So, ensure you go through the notes you’ve made in class and compare it with the points in the textbook. Add the left-out important points to make your notes more efficient. By doing so, you will be able to memorise the concepts and also save time during the revision sessions later on. Therefore, make sure you invest your time to review your lessons every day so that you can save the hours of cramming during exams.

4. Focus > Duration of Study

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Have you ever shut yourself in your room and studied for hours, only to realise that you don’t remember most of it? This is not as uncommon as you think. Research shows that an ideal study session should be limited to not more than 50 minutes. This is because the human brain is more accustomed to short-term tasks and we tend to feel exhausted and disinterested if we study at a stretch. According to author Cal Newport, one skill that is most common and deemed important amongst straight-A students is that most of them quickly complete their work without wasting too much effort.

Therefore, a great way of ensuring effective study sessions is to break your day into focused bursts. Learn to improve your concentration and see how your study hours shrink and your learning curve grows. You must also remember to take enough breaks in between each session to recharge and rejuvenate your mind. When you feel demotivated, remind yourself of the goals you want to achieve to defeat procrastination. 

5. Set Up Your Spot

Your time management skills and ability to concentrate will mostly crumble if you are not studying in the right environment. A messy and noisy room will only push you down the rabbit hole of distractions. Hence, a clutter-free study area is significant to make your studying effective. 

Here are a few ideas to help you create an ideal study environment:

• Switch off your phone or put it in silent mode. It is ideal to keep your phone out of sight, to avoid any temptations to check your messages.
• Organise and clean your desk
• Let your friends and family know about your study schedule
• Keep your study material handy — put your practice papers, assignments, worksheets, textbooks, notes and all the stationery you need on your desk

There is no substitute for hard work, so continue working towards achieving straight-A but always remember that grades never define your worth. The experience of enjoying the fruits of your labour is certainly incomparable and good grades do open doors for you down the road, but they should never limit you. Working towards better grades teaches you habits that support a successful future, such as discipline and perseverance. 

Which one of the above tips are you going to try? Tell us in the comments below!