I'd say marks are more long-term, within the scope of school, and completing different pieces of work to a certain standard is more of a short-term goal.
Set goals - long-term and short-term. May sound trivial, but i guarantee u 90% of all top achievers do this.
Other things are just common sense, planning/timetables, etc. Have a look through this forum, it's one of the most common questions. Youtube is also a great place to look for...
Let me have a think about it. Although, I do really suggest books that are a bit content heavy/philosophical. A book like the Republic is 'easier' to read than most dense books, just because it's a conversational type book (two philosophers going at each-others throats).
Although, for new modules that require you to write creatively / discursively / persuasively, reading good books can inspire. I'd recommend 'The Republic' by Plato. Fucking hefty, dense read but very very good.
Reading isn't 'necessary' to succeed in English. I'd highly recommend to read - nothing wrong with it, but this is such a silly myth.
If you want to expand your vocab, read. If you want to write fluently, you listen.
I'd recommend podcasts :)
Alright so,
Rearragnge the equation to better see what to do! x^2 + 4x + y^2 - 2y = -1
Now, complete the square for x^2 + 4x
to: x^2 + 4x + 4 - 4 Remember, this is done by using \left (\frac{b}{2} \right )^2
Do the same with y^2 -2y
You'll get
(x +2)^2 + (y -1)^2 - 5 = -1
Which is (x +2)^2 +...