Chapter 18

How Can I Improve My Grades?

WHEN a number of elementary school students were asked, ‘What do you worry about most?’ 51 percent said, “Grades”!

Little wonder that school grades are a major source of anxiety among youths. Grades can mean the difference between graduating and being left behind, between obtaining a well-paying job and getting only a minimum wage, between receiving the praise of parents and incurring their wrath. Admittedly, grades and tests have their place. Why, Jesus Christ often tested his disciples’ understanding of certain matters. (Luke 9:18) And as the book Measurement and Evaluation in the Schools says: “Test results can reveal areas of strength and weakness of individual students and act as motivating devices for future study.” Your grades also serve to give your parents some idea of how you are doing in school​—for better or for worse.

Finding the Balance

Too much concern about grades, however, can create paralyzing stresses and ignite fierce competition. One textbook on adolescence observes that college-bound students can especially be “caught up in a competitive maze that emphasizes grades and class rank rather than learning.” As a result, to quote Dr. William Glasser, students “learn early in school to ask what is going to be on the test and . . . study only that material.”

Warned King Solomon: “I myself have seen all the  hard work and all the proficiency in work, that it means the rivalry of one toward another; this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:4) Fierce competition, whether for material riches or academic accolades, is futile. God-fearing youths see the need to apply themselves in school. But instead of making education the most important thing in life, they pursue spiritual interests, trusting God to care for their material needs.​—Matthew 6:33; see Chapter 22 on choosing careers.

Furthermore, education means more than racking up points on tests. It means developing what Solomon called “thinking ability,” the skill of taking raw information and drawing sound, practical conclusions from it. (Proverbs 1:4) A youth who manages to get passing grades through guessing, cramming, or even cheating never really learns how to think. And what good is a high grade in math if later on you find yourself unable to balance a checkbook?

It is thus important that you view grades, not as an end in themselves, but as a helpful means of gauging your progress at school. How, though, can you achieve grades that reflect your abilities?

Take Responsibility for Learning!

According to teacher Linda Nielsen, poor students tend to “blame their poor [school] performances on sources beyond their control: unfair test questions, a prejudiced teacher, bad luck, fate, the weather.” The Bible, though, says: “The lazy one is showing himself desirous, but his soul has nothing.” (Proverbs 13:4) Yes, laziness is often the real reason for low grades.

 Good students, however, take responsibility for their learning. ’Teen magazine once polled some high-achieving high (secondary) school students. Their secret? “Personal motivation helps you keep going,” said one. “Putting yourself on a schedule and organizing your time,” said another. “You have to set goals for yourself,” said yet another. Yes, how good your grades are depends for the most part, not on factors beyond your control, but on YOU​—how hard you are willing to study and apply yourself in school.

‘But I Do Study’

This is what some youths might claim. They sincerely feel they are already working themselves to the bone but getting no results. A few years ago, however, researchers at Stanford University (U.S.A.) polled some 770 students and asked how much effort they felt they were putting into their schoolwork. Oddly enough, students with low grades thought they worked as hard as anybody! Yet when their study habits were examined, it was discovered that they actually did far less homework than their high-achieving schoolmates.

The lesson? Perhaps you too are not studying as hard as you think you are, and some changes would be in order. An article in the Journal of Educational Psychology showed that simply making “an increase in time spent on homework has a positive effect on a student’s grades in high school.” In fact, “with 1 to 3 hours of homework a week, the average low ability student can achieve grades commensurate with an average ability student who does not do homework.”

The apostle Paul figuratively had to ‘pummel his body’ to reach his goals. (1 Corinthians 9:27) You may similarly have to institute a get-tough policy with yourself, especially  if TV or other distractions easily divert your attention from studying. You might even try putting a sign on the TV that says, “No TV until homework is done!”

Your Study Environment

Most of us would benefit from having a quiet place that is set aside for study. If you share a room or if space is limited in your home, improvise! Perhaps the kitchen or someone’s bedroom can be proclaimed your study area for an hour or so each evening. Or as a last resort, try a public library or a friend’s home.

If possible, use a desk or a table with plenty of space on which to spread out your work. Keep supplies such as pencils and paper handy so you won’t have to get up constantly. And, sorry to say, having the TV or the radio on generally works against concentration, as do telephone calls or visiting.

Make sure, too, that you have adequate, glare-free lighting. Good lighting reduces study fatigue and protects your eyes as well. And if possible, check ventilation and room temperature. A cool room provides a  more invigorating study environment than a warm room does.

What if you are simply not in the mood for studying? Life seldom allows us the luxury of indulging our moods. At a secular job, you will have to work every day​—whether you are in the mood for it or not. So view  homework as an exercise in self-discipline, a rehearsal for later work experience. Be businesslike about it. Suggests one educator: “If possible, studying should be done in the same place and at the same time every day. Thus, regular study will become a habit, and . . . will reduce your resistance to study.”

 Your Study Routine

At Philippians 3:16, Paul encouraged Christians to “go on walking orderly in this same routine.” Paul was speaking of the routine of Christian living. However, a routine, or pattern of doing things, is also helpful when it comes to your method of studying. Try, for instance, to organize what you are going to study. Avoid studying similar subjects (such as two foreign languages) in sequence. Plan brief breaks between subjects, especially if your homework load is heavy.

If your assignment involves a lot of reading, you might try the following method. First, SURVEY your material. Glance through the assigned material, looking at subheadings, charts, and so forth, in order to get an overall view of it. Next, make up QUESTIONS based on chapter titles or topic sentences. (This keeps your mind focused on what you read.) Now READ, looking for the answers to these questions. When you have finished each paragraph or section, RECITE, or tell yourself  from memory, what you have read, without looking at the book. And when you have finished the entire assignment, REVIEW by scanning headings and testing your memory of each section. Some claim that this method has helped students retain up to 80 percent of what they read!

