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- 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.
-
- Ñ Write goals regularly.
- Ñ Make them specific.
- Ñ State them positively.
- Ñ Set goals in all important areas of life.
- Ñ Put your goals in time frames.
- Ñ Keep score.
- Ñ 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:
-
- Ñ Vitamin C protects nerve tissue. A deficiency can
- contribute to mental confusion.
- Ñ Vitamin B-1 (thiamine) produces energy for nerve cells
- in the brain.
- Ñ Vitamin B-3 (niacin) aids in concentration.
- Ñ Vitamin B-6 builds protein from amino acids. A
- deficiency can lead to lack of concentration.
- Ñ Vitamin B-12 (frolic acid and iron) prevents anemia
- which can lead to difficulty in concentration.
- Ñ Lecithin and Choline are essential for memory.
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ 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:
-
- Ñ Lift your feet up. Let the blood flow to your head.
-
- Ñ Begin some deep, slow, rhythmic breathing.
-
- Ñ Eat something sweet.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ Don't study when tired.
-
- Ñ Study in short sessions.
-
- Ñ Study actively with pencil in hand.
-
- Ñ Make your review a dress rehearsal.
-
- Ñ Review material when you begin to forget.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ Find out when you study best.
-
- Ñ Surround yourself with the right study environment.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ Remember, old tests make the best study guides.
-
- Ñ Taking tests is a skill. Practice makes perfect.
-
- Ñ 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).
-
- Ñ Take notes with a purpose.
-
- Ñ Take short notes. Use key points.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ Review notes immediately after class.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ Written work is a game of comparison between papers.
-
- Ñ Always have someone double check your material.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ Give 125% on that first test.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ 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.
-
- Ñ Never miss a class.
-
- Ñ Don't be late. Don't leave early.
-
- Ñ 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"
-