School has started and so should study for January’s final exams. A little effort NOW can pay off in huge benefits 12 weeks later. It’s the first rule in “STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER!”
#1 SET A GOAL. Think about your previous results in similar classes. Don’t underestimate yourself (or overestimate your motivation). Set a goal for the final grade and work toward earning every point possible in all assignments, quizzes and tests. Strive toward meeting that goal on every quiz and test.
STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER! One way to approach grades intellectually is to keep track of where you stand in the class at every moment. This way you’ll know how close you’re coming to meeting the goal you have set.
#2: KEEP TRACK. For many classes, you’ll have a spiral notebook. Staple a sheet to the inside front or back cover and record every score you get in the class.....homework points, quiz scores, and test results. As you finish off the first spiral, take the grading sheet along to staple on the next spiral. When the Winter Break rolls around, there will be no question about where you stand in class and how far you’ll need to go to earn the semester grade that was your original goal.
STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER! Another suggestion in our plan to make studying for Finals a breeze is to KEEP EVERYTHING!!
#3: SAVE ALL CLASS WORK. I’ve mentioned before my “box” organization system. I keep everything from each class so it’s all available when the Final Exam Review Sheet is assigned, somewhere around Winter Break. My simple system uses sweater boxes (although recently I discovered a boot box that is nice and sturdy, a little bigger than the usual 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper, and fits under the bed). When I need to clean out the old book bag, I drop class notes, worksheets, returned tests, etc. into the appropriate box and slide it under the bed where it lives until the next clean-out job. When the Review Sheet comes, all my notes are easily accessed.
STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER. Fourth on the list of suggestions for preparing for final exams will undoubtedly not be your favorite -- but stick with me here.
#4: CONSISTENT REVIEW. Some classes will assign homework daily, others only periodically. But your review should continue to consistently occur daily. Well, not ACTUALLY EVERY day -- that would be obsessive. But there are ways to productively invest 10 or 15 minutes 5 days a week, even when homework is not required.
Review class notes. Reread a chapter. Work unassigned math problems. Rework missed questions on old tests and quizzes.
Here’s a little dose of reality (for me). I AM the compulsive student, so recognizing that not everyone will study every course every day (or spend 4 hours on Sunday doing more Calculus problems) is a major milestone for me. Realistically, it is probably not necessary to paw through all your work every day, but it is beneficial to periodically review everything you have, maybe on a weekly basis.....or at least monthly.
OK, let’s agree to monthly as a reasonable compromise. Say you have 5 academic classes. Each week, review your boxfull of materials for one class. The next week, review a different class. Now that’s not OCD, it Studying Smarter.
Following through on this "collect and review" plan will have significant impact on lessening the amount of work you'll have to do come semester final time. A little consistent effort NOW will allow more time to enjoy Winter Break and STILL earn grades that will knock the socks off an admissions counselor when you apply to college!!
Showing posts with label final exams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label final exams. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
STUDY FOR FINALS OR THE ACT?
The question stunned me for a second. It didn't seem like a valid issue, especially considering it came from someone I consider to be educationally grounded. It's akin to asking whether you prefer your right arm or your left. The saying "cutting off your nose to spite your face" comes to mind. So I was caught off guard when asked whether a student should study for finals or the upcoming ACT.
The one-word answer is "BOTH!!"
The real problem for the unprepared student comes when there's only one week left of the semester and snow days pushed the last day of finals to the Friday before the June ACT test. I've known quite a few "crammers" in 20 years of teaching and I've never found one who could handle both final exams and the ACT in the same week. Only through continuous, sustained, long-term study can anyone expect to excel on both classroom assignments and college entrance exams simultaneously.
For those who have postponed study until the last minute there are few options available.
1. There's only one chance to succeed on final exams, so at this point there is no choice but to prepare for them as much as possible before test date. Use the final review packet provided by the classroom teacher and review from work that has been collected throughout the semester. Good luck!!
2. The good news is that there is always another chance to conquer the standardized college entrance exams like the ACT or the SAT. For a small fee, you can transfer your registration for June's test to September or October and still have results in time for early application to most colleges.
