to fantasize instead of paying attention to one’s surroundings. E.g.: “Richard isn’t a bad student, but he has a tendency to daydream in class.”
to rack one’s brain
to think long and hard about something. E.g. “I racked my brain, but I couldn’t think of a good topic for my research paper.”
A cheat sheet
A cheat sheet is a piece of paper with answers written on it that student use to cheat on a test. “I would never use a cheat sheet. I’m not dishonest.”
to catch on
To understand something after initially not being able to comprehend it. ex: “The present perfect tense used to be hard for me. It took me a while to catch on.”
to pull an all-nighter
To pull an all-nighter means to stay up all night studying or working. ex: “I’d recommend that you not pull an all-nighter. It’s not good for your health.”
to draw a blank
to fail to get an answer or a result: E.g. "He asked me for my phone number and I drew a blank - I just couldn't remember it."
A walk in the park
When something is very easy. E.g. “Everyone wants to take Dr. Sullivan’s biology class. Everyone knows it’s a walk in the park.”
To learn by heart
To completely memorize something. E.g. “Suzy has an impressive memory. She can recite dozens of poems by heart.”
to put one’s thinking cap on
To think very seriously or very hard about something. E.g. “It’s a difficult riddle. If you want to solve it, you’ll have to put
to drop out
To decide to leave school and no longer pursue a degree or diploma. E.g.: “Why do you think so many people drop out of college?”
to sail through
to easily succeed at something. E.g. “I don’t think you’ll be able to sail through college if you’re majoring in chemical engineering.”
To cram
to study a lot right before a test. E.g. “This isn’t a test you can cram for. You have to start studying for it weeks in advance.”
to pass with flying colors
To easily accomplish something. We often use this expression to talk about tests or exams.
To burn the midnight oil
To study or work late at night. E.g. “Many people prefer to burn the midnight oil and study at night. Others prefer to study during the day.
to hit the books
To hit the books means to study. E.g. “Finals are next week and I haven’t even started studying yet. I’d better hit the books tonight.”
class clown
A disruptive student who often makes jokes instead of paying attention and doing their work.
to play hooky
Informal expression which means to miss school or work without having a valid reason or excuse. E.g. “There’s a baseball game tomorrow at 2 p.m.
to figure something out
to discover something or resolve a problem. E.g. “I can’t figure out how to do the math homework.”
to ace
to get an “A” or a very high grade. E.g. “Sometimes I think my teacher is secretly disappointed when we all ace his tests.”
To bomb
To bomb a test means to get a terrible grade on a test. E.g. “Do you think Mrs. McGillicuddy will give let us retake the test if we all bomb it today?”
teacher’s pet
A student who is clearly the favorite of the teacher and often receives special treatment.
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