We are one month into the new year, and hopefully, you haven’t forgotten your New Year’s resolutions yet. Your goals might include eating healthier, exercising more or making better grades.

Regardless, as a high school student, grades are likely becoming more and more important to you, especially as you look at colleges and decide on a future career.

There are a lot of small ways you can start making better grades that eventually add up. Here are some ideas to get you started.

(1) Attendance

An easy way to boost your grades is by making sure you’re in class. I know this seems obvious, but how many times have you missed a day in that math class and spent the next week (or two) totally lost? Make sure that if you’re absent, you ask a friend to send you their notes or go in early the next day to get caught up.

Teachers at Chapman are more than happy to help you out in the mornings before class or on their late days.

(2) Ask questions

If you don’t understand something, ask. Your teachers are there to help you, and it’s up to you to take advantage of the resources the school offers. If you don’t want to raise your hand in class, go in early in the morning to go over some topics or stay after class.

You can also always ask another student to explain something to you.

Junior Naomi Mills believes asking questions is vital to a good learning experience.

“It’s very important; if you don’t know all the material, you won’t do as well in testing,” she said.

(3) Discover your learning style

There are lots of learning styles out there, and it’s important to find out which ones work for you. If your teacher tends to do most of their teaching through lectures, ask for some reading material or create a Quizlet.

Junior Victoria Jolley said she is a verbal and visual learner and so she uses a technology tool to help her.

“Using Quizlet, through matching and flashcards, helps me study quick and actually remember,” she said.

You can also try out YouTube videos, podcasts, study groups and flashcards. This way you’ll know you’re absorbing as much of the material as possible.

(4) Put in the effort

This is another one that should be apparent, but its importance shouldn’t be dismissed. You can’t expect good grades without the hard work. Some classes might be easier than others for you, but it’s still important to study and try hard in them.

High school is not meant to be easy, and anything worth having is worth working hard for.