That brings me to the whole issue of when to take the ACT. I heard today someone suggesting that students need the practice in taking a bubble test or standardized test or a specific test like the ACT. I could agree that "practice" is an important component to feeling confident, but is it necessary to get up at 6:30, drive to the testing location, and sit for up to 4 hours taking a specific standardized test if it's already apparent that you won't do your best work and will have to take the test again in 3 months anyway? For many public school students, there's little need to "practice" bubbling. We've already taken a raft of these things mandated by the education system. And what is learned by simply taking a test if the results are just a few numbers? If a student doesn't pay for and receive the actual test and his or her actual answers, the exam can't be used to identify errors and mitigate them in the future.
Then came the suggestion that saving a mere $13 by transferring the June testing fee to September doesn't make it worthwhile....make the student take the June test and pay again for the later date, plus the full test report for both. This idea obviously DIDN'T come from a student and it didn't consider the detrimental effect that might come from "bombing" the test. Rescheduling now and creating a plan to study over the summer gives the test taker a reasonable goal to shoot for and obviates the possibility of giving up and just accepting a score that doesn't support the grade point average.
There's another way to gain the "practice." Retired tests are available from most test publishers, so seeing the types of questions asked and the format for questioning can be accomplished without sitting for the proctored exam. If pacing issues are a problem, a kitchen timer can be used efficiently, or the "parental unit" can be recruited to keep track of the stop watch. Sample tests can be scored immediately, providing a more effective study plan than waiting for test results for up to 6 weeks, by which time you've probably forgotten why those answers were chosen in the first place.
In this last week before finals and the June ACT, the question about which to study for is moot. Study time is over for both. Now is the time to review, review, review. If a student has diligently learned the classroom material over the semester, finals should go well. That's the first priority. If more study is necessary in order to reach the optimum goal on a college entrance exam, postponing until the Fall and focusing on preparation over the summer could prove to be the most realistic plan.
The one-word answer is "BOTH!!"
The real problem for the unprepared student comes when there's only one week left of the semester and snow days pushed the last day of finals to the Friday before the June ACT test. I've known quite a few "crammers" in 20 years of teaching and I've never found one who could handle both final exams and the ACT in the same week. Only through continuous, sustained, long-term study can anyone expect to excel on both classroom assignments and college entrance exams simultaneously.
For those who have postponed study until the last minute there are few options available.
1. There's only one chance to succeed on final exams, so at this point there is no choice but to prepare for them as much as possible before test date. Use the final review packet provided by the classroom teacher and review from work that has been collected throughout the semester. Good luck!!
2. The good news is that there is always another chance to conquer the standardized college entrance exams like the ACT or the SAT. For a small fee, you can transfer your registration for June's test to September or October and still have results in time for early application to most colleges.
That brings me to the whole issue of when to take the ACT. I heard today someone suggesting that students need the practice in taking a bubble test or standardized test or a specific test like the ACT. I could agree that "practice" is an important component to feeling confident, but is it necessary to get up at 6:30, drive to the testing location, and sit for up to 4 hours taking a specific standardized test if it's already apparent that you won't do your best work and will have to take the test again in 3 months anyway? For many public school students, there's little need to "practice" bubbling. We've already taken a raft of these things mandated by the education system. And what is learned by simply taking a test if the results are just a few numbers? If a student doesn't pay for and receive the actual test and his or her actual answers, the exam can't be used to identify errors and mitigate them in the future.
Then came the suggestion that saving a mere $13 by transferring the June testing fee to September doesn't make it worthwhile....make the student take the June test and pay again for the later date, plus the full test report for both. This idea obviously DIDN'T come from a student and it didn't consider the detrimental effect that might come from "bombing" the test. Rescheduling now and creating a plan to study over the summer gives the test taker a reasonable goal to shoot for and obviates the possibility of giving up and just accepting a score that doesn't support the grade point average.
There's another way to gain the "practice." Retired tests are available from most test publishers, so seeing the types of questions asked and the format for questioning can be accomplished without sitting for the proctored exam. If pacing issues are a problem, a kitchen timer can be used efficiently, or the "parental unit" can be recruited to keep track of the stop watch. Sample tests can be scored immediately, providing a more effective study plan than waiting for test results for up to 6 weeks, by which time you've probably forgotten why those answers were chosen in the first place.
