How to Get on Honor Roll in Middle School

In the Summer

Study in the summer. Remember what was challenging last year for you and study it! You could go online and find a good website, get a book from your library or find one on Amazon. If you don't feel like studying over summer, you could do something like go to a museum if you have the time, or invite a friend over for a study session (that also happens to involve video game breaks). There are many ways to review what you know when school's out, even in fun ways! Just remember not to overdo it, because if it's not feeling fun and you don't want to do it, then you won't focus as much, you won't learn as much, and it will be frustrating.

Prepare for next year's classes if you're up for it. If you excelled last year, then you might want to think about skipping ahead and covering next year's material. Say you're going into 6th grade and last year you aced every math test you had. If it's too easy for you, you could print out some 6th grade level tests and see how you do. You could also think about skipping a grade if all of the 6th grade material is SUPER easy. But it's good to prepare over the summer because you know what's coming and you have a head start on some things.

Get all of the school supplies you need. Go to Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, or another school supplies store and get them all ahead of time. Don't wait until school has started, because then everything will be gone. Go a week or two early, bring your school supply list, and shop away. Try three-ring or zipper binders, because they hold a lot and keep you very organized, and that's a big help for getting good grades. Here is a general list, though it may vary from school to school: Case-it or binder Lots of pencils (People will "borrow them" like crazy, which means lose them) Lined paper Red pen Highlighters Folders and notebooks (you may want to wait on these because some classes require them and some don't) Depending on the teacher, you could need colored pencils, tape, scissors, and more

In School

Make a good impression with your teachers on the first day. This doesn't mean be an absolute teacher's pet. It means don't stick gum under the desks, or call out without raising your hand. Be respectful to them, even if you don't like them. Remember this rule: You always have to be respectful to teachers (or be nice to them), but they have to gain your respect (or admiration). This might not help you get better grades, but being friends with your teachers will make the year more enjoyable.

Pay attention in class. If you want to be an honor roll student, you can't expect to doodle on your desk the whole year and get all A's. You're at school to learn, so listen to the teacher. It's okay if you accidentally start daydreaming once in a while, but make sure to catch back up on the topic, and try to avoid daydreaming. Make sure to take notes, especially if it's required. Then you have something to reference back to. Record your homework in your planner, or on a piece of paper. It is also good to record test dates so you know when tests are coming.

If you have a question, raise your hand! Sometimes it can be embarrassing to go out of your comfort zone, but if you leave your question unanswered, then you might get confused later in class. If you are really embarrassed, try to ask the teacher about it after class, or ask a friend.

Do all of your homework immediately. Do it in a quiet place where you will be undisturbed. If you need help with something, ask your parents or siblings. If they're busy, then go online to find an answer, or email your teacher about your question. Remember, it's best to get one-on-one help, so try to get your family to help first.

Don't put off studying or doing a project until the last minute. Do a little bit each day until the deadline. This can be hard to plan out, but look at the whole thing and how many days you have left to do it. Let's say you have a poster board on the Aztecs due in one week. You have to get 3 resources from online and 3 from books, and make up a fiction story including 10 real facts from those resources. Then you have to draw a detailed drawing for part of your story. (This is a pretty good description of something you might have to do for a project.) The first and second nights you could get your sources. (Make sure they're trustworthy!) The third, fourth, and fifth nights you should get your facts, write a draft, and write the final thing. The last few nights can be spent making sure it's all perfect and drawing that picture. You'll want to plan the whole thing out like that, and maybe even a little more!

Be very organized! Some of your teachers will mark off points for turning something in late, so make sure to turn stuff in on time. The worst thing ever (and one of the biggest reasons things are late) is to have done a whole paper and not being able to find it in your messy binder, or leaving it at home. Then that A might turn into a B or worse...a big 0 if your teacher isn't forgiving. You could have forgotten to do it, which is also due to organization issues. This means that you forgot to write it down....perhaps because your planner/pencil was buried somewhere deep in the abysmal pit of papers and cute Japanese erasers in your binder. Some tips for being more organized: Keep track of what you have to do. Homework, tests, projects, and even if you are meeting in a different room one day for class. Have an "Organization Day." Clean out your locker and binder and anything else that gets messy. Put all of your graded papers in a folder far away from your binder, unless you know you'll need them again. Have folders for every school subject. Actually use your folders. Sometimes it's hard when you're in a hurry but it pays off in the long run. If you can't do it between classes, try doing it at home.

Know your teachers' different styles. Some teachers will be the best teachers ever and describe everything very well, and some will be the worst teachers that you've had. Some will be strict and some will be easygoing. But that's not all. Different teachers have different grading systems, and they have different rules. Teachers can sometimes be picky about things, and mark points off for that, so you have to learn about their requirements early in the year so you don't lose hard earned points. Some teachers might only accept work if you have your first name, last name, hour, and the date in the upper right hand corner. Make sure to always do that specific thing, or else they might take points off of your paper. (I had one teacher like this.)

If you are struggling in a subject, don't just give up. Get a tutor if you really need one, or just study with a few friends. Stay after school with the teacher if you really don't understand, and try your absolute best on everything. As long as you do the best that you can and put in a lot of work, it's okay if you don't get on the honor roll. Just be proud of what you did do, and try again next time.