---
title: Improving Academic Performance (15)
description: Here you will find blog posts with pertinent information on taking tests, studying, college admissions, and more. Be sure to read some posts today. (15)
---

# Improving Academic PerfORMANCE

Learn how to improve yourself through targeted learning and improved study skills.

Browse by

All News study skills academic performance improve study habits improving academic performance online tutoring growth mindset how to improve my grades improve academic performance improve your grades online educational resources tutoring 1-on-1 tutoring GMAT Blog deliberate practice study tips motivation preparing for the initial tutoring session study help ACT/SAT IQ New tutors brain science college student grit online tutors personalized education private tutoring time management Brain Rules LSAT MCAT Reading Comprehension Uncategorized college prep coronavirus high school improve test scores improving grades mindset private tutors study habits working with an online tutor College Admissions GRE Grit drives academic performance Hiring a tutor Improving Writing Study Planning deliberate practice at school distance learning hard work how to study efficiently increase your academic performance malleable brain math skills online tutor tips organization skills set clear objectives share details share materials strategic study plan study strategies studying ACT/SAT study skills College Applications GMAT GMAT prep John Medina LSAT Prep Managing Stress New Partnerships Paul Tough Strategy Development calculus tutoring college admissions interview college advice college entrance education system gre test prep improving cognition memory techniques neuroplasticity note-taking online classroom online statistics tutor productivity remote learning study the right way test prep strategies tutoring skills tutoring tips undergraduate student ACT ACT study help Boston tutors CPS selective enrollment California tutors Carol Dweck Cognitive Skills College majors Customer service ELA ESL tutoring GMAT reading comprehension GMAT testimonials Heidi Grant Halvorson How to Study for standardized exams Key Factors v. Core Competencies LSAT tips Language Arts Learning Disabilities Learning Specialists Market Attractiveness v. Competitive Position Micreconomics MyGuru News MyGuru leadership MyGuru locations NCLB NCLEX New York tutors Online Performance Character Power of Practice Revised GRE SAT study help SEL Study plans Success requires more than intelligence Summer tutoring program When to hire a private tutor Writing Sample admissions essays advanced placement anti-bullying ap classes ap physics ap physics tutoring ap test prep auditory learners beyond booksmart choosing a college major college degree college education college essay writing advice college essays college freshman college resume college tips compassion cost of college deep work demand curve effort equality essay writing exam preparation focus foreign language learning gamification gamification in classroom goal setting grad school online graduate school habits health and academic performance healthy living for students high school admissions high school resume homework tips how to do better on standardized tests how to study how to study better how to write an essay improve my writing intelligence interview preparation kinisthetic learners learning styles licensing exams linguistics tutoring math math help math tutor mental contrasting mindfulness motivating students nursing school nutrition online GRE tutoring online LSAT tutoring online gmat tutor online learning ownership mindset physical wellness physics tutoring podcast positive thinking private high school psychology of success reducing stress series 7 exam series 7 exam tutor should I study for the SATs social emotional learning standardized tests statistics tutor strategic planning stress reduction study guides and tips studying for standardized exams studying for the ACT studying for the SATs teaching strategies test taking confidence test taking strategies testimonials text anxiety tips for studying for the ACT tips for studying for the SATs to-do lists tutoring autistic students tutoring students with autism undergraduate degree visual learners writing an essay

This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached.

- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

[math](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/math) [math skills](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/math-skills)

![mental-math](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/mental-math.jpg?width=304&name=mental-math.jpg)“I would like to make a case for raising the importance of mental math as a major component in students’ tool kits of mathematical knowledge. Mental math is often associated with the ability to do computations quickly, but in its broadest sense, mental math also involves conceptual understanding and problem solving.” - *Cathy Seeley, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics President 2004-2006*

[Reading Comprehension](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/reading-comprehension)

*“The amount of free reading done outside of school has consistently been found to relate to growth in vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal fluency, and general information.  Students who read independently become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not. - *[*Research Journal*](http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol3/SLMR_IndependentReading_V3.pdf)* of the American Association of School Librarians***  
![benefits-of-reading](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/hub/215486/file-2647055704.jpg?width=275&name=file-2647055704.jpg)**

[academic performance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/academic-performance) [Managing Stress](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/managing-stress)

![managing-stress-test-taking](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/hub/215486/file-2594523006.jpg?width=275&name=file-2594523006.jpg)“A bit of stress in short doses is useful in improving our memory and enhancing performance. However, too much, too regularly, is extremely damaging to our mental and physical well-being.”

