Study tips 2013

 

STUDY TIPS

 

Some people think studying means reading notes over and over again. This is not studying. Studying means you prepare your brain so that you can easily access knowledge you have stored in your brain or can more easily perform a task independently using knowledge, skills and strategies you have learned. Simply reading your notes, no matter how many times you read them, will not be enough. The following are simple steps that will help you with your learning. If you take the time to read through and try them, I know it will help.

 

 

GETTING STARTED:

 

Before beginning to study, you need to make sure you are studying the correct information.

 

Your notes need to be:

• Completed neatly. Messy notes are more difficult to organize, read and memorize. Rewrite if necessary.
  
• Organized. Ensure notes are in chronological order and identified by topic. This means you need to have dates and titles of subject topics on all sheets.
  
• Understood. Read over your notes to ensure you understand everything.
  
• Searched for concepts that stump you. Highlight the concepts that are unclear and take them up with the teacher the following day.
  
• Re-written with corrections. Complete the notes again with new information from teacher's clarification.
  
• Re-read for understanding.
  

 

 

SECTION 1)    STUDYING TO MEMORIZE A LIST, TEXT, CONCEPTS OR STEPS IN A PROCESS

 

Memorizing a List, Definition or Steps in a Process

 

1. Read over first line of notes out loud.
   
2. Cover the first line and try to recite it without looking
   
3. Read through the second line of notes
   
4. Cover the first and second line of notes and try to recite without looking.
   
5. If you are unsuccessful, start over at step a). If successful, move to the third line of notes.
   
6. If a mistake is made at any time, start over at step a).
   
7. Once you are able to repeat each of the lines out loud, try writing the entire list from memory. The process must be repeated in writing. This is because exams are most often administered through written responses, not orally so we must prepare our brain to think in the same way it will have to during the test, quiz or exam.
   

 

 

SECTION 2)    STUDYING FOR PROBLEM SOLVING OR COMPLETING A MATH PROCESS

 

1. If there are formulae (D=m/V), ensure you know what the variables mean. (eg: V=volume, D=density, etc.)
   
2. If there are formulae, or steps in a process, ensure you know the situation in which you would use each one.
   

   (eg: You can use V=L x w x h to find volume or V=m/D but it depends on the situation and information that is given.) Try to list all of the situations in which you could use each of the formulae you must study. (Obviously, this should not be started the night before the exam.)
   

3. Memorize the list of formulae and the situations in which you would use them using the section above.
   
4. Locate old questions from former quizzes, tests, homework, complex tasks and assignments you have completed. If you do not have them, borrow from a friend or ask the teacher for them.
   
5. Redo random questions without referring to the answers.
   
6. Verify afterwards to see if you get the correct answers. (This is the reason you should keep all of your assessments and complete your corrections diligently.)
   
7. Make note of questions with which you have difficulty. You may need
   
   1. additional notes    
      
   2. more time spent memorizing
      
8. or a meeting with the teacher. If this is the case, see your teacher or another teacher in that subject department for help with your "problem questions" the next day.
   
9. Once you get help and understand, retry those questions.
   
10. Finally, you should meet with friends (on line, in person) from the same class or have someone from home drill you with mock questions.
    

 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT TIPS:

 

1. Memorization works best in 12-20 minute blocks with 5 minutes of rest in between.
   

 

1. Playing video games and watching certain types of television after memorizing notes will delete some of it. Our brains process sensory information while we sleep. If we experience stimuli that are multi-sensory, stressful and/or fast-paced in nature (violence, action, loud, lots of quick decisions) afterwards, they can erase or fade some of the memorization done earlier.
   

 

1. If there are 14 items to memorize (definitions, steps in a process) it is best to break them down and memorize them in chunks of no more than seven items at a time. That is why phone numbers don't exceed 7-digits.
   

 

1. Treat your body like a temple. Lots of water, sleep, exercise, and regular healthy breakfasts increase brain power for testing and exams.
   

 

1. Avoid "cramming" for exams and tests. It is easier for our brains to memorize items that are studied a little every night compared to the same information studied all in one night.
   

 

1. Avoid the drama! Stress produces chemicals in the body that make it harder for us to think and remember things. If someone or something causes you stress, try to avoid them more than ever around studying and evaluation periods.
   

 

1. Mnemonic Devices are strategies that help you remember concepts. HOMES is a mnemonic to help people remember the names of the Great Lakes. Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge is a mnemonic to help us remember the notes on the lines of a treble clef in music. BEDMAS helps us remember the order of operations in a math equation. Our brains can only store so much information at a time but these little strategies can help us store extra. Try to make up your own mnemonics to help you study for evaluations and share them with friends.