For remembering names, devise a relationship between name and physical characteristics of person. For example, Shirley Temple might be remembered as having “curly”--which rhymes with Shirley--hair around her temples.

When you have an ordered or an unordered list you need to memorize, you can create a story linking ideas together. The more crazier, better. If your vocabulary words are success, assistant, cemetery, scrutinize, you might create a story of a successful assistant scrutinizing tombstones in a cemetery, searching for her boss’ grave.

Studying For Tests

Write down a study checklist of what will be covered on test. Make a list of notes, formulas, ideas and text assignments that you are responsible for.

Create flashcards--put topics or questions on front and answers on back. Have a friend, parent or sibling quiz you. Keep running through flashcards while you brush your teeth, are on bus, when you are in restroom and when you are doing chores.

Produce a mock test. One with only questions and another with only answers. Hide answers in a drawer or give them to a parent. Take test and when completed, compare your responses with ones on answer sheet. Keep repeating this process until you know material backward and forward.

If you want to make studying for a test fun, team up with a friend and play game show Twenty-One. A parent or sibling should host , reading off questions. You and your friend compete against each other until one of you reaches twenty-one points.

Avoid Getting Involved In Too Many Activities

If you want to participate in an extracurricular activity, you can reschedule your study time. However, if baseball, ballet or any other activities make you stay up late trying to finish your homework, then you are involved in too many activities.

Play Educational Games

After homework is finished, pull out a board game. Monopoly encourages mental calculation when counting money and determining moves, and Clue requires logical deductive skills. Try to figure out measurements when doubling a recipe in kitchen.

Playing word games with your family or friends can improve spelling skills. Scrabble, anagrams, Wheel of Fortune and word jumbles can teach you to spell new words.

II Timothy 2:15 says to study to show yourself approved unto God.

If you care enough about your grades to take time to develop conscientious study habits, you receive better marks, learn self-discipline and will have more options when it comes to selecting colleges. No matter what you choose to do in life, you should have a good education to fall back on. Not everything in life comes easy. The key is to make up your mind to work hard for things you want. And not to let anyone or anything get in your way.

Did you know that angels are all around you, just waiting to carry out your words of faith? When you speak negatively, you cancel out positive words you have spoken. James 1:8--“He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” A double-minded person is one who has one foot in world's way of thinking and one foot in God's promises. God is calling us to choose one and be steadfast in that thinking and that thinking only. The Bible says that God would prefer that we either be hot or cold rather than lukewarm Christians.

So, how do we start to change our mouths?

1) Ask God For Help. Make Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over door of my lips.” your daily prayer.

2) Renew Your Mind. Romans 12:1-2 says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” By changing your thoughts, you will change your mouth because Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) reveals “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Memorize scriptures on mouth. Meditate on them by thinking about them, reciting them, mulling them over in your mind. Make them personal to you by inserting your name into scripture, such "For God so loved Annagail that he gave his one and only Son, that Annagail who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Then try to visual yourself speaking and thinking according to God's Word.

3) Monitor Your Mouth. A wise person watches words that come out of his/her mouth.. Ask God to convict you when you utter wrong words, use profanities or cut someone down. When you get into a bad situation, Philippians 4:8 says to “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

4) Start to prophesy over your own life. God told us to “calleth those things which be not as though they were.(Romans 4:17 KJV). As long as it lines up with God's will, you can speak out what you want as long as you keep speaking it and believing it in your heart. Speak God's promises over your life.

5) Use your mouth to exhort and encourage others. Begin to pray God's word of your life and lives of your friends and family.

I am still struggling in this area, but every day I am growing up more in Christ. We must train our mouths and flesh to conform to God's Word. I challenge you to make a decision to do so today.