I'm in 8th grade. How do I improve my studying skills?

Sometimes a big change is necessary.

I found that I was having a lot of trouble staying focussed after all my after school stuff, so I’d just go to bed around 8pm and wake up at about 3am to study and do homework. In some ways this gave me a 5 hour jump on the morning, so it was the middle of my day when I got to school.

What subjects are you having trouble with? A lot of study techniques only work on certain subjects (e.g., often what works for math doesn’t work for english)?

also you may want to speak with a guidance counselor about study habits and the possibility that you might have some unkown impairments. I have mild dislexia but had no idea until a counselor suggested to me that I have an evaluation by the school Psychologist. All the while I thoughtvit was a lack of motivation, it was something else entirely.

Counselors can be a good source of support especially once you are on high school. There may be additional resources at your school to help you in developing a managable study routine. Keep on yourself though and never give up!

Check your notes 48 hours before the test, not the last minute i’ll-do-it-better classic way we all do, it takes time to your brain to absorb all the new information, if you take a cold shower right after you study will help you even more, the shock produced by the cold water creates new connections in among your neurons, also buy omega 3 on your local natural stuff store… I think I heard this on explorations, a bbc program.
Luiz

Try to avoid distractions while you study and allow plenty of study time. Studying effectively takes time, but it is time well spent. Start by looking for the “big picture”—figure out how the particular subject you are studying fits into the general scheme of things. That helps you focus on what you are trying to learn and why it is important, and gives you motivation to study. As you read materials for your class stop often to ask yourself what you just learned and how that information fits into the big picture. Jot down a few notes in your own words, summarizing the key points and how they fit with other key points in the study material. Keep doing this until you get through the assigned reading. When you finish you will have made yourself a good study guide to review before an exam, or to use when writing a paper. Writing helps you remember the material, so be sure to write your notes by hand rather than typing or cutting and pasting them into a document.

Also, read the material, and your notes, to yourself—out loud or silently (in your head, as if you were reading out loud). This will help you concentrate and remember the material. Again, allow lots of study time and as you go through the material keep asking yourself what you just learned. If you get tired and find that you aren’t getting anything from the material stop and take a short break. If necessary, change subjects to focus on for a while (switch from math to English, for example), but don’t give up. Just ease back into the material that you have trouble with and go more slowly until your get through the difficult parts.

I wish you well, and hope that in the comments here you let us know how your study techniques have improved.

Lots of the advice above is very good.

Find some friends who have good grades. Figure out what they’re doing right, and talk about the coursework with them. They can help you understand stuff you don’t, and you might be able to do the same for them. Plus, you’ll all want and expect good grades. The social pressure to succeed can be useful.

I teach 6th grade, and I always advise my kids to use any “down time” to work on homework or study. Like riding home on the bus, in the car to practice, while you are waiting for someone to pick you up, etc. You would be surprised how much time you spend waiting or traveling!

I personally have always loved learning and have taught as well. It is a good idea to look inside yourself and see what subjects (academic or non) really light your fire…where studying and learning is exciting and fun. Are you a slow reader? That can also be discouraging.

I read everything – labels on cereal boxes, etc. But I used to put flash cards on the bathroom mirror, first for English spelling and then for more advanced stuff – such as foreign language vocabulary. Good grades do not necessarily equate with really learning and remembering and sustaining interest. Examine yourself. Of course, there will be subjects you may have to simply plod through, but I hope that there will be some teachers who really excite you.

Ditto..lots of great ideas above.

Will add two more things….try to make studying fun. By going to a bookstore or coffeehouse on a comfy chair or warmer weather..bring a blanket at a park and just study. When I get stuck or have a hard time studying, I would try to make it fun.

I remember flashcards..if some some stuff hard to remember..write it down on a index card and you can use that for studying finals/midterms etc.

supergirl;s idea is great. There are the basics, I’m sure you know. They are the old fashion ideas of finding a quiet place, settle down without noise and go to work. If you have no study habits at all I suggest working for 15 or 20 minutes then go from there. The key as far as I can tell is to just sit and start. The other thing that I believe helps in all subject areas is start reading.

i reckon if you try to make what your trying to remember more meaningful then you might be able to remember it better