THE SMART STUDENT
By Ida Swenson
The first good sign
of a smart student is occurring right now- you are looking for help. Being a smart student has little to do with a
person’s IQ. Being a smart student has
everything to do with making your effort more efficient, following directions,
and seeking help when you need it. The
tips you will get from this short article may be applied at any level from
grade school through college and beyond.
They are only as good as the time and effort you put into them. There isn’t an ‘easy’ way to get very good
grades at every level, but there are some tricks for making your effort pay
more dividends. Don’t let someone else
tell you this is the ‘lazy’ way to grade success- this is the SMART way to
success.
STUDY SMART!!
Are you and your
friends all the same? Of course
not! You are each unique individuals
with unique abilities. What works for
one person doesn’t necessarily work for another person. Some people study better with another person
while some need to be alone to absorb the material. Some people study better with loud music or
people talking, while others need quiet.
Maybe you learn best curled in a comfy chair with your cat in your lap,
but someone else needs an upright, feet on the floor position at a desk or
table. Tracing the important things with
a finger helps some, but others need to hear the information to remember it
while others may only have to read it a couple times to remember. If you can figure out the ways you learn best
and use those methods, you will be miles ahead in getting the most learning
from your study time. Ask your school
guidance counselor or librarian if they have a learning styles tutorial or quiz
you can take. This will be a series of
questions which will help you identify your individual learning styles. Are these questions for a grade or to compare
with your friends? No, so answer them as
honestly as you can or the results won’t help you. (Yes, styles plural because everyone learns
best in several different ways.) For the
fifteen minutes you spend taking the learning styles quiz, you can increase
your study efficiency immensely.
Hopefully, with your scores, you will get a list of suggestions of study
methods/./.
If you can, do your
own scientific study of these variables or methods. A good way to do this is to study for quizzes
in different ways and compare your results as honestly as you can. DO NOT experiment when a big test is at
stake. Go with your known best method
for studying for any big grade. Of course,
if you want to be very scientific, you’ll only change one variable or method at
a time. For example, study at your desk
with soft music using split page notes one time, then at your desk with loud
music using split page notes the next time.
Only one variable, the volume of the music, has been changed. My suggestion – study an SAT vocabulary list
for fifteen minutes, then have someone quiz you. Study a new SAT list (same number of words)
for fifteen minutes with one variable changed, then have someone quiz you. Only do two lists at a time, because the
longer you study, fatigue becomes a factor.
Which brings us to the types of variables.
TIMING is
everything. Are you a morning, afternoon
or evening person? If your only thought
after 9 PM is that bed, use it! Get up
at 5 AM and study then for peak performance.
If you can study very well at school, but not at home, use your study
halls for study, find a teacher who will let you use their room after school or
at lunch, or hang out at the library. If
your friends don’t understand, what kind of friends are they? Perhaps it’s time to find friends that have
the same desire for good grades that you have.
Learn how long you can study efficiently, then take a break. Promise yourself a break that’s at least 10%
of the time you have been studying. Do
jumping jacks, run up and down the stairs, or chase your dog to get the blood
flowing back out of your seat and into your brain. Stretch, get a drink or snack, and get back
to the books.
Set goals for what
you need to accomplish in your study time and write them down. Prioritize what needs to be done. Finish the assignments due tomorrow first,
then start on more future projects and studying. Start with the things which can be done
quickly for the inspiration of crossing them off your list. One of the most common variables among highly
successful people is their ability to set achievable goals for themselves.
Another other important aspect of timing is
being disciplined to study as you go through a course, not at the last
minute. Start the reading the day you
get the book, using the tips further on.
Do you have a busy schedule? Use
whatever time you can get to study. Many
athletes find they get better grades while they are playing a sport because
they know they have to use every minute.
They do their assignments and studying ahead of time knowing there may
not be enough time later. They do their
socializing and playing on the field or the bus.
Last but not least,
be aware of when you are no longer studying with efficiency. It may be your brain is full of that subject
and you need to switch to something different.
If you have been working math problems, do some reading instead. If you have been writing an essay, answer
science questions, read your next book report novel or do math problems. You
can come back later to what you had been working on. Take that break or, if you’re really tired,
go to bed. Be sure to set your alarm to
wake up early for more study.
