Effective Studying Tips
Read these 52 Effective Studying Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Academic tips and hundreds of other topics.
Teaching Listening Skills
The best way to teach good listening skills is to model them yourself. Here are some tips to help you:
Be interested and attentive. Children can tell whether they have a parent's interest and attention by the way the parent replies or does not reply. Forget about the telephone and other distractions. Maintain eye contact to show that you really are with the child.
Encourage talking. Some children need an invitation to start talking. You might begin with, "Tell me about your day at school." Children are more likely to share their ideas and feelings when others think them important.
Listen patiently. People think faster than they speak. With limited vocabulary and experience in talking, children often take longer than adults to find the right word. Listen as though you have plenty of time.
Hear children out. Avoid cutting children off before they have finished speaking. It is easy to form an opinion or reject children's views before they finish what they have to say. It may be difficult to listen respectfully and not correct misconceptions, but respect their right to have and express their opinions.
Listen to nonverbal messages. Many messages children send are communicated nonverbally by their tone of voice, their facial expressions, their energy level, their posture, or changes in their behavior patterns. You can often tell more from the way a child says something than from what is said. When a child comes in obviously upset, be sure to find a quiet time then or sometime.
Studying for Multiple Choice Tests
To get a better grip on all the details that are thrown at you in a history course, create a list that organizes key terms and concepts, people, dates and events that are mentioned in a particular section or chapter.
If you're studying Moslem history, for example, one of your lists might include the following items:
TERMS
Islam - monotheistic, Arabic religion
Kaaba - shrine in Mecca
Koran - Muslim holy book
rasiah - raid
PEOPLE
Muhammad - founder of Islam who united Arab tribes
Khadija - wife of Muhammad
PLACES
Mecca - Arabian trade center, birthplace of Muhammad
Medina - city north of Mecca to which Muhammad fled in 622
A.D. & first stronghold of Muhammad's power
Test your recall by placing the definition on the flip side of a page or index card. Once you've got a good grasp of the details, you're ready to tackle problems of analysis and interpretation. Any multiple-choice quiz will be snap.
Source: CyberTip of the Day, 2000
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.
Remembering the Great Lakes
To remember the Great Lakes, think of the acronym "HOMES" - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. You can use this technique for other things, too.
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.
Online Learning - Make A Schedule
Set aside a regularly scheduled time for study. To help you fit studying into your schedule, keep a record for a week of how you spend your time, and then decide what you are willing to give up. Schedule your studies for a time when you are mentally fresh and able to devote at least one hour to your work. Think of the hour as "reserved time."
How can I locate an out-of-print non-fiction?
Under the guidance of an advisory board of distinguished scholars, Cyberedition's goal is to make high-quality out-of-print nonfiction books available at a reasonable cost as both HTML files and, using print-on-demand technology, as paperbound books. No details on pricing are available as yet.
Cybereditions
http://www.cybereditions.com/
Multiple Choice Tests
When taking the SAT, the best method for scoring well is to get as many questions right as you can. Leave those that you can't solve quickly until the end. On this test, if you don't know, then don't guess. Wrong counts more against you than blank.
The ACT does not work the same way. You must answer all the questions on the ACT. On this test, blank counts more against you than wrong.
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.
How to read safely
Remember when mom told you to stop reading with such poor light? Too much work for the eyes isn't good.
Here are some reading tips:
* When reading, always have adequate light.
* Besides finding a good lamp, keep your reading material at least 12 inches away from your eyes.
* Take a break from reading every 20 minutes or so to give your eyes a rest.
* Simply blinking keeps your eyes wet and clears away dust. Try to blink more often when you feel your eyes getting tired.
What to bring to the exam room with you?
Make a habit of taking more than you need into the classroom and the examination room.
* Bring two calculators.
* Bring your textbook to every exam.
* Bring extra paper to each exam. Bring two pencils and two pens.
* Bring an extra blank notebook with you to your classes.
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.
How can I locate an out-of-print non-fiction?
Under the guidance of an advisory board of distinguished scholars, Cyberedition's goal is to make high-quality out-of-print nonfiction books available at a reasonable cost as both HTML files and, using print-on-demand technology, as paperbound books. No details on pricing are available as yet.
Online Learning - Reading From A Computer Screen
You must comprehend and retain what you read for real learning to take place. Reading skills can be developed by concentrating on what you read and by taking frequent pauses to organize and review the material in your mind. At the end of a study session, review everything you have read, making special notes of important points. Reading a computer screen can be hard on your eyes; it may be necessary to download hard copies of reading assignments and communications from your instructor and co-workers.
Source: Petersons.com
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.
SAT II
The SAT II is a test specializing in one subject. Selective colleges, many in California, demand 3 SAT II's taken.
