Question:

How can I improve my grades?

Study Halls

Some schools allow students freedom to socialize during study halls. Socializing is great, but students should spend the largest portion of that time doing homework, reviewing for a test, or just reviewing notes from the previous day. Spending time in this manner will help to improve your grades, and studying for an exam will take that much less time.

Rewrite to Remember

Re-write your notes to peak your memory before a test.
This helps you to remember the information.

Location, location, location

If you're serious about getting work done, find a quiet place -- one that is free from distractions. Establish guidelines with roommates for quiet times. Also, use the libraries, study rooms, or empty classrooms.

What to do when all goes sour?

Sometimes, the harder we try, the more it seems we digress. If you feel that you're at a standstill in achieving your goals, remember that trying harder doesn't always work. Sometimes we need to do something radically different to achieve greater levels of success. Take a hard look at your course of study.

How (and why) to make exercise part of your routine?

THE 10-MINUTE EXERCISE PLAN FOR BUSY STUDENTS

A little bit of exercise can go a long way toward helping you stay fit and energized.

If you feel you "just don't have the time" to exercise, take a closer look at your schedule. There's probably at least one half hour every day during which you're just staring at the wall. That's not a waste of time, of course: your subconscious is working away on some problem or issue of importance to you. It can do the same while you're exercising, though. You will probably even sleep better, making up the half hour you "lost."

Exercise should be a routine like eating or brushing your teeth. If exercising is a habit that you perform automatically, you don't have the feeling that you're stealing time from some other, more important activity. Start with ten-minute chunks: jog around the block, maybe, at the start of each day before breakfast. Go for a swim just before dinner time. Or simply find a staircase to run up and down.

If you get discouraged, just remember: the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single lap around the pool.

Divide your tasks

When you have a lot to do, to avoid becoming overwhelmed, divide your goals.
1. Divide your goals into sub tasks that are easier to reach.
2. "Compete with yourself" - see in how much time you read/write X amount of pages, then try to "beat" this score with your next assignment.
3. Dividing II - when your deadline is 10 days, divide your work by 9 (an extra day for mishaps that ALWAYS happen). Work on the task every day. Do not wait for the last day.

Make It a Habit: Work Every Day

Avoid all-night cram sessions. You won't understand or retain large amounts of information. Instead, spend time on your studies every day; You will stay on top of your courses and still have time for fun. Use even small blocks of time - you'll be amazed what you can get done between classes.

Notetaking tips

Be Alert - so you are aware of and prepared for the lecture content and situation.
Be Orderly - so you can process the lecture now and for review later.
Be Systematic - so you can establish a habit pattern and won't miss anything important.
Be Up To Date - so that your well-designed notetaking system gets done.

Using A Calendar

Some students tend to forget important things like when the first draft of a research page is due or a long term homework assignment. A simple thing like a small pocket calendar that has room to write on can help solve that forgetfulness issue. Don't say,"I'll remember", because all too often you will forget. Write down ALL of your assignments, and check them regularly, so that you'll have your work done on time.

Concentration

Remember when our grannies used to tell us to sleep between 2-4 in the afternoon? Apparently, that's what our body needs. More importantly, our body needs sleep between 1-3 in the afternoon, and the concentration goes down in those hours. What can you do?
* Do not schedule classes that demand extra concentration during those hours.
* Try not to study anything new during these hours. Instead, review concepts you've already learned.
* Rest in those hours if possible.
* If not possible, have as light a lunch as possible, avoid beef and alcohol, those will hinder your concentration, and drink lots of water at lunch and in the "tough hours".

Study Aid

To help remember things better, work the objects into a rhyme or song or part of an acronym.

How to remember dates and numbers?

One of our common problems before a test or even when teaching is top remember dates and numbers.

One technique is encoding the number. "Number elaboration" involves converting the number to a more familiar format. For example, to remember that the Magna Carta was granted in 1215, convert that date to money, $12.15. To remember that the Paleozoic Era lasted from 230 million years ago to 65 million years ago, think of it as a zip code, 23065. ("Be a Pal, Zoe, and mail that letter to 230...65.") "Number association" involves linking numerical information with other information that's personally important to you. For example, to remember the number of nations on the United Nations Security Council, associate it with the uniform number of a favorite athlete (whom you image running across a UN conference table as diplomats stare in astonishment).
These strategies should your memory a boost. Sometimes you do just have to repeat and repeat a fact until it sticks in your mind. But turning the unfamiliar into the more familiar can speed up the process.

Source: CyberTip of the Day, 2000

Get Energized - Eat, Exercise, Sleep

Not understanding? Trouble remembering? Comprehension and memory are affected by stress and fatigue. When you're hungry, tense, or tired your brain can't function at its full potential. It's especially crucial to eat well, exercise, and get adequate sleep during exam periods.

Hard work now = free time later

Although homework is often dull and boring, DON'T PROCRASTINATE. Oftentimes, if you work hard and finish that which must be done ahead of time, it leaves you with more free time to enjoy.

Have Too Much To Do?

Taming the To-do List
1.Prioritize your list.
2.Mix unpleasant jobs with pleasant jobs to keep you moving down the list.
3.Break jobs down into smaller segments and space them out over several days.
4.Write your list on brightly colored paper so it doesn't get lost on your desk.

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