Gary North

May 23, 2009

It is almost the end of the school year. This opens up an opportunity for serious high school students.

A student can get a head start by reading at least the first quarter of each textbook that will be assigned next year.

Getting ahead over the summer takes pressure off during the first month of school.

Making a good impression in the first month is a major academic strategy.

Students should not waste summer months. Half a day of study, five days a week, should be devoted to gaining an edge. It's like training for a sport.

Get the books for free. At the end of the academic year, students hand in their textbooks. These books are issued again the following term.

Some of these books are battered. They will be tossed out. If a student goes in on the last day and asks to be given toss-out copies of next year's textbooks, the book manager may cooperate. No other student ever asks. The student can tell the book manager that it's for summer study.

This way, the student can keep copies of the textbooks at home during the following year. Keep the issued books at school. That's safer.

It's legal to mark up your own book. A marked-up book is a mastered book. It's far easier to review a marked-up book before an exam.

If the cover is missing, so what?

The student needs to know which courses he or she will take next term.

If there are no give-away copies, maybe there are copies to borrow over summer.

For more tips on how to raise your grades, visit my department, Grades.