How to Pass Social Studies Class

Co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References

Social studies classes can cover a range of content, but often focus on topics related to history, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, and psychology, to name a few. Regardless of the specific subject matter of your course, you can apply several basic strategies to your studies to ensure you will pass social studies class. Get started today by following the steps below.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Finding Out what is Expected of You

1
Read the course syllabus. Chances are your teacher supplied you with a printed or digital document at the beginning of the school year containing essential information about the class. This syllabus likely includes information about the course structure, your teacher's expectations of you, and possibly even a list of projects or assignments and their projected due dates. Look over the syllabus carefully to figure out what you need to do to succeed in the class and plan ahead for deadlines.
- If your teacher did not supply some kind of syllabus for the class, you will have to speak to them directly. Before doing this, make sure your questions have not already been answered in your first-day class notes or in previous email correspondence from your teacher.
- If you were given a paper syllabus, consider scanning it and saving an electronic copy on your computer. This way you can easily print another copy if you lose or damage the original without having to ask your teacher.
2
Speak to your teacher directly. If you are unclear on what is required of you in the class after reading the course syllabus (or if you don't have one), then you should speak to your teacher about her expectations. Tell your teacher that you want to make sure you are aware of all course requirements so you can plan accordingly. Your teacher will likely appreciate your initiative and be happy to help you.
- The earlier you do this, the better. Asking your teacher a week before the cumulative semester exam what you need to do to pass her class is not going to be received well. Being proactive about your grade shows that you care.
- If you find the subject matter especially challenging, don't be afraid to tell your teacher this. You might not be the first student to say so, and there is always a chance your teacher might make adjustments to the class to accommodate your concerns.
- When speaking to your teacher, avoid finger-pointing. Your teacher puts a lot of work into designing her course, creating lessons, and grading student work. She will not appreciate being told that your issues with the class are her fault (even if there is some truth to this!).
Advertisement
3
Create a calendar of due dates. If you were given a schedule for the course stating when all major assignments and projects are due and the dates of the exams, use this to create a calendar for yourself. You can do this digitally (using a phone app or computer program) or the old fashioned way (on a printed calendar) -- just choose something that you are likely to regularly check and maintain.
- Having a calendar like this will make you less likely to forget important dates. You can also modify it later on if any new assignments are given or dates are changed.
- It is a good idea to set reminders in your calendar several days or even a week or two before important due dates. Doing this may help prompt you to get an early start on your coursework so you can be as thorough as possible and get it done on time.
4
Look for a rhythm to the class. Are your homework assignments always due on Thursdays? Do you have an exam every six weeks? Are you only assigned reading on Mondays and Wednesdays? Asking questions like these can help you figure out whether the class works on a predictable schedule. This will help you pace yourself and strategize your efforts.
- Establish your own schedule for studying and doing homework using what you've figured out about the rhythm of your class. For example, if you only have reading assignments on certain days, you might want to plan to work on projects or other assignments on days that don't overlap with your reading.
- Be aware of your own study habits and abilities. If, for example, you are able to quickly complete readings but take longer to do written homework assignments, you should plan for this and adjust your schedule accordingly.
- Make sure that you're mindfully prepared to dedicate more time and effort to this subject. Only after making that cognitive decision will you be able to make a plan of how you're going to dedicate that effort and time.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Studying and Learning the Material

