Study Skills & Tutoring Resources

Intervention/Help from teachers

All GSMST teachers offer weekly intervention/help hours. These hours are posted in classrooms, on syllabi, and on teacher websites. It is vitally important that students take advantage of this time to get extra help if they are struggling in their classes. We highly recommend that students seek help from their teachers whenever they are struggling with a particular concept or if they have a C or lower in the class. 

9th Grade Study Resources

10th Grade Study Resources

Tutoring

Outside Tutoring: GSMST does not recommend or endorse any tutor. These names are provided as a service. Parents and students are responsible for payments for services. Students may get a copy of the tutoring list in the Counseling Office Reception area.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

If a student is struggling in one or two classes, the counseling office recommends that parents first contact the teachers of these subjects.  Our teachers are often the best resource to help you understand the specific areas in which your student is having difficulties.  The counselors are available to sit in on these meetings if necessary.  If your student is struggling in many subject areas, counselors are available to collect feedback from teachers and facilitate meetings when necessary.

Study Skills Booklet

We recommend students read through this booklet and choose a few strategies that they can put into practice right away. After a couple of weeks, if those strategies are not working, pick two or three different strategies and implement them. It can take time to learn which strategies work for you, but it is time well-spent!

Other Resources

Emory University Summer Reading Skills Program (for rising 9th - 11th graders)

The Institute of Reading Development has partnered with Emory University to offer this program designed to help students become stronger readers and better students. They read twice as fast, make substantial gains in comprehension, and study more effectively. Students who take this program:

• Increase reading speed
• Improve comprehension
• Learn study skills
• Enjoy reading more

The program includes five weeks of classroom instruction and stimulating activities led by an experienced teacher, engaging materials that provide instruction at home between the weekly lessons, and reading in some of the most enjoyable books ever written. Program locations are available throughout Gwinnett County. For more information visit the Emory Reading Program website
 

Study Tips from GSMST Students

General Recommendations

• It’s important to consciously cut down time chatting online with your friends (though it is best to not do it at all)
• It’s vital to start homework early - DO NOT wait until the morning that something is due!
• Prioritize all of your homework to decide how much time to spend on each subject.
• Stretch reading material out over time and don’t wait until the night before to START your book.
• DO your summer assignments- trust us, it will help in the school year
• Read all assigned books given by teachers throughout the year
• Remember, everything that you are doing is to help YOURSELF, so don’t cheat yourself by procrastinating or skipping assignments.
• Take small breaks while you are studying and doing homework to keep yourself awake and focused.
• Some people find that small snacks help keep them going throughout the day.
• Group Projects:
• Make sure to get materials early on
• Don’t slack off in group projects
• Take the initiative to be the group leader and/or to play an active role in your group projects to make sure that everything is working out with the project and all the goals are being accomplished
• Be smart in picking your groups- don’t necessarily pick someone because they are a good friend of yours.

Weekends:

• Always try to finish up homework on Friday night and Saturday, so you aren’t frantically spending all of Sunday finishing up homework/ projects and staying up late.
• By finishing everything early on in a timely manner, you can end up with time to relax and to have fun later on in your weekend

Reviewing for Tests:

• Make sure to have your own written notes for classes and topics for tests because that will help you retain the information faster and you will be able to study better, thus making you more efficient with your time
• A great time to study is on your way to and from school while you are in the car/ bus.
• Don’t wait to study for something until the night before. Cramming will not help you retain everything that you need to know for upcoming exams. By spreading it out over a couple days you will be able to retain the information better and your grades will reflect all that hard work.
• Review all the material that you learned that day in school as soon as you get home. This will improve your rate of remembrance for the given information.

How to NOT waste time in class:

• DON’T fall asleep and DON’T play games in class
• Make sure to take comprehensive notes, especially on the things your teacher emphasizes in class.