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 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 the extra time to proofread and review your answers.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!

Take Control of Homework

So It Doesn’t Control You

Part 3

Take Advantage of Any Free Time

If you have a study period or a long bus ride, use the time to review notes, prepare for an upcoming class or start your homework. Flash cards are a great learning tool. They are easy to make, easy to handle, and are a marvelous tool to help you learn and remember anything. Punch a hole in the upper left corner of each index card and connect the stack of your flash cards with a ring. Then the cards are bound and not flopping around. Flash cards bound like this act like a small book with pages. You can even have separate ringed stacks for each subject. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO REMEMBER PUT IT ON A CARD.

Study with a Friend

Get together with friends and classmates to quiz each other, compare notes and predict test questions. Consider joining a study group.

Communicate

If you have any concerns about the amount or type of homework you have, you may want to talk to your family, teachers or counselors. They can help you understand how much time you need to allot for and how to manage your tasks.

Celebrate Your Achievements

Reward yourself for hitting milestones or doing something well.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!

Note-Taking Strategies

Part 3

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

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!

Distance Education: Is a Virtual Classroom for You?

Part 3

Challenging Aspects of Distance Education

·        Lack of in-person interaction: Some educators argue that both teacher-student and student-student contact are essential to learning. In a distance-learning classroom, you may be able to participate in class discussions online in chat rooms, message boards or Web conferences—but it’s not the same as being with other students in a classroom.

·        Different levels of quality: Many distance-education programs supply an excellent learning experience, but others may not. Research any program before signing on to make sure it’s rigorous enough. If you are choosing your own program, look into its accreditation before enrolling.

·        The need to self-start: Distance education lets you make your own schedules. If you have a hard time getting motivated, this might not be the ideal educational setting for you.

Choose The Right!

Balancing High School and Part-Time Work

Part 3

Brad MacGowan, of the Career center at Newton North High School in Massachusetts, thinks that working can be a valuable part of a student’s life, if taken responsibility.  “You can derive a great deal from working, considerably more than just money,” he says.  “In most cases, you can acquire a nice dose of discipline and a whole new set of skills and experiences, “In addition, your supervisor may be willing to write a strong college recommendation for you.

School Comes First.

School work, including homework and studying for tests, should always be your top priority. MacGowan cautions students who do decide to work, “if you are rushing through your assignments…or not studying enough for tests because of work, it’s time to cut back or quit and find a less time-consuming job.”

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!

The Power of Study Groups

http://ww.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 interest in doing well academically. Look for people who stay alert in class, take notes, ask questions, and respond to their teacher’s questions. Include someone who understands the material better than you and 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 can only have an hour, you’re most 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 help you to keep to a schedule and ensures that everyone attends.

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How to Take on College Studying

Part 3

Do the reading

·     You need to do more just read the chapters you 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 the material: ask questions in class about anything that it unclear

·     Take notes instead of highlighting this makes you think through and rephrase the key points.

·     Create summary sheet what you learned from each assignment you read.

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… Profile of a Successful student

Part 3

Owns or has easy access to a computer with internet access and email

You don’t have to be a computer expert to be successful in online learning- but you must have access to a personal computer with reliable internet access, as well as a basic level of competency in using them. Owning a computer with internet access from your home is ideal but many students use the computer labs on campus or at their offices to complete their work.

… Has basic computer skills and is willing and open to learning new ones.

We said you don’t have to be a computer expert to be successful in online learning. However, there are some basic technical skills you should have mastered prior to enrolling in an online course.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!