When taking Subject Tests, you may opt for what ETS calls "Score Choice" which allows you to decide whether or not to send your scores on each Subject Test to colleges after you find out how you did. You should definitely take advantage of this by checking off the Score Choice option when you register for the exam. If you are a senior applying for early decision, you should be aware that opting for Score Choice may cause a delay and you might miss application deadlines.
Taking A Math Test?
1) Know what the test is about.
2) Read the theorems and axioms and rewrite them from your own understanding.
3) Do the examples - you already have the answers, so that's a good way to check your understanding of the how-to.
4) Once you've gotten the examples down, do the exercises in the book - try those that weren't assigned.
Back To School Safety
School bus transportation is safe. In fact, buses are safer than cars! Even so, last year, approximately 26 students were killed and another 9,000 were injured in incidents involving school buses. More often than not, these deaths and injuries didn't occur in a crash, but as the pupils were entering and exiting the bus. Remember these safety tips:
•Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
•Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
•When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.
•Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
•Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his/her signal that it's okay to approach.
•Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses, however, not all do. Protect yourself and watch out!
Test Taking Tips
1. Eat breakfast on the day of the test.
2. Go to sleep early the evening before the test.
3. Read all of the test before you begin answering questions.
4. On short answer questions, if you don't know the answer to a question write what you think, even if it is not right, you will get some points for trying.
From a teacher's perspective, I would not recommend just slopping any ol' thing down on number 4. If you really want some points, make sure it's a good guess. -khlinton
ACT Strategies For Seniors
Tests like the ACT try to determine whether you can analyze the information given, whether you can eliminate that which looks important but is not relavant to the question asked; and whether you can sythesize imformation to reach conclusions that will help you find the best answer.
To prepare for the ACT:
•Scribble aggressively in the test booklet. You are allowed to write in your test book, and nothing you write there will be considered when your test is scored. Use your pencil to mark in the test in whatever way is helpful. Underline, circle, cross out or calculate - whatever helps you!
•Answer every question. On the ACT, there is no greater penalty for an incorrect answer than for one left blank. Look at every answer, even if you think you have found the right one; there may be a better one.
•Memorize how much time you have to answer each question. Most are allowed one minute each, including rhetorical skills. Questions about punctuation or word choice (English) and data representation (Science) are alloted 30 seconds each. For the four reading passages you have eight to nine minutes to read the passage and answer the questions. If you will practice using these guidelines, you will be ready with little pressure.
•Avoid time traps. Some questions are designed to trip you up. Use a system: +/-, open/closed circles, etc, to prevent spending unnecessary time on tough questions. Guess any answer(if out of time) and move on. Of you come to a question that would require a great deal of time, mark it with a minus in your booklet, give it your best guess and keep working. When you finish the section, go back to your + questions first and then go back to the - questions.
•Practice tests are essential. remember to focus on your test-taking strategies and not on how many questions you missed when practicing.
Source: Fournier Learning Strategies
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.
TOEFL - Structure (grammar) and Listnening
A smart strategy for these computer adaptive sections is to work slowly and carefully at the beginning of each section when the questions are most important.
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 and Work Abroad
There are many ways to plan an academic summer around study, work and travel. Try the University of Michigan site. Click Here:UMich.edu!
Keep a spare handy
Keep a spare battery handy, for your calculator(they will easily fit into a wallet , pocket or purse, Batteries seem to choose exam - time to go bad. Be prepared.
TOEFL - Listening & Structure (grammar) parts
The Listening and Structure sections are computer adaptive. This means that after each question the computer recalculates your score and adjusts the difficulty of the next question it gives you. For example, if you answer a question correctly, the computer will raise its estimate of your score and will give you a harder question next. On the other hand, if you answer a question incorrectly, the computer lowers its estimation of your score and gives you an easier question next. Since the computer starts out with no information about your score and gradually narrows down your score range, the earlier questions are much more important than the later questions are.
You must answer each question before you can go on to the next one, and once you have confirmed your answer to a question you cannot go back to that question.
SAT - Process of Elimination
Instead of trying to find the right answer, try to find the wrong answers. By eliminating wrong answers, you greatly improve your chances of getting the question right because even if you can't narrow your choices to a single answer at the end, you will have only two or three to choose from instead of all five.
TOEFL - The reading part
Of the four scored sections on the TOEFL--Listening, Structure, Reading, and Writing--only the Reading section is scored in a "traditional" way. In the Reading section, all the questions receive equal weight, and you may go back to previous questions and change your answer.
What this means is that you want to take full advantage of your ability to skip around on the test by reading the questions before you read the passage. That way, you'll already have some idea of what the passage is about before you start to read it. You'll also have a better idea of what you'll need to pay attention to in the passage and what you won't need to know.
Test Preparation
Prepare cards with a summary of each book/article in the syllabi. That way, even preparing the cards will prepare you for what's important in the reading material, plus it will aid in memorizing them.
TOEFL - Writing section
The Writing section is scored by human graders who will grade it for grammar, syntax, and content. All the topics on which you could be asked to write your essay are published on pages 42-46 of the TOEFL Information Bulletin, available from ETS or on the web at www.toefl.org.
