We have shared this article “12 ways SHS students can become successful in school” to help our students make their right choices and get some useful guidelines and counseling.
At the end of your secondary education as the SHS or TVET, you will be required to write the WASSCE and pass the examination so as to gain admission into a tertiary institution. Make a poor grade or fail, and you will take the result to your family alone. Perform well and produce amazing grades, and you will also take it home. No student will pass or fail the WASSCE after SHS and swap his or her results with that of another student.
For this reason, students who have gained admission to study in the various secondary schools would have to study and prepare for the unavoidable WASSCE and related preparation.
Gaining admission into a Senior High School or a Vocational or Technical school is fun, but you are not in school to have fun all the time. Whether you are going to SHS for the first time as a year one student or you are a continuing student, you need to quickly cultivate habits that will help you to become successful with your academics.
Of what use will you be to the nation, your community, your family and yourself if the government invests its hard-earned and scares financial resources into your Free SHS education only for you to produce very bad academic results?
The above suggests that, students in secondary school need to cultivate at least 12 habits that will lead to their success in school, which we have described as 12 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS or 12 ways SHS students can become successful in school.
12 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS: 12 ways SHS students can become successful in school
- Get Organized. Making a plan for what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it will make sure you’re always ahead of the curve – literally.
- Don’t multitask. Studies have shown that multitasking is physically impossible.
- Divide it up. Studying isn’t fun to begin with, and forcing yourself through a study marathon will only make it worse. Dividing your work into manageable chunks and rewarding yourself when you finish each chunk will make studying (more) fun.
- Sleep. Don’t underestimate the importance of those eight hours of zzz’s every night! Getting a good night’s rest will sharpen your focus and improve your working memory.
- Set a schedule. Do you work better right after school or after you’ve eaten dinner? Are you more productive in 90-minute blocks or half-hour spurts? Find a schedule that works for you, and stick to it. Use your prep time profitably.
- Take notes. Taking notes will not only keep you more engaged during class, but will also help you narrow down what you need to study when exam time rolls around. It’s much easier to reread your notes than to reread your entire textbook!
- Study. This one might be obvious, but did you know that there’s a right and a wrong way to study? Review your material several days ahead of time, in small chunks, and in different manners (for example, write flashcards one day and take practice tests the next). In other words, don’t cram.
- Manage your study space. Find a place that will maximize your productivity. Look for places away from the television and other distractions. Whether it’s your local library or just the desk in your bedroom, set aside a study space that you’ll want to spend time in.
- Find a study group. Sitting down with a group of people who are learning the same things as you is a great way to go over confusing class material or prepare for a big test. You can quiz each other, reteach material, and make sure that everyone is on the same page. After all, teaching someone else is the best way to learn.
- Ask questions. You’re in school to learn, so don’t be afraid to do just that! Asking for help – from a teacher, a tutor or your friends – is a surefire way to make sure you truly understand the material.
- Choose your friends wisely and be wise yourself. Avoid friends that corrupt your morals and replace your good behaviours with negative ones. Ask yourself, “How will my parents feel if they hear, see me, or are told I did this?” Avoid friends who corrupt good morals. Being naughty and disrespectful in school may be fun and make you popular but that popularity will lead you nowhere.
- Join useful clubs that help you develop your social capital or socialization skills, or your public speaking skills, your reasoning, and argumentative skills. Clubs such as the school debating club, science club, reader’s club, cadet, and the likes can provide you the needed platform to develop your skills in diverse fields.
READ: 2022 WASSCE: English Language practice questions with answers.
It is our hope that the 12 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS or 12 ways SHS students can become successful in school will be a game-changer as you go through your secondary education.