Studying Until The End Of The World and Other Attempts At Improving Grades

On Friday, as progress report and testing time approaches, I asked the class what they would do to improve their grade and learning in class. I asked them to be specific, but I think at this point in their education it's tough for many to go into specifics to answer a question like this. I knew they could answer many different ways. I figured some would answer very specifically and directly by saying, "I will turn in ______ assignment." I didn't get any of those, other than the ones who mentioned they would re-test. I expected others to answer a little more vaguely and talk indirectly about how they were going to do "something."

Below are the answers I received in infogr.am form.

Note:
Under "pay attention" one person even mentioned being an "active listener." Nice! 
To the person who said they will "turn in work whether it is finished or not." Please don't. Complete your work.

So it's pretty clear that students say they will/want to, not just study, but study harder. This may be the answer they've been told would work, but I also assume that's the answer they think I want to hear. Unfortunately, just studying harder isn't an exact recipe for success. I'm actually optimistic that students have been studying, but I think it's important to talk about how to study. It's like the old saying: "study smarter, not harder."

On Monday we are going to examine this article from Scientific American on study techniques that examines the literature and can help us figure out, scientifically, what works and what doesn't. I'm hoping it will help improve study habits and make the studying more effective. I don't expect my students to do something if I'm unwilling to do it myself. So studying "until the end of the world" is out of the question.

Later we may want to have a book study over this book. But that's another topic for another day. :)

Sweet are the uses of adversity

-William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, Scene I