LOCATION makes a
difference in your studying. You should
be as far away from distractions as possible.
Television, computer games, noisy friends or other unfinished tasks may
lure your mind from the material at hand.
For some, soft music helps their concentration. As you learn your styles, you will know
whether a soft or hard chair is best.
Perhaps a table you can spread out on is better, or a carrel where you
are in a small corner will work for you.
Take the games off your computer, shut down the IM, and focus on those
tasks you need to be doing on the computer.
COMFORT AND GOOD
HEALTH are important. If your seat is
asleep, your brain will be focused there.
If you are stuck to the chair or scrunched because you wore short
shorts, you won’t be thinking about the subject. If you are hungry or thirsty, you will have
less energy.
If you never get any exercise, your heart won’t pump the
blood to your brain as well. If you stay
up all night watching old movies, you won’t be able to keep your eyelids
propped open to listen in class or study.
Eat healthy. Lots of sugar and
grease will affect your body, and guess what?
Your brain is a very important part of that body. Class time is as important as study time for
making sure your body – and your brain- are in peak working condition.
READ the book only
once. Maybe you have been taught the
SQ3R method. Modify it as follows: Skim the reading you need to do for
the headings and illustrations. Questions should start forming in your mind. Decide
on what portion of the reading you will do now, or time limit you have so you
have an end in sight. Take notes
on the reading in your own words, NEVER word for word from the book. You can use your own symbols, minimal words,
and drawings. If you are like me, you
may read a couple pages and realize you don’t remember a thing you just
read. Taking the notes prevents that
fogginess. If you copy word for word,
you limit the number of times it goes through your brain to just two- in and
out. If you read, think to put it in
your own brief method, and write it you have to run the item through your brain
five times. Every time a fact goes through your brain, it deepens the groove that
holds it there! You also ensure
that you understand what you are writing down.
This method is also helpful in reading material for writing a
paper. By changing everything into your
own words immediately, you prevent accidental plagiarism. I use a split page method with a word or two
on one side, and definitions or explanations in my own words on the other
side. I think of these notes as being
cheap flashcards. These notes will
become your study notes for tests. For example, here are some split page notes
from a Harry Potter book:
Quiddich wizard
and witch game played on brooms using magical equipment
Snitch small
gold ball with wings, very elusive
Keeper goalie
who tries to prevent goals through the hoops
1/team
Bludger duty
is to try to knock other team off their brooms
2/team
Chaser try to get bloggers through
hoops to score 2/team
Seeker tries
to find the snitch. If successful, it’s
an automatic win 1/team
Blogger magical
balls which must be sent through quiddich hoops for points
REVIEW your notes to
study for a test by covering the left side of the page and asking yourself what
is written there. If you get it right,
make a check. When you are finished,
cover the right side of the page and do the same thing again. The night before the test, review them again. If you study better with another person, ask
someone to give you the questions. If
you have a friend studying for the same test, this may help both of you. When you have done this several times, make
new notes of the items you did not know at least a couple times. This you will review right before the test
while the teacher is getting ready to hand out the papers and then tuck it
deeply in your bag or book. (No use
getting accused of cheating after you have put in your study time.) Some people find they remember better if
they outline the reading. Some need to
read it aloud to themselves as they write the notes. The key is, when you use this method, you
increase the number of times the information goes through your brain by five
just when you take the first notes, as well as increasing the importance of it
to your brain. You decrease the amount
of studying you have to do before the test.
ASK FOR HELP when
you need it. Perhaps as you were reading
(and taking notes), you came to something you did not understand. Put a question mark in the margin next to it
and leave space for an answer. The next
time the teacher asks in class if there are any questions, get your hand in the
air and ask about that part of the reading.
There is no such thing as a stupid question (unless the teacher just
answered it and you weren’t paying attention).
If you don’t understand something, chances are at least half the class
didn’t either. If no chance comes in
class to ask, make an appointment to see the teacher, or ask that friend who
seems to understand everything. Now THAT
would be good use of IMing.
TEST SMART!!
