LiveWorld Transcripts

tNBC presents

t-Talk
Making the Grade in School

March 14, 2001

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Liz: How much study time should I devote to each subject?

T-Talk: I'm thinking you have maybe four to five major subjects, so I think it's important to prioritize according to when assignments are due. I would say that if you were looking for a time, then an hour on each subject. I think if you devote an hour of hard study time, you retain more, and if you over study, then you're less likely to retain it all.

Andy: Why should I try for good grades? I don't want to go to college.

T-Talk: You want to finish high school, though, don't you? If you made your choice not to go to college, then you should do your best in high school, so that you know for yourself why you were there. You did a good job! You're learning. Take advantage of it, because your mind may change later, and you might want to go to college. Those grades would help you.

Nick: Do colleges really care about how you did in middle school?

T-Talk: Your grades aren't as effective in middle school than they would be in high school. However, the grades you do get in junior high or middle school reflect what classes you will have and the types of study habits you will have in high school. That's part of the discipline. It's important to get good grades, in general. If you plan to go to college, or even if you do not plan to go to college, I think when you're in school, a lot of what is being taught really doesn't seem interesting, or you may ask yourself questions like, "Why do I need to know this? It's not going to help me in the future." A lot of the stuff that they teach in high school may not help you in the future, but what helps you is studying, being disciplined, and learning and feeding information into your mind, because the more you learn, the more you retain. Just think of it this way--you're building a whole source of information of your very own in your head, so one day when you're an adult and you're able to make all your own choices, you can reflect back on that whole source that you have. The more you know, the more it helps. Kind of think of it that way.

Flirt Grll: Will I ever be able to impress a guy with my grades, instead of superficial stuff?

T-Talk: Absolutely! All that superficial stuff you can attract anyway. It's really cool when someone's interested in what you have to say, and they enjoy listening to you. That's when you get to express yourself, your thoughts, and your opinions, and people respect you more, rather than what type of clothes you're wearing, or all that other stuff.

Poindy: If I wanted to form a study group, who are the best people to get involved in it?

T-Talk: People who are obviously into learning. You have to kind of create a group according to what you're going to be studying about. A lot of kids aren't into the habit of studying, period. Sometimes it's hard to form a group. Nevertheless, I think it's a good idea, because when you bounce things off each other, you make learning fun. That makes the time go by, it takes a lot of the pressure off studying, and you can support each other. I think if there were more study groups, more people would get better grades. I know a lot of kids don't want to be associated with a study group, because it might ruin their reputation. Also, some are intimidated, because they don't feel smart enough. If you do, I encourage you to keep it open to the people that may need help.

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