1
Stay on task during class. You will learn and retain the material much better if you are paying attention to your teacher in class.^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Nonprofit organization providing innovative, effective educational resources for educators designed to support student achievement
Go to source} You should strive each day to make the best possible use of your class time and face-to-face interaction with your teacher. In order to do this, you will need to make sure you are free from distractions.
- Show up to class on time and prepared to learn. You will have a hard time succeeding in class if you always show up 3 minutes late and forget to bring a pencil. A little planning goes a long way, both in terms of your learning potential and how your teacher perceives your work ethic.
- Leave your phone and any other potential sources of distraction in your backpack or book bag during class and don't take it out until class is over. This will keep you from being tempted to take your attention away from class.
- Sit toward the front of the room or close to your teacher's desk if you have the option. This will help keep you from talking to your friends during class or doodling in your notebook while your teacher is talking. If you are assigned to a seat in the back but find yourself getting too easily distracted, ask your teacher to move you.
2
Ask questions in class. Your greatest resource for doing well in class is your teacher. Not only is she a trained and licensed educator, but she is the one grading you. If you encounter a topic or assignment during class that confuses you, speak up! Find an appropriate time to raise your hand or speak to your teacher one-on-one so you don't leave class without having your question resolved.
- Asking questions during class shows your teacher you care about learning the material and are making an effort to do well in her class. This is guaranteed to be appreciated by your teacher, so long as your questions are relevant to the subject and not inappropriate.
- If you don't have an opportunity to ask your question as soon as it comes to you, write it down so you can ask your teacher later. Depending on your teacher's preferences, you can even send her an email about it so she can respond to you directly or during your next class meeting.
- Remember that if you have a question about something, you probably aren't the only one. In this sense, asking questions in class is almost like doing your classmates a favor that helps you out, too!
3
Do all your assigned work. One of the most common reasons students receive poor marks in school is that they don't complete the required coursework. Fortunately, this is also one of the easiest problems to fix. It is very unlikely that you won't pass your class if you do every assignment and turn it in on time.
- Effort counts. If you turn in work you clearly didn't make an effort on, this could count against you because it will show your teacher that you don't care enough about the class to put in the work.
- Go the extra mile once in a while. This means doing more than the bare minimum on assignments or projects. For example, if you are assigned a report that requires a minimum of two sources, try to find at least three. This might earn you a better score, and at the very least will demonstrate to your teacher that you are willing to work for your grade.
4
Complete assigned readings before class. Teachers often design lessons with the assumption that their students have already been introduced to the material through assigned readings. You will get the most out of class if you read about the topics prior to attending class.^{[2]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} This will also allow you to come to class with any clarifying questions you may have.
- Devote enough time to reading that you are able to at least absorb the main points. If you wait until you are already tired on the night before class to begin reading, you will struggle to get through it and probably won't remember it very well.^{[3]
  X
  Research source}
- Take notes on the main points of the reading and review them before class. This will prepare you to grasp the lecture material more easily and will reinforce the important points of the topic(s) you read about the night before.
- While you are reading, think of questions you can ask your teacher in class about the material in the textbook. This can help you link important concepts together and will help you absorb what you've read. This also shows your teacher that you are doing the assigned reading before class and taking an active role in your learning.
- When reading, looking for keywords in the texts can give you a strong sense of what is being conveyed in any particular text. Speed reading isn't going to help you take in all the words you're reading, but it will probably help you understand the material being covered more in-depth.
5
Study for exams. Never try to take an exam without studying. Social studies courses often present lots of concepts, dates, places, and names, which can be difficult to remember. You will perform much better on tests if you devote significant time and effort to studying the material several weeks in advance of the exam date.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Ask your teacher for a study guide. If she gives you one, use it to help you prepare for your upcoming exam. You can go through the topics on the guide, one by one, and make sure you understand each one. Ask your teacher for help with particularly difficult topics.
- Form a study group. If you have friends in your class, ask them to help you study the course material. This can be a useful way to combine your knowledge with that of others in the class. As they say, two heads are better than one!
- Quiz yourself often. You might not understand the material as well as you think you do simply from doing the assigned reading. By quizzing yourself on a range of topics in the days following their introduction in class, you can identify topics you need to work on -- and you'll learn the material better.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
- Match your study style to the exam format. Ask your teacher about the structure and format of the exams so you know what to expect. Make sure you're not limiting your studying to memorizing definitions if your exam will be all essay format, for example.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting Help

