Freaks Macintosh Archive/Freaks Macintosh Archive.bin/Freaks Macintosh Archives/Ham⁄GPS/NoviceHamTest Folder/Where There Is a Will...

Text File | 1995-07-29 | 46KB | 1,003 lines

STUDY TECHNIQUES: Notes From The Video Seminar “Where There’s A
Will There’s An “A” By Dr. Claude Olney


Making The Grade

Consider instead this variation of what Henry Ford once said. "If
you think you can do well in school, you're right. If you don't
think you can do well in school, you're still right."


It’s Time You Started Thinking Right

It's not a matter of brains. We've all got the mental ability. It
is a matter of attitude - a matter of desire. Studies show that
20% of high school dropouts are actually gifted children. Winston
Churchill was the last in his class in school, but became one of
the greatest leaders in history. Einstein couldn't read until he
was seven and had trouble getting through high school, yet his
formulas changed the world. Woody Allen was below average in
several subjects, but what a genius at work. You see, we're all
much brighter than we think.


Studying Smart Vs. Studying Hard

These terms may seem to say the same thing, but they don't. Let's
say two people are given the task of cutting down a tree. One is
handed a sledge hammer and the other an ax. The person with the
sledge hammer is certainly going to work hard. But the person
with the ax will be working smart. From now on, you're going to
study smart - learning to use the right tools to get better
grades.

Fine Tuning Your Brain

The first tool you'll start to use is your brain. Scientific
research has estimated that, on the average, most of us use only
3% of our brain potential. Think about it. If we could all
increase our use to 6% we could double our mental performance!
The brain is much like a high performance engine. We can increase
speeds from 100 to 105 mph by simply using a better grade fuel.
Adjust the engine and get another 5 mph. Control other variables
- road conditions, weather, aero- dynamics - and go even faster.
(In one study, students who began to do nothing more than play
chess, improved their IQ by as much as 5 points.) Conquer test
anxiety and pick up still more points. Increase your vocabulary,
and even more yet. And this is just the beginning.


You're In The Driver's Seat

Of course, the responsibility for this high performance engine
lies where it always has - in your hands. You're the driver. And
no one else can take the wheel Learning can be fun, and it's what
you do best. From the time you were born until now, you've done
nothing but learn and grow at an astronomical pace - gaining more
knowledge perhaps than you will for the rest of your life
combined. You are a learning machine, and your brain is a
marvelous instrument you can believe in. So believe in it and
believe in yourself.


Tips For Top Grades

Get Creative. There's no substitute for innovation. First of all,
from now on you are personally in charge of your own education.
Nobody can open your head and pour in piles of information. No
one can do your learning for you except you. This is actually a
pretty exciting concept, because it makes you your own best
teacher. You can use any teaching methods you like to teach your
single pupil - you. So let your mind go. The sky's the limit.
Anything goes. Consider this sampling of learning techniques:

In the book Cheaper by the Dozen, the father of 12 children
painted the Morse Code on the walls of their room so they could
learn it easily. Along the same lines, my wife knew a childhood
friend who had phosphorescent star constellations decorating her
bedroom ceiling. What an easy way to learn astronomy.

One student I knew, wrote a new vocabulary word on a note card
each day and simply clipped it to his notebook. It took only a
little extra effort to learn a new word daily.

Another student, a cross country runner, would practice lists of
biology terms in his head as he ran with the team every
afternoon. Doing so, he not only memorized the required terms,
but took his mind off the heat and fatigue of his workout.

Using props when making oral reports, taking different class
notes with different colored pens, doing unasked for extra credit
- all of these are simple innovative ways to earn yourself better
grades.


Be creative. The ways to learn are endless. Think of ways to make
your study enjoyable. Pull out your favorite joke or cartoon book
and get into a happy frame of mind. It's difficult to be
depressed when you're smiling. And tests show that good feelings
stimulate thought processes and cue the release of positive
material in the memory. Also, try rewarding yourself when you
have had a good study session, mastered a difficult chapter, or
done well on an exam. Buy yourself something, go to a movie, go
out to eat, or celebrate with a friend. You've earned it, and the
treat will reinforce your good study habits. Use your imagination
to make your study time something to look forward to.


Aim High for Success. It goes without saying, if we don't know
where we're going, we're not likely to get there. Goals are
important to our success at anything. That doesn't mean we have
to shoot for straight "A's." But we should aim for something -
specific and realistic, not too high, not too low. Remember, in
setting goals, your reach should exceed your grasp. Make yourself
stretch. Of course, there are going to be ups and downs.
Realizing this can reduce anxiety and stress. We will often learn
as much or more from our mistakes and losses as we do from our
successes. Would you get more out of playing someone in tennis
and beating him 6-0,6-0 all the time - or playing someone who
beat you 7-6, 7-6? So if you should fail to meet a goal -
regroup, reset and recommit. Your goals - both the ones you make
and the ones you barely miss, will change your performance in
life. Your goals will change your world. Important note- For the
present, you should all have at least one goal in common.


