Take Control of Homework Part 2

Take Control of Homework

So It Doesn’t Control You

Part 2

Keep Things in Perspective

Know how much weight each assignment or test carrier, and use your time accordingly. Don’t waste time, but be wise and smart. Doing the most important things first is being wise and smart.

Get More Involved

Keep your mind from wandering by taking notes, underlining sections, discussing topics with others or relating your homework to something you’re studying in another class. Learn actively and not passively. Be anxiously engaged in your studies and you will have a great experience. Demonstrate a good attitude toward home assignments, and you will begin to love doing it.

Organize the Information

People process information in different ways. Some people like to draw pictures or charts to digest information, others prefer to read out loud or make detailed outlines. Try to find the methods that work best for you. ask your teacher for recommendations if you’re having trouble.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox

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.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox

Note-Taking Strategies Part 3

Note-Taking Strategies

Part 3

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

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 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!!!

Dropbox

"He listens well who takes notes." Student Success Statment

Student Success Statement

“He listens well who takes notes.”

-Dante Alighieri

What this statement means is that someone who takes notes on what is important is the one who listens well to the instructor. He will listen even more and comprehend what has been said because he will review his notes. Writing the most important information and facts will help you review for an exam. These facts are important because they will usually base the test on those facts. If he took good notes that means he listened very well. If he listened very well that means he takes good notes.

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.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox

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.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox

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.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox

The Power of Study Groups Part 2

The Power of Study Groups

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/high-school/50432.html

Part 2

The Benefits of Study Groups

Group study offers other advantages in addition to gaining a deeper understanding of class material. These include the opportunity to; Reinforce note-taking. If your AP Biology notes are unclear, you can ask a  member of your study group to help you fill the gaps. Share talents. Each person brings different strengths, such as organizational skills, the ability to stick to a task or a capacity for memorization.

Cover more ground. Group members may be able to solve a calculus problem together that none would have solved alone.

Benefit from a support system. Members often have common goals, such as good grades. Each person’s work affects the other members, which results in making members supportive of one another. Socialize. It’s more fun to study with others; the give-and-take makes it more interesting. And because it’s more fun, you spend more time studying!

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox

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.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox

Successful 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 seat for their educational 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 people between them and their instructor? Of course, we know they chose the back of the classroom because they seek invisibility or anonymity, both of 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 now that are necessary to make your notes meaningful at some later time. A short review of your notes while the material is still fresh on your mind helps you to learn more. The more you learn then, 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 purpose of taking notes is to use them, and use them often. The more you use them, the more they improve.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Successful Students 5-6