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

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.