At the beginning of every semester you promise yourself that this time "I'm going to study harder." The reality is that you have to do more that tell yourself you want to do better if you are going to see improved grades on your next report card. The following are some sites that can help you figure out what you can do to change your words into action. There is no better time than now to make a change in your study habits.

Suggestions for Students

Study Strategies: This guide is written for college students at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. It contains a lot of helpful information for high school students who want to improve study habits.

The Importance of Studying: This guide, written by Dr. Bob Kizlik, is designed to help you develop effective study skills.

Study Guides and Strategies: From the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. This information is also available in several languages other than English.

Study Skills Self-Help Information: This site from Virginia Tech has time scheduling suggestions, how to concentrate, how to take notes, how to read a difficult book, tips on improving reading speed, setting priorities, and strategies to use with difficult test questions.

For Parents

Helping Children Succeed in School: This information, provided by University of Illinois Extension educators, gives successful strategies to assist parents in helping their children succeed in school.

The Learning Network: This site is designed to assist you in helping your child be more successful in and out of school.






Nido de Aguilas is committed to assisting students in developing a program that meets their academic goals, offers instruction that will lead to a healthy lifestyle, and affords ample opportunity for participation in appropriate and meaningful activities. We publish a printed copy of the Course Description Book to assist students and parents in planning a program that will satisfy all three goals.

In addition to learning about specific courses, by reading this guide you will learn about the Nido graduation requirements, the kind of program recommended by colleges, and the wide-range of academic opportunities available at our school. As you begin planning your courses for next year and beyond, keep in mind that you will perform best when you select a program that includes courses that are personally interesting and appropriately challenging.

During the second semester of each year, you are asked to choose courses for both semesters of the next school year. During the registration process, your teachers will advise you as to which courses are appropriate for you, based upon your ability, performance, and future plans. Take their advice seriously and be certain to ask why they are recommending certain courses for you. Before you sign up for a course, you should be sure that you understand what the course will cover, what the prerequisites are, and whether or not there are any expectations beyond what might be considered "normal" for a course, such as additional labs, rehearsals, research, or readings. You should also make certain that you are eligible to take the course since not all courses are available to all grades.

During the registration process, teachers offer advice to current students as to which courses are most appropriate based upon ability, performance, and future plans. Students who are new to Nido will meet with their counselor to develop their schedule. If necessary, students may be asked to speak with a teacher so that we can make certain correct placement decisions are made.

Choosing a course of study is best done by looking at the broad picture of what you hope to accomplish over the four years of high school. While it's not necessary to have a four-year plan carved in stone, it is helpful to have at least a rough plan of the courses you might want to take through your senior year and to revise that plan each spring as you prepare to select courses for the coming school year. Choices made in grades nine, ten and eleven will impact the options you will have available later.

The information in the Course Description describes the courses, adopted by the Board of Governors, which Nido plans to offer during the 2007-2008 school year. Courses are scheduled based upon student interest and the most effective utilization of teachers.