Enjoy School

Enjoy school now, before it's too late. Remember, most of the
simple pleasure in life lies in getting there.

The Seven Steps Of Goal Getting

Goal setting doesn't achieve goals. Goal getting does. A study
conducted by Yale University in 1956 showed that the top 3% of
the graduating class were systematic writers of their goals. More
importantly, a follow-up study conducted 30 years later in 1986,
showed that this same 3% were significantly more successful than
the rest of the class. Again, the main difference was that they
were still writing goals, and following through on them.What do
goal getters do differently from ordinary goal setters? What sets
them apart? (1) They write their goals down as part of a regular
program of writing about their dreams and plans.

(2) Goal getters make their goals specific, never general. They
don't plan to upgrade their job skills; they see themselves
completing a class in computers. They don't decide to play better
tennis; they imagine themselves perfecting their forehand.

(3) Goal getters state their goals positively. Our minds
conceptualize in pictures and we literally cannot visualize a
negative. If you tell yourself, "I will not eat too much," what
your mind "sees" is you "eating too much." Goal getters use
positive statements to get a clear picture of their goals.

(4) Goal getters keep their lives in balance by setting goals in
all important areas of their lives: family, financial, social,
physical, spiritual, emotional and mental.

(5) Goal getters put their goals into time frames. They have a
five-year plan, a one-year strategy, and a quarterly campaign.
And they are not afraid to revise all of these time- tables
throughout the year.

(6) Goal getters know the score, and they like to keep score.
Whether it's finishing a class assignment, winning a handball
match, or passing up a piece of cake, they count their "wins",
small and large, every day. They use their losses to help them
make accurate assessments.

(7) Most importantly, goal getters know how to develop personal
goals that belong to them alone. In contrast, many goal setters
set goals that are distorted to fit the image they want others to
see.

    • Write goals regularly.
    • Make them specific.
    • State them positively.
    • Set goals in all important areas of life.
    • Put your goals in time frames.
    • Keep score.
    • Let your goals belong to you alone.
                                                 - Action
Tracs

Learn to Exercise Your Brain. Medical science is discovering more
and more about the brain every day. Along with our muscles, it is
the only other part of our body that we can develop. And like
muscles, the brain will waste away if it is not used. Our
challenge is to exercise our brain, just as we exercise and build
the rest of our body. It can be done. There are two sides to our
brain. Basically, the right hemisphere of the brain governs our
artistic, musical, innovative, imaginative, entrepreneurial,
political, theatrical, and visual tendencies. The left hemisphere
controls our analytical, scientific, logical, mathematical and
verbal leanings. Surprisingly, the person who uses both sides of
his or her brain is the most successful in either right or left
brain professions.

Dreams, hunches, insights, and intuition are all right brain
functions. If we permit the release of this power, we will quite
often come up with answers - even to difficult exam questions -
from "out of nowhere. " How can you develop your right or left
brain? By simply doing right or left brain activities. If you are
a left brained person, for instance, and heavily into science or
math, take a right brain class such as music, art or theater. If
you are a right brain type, watch some of the scientific
television series found on PBS such as National Geographic,
Smithsonian World, The Living Planet, or Nature. These shows are
so well done that the right brain person will find them just as
informative as they are entertaining. What a great way to
exercise the left brain! I recommend educational television for
both types of students. In addition to the mental workout they
provide, they are an excellent way of increasing knowledge in
almost every area of study.

These kinds of mental aerobics not only enable us to use both
sides of our brain more effectively, but also teach us to deal
with right brain and left brain people. For instance, a teacher
who is left brain oriented will tend to be rigid in his grading
policies. However, he will listen to logic and reason. By
researching an ambiguous exam question and explaining to him why
your answer could be right, you will win more times than not. On
the other hand, the right brain teacher's grading scale will be
more flexible. You can negotiate more easily with him. Watch your
teacher in class. Does he constantly look to his left or to his
right? If he favors his left, he is right brain oriented. If he
favors his right he is left brain oriented. Sit in a seat on the
side of the room he favors and you'll get more attention.

Learn to exercise your brain.

Using both the right and left sides of your brain will give you
better recall and better grades.

Choose the Classes You Like. Choose the subjects you really like,
even if they might seem difficult. You'll do best at them and
they'll be best for you.

