Exam Day: Survival Tips: Part 2

Exam Day: Survival Tips
Test- Taking
Part 2

During the Test

Read the Directions.

It’s important that you follow the instructions exactly. For example, some questions contain more than one correct answer.

Answer the questions that are of least concern first.

Doing this provides a way for you to begin to remember important aspects of the material that you are currently evaluating. You may also encounter information that can aid you in answering other questions.

Answer every question.

Unless there is a penalty for incorrect answers, attempt to answer every question, you may be able to receive partial credit for those you begin but don’t complete correctly.

Ask Questions.

If you cannot properly comprehend something, ask your teacher for assistance. If that’s not possible, explain your answer in the margin.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

  

Reading 5 Tips for Success: Tip 5

Reading
5 Tips for Success
Tip 5

Tip 5: Keep a List of Questions

When you feel confused about something you’re reading, write down any questions you have. Sometimes your questions are answered as you read further. If not, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember, teachers create assignments; they’ve read the texts and are familiar with them. When you have specific questions, your teachers can provide answers that will help you better understand the material. Learning is rooted in questions develop and asked by the learner.

Asking questions to yourself, to the teacher, and to others, is a great learning method. When you cease to ask questions, you cease to exist to a great extent. Read actively by silently asking questions as you read. Questioning immerses you into the material you are reading and therefore will expand your mental capacities more than almost anything else.

The philosopher Sir Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power.” Improving your reading comprehension is the key to gaining important knowledge and making the most of your education. So pick up a book … and a pen.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Note-Taking Strategies: Part 3

Note-Taking Strategies
Part 3
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/955.html

After Class

As soon as class ends, review your notes and fill in any blanks. Underline, highlight and use symbols to sort through the information. If you don’t understand something, get help from your teacher from your teacher or classmates.

After you’ve reviewed all your notes from class, in the left-hand area of the page write down key words and questions your teacher might ask on a test.

At the bottom of each page, write a summary of the notes. This helps you digest what you’ve learned. It also improves your memory of the material for the long term and for tests down the road.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Nate-Taking Strategies: Part 2

Note-Taking Strategies
Part 2
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/955.html

During Class

One approach that has been proven effective is called the Cornell Note-Taking System. Here are some of its methods.

Start by using the main section of your page to take down your notes during class. Be sure to leave space on the left side of the page and the bottom. Things to keep in mind:

1.     Get the speaker’s main points. Don’t write down every word you hear.

2.     Leave blanks in your note to add explanations later.

3.     Organize as you write. Pay attention to cues such as repetition and emphasis.

4.     Indicate main and supporting points as you go.

5.     Jot down key vocabulary, important facts and formulas.

6.     Ask questions. If you’re confused, it’s better to ask while the material is fresh in your mind.

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The Power of Study Groups: Part 3

The Power of Study Groups
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/high-school/50432
Part 3

Guidelines for Getting a Group Together

Here are some guidelines for creating and running a study group: How many? Create a group of four to six people. In a larger group, it’s easy for someone to get left out and smaller groups can too easily get off track.

Who? Pick classmates who seem to share your interest in doing well academically. Look for people who stay alert in class, take notes, ask questions and respond to the teacher’s questions. Include someone who understands the material better than you and can explain the concepts and someone who doesn’t understand it well, to whom you can explain the material.

Where? Hold study group sessions in a place that is free of distractions and that has room to spread out books and notes.

How long? Meet for no more than two or three hours at a time. Having a time limit helps the group focus. If you know you only have an hour, you’re more likely to stay on task.

When? Try to meet regularly, on the same day and time each week. Treating the study session as you would other activities helps you to keep to a schedule and ensures that everyone attends.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

The Power of Study Groups: Part 1

The Power of Study Group
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/high-school/50432.html
Part 1

Working Together Helps Everyone

You may have noticed that when you’re explaining something you’ve learned to a friend, you begin to understand it better yourself. This happens because, when you explain an idea, you need to think more deeply about it.

The same principle makes study groups useful. Studying with others in a small group is helpful because you:

·        Think out loud.

·        Share ideas.

·        Learn from one another.

In an effective study group, you other students hash out lesson materials together --- explaining concept, arguing about them, figuring out why one person’s answer differs from another’s --- and in the process, you most likely more than you would have studying by yourself.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

How to Take on College Studying: Part 3

How to Take on College Studying
Part 3

Do the Reading

You need to do more than just read the chapters you are assigned --- you’re to understand them thoroughly. Here are some tips:

·        Don’t skim. Read all the material carefully.

·        Break up difficult assignments into sections you can digest --- chapters, subsections or even paragraphs.

·        Look up any words that you don’t understand.

·        Pause to think about whether you don’t understand the material; ask questions in class about anything that is unclear.

·        Take notes instead of highlighting --- this makes you think through and rephrase the key points.

·        Create a summary sheet of what you learned from each assignment you read.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

 

Succesful Students: 5-6

Successful Students
5-6

5. Don’t sit in the back of the room. Successful students minimize classroom distractions that interfere with learning.

Students want the best seat available for their entertainment dollars, but willingly seek the worst for their entertainment dollars. Students who sit in the back cannot possibly be their professor’s teammate (see no. 4). Why do they expose themselves to the temptations of inactive classroom experiences and distractions of all the people between them and their instructor? Of course, we know they chose the back of the classroom because they seek invisibility and anonymity; both which are antithetical to efficient and effective learning. If you are trying not to be part of the class, why, then, are you wasting your time? Push your hot buttons, is there something else you should be doing with your time?

6.  …take good notes. Successful students take notes that are understandable and organized, and review them often.

Why put something into your notes you don’t understand? Ask the questions that are necessary to make your notes meaningful at some time later. A short review of your notes while the material is still fresh on your mind helps you to learn more. The more you learn, the less you’ll have to learn later and the less time it will take because you won’t have to include some deciphering time, also. The whole point of taking notes is to use the, and use them often. The more you us them, the more they improve.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!