For most kids, studying and homework are unavoidable parts of growing up. We asked several KidNews readers – who also happen to be good students (hint, hint) – to share with us the study habits, good, bad and just plain odd, that work for them. Here’s what they had to show and tell.
ANYWHERE QUIET: Jessica V.,11
Jessica V., 11 , of Chicago counts studying among her many after-school activities. “I fit it in between basketball and gymnastics,” she says. When she can snatch time between practices, she gets down to business. Her hard-and-fast rules: No radio, no TV. She studies in her bedroom because it’s private and quiet. Well, most of the time. Sometimes, though, her cousins come over and play. “Then,” she says, “I have to stop what I’m doing and tell them to be quiet.”
IN FRONT OF THE TV: Dave S., 13,
Dave S., 13, of South Holland is a straight-A student, but he’s not what anyone would call a poster child for good study habits. When he does study, which isn’t as often as his parents would like, he’s sure to surround himself with plenty of distractions, like TV and Nintendo. Dave says the secret to his good grades is paying attention in class. “I figure since I have to go to school anyway I might as well pay attention,” he says. Oh.
THE BATHTUB: Kelly J., 13,
To study, Kelly J., 13, of Palos Heights must first concentrate. To concentrate she must relax. And the best place to do that, she says, is the bathtub. A nice hot bath, Kelly says, “relaxes me and opens my mind.” And unless one’s into bath toys, the bathtub has few distractions. The only drawback is the occasional soggy homework assignment. Oh, and Kelly’s folks aren’t too happy about their water bills (though they like her report cards well enough)!
THE BED: Stephanie J., 11,
Stephanie J., 11, of Naperville is a straight-A student and a good studier. When she gets home from school, she chills out with a little TV then gets organized. She does her homework assignments in order from easiest (reading) to hardest (math). Then she makes sure the things she might need, like a pencil or her math-whiz older brother, are close by. Her fave place to study is her bed: “Sometimes that’s where my mind is clearest and the least distracted.”
DINING ROOM: Kelvin K., 11
Although a good student, Kelvin R., 11, of Chicago doesn’t care much for homework. At least not unless he’s assigned to read a book by a fave author like K. A. Applegate (“Animorphs”). To get into study mode after school, Kelvin grabs a bite to eat and changes into something comfy. Then he heads to a dining room desk located under several shelves of books. “I usually study for an hour, hour and a half,” he says. Of course, sometimes a book he’s itching to read catches his eye and before he knows it he’s engrossed in Chapter 1!