I hear about high school students - formerly low achievers -
who'd enrolled in courses ranging from Modern Europe to Ancient
Civilization to Shakespeare - courses considered in a difficult
range, but ones that each student was interested in. And in
almost all cases, the students excel in the difficult subjects -
and enjoy themselves. We tend to do best in the things we like.
Choose good teachers - they can make a so-so course interesting.
Don't let hard courses fool you. If you enjoy something, take it
on.


Get to Know Your Teachers. Get on friendly terms with your
teachers. Friends of mine who are high school teachers are very
dedicated and speak highly of their students - at least the ones
they know. Your teachers will go out of their way for you if they
believe you are sincerely interested. But you have to approach
them.


Full Speed Ahead. Give the first two weeks everything you've got.
Get textbooks before classes begin and read at least the first
fifty pages. You'll find reading material is always more
interesting when you don't have to read it - and when there's no
deadline to fight. Over study so that you can almost repeat
everything in your sleep. This intensive head start will acquaint
you with the first several weeks of class, get you off to a
better start, and make a good impression on the teacher. After a
good fast "sprint" you might level off to an easier pace - if you
can. I have found that once students have established good study
habits and experienced the satisfaction of A's in their first few
quizzes, they often don't want to ease up. Success is always the
best motivator. And the sweet taste of that success is frequently
just too much to give up. As they build their confidence, their
higher education actually becomes fun. Begin the semester with a
two-week full-scale attack. Early, unpressured study is the least
boring.


Develop and Learn to Use Your Memory. Your memory is nature's
greatest tool for saving time and energy. Virtually everything we
do - from tying our shoes, to driving a car, to using words when
we talk or write - is based upon memory and the ability of our
minds to recall. No one has a bad memory. In fact we all have
perfect photographic memories. Our brain is much like a tape
recorder which sponges up everything around it. The only thing
wrong with our memories is the playback. We need to make better
connections with the information in our minds to retrieve what
goes in. Here are just a few tricks I have picked up over the
years which have helped me and my students.

    (A)     Commit things to memory only when you are well
rested. Memorizing difficult material when you are tired is a
waste of time.This "fatigue factor" is also one of the reasons we
can memorize so much more effectively when we study in short
bursts rather than long blocks. My students and I found that
several short sessions were     better than one long session.
This was later confirmed in Tony Buzan's book, Make the Most of
Your Mind. In it he     explains the first and last item in a
series are the easiest to recall because that's when
concentration is at its peak.

    (B)     Studies indicate that certain vitamins can
improve our memory, not just a little,     but quite a bit - enough
to make a big difference in your grades. Eat well, and supplement
your diet with these memory vitamins:

    • Vitamin C protects nerve tissue. A deficiency can
contribute to mental confusion.
    • Vitamin B-1 (thiamine) produces energy for nerve cells
in the brain.
    • Vitamin B-3 (niacin) aids in concentration.
    • Vitamin B-6 builds protein from amino acids. A
deficiency can lead to lack of concentration.
    • Vitamin B-12 (frolic acid and iron) prevents anemia
which can lead to difficulty in concentration.
    • Lecithin and Choline are essential for memory.
    • Tyrosine, an amino acid, helps long-term memory.


Read a joke or cartoon book to get into a happy, healthy frame of
mind before a test. It is estimated that 80% of the United States
population could benefit from a balanced diet which includes skim
milk, breads, lean meat, poultry and fish, fresh fruits and
vegetables, and whole grain cereals that contain the above
vitamins. According to medical authorities, some people have
raised their IQ as much as 30 points, just by going from a bad
diet to a good diet. Here are four memory strategies that my
students have found helpful:

(1)     Acronyms are a simple and effective way of memorizing
groups of words. An acronym is a     word made from the first
letters of other words. For instance,     NASA is an acronym for
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. You can make
your own acronyms for what     you need to recall for a test.
Imagine you are required to name the Great Lakes for a     geography
quiz. All you need to know to trigger your memory is the acronym,
HOMES (Huron,     Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior). If you
can't make an acronym that sounds like a real     word, make one
that sounds silly. A funny sounding acronym is sometimes easier
to remember than a ommon one. And acronyms can be as long and
detailed as your needs require.

(2)     Rhyming strategies are used by many people to recall
music series, medical terms, and legal terms, as well as the
number of days in each month.     ("Thirty days hath September . .
. ") Practice making up your own.

(3)     Linking ideas is a quick way to remember a long list of
unrelated ideas. Trying to remember a series of words can take
too much time and energy. But we can make up a quick little story
associating each word with another in a matter of seconds. It
only takes a little practice.