Your strategy for the Writing section should be to spend a few minutes brainstorming and writing notes on your scratch paper about what you want to write. Then spend the majority of the 30 minutes writing your essay. Make sure to leave a few minutes at the end to reread your essay and fix any errors you may have made.
Enhance your performance
1. Get a good night's sleep.
2. Sleep in an accomodation as close to the testing arena as possible, in order that you won't have travel worries on top of test stress.
3. Make a check list of things to bring the night before. Don't forget to include the following:
extra pens/pencils, erasers, a watch, and a picture ID.
4. Food and Drink: Some long tests have a lunch break. Chocolate, water and caffeinated beverages are good. However, see number 5 before you partake in any beverage...
5. Use the restroom before the test. Some arenas will not allow anyone to leave the room until they have completed and turned in the test.
6. If you have spent days or weeks studying for the test and are not relying on the cram & jam method, then it is good to spend the evening before the test simply relaxing. No amount of last minute cramming is going to prepare you for what you don't already know anyway. So, relax, take deep breaths and don't stress.
How to research Native American names?
NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL NAMES
If your family legends contain unfamiliar names or words, search for the term in reference to a geographic area. For instance, since "chinook" is common in northern Montana, it's possible that the
Chinook Indians are an offshoot of one of the Montana tribes. A search of those tribes' records might lead to valuable information.
Source: Diana J. Muir, Professional Genealogis, TipWorld 2000
SAT - Structure
Each SAT section is divided into three levels of difficulty: easy, medium and hard. The first third of each group are easy, the second third are of medium difficulty, and the last third are hard. (The only exception is the Reading Comprehension passages, which do not follow this order.) An easy question is one that almost everyone gets right. A hard question is a question that almost everyone gets wrong.
So, if a group has nine questions, the first three are easy, the second three are medium, and the last three are hard. Since easy, medium, and hard questions are worth the same amount, spend the majority of your time making sure you get the easy and medium questions right.
Back To School Safety - Walking and Biking
Even if you don't ride in a motor vehicle, you still have to protect yourself. Because of minimal supervision, young pedestrians face a wide variety of decisions making situations and dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:
•Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard -- never cross the street against a light, even if you don't see any traffic coming.
•Walk your bike through intersections.
•Walk with a buddy.
•Wear reflective material...it makes you more visible to street traffic.
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.
Online Learning - Finding a Place To Study
You will find it easier to focus in an appropriate environment for study. Find a place that is free from distractions. You might consider your workplace - before or after hours and on your lunch hour -- a public library, or a separate room in your home.
Source: Petersons.com
Preparing for a Test
One of the ways to remember more material for a test is to write a "dictionary" containing everything you learn in your reading. Pick up key words and use them. Memorizing this small dictionary will give you answers to most of the test without pain. It is especially good for civics, history, culture studies, political science, etc.
TOEFL
TOEFL is a test required in American colleges for every applicant, whose mother tongue is not English, or who graduated from high-school/college in a non-English speaking country.
The test is combined of four parts: -
1. Listening comprehension
2. Grammar
3. Reading
4. Writing an essay on an assigned subject.
Test stress reduction
1. Don't talk about it. The more you talk and think how difficult the test is, the more stress you'll cause yourself.
2. Eat properly. During exam time it's easier said than done, but proper diet (OK, plus some chocolate) reduces stress.
3. Exercise. While running, swimming or aerobic dance, you "clean" your head.
4. Relaxation techniques - breathing, drinking lots of water, yoga, meditation, whatever your thing is. Play solitaire, go dancing (remember: no drugs/ alcohol), watch TV.
Test Preparation
Use one of the following to prepare for a test: -
1. Read aloud by yourself, or better yet, to someone who really needs it - is there a dyslexic or blind student in your class? Your good deed could help you gain better grade!
2. Study with a friend(s). This is not as good as reading aloud, but don't underestimate it. Espescially AFTER you read a little and have questions. Just don't get too many study buddies or it will be distracting and a hindrance.
Getting a Bibliographic List
In social sciences, articles that are more than 5-6 years old are good only if you want research of that time period. That means that you have to get the most up-to-date articles for your research. Academic Journals should be your primary resource for research.
Methods:
1. Consult your teacher.
2. Search in the library, just look at articles from recent volumes.
3. There are several on-line databases, available for cash - Proquest direct and Muse are options.
4. Search the net: If you have names of researchers in this field, check in the search engines their latest publications.
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.
How to Take Research Notes
As you examine each source,
1)make a separate note of each fact or quotation you might want to use in your paper.
2)use index cards when preparing notes.
3)identify the source of the information on the listing (author's name, page number are musts).
4)try to summarize the information in your own words
5)use quotation marks if you copy the information exactly.
6)give each listing a simple descriptive heading.
7)use your descriptive headings to make an outline
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