Ways on Getting Help

Ways on Getting Help
By: Tiffany Ha

As students progress through the grades each year, it can be tough for them to be organized with their work.

According to the Center for School, Health and Education (CSHE), at least 66% of high school students were motivated at the beginning of every school year to accomplish their particular goal such as preparing to take the SAT, getting to know their teachers more, and becoming organized. However, as the months go on, students slowly start losing interest in being organized and are less efficient toward their work due to the overload of assignments.

“I felt confident on the first day of school,” sophomore Christina Zheng said,“[but] I also feel overwhelmed with the load of schoolwork.”

At John Champe High School, students can ask for peer tutoring, aka Bright Knights, or tutoring outside of school because it helps students understand the material better. Furthermore, Bright Knights help students to obtain new study habits. They are available during all study hall blocks. Although many students find it difficult to ask questions in class, it would be best for students to be working with a peer.

“I’m getting extra help outside of school for math,” Zheng said, “[because] I’m a slow learner and getting more help would help me to succeed more.”

Some students may find it difficult to seek peer tutoring or any other type of tutoring since teachers teach their students in a variety of methods, making some tutoring styles difficult to comprehend. A way to solve this problem is to ask fellow classmates. If a classmate doesn’t know how to answer one’s question, that’s okay because it helps the person and the student to think more in depth.

“I don’t really get help from peer tutors,” sophomore Justine Shi said, “only classmates sometimes for homework related questions.”

Most students use Quizlet, Khan Academy, Quizizz, and an infinite number of websites that help them to study more productively, especially for summative assignments . Online resources help students to memorize better than paper because some students find typing out information will help them remember important information. Other useful strategies would be typing notes online because, according to CSHE, students can listen and obtain more words as they type. Carrying a planner to every class can help students to keep track with their upcoming assignments too.

“I prefer typing the notes down rather than writing them down,” Shi said, “[and] I also review my teachers’ lectures and notes.”

However, some students have lost motivation on doing anything in the middle of the school year because of the stress. This may sound strange, but it’s beneficial to have pep talks to oneself because it can calm down students when taking tests or quizzes. Another way to be productive is to take breaks during assignments because it helps the brain to relax.

“Every morning, I would review my notes before heading to school” Zheng continues, “because I feel less tired by doing so.”

Although it may be a struggle to maintain good grades throughout the school year, having an organized schedule can help students to be more productive and positive towards assignments.

“Every school day, I would bring a planner with me to each class,” Shi said, “because it helps me to relax a bit by keeping track of my work.”

Seeking help around the school helps students to achieve more.