    Here's how it can be used to remember the elements of the
Bill of Rights.

    "A religious speech was printed on the arms of soldiers
outside my house which they wanted to search, thinking there was
a grand jury inside."

    Sounds crazy? Well, the more absurd the saying, the
easier it is to recall later.
    That crazy little story was obtained from using key parts
of the first five

Amendments to the Constitution:

    (1st)    freedom of religion, speech and press
    (2nd)     the right to bear arms
       (3rd)     no soldiers quartered inside homes
    (4th)     search and seizure
    (5th)     right to a grand jury


Here's another example of how to remember related words, such as
the parts of a flower:

    "Mr. Stigma shot a pink anther with a pistil while Miss
Sepal fixed the stem of her
    bicycle petal."

(4)     Use key words which you've already memorized and tie them
to things you want to recall.

    For example, we can all recite the alphabet and use it to
help us recall up to 26 unrelated thoughts. Carried a step
further, by establishing a certain word for each letter ("Ape"
for A, "Bee" for B, "Sea" for C, "Deep" for D, etc..) we can use
these key" words to form a story for even better recall.

    My favorite system is associating a word for each number.
I still use the same words     which I     memorized years
ago. For me the number 1 is won, 2 is pair, 3 is tree, 4 is star,
5 is foot, 6 is 6-pack, 7 is 7up, 8 is ate, 9 is 9-iron, and 10
is tent.

    Once memorized, I can link these words to a list of
unrelated words, in order to recall each one, after glancing at
them for no more than 10 to 15 seconds. Consider the following
list:


MY KEY WORD     WORD TO MEMORIZE     HOW I ASSOCIATE

 1.    WON            PIN                    I won a pin.
 2.    PAIR           SUNGLASSES             A pair of
sunglasses.
 3.     TREE           MONKEY                 Monkey up a tree.
 4.     STAR           MOVIE                  Movie star.
 5.     FOOT           PENCIL                 A five foot long
pencil.
 6.     PACK         SQUIRREL               6-pack of
squirrels.
 7.     7UP            HAT                    Hat full of 7up.
 8.     ATE            CAT                    Ate a cat for
supper.
 9.     9-IRON         TRUMPET                Trumpet shaped
like a 9-iron. 10.     TENT PIZZA                  Tent made
of pizzas.

Remember, the sillier the associations, the easier it is to
recall. This simple system can be used to memorize capitals of
states or countries, the solar system, languages - anything that
needs to be recalled. Let's try it on the first ten U. S.
Presidents.

MY KEY WORD   PRESIDENT           HOW I ASSOCIATE

    1.     WON           WASHINGTON
Won presidency by a ton.
    2.    PAIR           ADAMS                  Pear
(pair) for Adam & Eve.
    3.    TREE           JEFFERSON             Jeff fir
son's tree.
    4.    STAR          MADISON               Is mad at
the sun.
    5.    FOOT           MONROE                 Foot used
by a ma to row a boat.
    6.    PACK         ADAMS                  Adams
split a 6-pack of atoms.
    7.    7UP            JACKSON                7up and
Cracker Jack.
    8.    ATE            VAN BURN              Ate lunch
in my van.
    9.    9-IRON         HARRISON              Used a
9-iron for a hairy shot. 10.    TENT TYLER
Tie the tent down.

Key words can also be memorized by associating each number with a
word that looks like the number it represents. For example, as
illustrated across the page 1 looks like a pen, 2 looks like a
swan, 3 is a bird, 4 is a sailboat, 5 is a hook, 6 is a snail, 7
is a cliff, 8 is an hourglass, 9 is a whistle, and 10 is a bat
and ball. These key words can be used for association the same
way as the others above. With a little practice, memory
strategies can be effective in saving time and energy.

Increase Your Reading Power. Notice we said "reading power," not
"reading speed." Not all of us are fast readers. But we can n be
more powerful readers - reading for better comprehension and
retention. It is simply a matter of practice. And the more we
practice, the better we get. Reading is something which can bring
us hours of enjoyment. Practice on reading material that you
like. If you like cars, read about cars. Encyclopedias can be
interesting. Buy a set at a garage sale or from the Classified.
Read your favorite section in the newspaper. We all enjoy reading
about something we like. Occasionally, we come across dull
reading material. If it happens to be required reading for
school, such as well-known literature, there may be printed
synopses of the works you could read. Better to have a general
idea of the book than to skip reading it entirely. You might try
reading the first sentence of each paragraph. This usually tells
you what the paragraph is about. If there is a chapter summary,
read it first before reading the chapter. It will help you to
learn what key points are covered.