In this last week before finals and the June ACT, the question about which to study for is moot. Study time is over for both. Now is the time to review, review, review. If a student has diligently learned the classroom material over the semester, finals should go well. That's the first priority. If more study is necessary in order to reach the optimum goal on a college entrance exam, postponing until the Fall and focusing on preparation over the summer could prove to be the most realistic plan.
Friday, January 7, 2011
ORGANIZE YOUR RESOURCES (CALCULUS)
Since this is my first year focusing on the Calculus curriculum, final exam time is the perfect opportunity for me to refresh my own study skills. For those who struggle with preparation for the cumulative exam each semester, perhaps seeing how someone else studies could give you some ideas of your own.
My situation is slightly different than the students’. I have 4 Calculus students in 3 different schools, 4 different teachers, and 3 different textbooks (one of which is a newer version of another with many of the same problems, some new ones, and all on different pages!). The organization needed to remember where each student was in the various schedules and what homework I had completed in preparation for tutorials for whom got the better of me and was in need of serious revamping even before I began over Winter Break to study for finals. At that time, I collected all homework and piled up assignments by student, then within each student’s pile, I put things in chronological order.
Some teachers had flitted around the text, while others had followed the order given in the book, so when one student was working on Inverse Trig differentiation, another was working on Related Rates. My solution for organizing was to make 4 lines of work (one for each student), assembled by TOPIC. And that gave me the idea to make my own workbook with notes relating to topic and separated with tabs so I could access my backup materials as needed.
MY TIP TO YOU
You already know I expect you to keep all class notes, homework assignments, tests and quizzes (from the first day of the semester until the day you retire to a nursing home). If you’ve been following my suggestions, this material is already organized by chapter or unit according to the chronological order established by your teacher.
That’s a lot of paper and probably difficult to use as reference. I suggest you acquire either the “Stickies index tabs” (mine are the Staples brand but I think 3M has a version also) or actual binder tab sheets. Mark the tabs according to the topics you’ve studied and separate your work by topic. When you come across a final review question that relates to the Mean Value Theorem, for example, you can easily find your past work on that subject.
Here’s a list of the topics in my newly organized, personal reference binder:
FUNCTIONS
LIMITS
EXTREMA
MEAN VALUE THEOREM
F’’
OPTIMIZATION
NEWTON’S METHOD
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
RELATED RATES (by far the most voluminous section complete with examples from the internet. I defy any teacher to find a problem I have not researched and copied the algorithm for solution.)
Finals are fast approaching. You may already have your Final Review Packet. I’m thankful to have the organizing completed before trying to work on 4 entirely different sets of problems from 4 uniquely disparate teachers!! Your study plan will surely be less complicated than mine, so take heart in knowing that STUDYING SMARTER, NOT JUST HARDER has many positive rewards.
My situation is slightly different than the students’. I have 4 Calculus students in 3 different schools, 4 different teachers, and 3 different textbooks (one of which is a newer version of another with many of the same problems, some new ones, and all on different pages!). The organization needed to remember where each student was in the various schedules and what homework I had completed in preparation for tutorials for whom got the better of me and was in need of serious revamping even before I began over Winter Break to study for finals. At that time, I collected all homework and piled up assignments by student, then within each student’s pile, I put things in chronological order.
Some teachers had flitted around the text, while others had followed the order given in the book, so when one student was working on Inverse Trig differentiation, another was working on Related Rates. My solution for organizing was to make 4 lines of work (one for each student), assembled by TOPIC. And that gave me the idea to make my own workbook with notes relating to topic and separated with tabs so I could access my backup materials as needed.
MY TIP TO YOU
You already know I expect you to keep all class notes, homework assignments, tests and quizzes (from the first day of the semester until the day you retire to a nursing home). If you’ve been following my suggestions, this material is already organized by chapter or unit according to the chronological order established by your teacher.
That’s a lot of paper and probably difficult to use as reference. I suggest you acquire either the “Stickies index tabs” (mine are the Staples brand but I think 3M has a version also) or actual binder tab sheets. Mark the tabs according to the topics you’ve studied and separate your work by topic. When you come across a final review question that relates to the Mean Value Theorem, for example, you can easily find your past work on that subject.
Here’s a list of the topics in my newly organized, personal reference binder:
FUNCTIONS
LIMITS
RULES OF DIFFERENTIATION (this is my universal sheet with all of the examples including derivatives of Trig functions, e, and all that sum, difference, quotient, chain rule stuff in one location. Not every text provides the handy list on the book cover, so I have my own to use as reference if I forget a rule or just want to verify my work.)
