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Q: Original Tips for doing well in school (academics) ( Answered,   0 Comments )
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Subject: Original Tips for doing well in school (academics)
Category: Reference, Education and News > Education
Asked by: amirehsans-ga
List Price: $5.00
Posted: 08 Mar 2003 10:45 PST
Expires: 07 Apr 2003 11:45 PDT
Question ID: 173526
Hi. I've read many online articles and tips for doing well in school,
but I see the same ideas appearing again and again.  For example, they
all say get a good night's sleep or preview your subjects.  What I'm
asking you is to list about 10 tips (or several online sources) that
have original and non-trivial ideas.  Here are a few examples of what
I have in mind:

1. Study important or complex concepts from several different sources.
 Differences in phrasing and presenting ideas helps give you view the
concepts from different perspectives.

2. If you're supposed to memorize a set of formulas or words, write
them on your palm and review them every now and then.  You can also
post a list of these formulas on the wall in front of your toilet so
you can go over them when...

See what I mean?  These are not ideas that would occur to you easily. 
That's the type of tips I'm looking for.  Thank you for helping me
out.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Original Tips for doing well in school (academics)
Answered By: jeanwil-ga on 08 Mar 2003 13:17 PST
 
Hi amirehsans-ga,

Here are some suggestions along with some websites for you to view.

Use study cards/ cue cards – record important facts on small cards so
that when in the bus, train or when you have spare time then you can
glance on the cards.  These study cards are small cards and can be
carried in your bag.  You can have a set of these cards for each
subject.

For Maths and Accounts – use do as much excercises or problems as
possible.  The more problems that one does the easier it will be to
remember  the formulas that you studied. There are many online
problems for these subjects.
http://www.ce.udel.edu/~shenton/Dynamics/311_study_hints.html



Read as much as you can about the subjects the more you read it better
you will understand it and remember it.

Test your ideas and theories with other students and with sample essay
questions to see if what you thought of was actually correct.

“Chunking: An effective way to simplify and make information more
meaningful. For example, suppose you wanted to remember the colors in
the visible spectrum (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo,
Violet); you would have to memorize seven "chunks" of information in
order. But if you take the first letter of each color, you can spell
the name "Roy G. Biv", and reduce the information the three "chunks".

Mnemonics: Any memory-assisting technique that helps us to associate
new information with something familiar. For example, to remember a
formula or equation, we may use letters of the alphabet to represent
certain numbers. Then we can change an abs tract formula into a more
meaningful word or phrase, so we'll be able to remember it better.
Sound-alike associations can be very effective, too, especially while
trying to learn a new language. The key is to create your own links,
then you won't forget them.”

“Rhymes can be powerful; psychology students will recognize Freud's
personality theory in the little rhyme, "Id is the kid!"

Acronyms collapse the beginning letters of a set of information into
one or a few words; in trigonometry, you can use SOHCAHTOA for
right-angled triangles; in French you can use DR and MRS VANDERTRAMPP
for verbs that conjugate with être.
The beginning letters of a set of information can be built into a
sentence; for biology you might recognize Kings Play Chess On Frosted
Glass Surfaces.”
 http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/memory.html


“Write chapter outlines or summaries; emphasize relationships between
sections.
Group information into categories or hierarchies, where possible. 
Information Mapping. Draw up a matrix to organize and interrelate
material. For example, if you were trying to understand the causes of
World War I, you could make a chart listing all the major countries
involved across the top, and then list the im portant issues and
events down the side. Next, in the boxes in between, you could
describe the impact each issue had on each country to help you
understand these complex historical developments.”
http://medi-smart.com/study-traps.htm

“Put aside the text and say or write, in a few key words or sentences,
the major points you have read. It has been proven that most
forgetting takes place immediately after initial learning. Dr Pauk
says that ONE MINUTE SPENT IN IMMEDIATE RECALL NEARLY DOUBLES
RETENTION OF THAT PIECE OF DATA”
http://medi-smart.com/study-davis.htm

HOW TO READ A DIFFICULT BOOK 
“Look first for the things you can understand and refuse to get bogged
down in the difficult passages. Read right on past paragraphs,
footnotes, arguments and references that escape you. there will be
enough material which you can immediately grasp ... even if it is only
50 percent or less - that will enable you to understand the book in
part.
A variation on the method of giving a book a first superficial reading
is the technique of skimming. You will never get from skimming what
reading and study can give you, but it is a very practical way of
dealing with the mass of books available to you. By skimming you can
get, often with surprising accuracy, a general sense of the contents
of a book
For skimming or reading, the following steps are a good way to begin
giving a book the once-over …”
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/readbook.html

The Method of Loci: (for approximately twenty items)
Select any location that you have spent a lot of time in and have
easily memorized. Imagine yourself walking through the location,
selecting clearly defined places--the door, sofa, refrigerator, shelf,
etc. Imagine yourself putting objects that you need to remember into
each of these places by walking through this location in a direct
path. Again, you need a standard direct path and clearly defined
locations for objects to facilitate the retrieval of these objects.
For example if you had to remember George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, and Richard Nixon, you could imagine walking up to the door
of your location and seeing a dollar bill stuck in the door; when you
open the door Jefferson is reclining on the sofa and Nixon is eating
out of the refrigerator.

The Keyword Method: (for foreign language vocabulary)
First, after considering the foreign word you need to remember, select
a key word in English that sounds like the foreign word.
Next, imagine an image which involves the key word with the English
meaning of the foreign word.
For example, consider the Spanish word "cabina" which means "phone
booth." For the English keyword, you might think of "cab in a ... ."
You could then invent an image of a cab trying to fit in a phone
booth. When you see the word "cabina" on the test, you should be able
to recall the image of the cab and you should be able to retrieve the
definition "phone booth."

The Image-Name Technique: (for remembering names)
Simply invent any relationship between the name and the physical
characteristics of the person. For example, if you had to remember
Shirley Temple's name, you might ingrain the name in memory by
noticing that she has "curly" (rhymes with Shirley) hair around her
temples.

Chaining: (for ordered or unordered lists)
Create a story where each word or idea you have to remember cues the
next idea you need to recall. If you had to remember the words
Napoleon, ear, door, and Germany, you could invent a story of Napoleon
with his ear to a door listening to people speak in German.
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/memory.htm

Memory Techniques and Mnemonics
http://www.demon.co.uk/mindtool/memory.html


Other sources
http://www.takestockinchildren.com/pdf/src_secrets.pdf

http://www.eaur.wnyric.org/counseling/tips.html

http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/sciencett.html
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/tentt.html
http://www.ohiou.edu/aac/tip/examprep/stage3.html
http://www.rio.maricopa.edu/distance_learning/tutorials/study/textbook.shtml


Hope this helps.

Best regards


jeanwil-ga
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