Just as athletes warm up before an event, you can warm up before
reading. If your material is about Egyptian history, for
instance, put your mind in an Egyptian mood think about Egypt,
the Nile, the pyramids - things that are already familiar to you.
Now you're ready to read effectively. If you have trouble seeing
or hearing in class, or think you have dyslexia (transposing
words), tell your teacher and do what needs to be done to correct
the problem. There's an exciting, undiscovered world waiting for
you in reading. So start reading interesting material now, and
become a more powerful reader; read what you like.

Note: To enhance your reading skills, try reading aloud, in order
to stimulate both the right (visual) and left (verbal) sides of
your brain.

    • Practice reading material you enjoy.


Study According to Your Biological Clock. Determine when you
study best. Some of us are early birds. Others of us are night
owls. Most of us are somewhere in between. Because our
"biological clocks" are all different we study and concentrate
best when our temperatures are highest. So instead of fighting
it, we need to take advantage of it. Of the three types, the
night person will encounter the most criticism, especially if his
parents are morning types who think he is staying up way past his
bedtime, or is just downright lazy when he sleeps until noon
every weekend. However, the night person Isn't deliberately
setting his own body temperature. He would gladly rise early if
he were a morning person. And his late hours have been
scientifically proven to be his most productive hours of the day.
Inform your parents of this.

The early riser has fewer problems, of course, because anyone who
is up and ready to go at the crack of dawn seems to be a model
for the rest of us to follow. He should do his studying early in
the day, when he is at his peak and ignore the night people who
kid him about going to bed so early. Of course there will be
times when you can't arrange to study on your perfect schedule.
If you must study when you're tired, try this three minute
routine to restore oxygen (and zest) to your brain:

    • Lift your feet up. Let the blood flow to your head.

    • Begin some deep, slow, rhythmic breathing.

    • Eat something sweet.

    • Determine when you study best and take advantage of it.

Master the Art of Studying. Having determined when to study,
it's time to master how to study. First of all don't waste time
studying if you're tired and can't overcome the fatigue. And
don't allocate time for studying "...whether I need it or not."
In many instances, the less time you have to study, the better
off you are. However much time you take to study, active review
is much more efficient than passive review. In active review, we
go through our material, ask ourselves potential exam questions
and then practice writing down the answers, just the way we would
on a test. Make this active review a dress rehearsal for the
exam. Passive review is simply reading and rereading the material
we think is important. Most passive reading is a waste because we
aren't checking on ourselves. There is a big difference between
reading and studying. We need to write the answers, not just
think about them. So when you study, study actively with a pen or
pencil in hand.

Start to review when you find yourself forgetting material.
Review in short sessions with breaks of minutes or even hours in
between. If the material is difficult or uninteresting, spend 15
to 20 minutes maximum. If it is easy or entertaining, spend more
time. Only review key points -information from the text or
lecture notes that you want to retain in your long term memory.
About six review sessions should be sufficient to make the
transfer. One of the most important study sessions is a quick
review right after class. This session is best spent alone. But
other sessions could include other people (friends, parents,
teachers, classmates, tutors). They might spot mistakes, point
out things you missed, make up new questions you to think of, and
answer questions you don't know.

    • Don't study when tired.

    • Study in short sessions.

    • Study actively with pencil in hand.

    • Make your review a dress rehearsal.

    • Review material when you begin to forget.

    • Study alone and in group sessions.

When you study, your environment is as critical as your
technique. So, study in bright light. Natural window light is
always best. If it's dark outside or you can't be near a window,
make sure your artificial light is as bright as can be. It will
reduce depression that studying for a test sometimes causes. A
good fluorescent light will reduce glare. Since concentration is
essential to study, the less background noise, including most
music, the better. Fragrances also have an effect on us and can
change our mood. By wearing a pleasant perfume or cologne when
studying or taking a test, we can improve our chances of getting
a better grade. Lastly, the temperature of your place of study
can also affect your efficiency. Experiment with different
temperatures. As we'd already learned, slightly increasing your
own body temperature will increase the quality of your study.
Don't forget to smile. A pleasant frame of mind will enhance your
performance.

    • Find out when you study best.

    • Surround yourself with the right study environment.

    • Get into a happy frame of mind by smiling.


Become an Expert Test Taker. The best way to prepare for any test
is to practice taking similar ones ahead of time. Get old tests
or make your own. Never leave anything to chance. Sample tests of
all kinds for that very purpose are available in many books.
Short tests appear regularly in magazines such as Reader's
Digest. Newspapers, television quiz shows like "Jeopardy", even
brain teasers and puzzle books, all provide you with practice in
the art of test taking. Again, the more you practice anything,
the better you get at it.

