Form Four Notes for KENYA – Download All Subjects for Secondary Schools

1. Adopt a positive mental
attitude

In the face of
lower-than-expected grades, it’s only human to react by feeling disappointed
with oneself. When you’re frequently receiving lower grades than you’d hoped
for, you may start to feel depressed or defeated, and feel like giving up. The
first step on the road to improving your grades is to turn this negativity on
its head. You need to be positive about the situation if you’re to stand a
chance of improving it. Acknowledge that your grades aren’t what you’re aiming
for, but believe that you can do something about it. Start by mentally taking
control of the situation: instead of thinking “I’m a failure”, think “I can and
will do better than this.” Don’t give up – take positive steps towards
achieving the improvement you’re more than capable of achieving.

2. Ask your teacher for more
feedback

If your marks are as good
as they can get and you haven’t yet shown that much interest in pushing
yourself, your teacher might be happy enough to let you rest on your laurels.
This is especially the case if your marks in other subjects aren’t up to the
same standard, as they won’t want to knock your confidence for no good reason.
But at the same time, no good teacher will want a pupil who’s happy to be
challenged to become bored and complacent. If you’re trying to push yourself in
your favourite subject, the best place to start, then, is one of your most
accessible resources on your subject of choice: your teacher.

3. Study with a group.

There are several benefits
to forming a study group. Group members can help one another work through
difficult problems, provide encouragement, hold each other accountable to
studying goals, provide different perspectives, and make studying more
enjoyable. Even explaining difficult concepts to others can help with comprehension
and retention.

If you have a group study
session, set a goal the group will work towards and take periodic breaks as you
would studying by yourself.

4. Take Notes

To keep your brain engaged
during class, take notes, which you can refer to later, as you refine your
study techniques.

Notes can help store
information in your long-term memory, right there in class. These notes will be
important for reviewing when you’re completing assessments and assignments.

You might find it handy to
condense your notes after class, so they’re clear and easy to read. Underline
or highlight key points. If anything doesn’t make sense, you can seek
clarification from your teacher.

5. Be a good test-taker

Just about all college
classes have exams, and sometimes the exams are the major portion of your final
grade, so it’s important to become a good test-taker. Here are some hints:

Know what to expect on
exams. Every professor has a style of test development, so obtain old
copies or ask the professor directly. Know the types of questions that will be
asked — as well as the content that will be covered.

Read questions carefully
and plan answers. Take your time at the beginning of the test to read
through all the instructions and make a plan of attack.