VELOCITY/ACCELERATIONEXTREMA
MEAN VALUE THEOREM
F’’
OPTIMIZATION
NEWTON’S METHOD
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
RELATED RATES (by far the most voluminous section complete with examples from the internet. I defy any teacher to find a problem I have not researched and copied the algorithm for solution.)
Finals are fast approaching. You may already have your Final Review Packet. I’m thankful to have the organizing completed before trying to work on 4 entirely different sets of problems from 4 uniquely disparate teachers!! Your study plan will surely be less complicated than mine, so take heart in knowing that STUDYING SMARTER, NOT JUST HARDER has many positive rewards.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
FINALS -- ACT -- SUMMER!
Counting down the days 'til summer? Me, too! But there are steps to take before we can enjoy the weather and activities that vacation promises.
To keep up your energy for finals, try a few mind-tricks:
1. Look at your current classroom grades and calculate what final exam scores you need to maintain your average. Post your goals in a conspicuous place like your bedroom door. It will be a gentle reminder when you'd rather be doing anything other than studying.
2. You may have Final Exam Study Guides for most of your classes. Plan rewards for completing the work pages -- maybe EVERY page. Even simple, silly things like stickers affixed to each finished page can be motivational. Or take a longer view and plan an outing with friends when a whole packet is completed. Ask your folks to have a special dinner as a reward for good study habits. Pick rewards that have meaning for you and which will celebrate your accomplishments.
3. On the serious side, if the classroom teacher or tutor hasn't assigned a completion rate for the Study Guide, make one yourself. I generally go through the packet once to answer the questions that I can without thinking too hard. This helps to increase my confidence and is motivating when most of the packet can be finished quickly.
The second run through is for the more complicated questions that I need to think about. The third pass is for questions I need to research a little by reviewing class notes, old homework assignments, the textbook and previous tests. These two steps are intended to refresh my knowledge and fill in any gaps from earlier in the semester.
The fourth time through is intended to maintain improvements by answering questions that I got wrong in the first place. This is the REAL study and should be completed at least 2 days before the final.
4. If you have a tutor or study partner, plan to meet after you've finished the study guide. Ask the burning questions that you haven't been able to remedy on your own. Don't be shy about asking for validation from your support system -- friends, family, tutor and YOURSELF.
5. Prepare a "quick guide" with the most vital information. Make it small, maybe bookmark size or pocket size. I've laminated several in preparation for future classes when foundational information may be helpful. Math concepts and grammar rules can be useful in college and even in preparing for the PSAT, ACT or SAT.
6. GET ADEQUATE REST! This is a stressful time for everyone. Those with test anxiety may be feeling the pinch, and those with test compulsion will never feel fully prepared. In either case, take the evening before a test to relax and dump the angst. Right before going to sleep, take out the "quick study guide" and reassure yourself that you are prepared for the next day's test.
7. Take time out after the day's tests are over. Lunch with friends or a special computer game are good, short recovery activities. If there are more tests the next day, study during the afternoon and go back to Tip #6.
8. If you find that studying for final exams is overwhelming, resolve to take this tutor's advice next semester: Begin preparing for finals on the first day of the semester! Keep following this blog for ideas to help you get off to a rousing start when school resumes in the Fall. By December, you'll be glad you did!
GOOD LUCK! MAKE ME PROUD!!
To keep up your energy for finals, try a few mind-tricks:
1. Look at your current classroom grades and calculate what final exam scores you need to maintain your average. Post your goals in a conspicuous place like your bedroom door. It will be a gentle reminder when you'd rather be doing anything other than studying.
2. You may have Final Exam Study Guides for most of your classes. Plan rewards for completing the work pages -- maybe EVERY page. Even simple, silly things like stickers affixed to each finished page can be motivational. Or take a longer view and plan an outing with friends when a whole packet is completed. Ask your folks to have a special dinner as a reward for good study habits. Pick rewards that have meaning for you and which will celebrate your accomplishments.
3. On the serious side, if the classroom teacher or tutor hasn't assigned a completion rate for the Study Guide, make one yourself. I generally go through the packet once to answer the questions that I can without thinking too hard. This helps to increase my confidence and is motivating when most of the packet can be finished quickly.
