What is the secret to making an A in every course through grammar school, high s

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   brakel2posted 8 years ago

   What is the secret to making an A in every course through grammar school, high school, and college?
   
   Someone I know accomplished this feat all the way through med school. Intelligence plus  study or more complicated? Examples?

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2. 85

   Jackie Lynnleyposted 8 years ago

   
   
   I would say paying attention and dedication. I knew more than one person like this and I myself made it to high school before I made a B but then boys started looking better than English.....

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      gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You  have hit the nail on the head.  Concentrate on school and less on social life.  Social life and dating comes later after educational attainment.

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   connorjposted 8 years ago

   
   
   I conclude for a straight "A" record it would indeed be a combination of effective study and intelligence; however, what is most interesting and apparently not well known, is the quantitified evidence that significant reading/studying improves intelligence. Reading allows one to accumulate information; since our brain learns by association, since there is more opportunity to associate with a significant fund of basic knowledge already stored,  new learning becomes easier. It is easier to associate it!
   Dedication, love of reading, able to record excellent notes, reviewing material consistently and frequently by reading and re-writing notes especially 1 hour before falling into uninterrupted sleep that lasts at minimum 6 hours. This ideal time period for study (1 hour before sleep) allows for your brain to literally review your work while you sleep. During sleep your brain is for the most part focused and constantly solidifying this information while you sleep.  I certainly believe anyone can do this; however, few have the work-ethic or apparently the knowledge to accomplish this.

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      dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not sure if this would apply to high level math and science/lab classes.

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      connorjposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I think it does; when one understands "number sense" and is steeped in knowledge of mathematics-the language of science and critical thinking it all falls into place...

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      gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent point here!

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   poetryman6969posted 8 years ago

   There is a method that can certainly get you through a lot of classes in college but I did not know if it in high school so I don't know if it would work there.  Get all the exams and homework from the previous session.  Only take classes from teachers who never vary homework or tests.  Then memorization is all that is required.  It could be argued that you never learn anything via this method but I knew people in college who spent all their free time chasing down homework, quizzes and tests for up coming classes.
   
   Another method which is again more suitable to college is to always audit courses before you take them.

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   dashingscorpioposted 8 years ago

   I suspect it requires a number of things such as being determined to earn all A s, having a high IQ, knowing (how) to study effectively, have a great memory, understanding what teachers want/expect, being willing to do extra credit, establishing a good rapport with teachers, having parents who are thoroughly interested in a child's progress to a point of meeting with teachers, hiring tutors, and reviewing homework assignments, last but not least the student has a competitive spirit along with a vision of their career goal. A desire to be #1 in their class.
   I knew someone in college who viewed his classmates as competitors. He took pride in having the highest test scores. I along with many others never saw schoolwork as a sort of game with other students being competitors.
   Maybe if I had that view I would have put in more effort.

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      brakel2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You may have a point here. Our friendship group in high school always was competitive and made good grades.

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      dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I can see that. It helps to socialize with others of the same mindset. I was never a part of any study groups or even had any study partners. I believe either could help keep a student motivated. Hanging out with successful people rubs off!

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   choneycuttposted 8 years ago

   It all depends upon motivation.  If you have a motivation to learn, an A will come naturally.  If you have a performance motivation (as many kids do), you will only care about looking good and achieving the bare minimum.  I say, the best way to ensure that you get an A, is to avoid procrastination at all costs.  Make the things you would like to do contingent on the completion of homework.  Also, reward yourselves when you work on or complete an assignment.  This will reinforce your good behaviors.
   
   A common roadblock for good grades is the fact that you are not up-to-date with the material of the class.  In order to succeed in math and writing, you need to understand the basic rules of the two subjects entirely.  Instead of being intimidated by advanced material and simply giving up, we need to not be ashamed that we need a further understanding of some of the earlier material.  You cannot do algebraic equations until you learn the rules of math.  These equations may seem impossible, but if you understand your current level in a subject and put out the effort to catch up, you should get an A in time.

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      gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, in order to make straight As throughout school, one must possess intellectual acumen and diligence.  Also, one must love knowledge and study.  Many students simply DON'T want to put in the effort to study.

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   sockiiposted 8 years ago

   Intelligence, study, and other factors - like how competitive the school in question is. An "A" at a lower level, less competitive school is not going to mean the same thing as an "A" at a highly competitive university where everyone in attendance was the top of their class in high school. And sometimes very gifted and intelligent people can't handle it to suddenly be in an environment where they *aren't* the smartest person in the class. (I went to a top engineering school in the U.S. and saw many of my classmates quit because they could not handle "just" being a B or C student in the midst of some of the smartest young people in the world. It didn't mean they weren't smart, they didn't study, it's just the competition was such that not everyone could be an "A" student, especially when grades were based on a curve.
   
   I also think it's important to remember that being an A student doesn't necessarily make the person the best in their actual job or occupation, either. Being an A student in medical school doesn't give one compassion, understanding, or the gift to communicate and instill trust in one's patients. Grades in school can be meaningless once one enters the real world, far away from academia.

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      dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Great point! An "A" at Harvard or Yale is different than getting a "A" at University of Phoenix. Not all schools or instructors present the same level of challenges for students. An "A" student in one school may be a C student at another school.

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      sockiiposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly my point (or part of it). Grades can be meaningless without context. When I attended MIT, during our freshmen year we weren't even given grades, just "Pass" or "Fail", to try to get students out of the mindset of obsessing over grades.

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      gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly, an A at a second rate school does not have the credibility than an A at a top notch school.  Excellent points have been presented here.

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