How to be a better student.
Friday, 2. June 2006, 00:21:38
Teachers usually post the grading criteria somewhere. Be sure to check that and see where you are scoring in each area.
Understand the 'forgetting curve.' It is the basic enemy of any student. To overcome it, you need to keep a study diary so that you can review properly. Cramming for tests is counter productive. It is much better to create a proper review schedule based on your study diary. Simply put, you need to take good notes during the day of what you learned. Include the date.
1. Every day, at the end of the day, but before it gets too late, ask yourself what you learned. Write useful descriptions into your study diary, just as if you were writing about your love-life. Include anything that will be tested. If something is really important, write a reference to the original material in the text or in your class notes.
2. Turn back and read your entry from one week ago. Ask yourself if you still understand it or have forgotten it. Bring it up to your 'got it' level of consciousness.
3. Turn back and read your entry from one month ago. Ask yourself if you still understand it or have forgotten it. Bring it up to your 'got it' level of consciousness.
Improve your reading study habits.
1. Scan the material's graphics, charts, and pictures and their descriptions.
2. Read any study questions found at the back of the section.
3. Read the bold type in the section and try to relate it to the graphics and study questions.
4. Read the first and last sentence in each paragraph.
5. See how many study questions you can /can't answer.
6. Find the material that explains the questions you can't answer and read it thoroughly.
7. If you don't understand it, write the question, and your estimated guess in your class notes, and ASK THE TEACHER the next time you have that class. Keep asking questions in class until you understand it. To ask good questions, you have to think before you speak. Never say 'I don't get it.' You will just make the teacher angry at your stupidity and he won't want to help you. If you ask clear, concise questions that have answers that will help everybody in the class understand the material, the teacher will be very thankful, and will want to help you. He will also give you more class participations points.
Stop telling yourself that you are not good at math. You are not good at math BECAUSE YOU TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT MATH! Students often create mental blocks for themselves by this self-hypnosis. Instead, tell yourself 'Math will give me the keys to the universe.' and 'Math will enable me to win in Las Vegas.' and 'I am falling in love with math!' and 'I never knew how easy math was before!' and 'Finally! I understand math!'
Don't be a loner when you study. Join - or create - study groups. Share notes and insights in regular, organized get together every week. Summarize the points learned this week, last week and main points for this section. Be sure to do your share in these groups or they will kick you out. Asking good questions that help the group understand is acceptable. Saying 'I don't get it' will make you less valuable to the group and they will not want to help you.
Remember to be a real student, not a fake student who just crams for the exams and forgets it all within 2 weeks. Keep notes that are good enough to help you understand something years later, when the topic actually comes up in your future career.
Relax when you have time to relax. Don't worry about it. If you are doing your best, and are using good study/learning habits, then accept - without recriminations - whatever grades you get.
Understand the 'forgetting curve.' It is the basic enemy of any student. To overcome it, you need to keep a study diary so that you can review properly. Cramming for tests is counter productive. It is much better to create a proper review schedule based on your study diary. Simply put, you need to take good notes during the day of what you learned. Include the date.
1. Every day, at the end of the day, but before it gets too late, ask yourself what you learned. Write useful descriptions into your study diary, just as if you were writing about your love-life. Include anything that will be tested. If something is really important, write a reference to the original material in the text or in your class notes.
2. Turn back and read your entry from one week ago. Ask yourself if you still understand it or have forgotten it. Bring it up to your 'got it' level of consciousness.
3. Turn back and read your entry from one month ago. Ask yourself if you still understand it or have forgotten it. Bring it up to your 'got it' level of consciousness.
Improve your reading study habits.
1. Scan the material's graphics, charts, and pictures and their descriptions.
2. Read any study questions found at the back of the section.
3. Read the bold type in the section and try to relate it to the graphics and study questions.
4. Read the first and last sentence in each paragraph.
5. See how many study questions you can /can't answer.
6. Find the material that explains the questions you can't answer and read it thoroughly.
7. If you don't understand it, write the question, and your estimated guess in your class notes, and ASK THE TEACHER the next time you have that class. Keep asking questions in class until you understand it. To ask good questions, you have to think before you speak. Never say 'I don't get it.' You will just make the teacher angry at your stupidity and he won't want to help you. If you ask clear, concise questions that have answers that will help everybody in the class understand the material, the teacher will be very thankful, and will want to help you. He will also give you more class participations points.
Stop telling yourself that you are not good at math. You are not good at math BECAUSE YOU TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT MATH! Students often create mental blocks for themselves by this self-hypnosis. Instead, tell yourself 'Math will give me the keys to the universe.' and 'Math will enable me to win in Las Vegas.' and 'I am falling in love with math!' and 'I never knew how easy math was before!' and 'Finally! I understand math!'
Don't be a loner when you study. Join - or create - study groups. Share notes and insights in regular, organized get together every week. Summarize the points learned this week, last week and main points for this section. Be sure to do your share in these groups or they will kick you out. Asking good questions that help the group understand is acceptable. Saying 'I don't get it' will make you less valuable to the group and they will not want to help you.
Remember to be a real student, not a fake student who just crams for the exams and forgets it all within 2 weeks. Keep notes that are good enough to help you understand something years later, when the topic actually comes up in your future career.
Relax when you have time to relax. Don't worry about it. If you are doing your best, and are using good study/learning habits, then accept - without recriminations - whatever grades you get.
WIDGETIZE
Alicelotus # 6. June 2006, 08:16
Nice day
Alice