Exam Day: Survival Tips Part 3

Exam Day: Survival Tips

Test-Taking
Part 3

Identify key words.

This helps you focus on the main idea of challenging questions.

Rephrase difficult questions.

To understand questions better, rewrite them in your own words. Be careful not to change the meaning.

Organize your thought before you write.

Take time to organize your responses to short-answer and essay questions. You’ll reduce the time you need to revise.

Write neatly.

Be sure you don’t lose points on answers the teacher can’t read.

Use all the time you’re given,

If you finish early, don’t leave. Use the extra time to proofread and review your answers.

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SQ3R

SQ3R=Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review

Question

As you survey text, ask a question for each section. Ask what, why, how, when, who and where questions as they relate to the content. Here’s how you can create questions:

·         Turn the title, headings or subheadings into questions.

·         Rewrite the questions at the end of the chapter or after each subheading in your own words.

Write down your questions. Questions help you pay attention, understand the text better and recall the information more easily later on.

Read

Read one section of the chapter at a time, actively looking for an answer to your question for that section. Pay attention to bold and italicized text that authors use to make important points.

Be sure to review everything in the section, including tables, graphs and illustrations—these features can communicate an idea more powerfully than written text.

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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 developed 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.

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Note-Taking Strategies Part 4

Note-Taking Strategies

Part 4

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/955.html

For Review

Once you’ve done all of the above, you’ll find you’ve created your own personalized study guide. Cover the main section of the page and use the key words and questions in the left margin as a quiz.

Stick to It

Review your notes the day you take them and all your notes once a week. That way, you won’t need to study as much when it’s test time.

You’ve been doing the work all along.

Try out the Cornell system, but if it doesn’t work for you, experiment with other methods. Ask your classmates how they take notes or ask a teacher for advice. Taking good notes requires practice, like any other skill. And the more you work at it now, the more prepared you’ll be to take notes in college.

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Note-Taking Strategies Part 2

Note-Taking Strategies

Part 2

http://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 notes 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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Note-Taking Strategies Part 1

Note Taking Strategies

Part 1

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/955.html

How to Get Your Class Notes into Shape

Getting the most out of high school and college means studying hard and using your time in class wisely. An effective note-taking strategy can help you do both. Here are the basics.

Stay Organized

It may seem obvious, but your class notes can only help you if you can find them. When you’re taking notes be sure to:

·         Keep all your notes in one place.­

·         Date and number pages; keeping them in order makes it easier to understand them later.

Before Class

Review the materials assigned for that class period thoroughly. Bring a list of any questions you may have.

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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.html

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 interests 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 can explain the concepts and someone who doesn’t understand it as 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 to 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 a schedule and ensure that everyone attends.

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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 expected 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 understand the material; ask questions in class about anything that in 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.

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How to Take on College Studying Part 2

How to Take on College Studying

Part 2

Choose Where to Study

Where you should study depends on two factors: the environment in which you are best able to concentrate and the type of work you are planning to do.

·         The best places to study have good light, a comfortable temperature and enough desk space—usually your dorm room, your apartment or the library

·         For completing problem sets or brainstorming possible test questions, you may want to study with a group or at least in a setting where fellow students are available for discussion.

·         When you are reading book chapters or working on a research paper you are probably better off in a less social environment.

Improve Your Study Habits

Here are simple steps you can take to help you get a handle on studying:

·         Have a routine for where and when you study.

·         Choose reasonable and specific goals that you can accomplish for each study session.

·         Do things that are harder or require more intense thought at your most productive time of the day.

·         Take breaks if you need them so you don’t waste time looking at material but not absorbing it.

·         Get to know students whom you respect and can study with or contact to ask questions

·         Keep up with the workload and seek help when you need it.

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Effective Study Skills

Successful Students 3-4

Successful Students

3-4

3. …ask questions. Successful students ask questions to provide the quickest route between ignorance and knowledge. In addition to securing knowledge you seek, asking questions has at least two other extremely important benefits. The process helps you pay attention to your professor and helps your professor pay attention to you! Think about it. If you want something, go after it. Get the answer now, or fall a question later. There are no foolish questions, only foolish silence. It’s your choice.

4. …learn that a student and a professor make a team. Most instructors want exactly what you want: they would like for you to learn the material in their respective classes and earn a good grade.

Successful students reflect well on the efforts of any teacher: if you have learned your material, the instructor takes some justifiable pride in teaching. Join forces with your instructor, they are not an enemy, you share the same interests, the same goals- in short, your teammates. Get to know your professor. You’re the most valuable players on the same team. Your jobs are to work together for mutual success. Neither wishes to chalk up a losing season. Be a team player!

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Successful Students 3-4