The second run through is for the more complicated questions that I need to think about. The third pass is for questions I need to research a little by reviewing class notes, old homework assignments, the textbook and previous tests. These two steps are intended to refresh my knowledge and fill in any gaps from earlier in the semester.
The fourth time through is intended to maintain improvements by answering questions that I got wrong in the first place. This is the REAL study and should be completed at least 2 days before the final.
4. If you have a tutor or study partner, plan to meet after you've finished the study guide. Ask the burning questions that you haven't been able to remedy on your own. Don't be shy about asking for validation from your support system -- friends, family, tutor and YOURSELF.
5. Prepare a "quick guide" with the most vital information. Make it small, maybe bookmark size or pocket size. I've laminated several in preparation for future classes when foundational information may be helpful. Math concepts and grammar rules can be useful in college and even in preparing for the PSAT, ACT or SAT.
6. GET ADEQUATE REST! This is a stressful time for everyone. Those with test anxiety may be feeling the pinch, and those with test compulsion will never feel fully prepared. In either case, take the evening before a test to relax and dump the angst. Right before going to sleep, take out the "quick study guide" and reassure yourself that you are prepared for the next day's test.
7. Take time out after the day's tests are over. Lunch with friends or a special computer game are good, short recovery activities. If there are more tests the next day, study during the afternoon and go back to Tip #6.
8. If you find that studying for final exams is overwhelming, resolve to take this tutor's advice next semester: Begin preparing for finals on the first day of the semester! Keep following this blog for ideas to help you get off to a rousing start when school resumes in the Fall. By December, you'll be glad you did!
GOOD LUCK! MAKE ME PROUD!!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
STAYING MOTIVATED TO STUDY
Originally I intended this post to be centered around the ACT and maintaining the momentum for continued study. But it's final exam time and I'm finding many students who have the same problem that I had in school. By this point in the semester, I was feeling like I had learned enough and wanted desperately to start summer vacation as early as possible -- maybe even during history class tomorrow!!
Final exams are vital, however, for keeping a high semester grade or raising a mediocre one. So let's explore some ways to bolster the energy to prepare for the possibly-most-important test of the entire year.
1. SUCCESS is the greatest motivator known. Start the study plan with a baseline measurement of your abilities. It might be results of previous tests, the first pass through the Final Exam Study Guide, or the review questions at the end of each chapter covered.
Assess progress frequently and remind yourself that you are striving for consistent, incremental improvement. You don't expect or even WANT immediate perfection because it will be difficult to sustain over the next 2 weeks.
Keep track of improvements by setting up a chart of results.
2. Success will motivate only when it is recognized. Set reasonable benchmark goals. Plan celebrations for reaching these targets. Enlist the assistance of others around you like parents or teachers who are genuinely interested in your improvement. High fives, a special dessert, a start on the progress chart, or a test hung on the refrigerator are ocmmon forms of congratulations. And don't forget the smaller self-congratulatory efforts: count "perfect pages" on an assignment; shout out when you finally defeat a difficult question; take a moment to recognize your achievements.
3. Admit temporary setbacks, but continue moving forward even if in smaller steps. Say you had planned to work on the English Final packet on Saturday morning but you oversleep and only have 30 minutes before you need to leave for work. This is a setback, but not an insurmountable hurdle. Decide to spend 15 minutes working on the homework now and another 45 minutes after work but before going out with friends. Do not skip the study session but, instead, reconfigure it to meet the situation at hand. And don't forget to congratulate yourself for remarkable problem-solving ability and commitment to succeed.
4. Count your blessings, not your failures. If a homework assignment goes badly and you get a terrible score, count the number correct instead of counting the number wrong. Think about the circumstances that lowered your ability to do your best work and consider ways to avoid the problem in the future. Did the phone ring a thousand times while you were trying to work? Then put the phone on vibrate and stuff it in the linen closet until you're finished with the assignment. Did your little sibling have a minor meltdown at the kitchen table while you were studying tere? Then move to a quiet room and put a sign on the door -- "INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT STUDENT WORKING HERE!" Do not accept excusdes, just take appropriate action to eliminate the problem and congratulate yourself for creativity in the face of difficulty.
