Study Smarter, Not Harder - Philemon Wright High Schoolhadleypwhs.com/hp/Exam_Info_files/Study Smarter, Not Harder.pdf · make cue cards/etc. Ask yourself pertinent questions Make

Study Smarter,Not Harder

Getting ready for final exams

Your Jump Start Plan

The first step is deciding that studying is an important part of achieving success, and being motivated to do what it takes to reach your end goal.

There are four fundamentals of effective studying…


Belief inYourself


Preparation

Preparing a place to study

Find a study place; a place that is ideally only for studying Not your bed Not in the living room Not in the cafeteria or coffee shop The best place is a desk in your

bedroom, or in the basement, or anywhere you can find that is relatively free of distractions.


Discipline

Making a Study Plan

Look at everything you need to cover during the exam period

Look at the dates of your exams and see how much time you will have before the exam to prepare

Divide up you study sessions appropriately

Once you have a plan, STICK TO IT!


Activity

Myth Busters: Myths that can Destroy your Success

#1: “I study better with music on!” Goes along with other distractions

including TV, texting, messaging, talking on the phone, generally thinking you are a great multi-tasker (there is no such thing)

With all of these distractions while studying, you are making your brain work HARDER, not SMARTER


TURN THEM OFF! No iPod, radio, computer, TV, phone or

video games – 20 minutes really isn’t that long.

If you do not create this quiet environment for your brain to engage in learning, it will not matter what other study skills you put into practice.


#2: “I work better under pressure!” No one learns effectively during “cramming”

sessions for final exams. If you leave things to the last minute, there

are only two outcomes:• Abandoning all hope and giving up• Giving it your best shot in the short time left

The pressure might make you focus, but your brain needs more time to absorb.


#3: “I remember better if I just listen!” You need to have a record of what your

teacher says in class to help you study – How are you going to study without notes?

Writing notes forces you to think about what you are learning and remember it.

Writing engages your other senses. You are sitting in class anyways, why waste

time? A little effort now saves stress later.


#4: “Cheating isn’t a big deal!” You won’t learn anything – this does

mean something in the long run Eventually, everyone gets caught Character is mostly about what a person

does when they think no one is watching

So what are the FACTS?

So what are the facts?

Short, 20 minute study sessions are the most effective More “beginnings” and “ends” Retention from repetition Gives you short breaks (about 10

minutes) often, which may help keep you motivated to continue


Reading is not enough! It has been proven that you only have

a 25% retention rate when you only read your notes/textbooks

Everything else you do increases that retention rate substantially

So what are the facts? DIVERSIFY! Passively looking at the words on a page is

what most people do and never go beyond. You must be active by… Reading aloud to yourself or a partner Teaching the material to someone Making up a rhyme Rewriting key ideas in your own words Drawing a picture/diagram



Recopy your class notes/copy from texts/make cue cards/etc.

Ask yourself pertinent questions Make connections and associations Make it weird…?


Recopy your class notes/copy from texts/make cue cards/etc.

Ask yourself pertinent questions Make connections and associations Make it weird…?

All these activities require your mind to work with the material, reorganize it, and, in the process, make it part of you. As long as you are a passive studier, the information will


The Repetition Effect The more you repeat what you want to

embed in your long-term memory, the better you will remember it.

Associations, weirdness, specificity, and activity mean nothing if you do not drill yourself in the things you want to remember.

Ex: How do you remember a song?

So what are the facts? CHUNK MATERIAL! Try to organize the material so common

elements are reviewed together. It is easier to memorize five headings with

five items each than to try and cram 25 seemingly unrelated pieces of data into your long-term memory.

There won’t always be a pattern, but the act of analyzing the lists in search of patterns will help you memorize


Summarizing This is one of the most important tools

in effective studying When you summarize, not only are you

going over the information again (repetition), but you are forced to determine which information is MOST important for your exam


Summarizing… This also allows you to “make it

personal” by putting it in your own words and making it more meaningful to you

Excellent way to summarize key info? Make yourself a “mock” test or exam.

Overcoming Test Anxiety

Do you get overly stressed before and during test or exam situations?

Overcoming Test Anxiety Everyone experiences a certain level of

stress when placed in these kinds of situations – there is a healthy, productive level of stress.

When the stress reaches too high a level, it is counter-productive – it causes your brain to essentially “shut down” (applies to studying and exams)

If this describes you, you are not alone. Many students suffer from anxiety, but there are strategies and tools you can use to help feel more at ease during these times…



Overcoming Test Anxiety BE IN A POSITIVE STATE OF MIND


“I can do it!”


“I can do it!” Picture yourself being successful


“I can do it!” Picture yourself being successful Avoid talking with peers who feel they

are under prepared, express negativity about the test or exam, etc.


“I can do it!” Picture yourself being successful Avoid talking with peers who feel they

are under prepared, express negativity about the test or exam, etc.

Try to remain calm and focused on the task that is coming up


Overcoming Test Anxiety BE PREPARED AND DISCIPLINED!


Going into an exam feeling confident about your knowledge of the material is essential to your success



Arrive early (by at least 10 minutes) in case there are any issues that arise



Arrive early (by at least 10 minutes) in case there are any issues that arise

Come with all of the materials you will need (pencils, eraser, calculator, dictionary, geometry set, water, etc.)


Overcoming Test Anxiety GET YOUR BODY READY!


Get a good night’s sleep…


Get a good night’s sleep… Eat breakfast in the morning


Get a good night’s sleep… Eat breakfast in the morning Bring snacks for throughout the day


Get a good night’s sleep… Eat breakfast in the morning Bring snacks for throughout the day If you are already inclined to feel

anxiety, your body requires these basic needs to keep you balanced and focused

No matter what your present level of learning ability and achievement may be…

YOU CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE!

NEED HELP?

See teachers at lunch for help Login to www.learnquebec.ca Get help from a tutor See Mr. Rosseel or Ms. Barnes in the

Guidance Office (Room 123) for anything that you need…

http://www.learnquebec.ca/

http://www.learnquebec.ca/

Remember Thomas Edison’s words…

“Many of life’s failures are those people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up”

YOUR EXAMS…

Make sure you have a copy of the exam schedule

Highlight/circle the exams you need to write

Check for conflicts Write it in your agendas

Good Luck on your EXAMS!

Study Smarter, Not Harder - Philemon Wright High Schoolhadleypwhs.com/hp/Exam_Info_files/Study Smarter, Not Harder.pdf · make cue cards/etc. Ask yourself pertinent questions Make

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