    • Remember, old tests make the best study guides.

    • Taking tests is a skill. Practice makes perfect.

    • Make sure you know exactly what the test will cover. If
you're not sure, ask.

Don't go into a test feeling gloomy. You can reduce the chances
of this by not getting involved in anything controversial with
friends, family, or others just before a test. Do calming
exercises such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation. Talk
yourself through the anxiety. Take a sweater along in case the
room is cold. Sit away from friends during the exam. When a test
is handed out, jot down formulas, equations, and rules that you
want to remember. Take a deep breath, relax, and begin.


Educated Guessing

Even with all your preparation, you may still encounter questions
for which you simply don't know the answer. When this happens,
don't panic. Use the following tips to increase your odds when
guessing. Remember to eliminate the choices in the question that
you know are incorrect, then apply these methods:

    Multiple choice. When two of four choices are opposites,
pick one of those two as the best guess.

    B, C, and D answers are best in five-answer multiple
choice questions.

    Avoid pairs. If question 28 is known to be B, avoid
guessing B in 27 or 29.

    Non-answers ("Zero," "None of the above") are usually
poor guesses.

    In questions asking for the most or the least, pick the
answer next to the most or the least. (Most - 5, 8, 9, , 30.)

    "All of the above" is generally a good guess.

    Longest multiple choice answers are good guesses.

    If two of four choices are almost identical, pick the
longest of the two.

    If a few questions have five possible choices instead of
four, pick number five.

    If a question asks for a plural (or singular) answer,
make sure you pick the plural (or singular).

    When limiting words are used (all, never, always, must,
etc..) false is usually the     best answer.

    When general terms are used (most, some, usually, could,
might, etc..) true is usually the best answer.

    Exaggerated or complex answers are generally false.

    Answer every question, even with a best guess as you go.
Identify those you're not sure of with a mark. Review these on a
second pass.

    Fill-in-the-blank exams. Never leave a question blank.
Give it your best guess. You might guess correctly. And even if
you don't, you might get partial credit just for coming close.

    Essay exams. Say as much as you can, use short
paragraphs, and write legibly. Volume, quality, and neatness pay.

    Reread directions before turning in an exam. Did you
define terms when you were asked to compare them? Use the entire
period to double check.

    Answers quite often pop up in other questions. Keep that
thought in mind.

    First impressions (initial guesses) are often best. If an
answer comes to you from out of the blue, it's probably your
right brain at work. Don't fight this intuition unless you're
sure it's wrong.

    When a question is difficult to visualize, draw it.

    Assume a possible answer. Then work backwards to see if
you're right.

    In math problems, make estimates or "guesstimates" and
find an answer close to your approximation.

    Sit in the front of class. Ambiguous questions can be
cleared up much easier when you're near the teacher. Ask.

    Stay until the very end. Questions may be clarified by
the teacher as an afterthought.

    When in doubt, follow the rules for the best educated
guess.

    Keep track of time.

    Above all, don't be afraid to ask questions.


Special Tests

Open Book Exams - These exams test your organizational skills and
speed in finding facts, as well as familiarity with the text. An
open book exam doesn’t really test what you know, but how good
you are at finding what you need to know. So get acquainted with
your text. Know where to look.

Essay Exams - These exams require knowledge, but are not
impossible to prepare for. Practice writing several answers in a
blue book or on whatever type of paper you will be using. Use
erasable ink so you can turn in a picture perfect paper without
errors, arrows, marginal additions, cross outs, or smudges.
Appearance and volume count. Read and reread directions carefully
before you begin and follow them. Skim over the questions and
answer the easy ones first. That will get you rolling and jog
your memory in helping you answer the rest. Make sure you refer
to the question you're answering in your essay. Don't make the
teacher figure it out. Begin with a good opening sentence and end
with a good conclusion. Try not to be controversial in your
subject matter. Divide up your thoughts. (Five paragraphs look
better than two, even if the word count is the same.) And leave
some space at the end of each essay, so that if you get a good
idea later, you can write it in.

Take Worthwhile Notes. Taking worthwhile notes is one of your
critical school survival skills. It is easy to take good notes.
To begin with, take notes with a purpose other than to just fill
up a page with words. No one gives you credit for the number of
words in your notebook. You only get credit for a few right words
- on exams. The purpose of note taking is to get key points from
textbooks and lectures. A key point is an answer to an exam
question. Every class day, your teacher is giving you about five
to ten key points in the reading assignment and lecture. (Which
also means missing class, for whatever reason, is like throwing
away a page of valuable notes).

    • Take notes with a purpose.

    • Take short notes. Use key points.

    • Don't miss class.