5. Try the "Count Down Method" of motivation. I use this one frequently. Take an almost empty roll of toilet paper and number the sheets backwards. If there are 19 days left until summer break, number the first sheet 19, the second 18, etc. Tear off one sheet each day and you'll be "counting down" to the beginning of vacation. I also repeat the following mantra whenever necessary........I can do ANYTHING for 19 more days!.......I can do ANYTHING for 18 more days!....I can do ANYTHING for 17 more days....16 more days...15 more days.....14 more days.....
Final exams are vital, however, for keeping a high semester grade or raising a mediocre one. So let's explore some ways to bolster the energy to prepare for the possibly-most-important test of the entire year.
1. SUCCESS is the greatest motivator known. Start the study plan with a baseline measurement of your abilities. It might be results of previous tests, the first pass through the Final Exam Study Guide, or the review questions at the end of each chapter covered.
Assess progress frequently and remind yourself that you are striving for consistent, incremental improvement. You don't expect or even WANT immediate perfection because it will be difficult to sustain over the next 2 weeks.
Keep track of improvements by setting up a chart of results.
2. Success will motivate only when it is recognized. Set reasonable benchmark goals. Plan celebrations for reaching these targets. Enlist the assistance of others around you like parents or teachers who are genuinely interested in your improvement. High fives, a special dessert, a start on the progress chart, or a test hung on the refrigerator are ocmmon forms of congratulations. And don't forget the smaller self-congratulatory efforts: count "perfect pages" on an assignment; shout out when you finally defeat a difficult question; take a moment to recognize your achievements.
3. Admit temporary setbacks, but continue moving forward even if in smaller steps. Say you had planned to work on the English Final packet on Saturday morning but you oversleep and only have 30 minutes before you need to leave for work. This is a setback, but not an insurmountable hurdle. Decide to spend 15 minutes working on the homework now and another 45 minutes after work but before going out with friends. Do not skip the study session but, instead, reconfigure it to meet the situation at hand. And don't forget to congratulate yourself for remarkable problem-solving ability and commitment to succeed.
4. Count your blessings, not your failures. If a homework assignment goes badly and you get a terrible score, count the number correct instead of counting the number wrong. Think about the circumstances that lowered your ability to do your best work and consider ways to avoid the problem in the future. Did the phone ring a thousand times while you were trying to work? Then put the phone on vibrate and stuff it in the linen closet until you're finished with the assignment. Did your little sibling have a minor meltdown at the kitchen table while you were studying tere? Then move to a quiet room and put a sign on the door -- "INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT STUDENT WORKING HERE!" Do not accept excusdes, just take appropriate action to eliminate the problem and congratulate yourself for creativity in the face of difficulty.
5. Try the "Count Down Method" of motivation. I use this one frequently. Take an almost empty roll of toilet paper and number the sheets backwards. If there are 19 days left until summer break, number the first sheet 19, the second 18, etc. Tear off one sheet each day and you'll be "counting down" to the beginning of vacation. I also repeat the following mantra whenever necessary........I can do ANYTHING for 19 more days!.......I can do ANYTHING for 18 more days!....I can do ANYTHING for 17 more days....16 more days...15 more days.....14 more days.....
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
FINAL EXAMS -- 3 WAYS TO PROCRASTINATE
College students will be returning home soon, signaling the approach of high school final exam time. Around this point in the semester, if you are like I was, you feel your brain is already full and there is little motivation to learn any more before summer break. So here are three strategies which will improve your final exam scores and simultaneously provide valid excuses to avoid studying until the last minute.
1. Since final exams are frequently cumulative, you will need to collect data from the entire semester or even the whole year. Do that now. Rummage through your closet, your backpack, under the bed. Find all old homework assignments, class notes, study guides, tests & quizzes (if you're allowed to take them home).
Create a separate "bin" for each subject. I use sweater boxes because they're wide enough to hold an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper without folding and tall enough to collect a lot of stuff. When you run across old work, drop it into the appropriate bin.
