Exam Day: Survival Tips

Test-Taking

Part 3

Identify key words.

This helps you focus on the main idea of challenging questions.

Rephrase difficult questions.

To understand questions better, rewrite them in your own words. Be careful not to change the meaning.

Organize your thoughts before you write.

Take time to organize your responses to short-answer and essay questions. You’ll reduce the time you need to revise.

Write neatly.

Be sure you don’t lose points on answers the teacher can 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!!!

Online Learning

Part 2

More Tips

Finally, look beyond the article for more clues.

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

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

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

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

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

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It’s Online, but Is It On Target?

Part 2

Research with Attitude

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

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

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

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

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

·        Is the information accurate? Is it up-to-date?

·        Where did the author get this information?

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Take Control of Homework

So It Doesn’t Control You

Part 2

Keep Things in Perspective

Know how much weight each assignment or test carries, and use your time accordingly. Don’t waste time, but be wise and smart. Doing the most important things first is being wise and smart.

Get More Involved

Keep your mind from wandering by taking notes, underlining sections, discussing topics with others or relating your homework to something you’re studying in another class. Learn actively and not passively. Be anxiously engaged in your studies and you will have a great experience. Demonstrate a good attitude toward home assignments, and you will begin to love doing it.

Organize the Information

People process information in different ways. Some people like to draw pictures or charts to digest information, others prefer to read out loud or make detailed outlines. Try to find the methods that work best for you. Ask your teacher for recommendations if you’re having trouble.

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Note—Taking Strategies

Part 1

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

How to Get Your Class Notes into Shape

Getting the most out of high school and college means studying hard and using your time ion class wisely. An effective note-taking strategy can help you do both. Here are the basics.

Stay organized

It may seem obvious, but your class notes can only help you if you can find them. When you’re taking notes be sure to:

·        Keep all your notes in one place.

·        Date and number pages; keeping them in order makes it easier to understand them later.

Before Class

Review the materials assigned for that class period thoroughly. Bring a list of any questions you may have.

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How to Take on College Studying

http://www.collegeboard.com/student /plan/ college-success/961.html

Part 1

Develop Good Study Habits

In college, you’ll need to build on the study skills that you learned in high school. The demands of a college class are probably more rigorous than those you are used to.

You can succeed by knowing what you expect and how to handle it. Think of college as a full-time job, in which you spend 40 hours a week on class, labs, study groups and doing homework.

Being organized and using your time well are essential. Learn more about time management, and use the guidelines below to develop your study skills.

Decide When to Study

Work out about how many hours you need to study every day. Then make a schedule.

·        Figure out what blocks of time you have available throughout the day, in the evenings and on weekends.

·        Consider what time of day you are most alert—there are morning people and night owls—and try to schedule your studying accordingly.

·        Think about whether you do better studying for a few hours at a time or sitting down for marathon sessions.

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Dropbox

Study for Multiple Exams

Part 3

English, math foreign language tips: Practice—especially foreign language. it is hard to succeed in a foreign language class if you are just showing and doing the work. But if you are in your room and look at objects and try to say them in the language you are learning it actually helps. Or if you send a simple text to a friend think about it, can you translate that that no German or Spanish? These are the little things that will help.

Here are my final words of wisdom for students who want to get better grades in college: Time management and organization are critical key factors to success in college. And never be afraid to go ask your teacher for help. They have office hours for a reason-use them!

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!!

Dropbox