1
Contact your teacher. If you are struggling, one of the best things you can do to improve your grade is to ask your teacher about her expectations. Maybe you are losing points for simple mistakes you can easily fix -- if so, your teacher will tell you what you've been doing wrong. You should not assume to know what your teacher wants without being told!
- Go to your teacher in person. You can do this before class, after class, or during study hall. Teachers are very busy, so meeting with her in person will help show her that you are sincere and are more likely to make your particular situation stick in her mind.
- Be genuine when discussing class issues with your teacher. If you can show her you actually care about learning, she will be much more willing to help you out or even cut you some slack.
- Don't make excuses for why you are struggling. Keep the conversation focused on the specific issues you're having with the material. Accept responsibility and don't pass the blame; this way, your teacher will be less likely to think you are just trying to get out of doing the work.
- If you have already turned in all the work you've been assigned, ask for extra assignments to boost your grade. Just be careful not to ask for this if your teacher has a "no extra credit" policy. If your teacher agrees to this request, make it a priority to complete the work and turn it in on time!
2
Find a tutor. If you have trouble studying on your own and/or if the material doesn't sink in during class, then consider finding a professional tutor. Be aware that a tutor is not there to do your work for you, but rather to help you understand things better; it is still on you to do the work required for improvement. Use the internet, services at your school, or the recommendation of a teacher or peer to find a tutor to suit your needs.
- Social studies classes often involve lots of writing in the form of essays, reports, and research projects. If you have trouble with writing in general, you may want to seek help from a writing tutor.
- Make sure your sessions are one-on-one. Some tutors try to meet with several clients all at once, which means less individual assistance for you. You will reap the biggest benefits of your investment by only booking sessions for one-on-one help.
- When using tutoring companies, request that you be paired with a tutor who has special experience or expertise in the particular social studies subjects you are struggling with. If your class is focused on American political science, for example, you wouldn't want to get paired up with a tutor who only knows about European history.
3
Ask a classmate to be your study buddy. If there are people in your class who seem to understand things better than you do, ask them to pair up with you for study sessions. After all, they are probably putting in study time already and probably won't mind assisting you with the material. This kind of deal can be helpful to everyone involved, because your friend will retain information better if he helps explain it to you and you will have a patient, knowledgeable peer to study with.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- When forming student work groups for collaborative projects, choose group-mates who are strong, committed students. It will be very difficult to get anything done if the other members in your group are also struggling, are always off task, or don't care about the class. If you find yourself in a group that won't mesh well with your goals for the class, politely request that your teacher place you in a different group (and be sure to tell her why you want this).
- Don't expect your classmates to teach you the material. Even if they seem to get the material, they are also just learning it! Your classmates' advice or instruction should always be supplemental to more reliable sources; always consult your teacher or course textbook when in doubt. You can be more certain that the information you're getting is reliable if it comes from multiple sources.
4
Find and use online learning resources. Let's be honest: not all teachers and textbooks are good at explaining complex topics. If you are in this kind of situation, it may be time to seek out additional resources online. There is lots of great (but also totally unreliable) information available on the internet. You have a good chance at finding something online that you can understand more easily than your textbook, and it may be easier to find than you'd think.
- Check your assigned textbook for supplemental resources. These tools often come in the form of online, interactive activities that offer alternative methods for teaching the course material -- and it is also often easier to make sense of them. Look for information on these inside the cover of your textbook; visit the publisher's website or ask your teacher if you can't find any information in the book itself.
- Search online for information about your study topics. Chances are good that there are discussion forums, online wikis, and/or even professional academic journals available for the subject(s) with which you need help. Just don't use opinion-based information unless you are researching a debated topic. Some red flags for unreliable websites include: no citations, lots of advertisements/pop-ups, and a sketchy feel to the information. If any of these apply to a website from which you are getting information, don't trust it!

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I be smarter in social studies?

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
Educational Consultant
Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University.

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.

Educational Consultant

Expert Answer

Ask plenty of questions in class! When you ask questions, you're listening to the subject matter being presented in some capacity. From there, you're able to listen even more intently as the teacher provides a response. In general, asking questions helps solidify anything that's uncertain or unclear.
Question

Are there any accurate sites/YouTube videos that cover history well? I've watched some, but they seemed to be missing a lot, as the videos were too short to cover entire historical events.

Benjamin M.

Top Answerer

You're always going to have that problem. You should work from the textbook your teacher is using. The safest way to pass is by not taking any shortcuts. If you find the class materials do not go into enough depth, try going to a nearby library and asking the librarian for research help. They will show you how to find books and resources that could be useful to you.

Warnings

Sometimes the topics covered in social studies classes are controversial in nature. Be sure to remain respectful of others' views when engaging in discussions with other students in class.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 3 Not Helpful 5