There are many studying techniques that students can use, but don’t. What are your obstacles to having straight A’s? What can you do to overcome them?

Almost everyone has at least one obstacle to having straight A’s, and some students won’t do anything about it because either they don’t want to improve and get ahead, or they just don’t know how to overcome it and need a little more guidance towards their goal. Here are some obstacles that people have and how they overcome them. Senior Jeffrey Pineda said, “ My biggest obstacle to having straight A’s would have to be dealing with procrastination.”

So many people deal with procrastination. Procrastination doesn’t just affect students; it also affects adults in real life. “I think what I can do to overcome this obstacle of mine would be learning to get rid of all distractions, whether that’s my phone or anything else that’ll distract me from getting my assignments done. Something else I can do is plan ahead, such as planning out when to complete certain assignments so that they don’t pile up, and I won’t have to be doing them all last minute right before they’re due,” said Jeffrey.

Most students struggle with math the most, but some also take honors, AP, DE, and other advanced classes, so it kind of depends on what classes they take. Freshman Jaquelyn Figueroa said, “I personally think English is the most challenging topic, because my teacher assigns a lot of work.”

Do you know how to measure your academic responsibilities and your social life? Measuring your academic responsibilities and social life is really important too, especially if you have a lot of friends. Jaquelyn said, “I make sure to create enough time in my schedule to be able to hang out with my friends and for school.” Most students don’t know how to balance their time with their friends, and that is also another obstacle, because when hanging out with friends, you lose track of time, and since time goes by fast, you don’t even realize the whole day has gone by.

There are many studying techniques that students can use, but don’t. Perhaps they just don’t put enough effort into trying. Freshman Paola Hernandez said, “A studying technique that hasn’t helped me is probably the Feynman technique.” The Feynman technique is when you explain something to somebody else to help improve your own understanding. “Some studying techniques that have helped me are probably color coding my notes and taking breaks after a certain amount of time,” said Paola. Just like there are people for whom the Feynman technique doesn’t work, there are also people for whom color coding doesn’t work. Some people would rather do simple things like putting as many ice cubes as they want into a cup and studying until the ice melts.

Senior Alice Hertz said, “ I find that if work takes me more than an hour, I struggle staying on task, but using different study techniques can help me refocus.” Some studying techniques that help the most are taking breaks after a certain amount of time or after every assignment, depending on how long it takes to complete your assignments. Senior Alice Hertz also said, “I am motivated by the idea of having a high GPA and getting into a good college.”

What learning process do students struggle with the most, and why? “Sometimes I have trouble staying focused in class, especially if the subject is not one I enjoy, like math,” said senior Ella Quinio. Many people struggle with math the most, while others struggle with other classes.

Most people would rather work with their friends or classmates, but does it really end up benefiting you, or does it bring you down? “I think it’s easier to work with classmates because it is always fun, and sometimes you can get it done faster,” said senior Ella Quinio. It really depends on what type of person you are, whether you work better by yourself or with someone else.

What obstacles do you struggle with to have straight A’s, and what can you do to overcome these obstacles?

What studying techniques do you recommend using, and which ones do you think are useless for you? Tell us in the comments!