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 Thoughts 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 extra time

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Exam Day: Survival Tips

Exam Day : Survival Tips

Part 1

Test-Taking

Essential Test –Taking Advice

http://collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-your-skills/10296.html

Try out these strategies while you’re still in high school, and by the time you get to college, you’ll be a test-taking expert.

Before the Test Eat well.

 Studies show that you need good nutrition to concentrate and preform your best. Bring the right supplies. Bring your pencils, erasers, pens, rulers, compasses, calculators or whatever else you need on the test day.

Review the whole test before you start.

See how many sections and what types of questions are on the test. Determine how much time to allow for completing each section.

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Online Learning Part 2

Online Learning

Part 2

More Tips

 Finally, look beyond the article for more clues.

·         Read the website’s home page and the About Us page. Look for a mission statement to learn more about the site, its purpose and the organization sponsoring it.

·         If there is an author listed, look for a biography that discusses the author’s education, profession and other relevant background. If there is no bio on the site, search for one elsewhere on the Web.

·         Check the date Facts can change over time, so see if the site shows when it was last updated.

·         Presentation counts; look at everything from design to spelling. A clean, well-organized site shows a certain degree of professionalism.

·         Avoid sites that are pornographic, vulgar, inappropriate, below par, suggestive, and falsifying.

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Online Learning Part 1... Read Between the Lines

Online learning

Part1

Read Between the Lines

Make a judgment about the site’s reliability based on your own analysis of the site and the information it contains. Here are some ways to do this:

·        Look for facts you know or can check with a trusted source. If the site gets those facts right, it’s more likely that the other facts on the site are also accurate.

·        Study the language used. Is it angry, satiric or overly impassioned? This may indicated that the site is biased.

·        Consider whether the arguments are logical and backed up by evidence, and whether the site presents only one point of view.

·        Check the links to the sources that the author acknowledges. Scholarly writing, whether in print or online, should include a bibliography.

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It's Online, But Is It On Target? Part 2

It’s Online, but Is It On Target?

Part 2

 Research with Attitude

Conduct your research with the attitude of a skeptic. As you examine websites for clues that they’re trustworthy, ask these questions:

·       Who wrote the Web page? If you can’t identify the individual or organization responsible for the information, don’t use it.

·       What are the author’s qualifications for writing on the subject?

·       Has the article passed through an editorial process designed to ensure quality and accuracy?

·       What is the website’s purpose? Look for motives --- like spelling products or winning votes—that could result in biased or incomplete information.

·       Is the information accurate? It is up-to-date?

·         Where did the author get this information?
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SQ3R: SQ3R=Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review

SQ3R

SQ3R=Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review

Question

As you survey the 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  

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. Reading 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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Reading: 5 Tips for Success

Reading

5 Tips for Success

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-your-skills/189995.html

Reading and writing go hand in hand. The better you understand a text, the more likely you are to successfully communicate your thoughts about it in writing. So it’s important to develop strong skills on both areas. With that in mind, here’s how to improve your reading comprehension.

Tips 1-2

Tip 1: Annotate

Be an active reader. Instead of passively reading a text, take notes about important story elements, key factual information and significant ideas in the text.

Tip 2: Note the Author’s Writing Style

Every author writes with a purpose, using deliberate methods to successfully relate specific information to the audience. When you’re reading, look for patterns in the author’s writing. For example, you may notice a repetition of key words, phrases or symbols—or the use of a distinct type of sentence structure. Authors employ these writing strategies to help readers comprehend a central argument or theme, so be sure to explore how these techniques create meaning.

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5 Tips for Staying Motivated . . . Tips 3-5

5 Tips for Staying Motivated

Tips 3-5

3. Set Attainable Goals

If you’re having trouble writing a 25-page paper for class because it seems like such a big job, don’t focus on that final number. Break the paper down and consider each section of your paper individually. You can handle any project in small chunks.

4. Find a Social Support Network

Create a group of people around you who want to help you succeed. Mentors can be teachers or family friends who can give you guidance and help you develop new skills. Counselors can help you with planning your courses and starting to explore colleges. You can also reach out to friends and peers who can motivate you by listening and sharing ideas.

5. Acknowledge Your Accomplishments

Give yourself a quick reward when you complete an assignment or task. Take a walk, send an email, get a snack. Then move on to the next project.

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Balancing High School and Part-Time Work Part 5

Balancing High School and Part-Time Work

Part 5

Additional Tips

Although working and going to school is challenging, it can be a rewarding experience if you use some foresight. These tips can help you handle the situation and make the most of your time:

      Discuss your plans with your family. Balancing the demands of school and work it easier with their support.

      Start slowly; don’t commit to working a lot of hours immediately.

      Avoid time conflicts by planning your class and work schedules as far ahead of time as possible.

      Use your time efficiently. You can use 10 minutes waiting in a line to go over a few pages of assigned reading. If your job has a lot of downtime and your boss has no objection, you can use slow periods to do schoolwork.

      If you commute to your job on public transportation, bring your schoolwork with you so you can work along the way.

      Be flexible and willing to make sacrifices. You may have to cut down on some other things you’d like to do because of your school and work commitments.

      If you have too much on your plate, admit it. Then cut  back as needed.

      Schedule relaxation time. Everyone needs some downtime to stay happy and healthy.

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Ten Tips for Student Success

Ten Tips for Student Success
St. Johns University

1.      Attend your classes. Remember in the words of Woody Allen ‘Seventy percent of success in life is showing up’.

2.      Know Your Faculty. Make sure you know who your teachers are, when their office hours are and how to contact them.

3.      Make sure the faculty knows you.  Sit in the front of the classroom. Participate in class discussions. Consult with your teachers during office hours.

4.      Use a daily planner. Note the dates of exams, assignments, term, papers, etc.

5.      Be organized. Prioritize your responsibilities. Manage your time. Remember everyone has the same 168 hours a week, only some of us use them better than others.

6.      Know your campus resources. Visit your Academic’s Dean Office regularly. Become familiar with the services and programs offered by the Counseling Center, The Freshmen Center, the Career Center, the Campus Ministry Office and STUDENT Life Office.

7.      Take care of your health. Get enough sleep. Eat well-balanced meals. Exercise regularly. Make informed and mature decisions about alcohol, sex and drugs. Visit the Health Office as needed.

8.      Work only as necessary. Try not the exceed 20 hours during a school week. If possible, work on campus. Apply for financial aid and loans if you need them. Manage your expenses very carefully.

9.      Get involved in campus activities. It will help you learn valuable skills, expand your social network and enhance your self-confidence.

10.  Keep your eyes on the price. Clarify your goals. Know why you are in (high school or) college in the first place. Visualize your success on the daily basis.

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Work Together Part 2 .

Work Together
                            Part 2
English, math, foreign language tips: For math, all I can say is do the problems assigned. It is the way to practice and that’s really all it is for math. It’s the same for chemistry; if you do the practice problems you will understand the material so much better because those subjects are not just memorization like history, you need to be able to apply to what you have learned in practical situations.as for English, I am no longer taking it, but I would say to leave yourself plenty of time to write essays and papers. They take time to get all the information out of your head and onto the page, so don’t leave them until the last second.
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