2. I'm a visual, creative sort of person, especially when I'm avoiding doing any real work, so I like to "decorate" my bins. I recommend card stock since it holds up well. A different color for each bin can be stimulating, but I generally steer toward plain white so I can color the sign with magic markers which takes longer but looks like I'm preparing to study. I write the subject in fancy script and add things that remind me of the subject matter. Math, for example, lends itself to formulas written in elaborate calligraphy or to geometric diagrams illustrating concepts like "if sides, then angles." History suggests a time line or caricatures of historic figures. Science might involve terminology, molecular diagrams, or physics diagrams. English could include the novels discussed with reference to setting, characters, or actions. The options are limitless as long as they relate to the subjects covered during the semester. Check out textbooks for suggestions.
3. Ask the teacher for the Final Exam Study Guide. The one from last year is probably what will be used again this year, so it's in the classroom file somewhere. Start asking for it now so the teacher has a warning to locate it and have it printed. Since this will take at least a week or so, you won't have to actually work on it for a while but you've demonstrated to the one person who evaluates your grade that you are a conscientious, dedicated, hard-working, well-organized student (and that can't hurt your grade).
Keep reading ONLY if you really ARE that hard-working student who wants to start preparing for finals now. The activities described above are, in reality, the basis for study. By collecting old work, you have the chance to review what has been learned during the semester. The next step might be to create a list of the concepts that will probably appear on the final exam. To get ahead of the next blog, organize the collected material into topic, unit or chapter. You might even create a cover sheet that lists the concepts that were addressed in each unit or add the information to your decorative subject sign (which is your personal study guide in disguise).
By spending time designing your "sign" you are moving related concepts to the creative side of your brain where they will be more readily available for solving new problems. Keep adding things and periodically review what's on the card -- a strategy for getting details into long term memory.
Asking the teacher for the study guide really DOES create the impression that you are committed to earning a remarkable grade! You might become a self-fulfilling prophesy!!
Don't tell anyone that you're already studying for finals, though. Let everyone (except your folks) think you're just killing time until a cramming session the day before the exam.
1. Since final exams are frequently cumulative, you will need to collect data from the entire semester or even the whole year. Do that now. Rummage through your closet, your backpack, under the bed. Find all old homework assignments, class notes, study guides, tests & quizzes (if you're allowed to take them home).
Create a separate "bin" for each subject. I use sweater boxes because they're wide enough to hold an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper without folding and tall enough to collect a lot of stuff. When you run across old work, drop it into the appropriate bin.
2. I'm a visual, creative sort of person, especially when I'm avoiding doing any real work, so I like to "decorate" my bins. I recommend card stock since it holds up well. A different color for each bin can be stimulating, but I generally steer toward plain white so I can color the sign with magic markers which takes longer but looks like I'm preparing to study. I write the subject in fancy script and add things that remind me of the subject matter. Math, for example, lends itself to formulas written in elaborate calligraphy or to geometric diagrams illustrating concepts like "if sides, then angles." History suggests a time line or caricatures of historic figures. Science might involve terminology, molecular diagrams, or physics diagrams. English could include the novels discussed with reference to setting, characters, or actions. The options are limitless as long as they relate to the subjects covered during the semester. Check out textbooks for suggestions.
3. Ask the teacher for the Final Exam Study Guide. The one from last year is probably what will be used again this year, so it's in the classroom file somewhere. Start asking for it now so the teacher has a warning to locate it and have it printed. Since this will take at least a week or so, you won't have to actually work on it for a while but you've demonstrated to the one person who evaluates your grade that you are a conscientious, dedicated, hard-working, well-organized student (and that can't hurt your grade).
Keep reading ONLY if you really ARE that hard-working student who wants to start preparing for finals now. The activities described above are, in reality, the basis for study. By collecting old work, you have the chance to review what has been learned during the semester. The next step might be to create a list of the concepts that will probably appear on the final exam. To get ahead of the next blog, organize the collected material into topic, unit or chapter. You might even create a cover sheet that lists the concepts that were addressed in each unit or add the information to your decorative subject sign (which is your personal study guide in disguise).
By spending time designing your "sign" you are moving related concepts to the creative side of your brain where they will be more readily available for solving new problems. Keep adding things and periodically review what's on the card -- a strategy for getting details into long term memory.
Asking the teacher for the study guide really DOES create the impression that you are committed to earning a remarkable grade! You might become a self-fulfilling prophesy!!
Don't tell anyone that you're already studying for finals, though. Let everyone (except your folks) think you're just killing time until a cramming session the day before the exam.
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