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Academic Tips and Resources
10 Ways to Improve Academic Performance in High School
May 5, 2025
Improving your academic performance isn’t just about getting better grades on your report cards; it’s about confidence, curiosity, and cracking the code to your unique learning style.
Take it from Peter, a Grade 10 student in Brampton who turned his 68% math average into an 84% in one term, not by studying longer, but by tweaking how he studied. This list isn’t another lecture about “trying harder”. It’s a toolkit of proven strategies used by Ontario students and backed by educators to help you breeze through high school’s chaos while keeping your sanity (and GPA) intact.
You can ditch the burnout playbook and rewrite what “success” really means. Here’s how:
- Learn Time Management
- Set Goals That Don’t Sound Like Homework
- Study Smarter, Not Longer
- Ask Your Teachers for Help
- Get better sleep
- Find Your People
- Hack Your Environment
- Take Advantage of Technology
- Track Progress Like a Coach
- When All Else Fails, Ask for Backup
1. Time Management is Your Secret Weapon for Surviving Midterms
Let’s start with the obvious: high school feels like a treadmill that’s always speeding up.
Between calculus homework, volleyball practice, and your weekend shift at the coffee shop, it’s easy to drown in deadlines. But here’s the thing, nailing time management isn’t about squeezing more hours into the day. It’s about working smarter.
Remember Peter from earlier? He used to pull all-nighters before math tests until he tried the “Two-Day Rule.” Every assignment gets tackled within 48 hours of being assigned, no exceptions. “Breaking things into bite-sized chunks stopped me from panicking”, he said.
Tools like Google Calendar or even an old-school planner can help you block study sessions around your life, not the other way around. For example, if math homework always seems to hijack your evenings? Schedule it right after school when your brain’s still in “class mode”.
Pro Tip: Try the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks. Split your to-do list into four categories:
- Urgent & Important (e.g., tomorrow’s math test).
- Important but Not Urgent (e.g., a no-history project due in three weeks).
- Urgent but Not Important (e.g., a group chat debate).
- Neither Urgent nor Important (e.g., rewatching TikTok memes).
This helps you focus on what actually moves the needle.
2. Set Goals That Don’t Sound Like Homework
“Get better grades” is about as useful as “eat healthier”; they’re both too vague to stick.
Instead, try SMART goals (short for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). For example: “I’ll raise my Functions mark from 75% to 82% by November by doing 3 extra practice problems daily and joining a study group”.
SMART goals work because they turn abstract stress into action steps. Apps like Habitica gamify this process, imagine earning XP points for acing a physics quiz or finishing an essay draft.
Real-Life Hack: A student in Ottawa used SMART goals to improve her Grade 10 math mark by 15% in one term. She broke down her goal into weekly targets, like mastering linear equations by Week 3 and acing quadratic functions by Week 6.
3. Study Smarter, Not Longer (Yes, Really)
Cramming might scrape you a pass, but it’s like building a sandcastle before high tide; it won’t last. For subjects like high school math, where the concepts stack like LEGO bricks, you need strategies that stick, like:
- Active Recall: drop the passive highlighting, and use flashcards to quiz yourself on quadratic formulas or cellular respiration steps. Apps like Anki automate this with spaced repetition.
- The Feynman Technique: Pretend you’re explaining trigonometry to a 10-year-old. If you stumble, you’ve found a gap to fix.
- Pomodoro Method: Study for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute TikTok break. Repeat.
Science Backs This Up: Multiple extensive educational-psychology studies found that students using active recall scored 10 – 20% higher on finals than those just rereading notes. For visual learners, mind-mapping complex topics like the Krebs cycle can turn chaos into clarity.
Heads up! Roots to Routes Academy teaches math in a way that just makes sense, talk about studying smart! If you want to give your GPA a math boost, Enrol in our Summer program. Classes start soon!
4. Your Teachers Are (Actually) There to Help
Office hours aren’t just for college. Ontario teachers often stay late for extra help, so use it.
Bring specific questions like, “Can we review how to factor polynomials?” instead of a vague “I don’t get anything”.
If you’re still nervous, start with an email: “Hi Ms. Patel, I’m stuck on question 5 from yesterday’s worksheet. Could we go over it tomorrow?” Most teachers want you to succeed, they just need to know you’re trying.
Bonus: Many schools offer peer tutoring. A Grade 11 student in Mississauga improved her chemistry mark by 12% after pairing with a senior who’d aced the course.
5. Sleep is Better Than Last-Minute Review
Pulling an all-nighter might feel productive, but it’s like showing up to a hockey game without skates. Sleep solidifies memory, and skimping on it tanks focus. Aim for 7–9 hours, even during exam season.
Pro Tip: If you must cram, prioritize “sleep windows” between 10 PM–2 AM. This is when your brain processes info most efficiently.
6. Find Your People (Study Groups)
Studying alone can feel like shouting into an empty room. Join or start a study group where you take turns teaching concepts. Explaining the pH scale to your peers forces you to really understand it.
Here’s How You Make It Work:
- Keep groups small (3–4 people).
- Set agendas (e.g., “Today: Organic Chemistry Naming Rules”).
- Meet weekly at a consistent spot, like the library or a quiet café.
If you’re studying to find your crew, we offer small, teacher-led classes where asking “dumb questions” isn’t just allowed, it’s encouraged.
7. Hack Your Environment
Your study spot matters. If your bedroom’s a vortex of distractions (with your PlayStation looking at you), try:
- The Library: Quiet, free Wi-Fi, and zero laundry piles.
- Cafés: Background noise can boost creativity for essay writing.
- Parks: Fresh air = fresh ideas. Just avoid squirrel-watching marathons.
Pro Tip: Use noise-cancelling headphones with ambient playlists (think rain sounds or café chatter) to block distractions.
8. Take Advantage of Technology
Your phone isn’t the enemy if you use it right. Check out:
- Forest App: Grow a virtual tree by staying off Instagram for 30 minutes.
- Khan Academy: Free tutorials aligned with Ontario’s math curriculum.
- Grammarly: Catches essay typos that your tired eyes miss.
For Mathletes: Apps like Wolfram Alpha break down calculus problems step-by-step. Just don’t rely on it to replace learning; use it to check your work.
9. Track Progress Like a Coach
An academic performance index isn’t just a report card, it’s a roadmap. Use apps like MyStudyLife to log grades, track trends, and spot weak spots.
Hey! If your Grade 11 Functions mark dips every time trigonometry pops up, that’s your cue to hit extra practice problems or book a tutor session. Seeing your chemistry mark climb from 68% to 75% is the kind of motivation no pep talk can match.
10. When All Else Fails, Ask for Backup
Sometimes, you need more than grit. Tutoring isn’t a “last resort”; it’s a shortcut.
Look for programmes that:
- Offer small groups (15–25 students max).
- Align with Ontario’s curriculum (no vague “math help”).
- Include progress or results tracking (so you see improvement).
Programmes like Roots to Routes Academy specialise in this. Think of us as your academic pit crew, fine-tuning your skills without the pressure of a packed classroom. Our Grade 12 math course, for instance, breaks down derivatives using real-world examples, plus your improved credits get transferred to your high school.
The Takeaway: Progress is Better than Perfection
Improving grades isn’t about straight A’s overnight. It’s about tiny, consistent wins; mastering one equation, nailing one essay draft, getting one extra hour of sleep. And when the load feels too heavy? That’s what communities (like us) are for.