One educator further says: “It’s important to have the student realize that a fact doesn’t exist in isolation but is always related to other information.” Try, therefore, to relate what you study to what you already know and have experienced. Search for the practical value of what you are learning.

Interestingly, the God-fearing youth has a real advantage here. For the Bible says: “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7) Learning the laws of physics, for example, may seem like pure drudgery. But knowing that through creation God’s “invisible qualities are clearly seen” gives added meaning to what you learn. (Romans 1:20) History likewise often touches on the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes. Seven world powers (including the present Anglo-American combine) are discussed right in the Bible itself!​—Revelation 17:10; Daniel, chapter 7.

By relating what you learn to what you know or to your Christian faith, facts begin to mean something to you, knowledge grows into understanding. And as Solomon observed, “To the understanding one knowledge is an easy thing.”​—Proverbs 14:6.

‘There Will Be a Test Next Week’

These words need not cause you to panic. First of all, try to discern from your teacher’s comments what kind of test it will be, such as an essay test or multiple choice. Also, in the days preceding the test, listen for clues as to what will appear in the test. (“This next point  is very important” or “Be sure to remember that” are typical hints, says Senior Scholastic magazine.) Next, review your notes, textbooks, and homework assignments.

“By iron, iron itself is sharpened. So one man sharpens the face of another,” Solomon reminds us. (Proverbs 27:17) Perhaps a friend or one of your parents would be happy to drill you with questions or listen to you as you recite classroom material. And then the night before the test, relax and try to get a good night’s sleep. “Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span?” Jesus asked.​—Matthew 6:27.

Failure

Failing a test​—especially after trying hard to pass it—​can devastate your self-respect. But educator Max Rafferty reminds us: “As long as we live, we’re graded on what we know, how well we get results . . . A school that kids the kids into thinking that life is going to be all Roman candles is not a school. It’s a dream factory.” The humiliation of failing a test may well be worth it if it spurs you on to learn from your mistakes and improve.

But what about facing disappointed parents with a bad report card? Fear of doing so has at times given birth to elaborate stall tactics. “I used to put my report card on the kitchen table, go upstairs and try to sleep till  the next day,” recalls one youth. “What I’d do,” says another, “is wait till the last second to show it to my mother. I’d take it to her in the morning when she was just about to go to work and say, ‘Here, you’ve got to sign this.’ She didn’t have time to deal with me”​—at least not for the moment. Some youths have even forged phony grades on their report cards!

Your parents, though, have a right to know how you are doing in school. Naturally, they expect your grades to reflect your abilities, and if your grades are under par, you can expect to receive well-deserved discipline. So be honest with your parents. And “listen . . . to the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.” (Proverbs 1:8) If you think too much is being expected of you, talk it over with them.​—See insert entitled “How Can I Tell My Parents?” in Chapter 2.

As important as grades are, they are not the final judgment on your worth as a person. Nevertheless, take advantage of the time you are in school, and learn as much as you can. Usually that effort will be reflected in grades that will make you​—and your parents—​feel happy and satisfied.

Questions for Discussion

□ What purpose do grades serve, and why is it important to have a balanced view of them?

□ Why is it important that you take personal responsibility for learning?

□ What are some things to consider about taking on afterschool activities?

□ What are some ways in which you can improve your grades?

□ How can you prepare for tests?

□ How should you view failure, and should such failure be concealed from your parents?

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A youth who manages to get passing grades through guessing, cramming, or even cheating never really learns how to think

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What About Afterschool Activities?

Many young people find that afterschool activities give them a sense of accomplishment. “I was into just about every club there was,” recalls one boy from Baltimore, Maryland (U.S.A.). “It made me feel good to work with things I like. I was in an automotive club because I enjoy working with cars. I like computers, so I joined that club. I like audio, so I joined that club.” College-bound students are particularly urged to participate in afterschool activities.

However, a U.S. federal government official​—formerly a teacher himself—​told Awake!: “Probably the students spend more time with extracurricular activities than with schoolwork, making it hard to maintain grades.” Yes, it is not easy to maintain balance when it comes to extracurricular activities. Says a girl named Cathy who used to play on the school softball team: “After the practice, I was too tired to do anything else. My schoolwork was affected. So I did not sign up this year.”

There are also spiritual dangers. Says one Christian man looking back on his teen years: “I thought I could harmonize three activities: schoolwork, practice with the track team, and spiritual activities. But the spiritual aspect of my life was sacrificed whenever the three conflicted.”

Young Themon, who was involved in two sports teams at school, agrees: “I could not attend meetings at the [Kingdom] Hall [for spiritual instruction] because Tuesday we were out of town, Thursday we were out of town, Saturday we were out of town and would not get back until two o’clock in the morning.” Though “bodily training is beneficial for a little,” it is vital to remember that “godly devotion is beneficial for all things.”​—1 Timothy 4:8.

Think, too, of the moral dangers. Would you be associating with wholesome friends who would be a good moral influence? What would be the subject of conversation? Could the influence of teammates or members of a club have an adverse effect on you? “Bad associations spoil useful habits,” says 1 Corinthians 15:33.

Interestingly, many youths among Jehovah’s Witnesses have chosen to use their afterschool time for something far more beneficial than sports: helping others to know the Creator. Advises Colossians 4:5: “Go on walking in wisdom toward those on the outside, buying out the opportune time for yourselves.”

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Students often pay for loose study habits . . . with failing grades

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Balancing afterschool activities with your homework is not easy

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Parents are sure to be upset over a bad report card. But if you feel they are expecting too much of you, talk it over with them