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Get ahead of the study curve

AFTER a summer of chillin', the academic pressures of high school can be a rude awakening - especially if you're a student entering Grade 12.

AFTER a summer of chillin', the academic pressures of high school can be a rude awakening - especially if you're a student entering Grade 12.

By senior year, students have written hundreds of tests and exams; handed in countless projects and assignments; and studied hours upon hours. But just how ready are they for the academic demands of Grade 12 and college or university?

A national survey recently conducted by Léger Marketing for Oxford Learning revealed that four out of 10 parents do not feel confident that their teenager will achieve the high school math grades required for college or university.

The instructors at Oxford Learning offer these tips and learning habits to help:

- Begin early. It is never too late to implement positive changes that can lead to better grades. The earlier students get on track, the easier it is to stay there. Recognize there is a big academic jump each year of high school and keeping pace is the key to success.

- Talk to your teen. Prepare them for the year ahead and nurture them to be more independent and to take responsibility for their school work. Get the academic support needed, before the student has the chance to fall behind.

- Get organized. Develop a strategy to build momentum throughout the whole year: use a planner, review notes, develop a homework routine, set a study schedule, eat right, get enough sleep.

- Time management skills are especially critical in high school. The workload increases every year, as do personal and social responsibilities.

- TV off. Homework on. Start limiting screen time before school begins. Social networks, gaming, TVs, and cell phones are the biggest student distractions. Studies show that students can spend up to seven hours per day online. Create a screen time schedule and make homework the priority.

For more back-to-school study tips, check out www. oxfordlearning.com.