Once you have these key points, use them to get exam answers by
making up your own set of exam questions. This is exactly what
the teacher does in making up an exam, giving us most of the same
questions - and the answers, too. Students at an eastern high
school who made up possible test questions later found 75% of the
same or similar questions on actual exams. These same students
scored almost 10% higher than students who studied without this
method.

    • Use notes to make up test questions.

When studying from textbooks, most of us mark everything we think
is important. A more effective method may be to mark only the
parts you don't know. Later on, go over those parts. When you
finally know them, check them off. There is no need to go over
and over information (colored yellow) that you already know.
There's no right way to mark up a text for your own personal
study. Tear out pages. Write in the margins. Find a system that
works for you. After all, it is your book.

    • Make notes of what you don 't know in the text.

As with lecture notes, a good way to check how well you
understand something is to write down potential test questions
about the material just read. Start by briefly summarizing to
yourself the meaning of the chapter title and subtitles. Practice
for the exam while studying the material.

    • Use text to make up test questions.

An easy way to take notes is to draw a line down the center of a
sheet. Use the left side for key points from the textbook, which
you will read before class. Use the right side to add any
important key points the teacher makes if you don't already have
them on the left side. This text-lecture process will make class
material much easier to understand and add to your retention.
After class, find a quiet place to review your notes. If you
don't understand something, ask the teacher right away, or ask
someone else in class to give you an explanation. Don't let
unanswered questions pile up.

    • Review notes immediately after class.

        • If you don't understand, ask.


The Key to Perfect Papers. Never turn in homework late, sloppily
done, or unedited. Top students write well. Of course, writing
may not be your strong suit. But clear, concise expression is
essential in high school and will be throughout your life. Find
someone (parent, brother, sister, friend) to proofread every bit
of material you hand in. Type and retype until every page is
processor for picture perfect papers. Remember the analogy of the
gourmet and the cheeseburger. A dirty plate can make a delicious
cheeseburger unappetizing. And a messy paper can make a
masterpiece of research unimpressive. In both cases, it sometimes
only takes one taste, one bite, or one glance at a cover sheet
for the critic (the teacher) to make a decision, assign a grade
and go on to the next paper.

    • Written work is a game of comparison between papers.

    • Always have someone double check your material.

    • The appearance of your papers makes all the difference
in the world.


Five Steps To Better Writing

Step 1: Structural Outline. Quickly draw an outline on a piece of
paper. Build from one central idea to several topics, and then to
details - similar to the way a statue is sculptured from one
large stone. Take big chunks first, chiseling down to smaller
pieces, until finally the last finishing details are mad.

Step 2: Sentence Outline. Now write out a sentence outline. If we
have five main topics. Each will consist of about 100 words,
making our article five paragraphs in length and containing 500
words. WRITE FIVE TOPIC SENTENCES, LEAVING SPACE BETWEEN EACH
SENTENCE - for filling in more detailed sentences later.

Step 3: The First Draft. Write sentences into the open spaces.
Build on the topic sentences and DO THIS IN ANY ORDER YOU WISH.
You are not bound by a linear model - forcing you to start at the
top of the page and write until you get to the end. You are as
free as a sculptor who can move from one part of his statue to
another. For example, while working on one paragraph, you may get
an idea for another. Simply move to that one before you forget.

Step 4: Recast Your Paragraphs. Expand them. Subdivide them.
Refine them by adding a sentence here and deleting one there, and
watch how nicely your article takes shape. Expand each topic
sentence by enlarging it with additional sentences that
illustrate or explain in some way the meaning of the topic
sentence.

Step 5: Polish Your Paper. Check your work for grammar, spelling,
trite words and phrases, and repetition. Now, read the entire
article out loud to yourself and someone else. Always have
someone edit your material before handing it in. If it looks and
sounds good, you're finished with an "A" paper.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY MISSPELLED WORDS. Use the
spaces to write in your own.

accommodate       deceive           idle               nineteen
recipe   ache              defense idol               nuisance
recommend achieve           develop           impeccable
resurrect acquaintance      disaster          interference
rhythm advice disease           interpret
roommate advise            druggist          interruption occasion
alcohol                         intrigue           ominous all right
irresponsible      omission analysis
opaque science anxiety           ecstasy
orchestra         secretary anxious eight
separate arctic            embarrass jeopardy
solemn ascetic           erratic           judgment          pamphlet
sophomore atheist           exaggerate
parallel          souvenir athletics excellent
permanent         stationary
                  exhaust                          personal
stationery
                  existence         knowledge          personnel
subtle
                                                   physician
syllable beginning positive believe
possess boundary          fatigue laboratory         precede breathe
February         labyrinth          preferred         tariff bureau
formula           leisure            principal         thorough business
forty             likable principle         twelfth
                  fourth            loose              privilege
                                lose               proceed
                                luxury             professor
calendar professional      unanimous capital
government                       prophet capitol governor
pursue cemetery          guarantee         maneuver chaotic
gymnasium         mathematics                      vacuum committee
mediocre variety compliment                      metaphor
quorum            vegetable conceive misspelled         quotient
vicinity concession        handkerchief      mystery conquer
hymn conscious cough
realize               Wednesday
                                neither            receipt
                                nickel             receive


