QUIZ: What's your back-to-school style?

Class is in session—and where are you? Are you hanging on your teacher’s every word—or hanging in the back passing notes? There are tons of different approaches to acing academics, but sometimes your attitude toward school can throw you off-track. To make sure you’re starting the school year off right, check your studying style with this quiz. Then, read on for tips that’ll zip ya to the head of the class—stat!

1. Phew! You just finished your first day. How'd it go?

A.) Great! You started prepping back in July so you were all set for every class.
B.) Pretty good. Algebra may be rough, but your music class seems cool.
C.) Ugh! Could the day have been any longer? And now you have like six hours of homework to do!

2. Time to present your first big group project. As you’re setting up, one of your group members, Matt, tells you that he forgot his notecards. What do you do?

A) Take over for him. You reviewed all of the talking points just in case, so you’re comfy handling his part—and everyone else’s if ya have to.
B) Request to reschedule for tomorrow. If that doesn’t fly, you and the rest of the group will just have to pitch in.
C) Let him wing it. He can probably make up something last minute, right?

3. Why is art your new fave class?

A) Hello, easy A! Gotta keep that average up.

B) You love to paint, yay! 

C) You sit right next to your BFF, so you can chat while you craft. Plus you’ve got a prime view of the cute new guy.

4. You’re taking a monstrous math exam when you notice Nina sneaking glances at your Scantron. What do you do?

A) Call the teacher over. No one’s going to steal your answers.

B) Cover your sheet and shoot her a sneer. If she keeps it up, you’ll clue your teacher in after class.
C) Move your test out of her sight and forget about it. You almost understand why she’d copy—the test is impossible!

5. You’ve got study hall sixth period. How do you spend the time?

A) Studying! And if you’ve finished your assignments? You’ll do extra-credit stuff.

B) Depends on the day. If you’re swamped, you’ll get a start on your homework. But if your plate’s empty? You’ll snag a magazine and catch up on all the celeb gossip.
C) You listen to music, snooze or get a cookie from the caf. This is your time to chillax—homework can wait.

6. Uh-oh, you’re not doing all that hot on Mrs. Miller’s pop history quizzes. How do you handle it?

A) March right up to Mrs. Miller and ask her how you can remedy this sitch.
B) Start a study sheet with notes on stuff that may show up, then look it over lots.

C) Blow it off. Pop quizzes don’t count that much overall, um, right?

7. You’ve got a science project due Monday. It’s Saturday—what’s your status?

A) Almost done! You’re just waiting for the paint to dry on your visual aids, and then you’ll do a few practice runs to make sure everything’s just right.
B) Getting there. The research is finished and you’ve bought materials. Tomorrow, you just have to put it all together.
C) Saturday is so the day to do nothing. You’ve got a few ideas, and there’s still a whole 48 hours to get it done.

8. OMG! Sam from homeroom just asked you to go catch a movie with him on Tuesday night. The only problem? That English exam on Wednesday. What do you tell him?

 A) You’d love to go...on another night. As cute as he is, a little extra studying—and your GPA—has to come first.
 B) You’ll see him at 7! You can study ’til 6, go out, then crack the books early in the a.m. before ya head to school.
 C) Yes, obviously! This is a once-in-a-life- time opportunity and, hello, that’s way more important than Macbeth.

Mostly As
Super Studious Sweetie
You’re a serious student—and have the glowing GPA to prove it. Ambition is an awesome thing, but sacrificing your sanity for it isn’t. Try scaling back just a wee bit. Work some breaks into your workload, like a midweek dinner with your crew or an evening run. And remember it’s OK to blow off the books for something special once in a while—say, a date with your crush (you’re probably so far ahead, it won’t even matter!). Keeping things in balance also will keep ya from crashing and burning before the first quarter’s over.

MOSTLY Bs
Balanced Babe
Did somebody say “well-rounded student”? That’s totally you! You know that grades are key, but you’ve also factored in time for activities, friends and yourself. You’ve got a good thing going, but don’t be afraid to step up to meet new challenges. Scared of public speaking? Be the moderator for your next group project. Want to explore your artistic side? Consider photography club. Going outside your comfort zone will help keep you at the top of your game (and your class).

MOSTLY Cs
Slackin’ Sistah
Settling for so-so in school? So not OK. It’s time for an attitude adjustment. You’ve only got one shot at school (unless you’re into repeating grades), so
make it count: Buckle down and study up. Don’t be afraid to ask for extra assistance from your teachers (now, before you’re in too deep). Then, dedicate a block of time for the books each night. Friends can help ya stick to that sched by leaving ya alone during that time (so no texts, no IMs, no exceptions!). Trust us, you’ll still be able to squeeze in fun when you’re done!