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Part of doing well academically is getting to know yourself better: how you learn, what helps information stick and what throws you off. We have five tips to help you discover your academic strengths and build habits that will carry you through college.

1. Build a note-taking system that works for you. Good notes become great study guides, so find a system that works for you. This could look like handwriting in a notebook (research shows this helps with retention), typing into a structured app like Notion, recording voice memos or using a combination. The format matters less than the habit. The goal is to capture ideas in a way you'll actually revisit. Active listening in class plus a system for organizing what you hear is one of the highest-leverage academic habits you can build right now.

2. Create a study schedule and protect your rest. Learn how to set aside focused time each week to keep up with your studies. Starting a solid study schedule now will set you up for success once you get into college. One thing students often learn the hard way: more hours doesn't always mean more learning. Quality, focused study time, paired with real breaks and enough sleep, tends to outperform marathon cramming sessions. Build recovery into your schedule, not just work.

3. Know how you process information. We all take in and make sense of information differently. Do you understand concepts better when you see them visually or when you talk them through? Do you focus best in short intense sprints or long slower sessions? Do you need silence or background noise? Getting clear on how you actually learn rather than how you think you should learn, can transform your academic performance. Pay attention to when studying feels effortless vs. when it drains you, and let that guide how you set up your environment and schedule.

4. Learn to advocate for yourself. One of the biggest academic shifts between high school and college is that no one is going to check in on you. Professors have office hours, tutoring centers exist, writing labs are there, but you have to use them. Start building this muscle now. Email a teacher when you're confused. Go back to review a test you didn't do well on. Ask your high school counselor or advisor how to strengthen a weak area. Students who seek help proactively rather than waiting until they're stuck, consistently do better in high school and beyond.

5. Use AI tools wisely. AI tools can be genuinely useful for things like breaking down a confusing concept, getting feedback on a draft or organizing your notes. But they can also become a crutch that short-circuits the kind of deep thinking that school and college is actually trying to develop. The skill that matters isn't knowing how to get an AI to write something for you; it's knowing how to think clearly and communicate your own ideas. When you use AI as a thinking partner rather than a shortcut, it can actually make you a stronger student. Colleges, including ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ, expect students to engage authentically with their work, and that expectation only grows once you're on campus. Before using AI tools for any school or application work, check the AI and academic integrity policies of each university you are applying to, as guidelines vary by institution.

Written by ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ Office of Admissions