Suggestions for Studying Math and Science. Math can be
interesting if we give it half a chance. And more than that,
knowing math is essential to getting through each day - in school
and in life. Scoring higher in the math sections of civil service
exams can mean as much as $5,000 more in salary per year. Math
and science, like language, are composed of rules and formulas.
The real beauty of math is that these rules never change. Here's
just one: The Rule of 72. To figure out how long it would take to
double your money in an investment at On rate of interest, simply
divide the number 72 by the interest rate. The resulting number
is the number of years it will take to double your money.

    72 divided by 8% = 9 years (Money invested at 8% will
double in 9 years.)

Try this one on your friends. It involves the principle of
compounding. Ask them which they would rather have: 1 penny
today, doubled daily for 30 days (1 cent + 2 cents + 4 cents,
etc..), or $100,000 each day for 30 days? If they picked the
$100,000 for 30 days, they would lose $2,000,000. Doubling 1 cent
a day for 30 days would amount to over $5,000,000.

As in anything else, practice makes perfect. When you're out
shopping, try adding up the totals along with the cash register
at the check-out stand. Compare prices. Is a 16 oz. jar  $1.29 a
better deal than a 14 oz. jar $1.09? (No). Study by taking
examples of math problems from your text. Write them out - out of
sequence. Now try solving them. (They probably won't show up in
order on the exam). And have a pencil in hand when you review
anything.

Study 125% for that first test. This will build confidence and
lower your stress to a manageable level. During the test, read an
entire problem before trying to solve it. Estimate answers.
Double check for misplaced decimal points. Beware of careless
mistakes - O's that look like 6's, or 1's that look like 7's.
Check, check, and recheck.

Remember, math is hard for those who don't know how it works. For
those who do, it's easy.

    • Give 125% on that first test.

    • Practice using math every day.

Science, like math is primarily a left brain subject - requiring
a logical, analytical approach. You can increase the use of your
left brain by using the opposite side of your head. For instance,
if you are on the telephone with a friend sorting out science or
math problems, listen with your right ear instead of your left.
If you are using a tape recorder with an earphone, use your right
ear. Break down a science review into basic types of test
questions: definition of terms, relation of terms to each other,
formulas, drawings, and applications. And remember the basic
rules and formulas for science. They never change.

    • Learn the basic steps, rules and formulas.


Be there or Beware. Never miss a class. No rule of success in
school is as simple and yet so critical. This is reflected in my
own teaching records over the past several years. In reviewing
the performance of 800 "A" and "C" students in my classes, I
discovered that the "A" students, on the average, missed less
than one class per 45-class semester. While the "C" students
missed over four classes over the same period.- In plain terms,
these "C" students deducted from three to five points toward
getting an "A" for each class session they missed. Also, keep in
mind that the first and last minutes of each class are the two
most important periods of the teaching hour. Don't be surprised
by a test the next day because you missed an announcement during
those important minutes.

    • Never miss a class.

    • Don't be late. Don't leave early.

    • If you miss a class, get someone's notes.


Stay Mentally, Spiritually and Physically Fit. You are a
multi-faceted animal - a wonder of nature composed of different
elements, all working in tandem to make you a literal miracle.
You are a total package of mental, spiritual and physical
elements - elements that cannot really be separated. According to
Who's Who Among American High School Students, the top students
from a recent response group of 23,000 were surprisingly healthy
and free of bad habits. The survey indicated an unusually high
number of them did not smoke. Almost 90% don't drink, or did so
moderately. And practically none tried cocaine. Less than 5% used
marijuana - far below the national average. All this is not to
say that heavy smokers, drinkers or drug users cannot get good
grades. But it certainly does indicate that the odds favor those
who take care of themselves.

Remember, you can be an excellent student. You can get good
grades. And you can be a success at anything you want to be.
You've got all the tools and abilities to accomplish your own
academic greatness. So establish your goal, follow your plan, and
use what you were born with. I know you can do it, and now, so do
you. Because "Where there's a will there's a way." And . . .



Were There's A Will There's An "A"