It's all about TIME!!!

This study tip is all about the importance of TIME!! It seems like there is never enough time in the day to do all of the things we want or need to do. Take a look at these four time tips and see if they can help you make better use of what time you do have!

1. Make the most of your time by multi-tasking when possible. Carry your review sheet , flash cards or book with you. Sitting in the doctor's waiting room or waiting in traffic can be a great time for quick studying and will allow extra time for basketball practice or just hanging out with friends.

2. Know when your best study time is. People are productive at different times of the day. Some people can focus better in the morning, while others do better in the evening. Experiment to figure out which time works the best for you and take advantage of it.

3. Allow time for long assignments to be completed. Break down a big project into smaller parts. This will make it less overwhelming and less likely to be left until the last minute.

4. Keep track of the time you spend studying each subject. If too much time is spent on one subject, it could mean you might need to ask for extra help or think about tutoring.


Try out these time tips and post a comment about how they worked for you!

Set a reward!

That's right you can set up a reward for yourself to help you study more effectively. This may be as simple as studying for 45 minutes and then getting to make a 10 minute phone call. Or you could go for something bigger after completing a long essay, passing a final exam, or finishing a big science project. A reward isn't needed everyday or for every project, but sometimes all you need is a little incentive to get you going. This is a great way to involve mom and dad. Decide on your reward and what you must complete to earn it. Get their okay and you are ready to study and earn that reward!!

Here are some ideas for rewards:

• Snack break
• Phone call to friend
• Extra time on the computer
• Play a video game
• Watch a favorite program on TV
• Have a friend over
• Pick what to eat for dinner
• Rent a movie
• Any other rewards you and your parents agree to!

Try setting a reward for yourself and post a comment about how it helped you study!

Note Card Bookmark!

Unless you have the time and patience to sit and read a book from cover to cover, you will have to put a bookmark in and come back to your book later. In school you read text books, essays, and sometimes more than one book at a time. This can make it difficult to remember what you were reading about last. A great trick to try is the Note Card Bookmark.

A Note Card Bookmark is exactly what it sounds like. When starting a new book, take a blank note card and have it ready to use as your bookmark. Put the date and then just a few statements about the main idea of what you read. Place the bookmark in your book and leave it. Next time you pick up this book to read, take just a minute to read the statements on your note card. These statements will remind you of what is happening in the story and will also be a great summary of the book when you are all finished.

Try using a Note Card Bookmark with your next book and let us know how it worked out for you!

Study Buddy!

Many of you probably have someone you count on to know when the next test is, to have the correct homework page number, or to help with that tough word problem. That is a person that I would call your "Study Buddy." A Study Buddy is someone you can ask for help outside of class. If you don't have one or if the one you have is not as helpful as you might like them to be, it is time to find a new Study Buddy.

Think about these things as you pick a Study Buddy:

1. They do not have to be your best friend. You just need to know their name.
2. Make sure they are responsible and appear to be organized.
3. Try to pick someone who is in more than one of the same classes with you.
4. Once you have picked someone out, ask them if they would be willing to exchange phone numbers so you can help each other outside of class.

Call on your Study Buddy when you are confused about an assignment, can't remember a test date, need help with a tough problem, or just to clear up any question about school.

Try finding a good Study Buddy and post a comment about how it works for you!

How to take good notes!

Note taking can be a little tricky as you try to decide how you can possibly write down all the information that your teacher is sharing. Try these note taking tips and see if they make you more successful:

1. Start a new page for each new class each day. Date it. Leave space between topics or ideas so you can scan the page more easily later.
2. Take down key words and concepts, not sentences. Use abbreviations (even if they only make sense to you) Find helpful abbreviations at http://english-zone.com/study/symbols.html
3. Listen for word clues from the teacher. Word clues signal what is important in your notes. Phrases such as "The major developments were...." or "The three main reasons for..." are examples of phrases that are important. Find more word clues at http://english-zone.com/study/signals.html
4. Review notes and make sure they are accurate and complete. Reviewing notes just before starting homework in that subject area can help you focus on that topic.
   

Give these tips a try and post a comment about whether they helped make your note taking experience more successful!

Easy way to remember information!

Many of you have probably used this study skill, but may not know the fancy name that it has....an acronym is an easy way to remember information in any order. You can form an acronym with many types of information you need to remember. You still have to learn and understand the information, but this will help you organize it in your mind and recall it later! (for a test, a discussion, or just future use)

To form an acronym:
Take the first letter of each fact to be remembered amd make it into a "word."
It can be a real word or just a nonsense word you are able to pronounce.

• Write the facts you need to remember.
• Underline the first letter of each fact.
• If there is more than one word in a fact, underline the first letter of only the first word in the fact.
• Arrange the underlined letters to form an acronym that is a real word or a nonsense word you can pronounce.

Example #1: an acronym to remember the 5 great lakes is HOMES

H-Huron

O- Ontairo

M-Michigan

E-Erie

S-Superior

Example #2: an acronym for remembering 4 basic math operations: MADS (nonsense word)

M-multiplication

A-Addition

D-Division

S-Subtraction

Use the acronym strategy as a way to remember information and then post a comment on how it worked out for you!

Test Taking Help-RETER strategy

The best way to do well on a test is to know the information you are being tested on. But, you also need a strategy for taking the test that allows you to show what you know. There is a little trick that can help you do your best on any test. It is called the RETER strategy. Each letter in RETER reminds you what to do.

R= Read

Read the directions carefully.Read each test question carefully.Read your answer and double check it.

E = Explore
Explore the entire test to see how much you have to do sto you can divide it up into manageable parts.

T = Time
Decide how much time you will spend on each part of the test and don't spend too much time on one part.

E = Easiest
Answer the easy questions first. Don't get stuck early in the test and run out of time.

R = Review
Review your answers and check that they are completed correctly.

Try using the RETER strategy on your next test and post a review for how it worked out for you!

Set up a Homework Space

It seems simple, but it is very important to have a space to do your homework. If you find yourself doing your homework on the bus, in front of the tv, or at a cluttered table where you can barely find your book bag then you need to set up a homework space. If most of your homework time is spent searching for a sharpened pencil or a clean piece of notebook paper than you need to set up a homework space. Setting up a homework space is easy to do.

• You will need a comfortable writing surface, such as a desk or table, and a comfortable chair. The surface of the desk should be kept clear of everything but needed homework supplies.
• Ideally, the desk would be located in a room without access to a tv, computer, or other distractions.
• Stock the homework area with pencils, pens, erasers, rulers, paper, dictionary, calculator and anything else you may need to complete your homework. This will save you from searching for these items when you could be completing work.
• Not every home has space for a separate homework desk and not all students like to work at a desk. If you need to work at the kitchen table or the living room floor just use a plastic container and fill it with the necessary supplies. Just pull out this container when you are ready to work on homework and you have an instant, but portable homework space!

Give this a try and post a comment about how it works for you!