When it comes to academic pursuits, it can seem like an uphill battle. It can be difficult to learn new things if you’re not properly engaged, and our school system isn’t always great for getting students interested in learning about, for example, history or math. This can lead to poor grades when a student is more than capable of learning the material, and that’s no good. However, there are ways students and parents can take matters into their own hands to make learning more fun and, therefore, much easier. Here are a few small ways to make the most of study time.

When it comes to a subject like history, many of the events of our storied past are fascinating, even if our teachers and textbooks seem to drain all of the excitement out of them. IF you find yourself bored by history, know that ways to make history fun are many. Crash Course, a series of YouTube videos, covers world history extensively and incorporates humor and animation into the curriculum to keep students engaged. If that’s not for your, perhaps you can make up your own version of historical events. This is a great pastime, regardless of your intent, and it will help you learn the material by using it creatively.

Math is another subject many students struggle with, myself included, but the right college professor finally came along and got me interested, and the material became much easier to learn, so I know it’s possible to enjoy this otherwise rather dry subject. One way to become better at math is another series of YouTube videos called Numberphile. This great series will introduce you to many of mathematics’ stranger concepts that will blow your mind.

If all else fails, rewarding yourself for your successes will condition you to love learning, so grab some M&M’s, or some other sweet treat, and give yourself small rewards for correct answers. This is will be sure to improve your test scores.