From [https://www.headspace.com/science/stress](https://www.headspace.com/science/stress), a web-site founded by globally recognized mindfulness and meditation expert Andy Puddicomb

Just because you have no major or minor diagnosed mental health disorder, doesn’t mean you have a completely healthy mind. If school, work, sports, orsocial situations tend to make you nervous and stressed, your performance suffers.

![fuel your mind](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-2346970807-jpg/images/fuel-your-mind.jpg?width=240&height=180&name=fuel-your-mind.jpg)

It turns out that there’s lots of documented scientific evidence that the more you exercise, the better you eat, and the more you sleep (within reason), the better your brain works (i.e., you can reason more clearly, recall information faster, solve problems faster, etc.). It naturally follows that exercise, nutrition,  and sleep are critically important, though perhaps indirect, elements of improving children's academic performance.

On the one hand, this may seem a little obvious. But one of the more interesting pieces of advice about critical thinking and problem solving ever given to me was that the best insights are those that seem really, really obvious once they are realized.  If you really didn’t know it before for sure, but now you do with certainty, you’ve realized something important.  Still, I find that sometimes an idea seems so intuitively obvious that it isn’t interesting enough to grab most people’s attention, or perhaps because it’s obvious, it just doesn’t seem like it can be that important.

![How to Build the Right Skills Deliberately with Practice](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-2346970702-jpg/images/how_to_build_the_right_skills_deliberately_with_practice.jpg?width=260&height=145&name=how_to_build_the_right_skills_deliberately_with_practice.jpg)*“It’s not that I’m so smart.  I just stick with the questions longer.” - **Albert Einstein*

[academic performance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/academic-performance) [ownership mindset](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/ownership-mindset)

![growth oriented mindset](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-2301059608-jpg/images/growth-oriented-mindset.jpg?width=176&height=255&name=growth-oriented-mindset.jpg)

Most people tend to have one of two mindsets: fixed or growth.  Those with a [growth mindset](https://offers.myguruedge.com/the-7-rules-of-academic-performance) believe they can always improve and change their personality or level of intelligence through feedback and hard work.  They believe, accurately, that the brain is a muscle that can be built up over time.  Those with a fixed mindset believe your personality and intelligence is more or less given to you at birth, and you can only tinker around the edges.  You want to adopt a growth mindset.

### Developing a Growth Mindset

Why is the growth mindset important?  First, because the research suggests it’s true, and second, because adopting this mindset leaves to whole host of behaviors that have been shown to lead to [academic and other types of success](https://offers.myguruedge.com/the-7-rules-of-academic-performance), most notably “grit” and the willingness to stick with things when the going gets tough.  People with a fixed mindset tend to think their abilities, personalities, and intelligence is given at birth, and can’t be changed.  They may tend to avoid activities at which they fear they’ll fail, since this will expose a lack of ability which of course, can’t be changed. This creates a truly unfortunate cycle. 

Because the student believes they simply, for example, aren’t good at math, but recognizes that it would be nice if they were good at math, they avoid situations in which their poor math ability will be exposed.  They make the choice to avoid raising their hand, for fear of looking dumb.  So, they don’t ask questions to clarify their understanding in class.  They may even avoid doing their homework, since it’s somehow easier mentally to do poorly because you didn’t study than to try your best and fail, thus confirming your belief that you may just not  smart.  Ultimately, and over time, a student with a fixed mindset starts to try far less hard, do much less homework, falling farther and farther behind, until the evidence seems to confirm that yes, other people “have it” and they don’t when it comes to math (or, insert any other common skill).

People with a [growth mindset](https://offers.myguruedge.com/the-7-rules-of-academic-performance) believe that abilities and talents are built up over time through hard work, persistence, feedback, and ultimately learning.  They’ll ask a question in class in the honest pursuit of feedback and learning, without being too worried about sounding dumb.  They have no fear of being exposed as lacking math skills, because they believe they can and will just build up their math skills if they lack them today.

### Follow this blog