Problem: Article: If you have been getting poor grades on homework assignments, it's time to up your game and put a little more effort into them. Even if each assignment is not worth that much, your cumulative grade for homework can be a big chunk of your final grade. Be sure you understand what you are supposed to do before you leave class. If you have any questions about how to complete the homework assignment, ask your teacher for clarification. Always read the directions (or listen to them) and follow them precisely. Don't be lazy and write fewer words than were asked of you or neglect to show your work. Always write down when each assignment is due and hand it in on time. There's nothing worse than getting points off for handing in an assignment late because you forgot that it was due! If keeping track of your assignments in a planner or a digital calendar helps keep you organized, then be sure to record all of your homework assignments there. Try planning out a specific time to complete each assignment, and be sure to take other obligations into consideration. For example, if you know that you have a basketball game on Thursday and will only have one hour to work on homework, don't put off any assignments until Thursday that can be completed on Wednesday. If you missed any assignments because you were absent or because you simply didn't do them, ask your teacher if you can hand them in late. While you may only get partial credit for make-up work, it's definitely better than having a zero for that assignment. Ask about the possibility of making up in-class assignments that you missed as well as homework. Offer to come to the classroom during lunchtime or a free period to work on them. Try asking your teacher to revise an essay, re-take a test, or re-do a project that you got a bad grade on. You could suggest that the teacher could replace the grade or average the two grades together. Your teacher may be willing to let you do this if you seem committed to bringing your grade up. Try to focus on substantive assignments that have a bigger impact on your overall grade rather than smaller assignments such as homework that may not make as big of a difference. While you may want to do whatever you can to improve a specific grade, it's important to be smart about it. Do not bring up one grade at the expense of another, whether it's for the same class or another one. Focus the majority of your energy on the assignments that will earn you the most points. For example, if your final project is worth 50% of your grade and your homework assignments are worth 10%, spend more time studying for the final than working on your homework. This does not mean you should not do your other work, but simply that you should not spend as much time on it. Never neglect a current assignment in favor of make-up work unless you are sure that you will earn more points for it. Don't neglect your other classes either. You shouldn't end up with a bad grade in one class because you were focusing all of your energy on trying to improve your grade in another. This will have a negative effect on your overall GPA.
Summary: Spend some extra time on your homework. Turn your work in on time. Ask about making up missed assignments. Ask to re-do old assignments. Prioritize.

Problem: Article: Use scissors to cut the band holding the cilantro together. Turn on the faucet and place the cilantro under the water. Use your hands to gently rub the cilantro to remove any dirt. Rinse the cilantro until all the dirt is removed. Shake off the excess water and pat the cilantro dry with paper towels. Set aside the amount of cilantro that you want to use on a cutting board. Both the leaves and stems are edible. However, if you prefer to just eat the leaves, use your hands to remove the leaves from the stems. Remove as many leaves as you need to for your dish. Discard the stems. Bunch the cilantro leaves into a pile. Securely hold a chef's knife by the handle. Place the knife blade-side down on top of the cilantro. Place the palm of your other hand on top of the metal part of the knife. Make sure the tips of your fingers are away from the blade. Rock the knife back and forth to roughly chop the leaves. Avoid over cutting the cilantro into small pieces since over cutting can lead to blackened leaves. Fill a cup with water. Place the cilantro in the cup stem-side down, and place the cup in the fridge. Store cilantro for up to a week in the fridge.
Summary:
Rinse the cilantro under cold running water. Pull off the cilantro leaves to remove them. Chop the cilantro. Store unused cilantro in the fridge for up to a week.