PREPARE for every
test by being sure your body (and your brain) are in tip top shape. For your brain cells to work properly, they
need food, oxygen and rest. The one food
they do NOT need is a lot of sugar. When
you eat a lot of sugar (such as sugar coated cereal, syrup, soda or candy), you
raise the insulin levels in your body. An
hour or so later, your blood runs out of sugar for the insulin to work on, and
your chemical balance crashes. The day
of a test, start your day with a combination of starch and protein. This will stick with you much longer than
sugar. Choose an egg and toast, a peanut
butter (no jam) or ham sandwich or even a piece of pizza or a hot dog instead
of sugary cereal or pancakes and syrup.
French toast would be okay except for any sugary topping. Don’t skip breakfast ever. (You may find these tips help you concentrate
better in class. I’ll bet your fourth
period grades go up!) If your teacher or
school allows, take a cheese stick, yogurt or sandwich to munch midway through
the morning if you have a late lunch.
For your brain cells
to get enough oxygen, they need a strong blood flow, which comes from a strong
heart and good deep breaths. Sit up
straight, get plenty of exercise and take breaks to move around. If you are in the middle of a test, fidget
your legs as quietly as possible.
Rest means a good
night’s sleep before the test. Good
sleep usually helps more than last minute cramming. If you can’t sleep well in your own bed due
to noise or whatever, find another place to go.
If you have the luxury of a quick power nap mid day, it may put your
miles ahead.
WEAR comfortable
clothes that won’t distract you or your classmates from the job at hand. Cute is fine, as long as it doesn’t leave you
cold, stuck to the chair, or make distracting noises. Be considerate of those around you.
TAKE what you need
to the test. Extra pens, pencils with
good erasers, calculator, extra batteries, tissues, a watch, hard candy (one or
two during the test shouldn’t hurt) and a water bottle if allowed should be on
your desk where the teacher (proctor) can check them and you can access them
quickly. Be sure your cell phone is off,
and that anything resembling a cheat sheet is put far away. If you are short on space for the test
papers, ask if you may put those items on the floor in good view.
REVIEW that last
list of tricky terms or formulas you identified in your test review (see STUDY
SMART) one more time. If you just
crammed formulas or sequential lists into your head, write them on the back of
the test paper as soon as you can while they are still ‘in the front of your
brain’. This puts them where you can
find them when you need them and is not cheating.
READ THE DIRECTIONS
before you begin the test. Check to see
if you are allowed to use scratch paper and make sure you have it. Also, check to see if you may write on the
test booklet or use blue pen on the machine answer part of the test.
LISTEN carefully to
the directions from the teacher. Check
page numbers on the question booklet to be sure you have all of them.
SKIM the test,
making an outline of it on scratch paper if needed. Identify which parts will be easiest for you
and plan to do them first.
READ THE DIRECTIONS
of each section again before you begin.
If you do not understand the directions in any way, ask the
teacher. Remember, there is no such
thing as a stupid question.
START the easiest
sections of the test first. Read and
answer a page of questions, before transferring the answers to the answer sheet,
being careful not to skip any questions.
When you come to a question you cannot answer quickly, mark it with a
question mark to come back later. Give
it one more try when you are transferring answers to the answer sheet.
INCREASE YOUR ODDS on any multiple-choice
question by the process of elimination. First read the question and make a
guess in your mind of the right answer. If you are allowed to mark the test
paper, cross off the choices you KNOW are wrong. You may choose what you think is the best
answer, but mark it as lightly as possible on your answer sheet or mark the
question as one you are not sure of.
This way, you can find it quickly to double check it at the end of the
test.
WATCH FOR TRAPS
where there may be a choice similar to the correct one before the correct
choice. Read ALL the choices carefully
before you make your decision.
Sometimes there are good choices available as well as the BEST choice.
WATCH THE TIME so you don’t spend too much
time on any one section. If you are
spinning your wheels on one question, go on to the next one. Come back later if you have time.
USE THE INFORMATION
IN THE TEST to help you. You may be able
to get ideas and spelling of historical events from questions and answer
choices in the multiple-choice part of the test to use in the essay and short
answer parts of the test. This is not
cheating, but smart test taking. If you
marked the questions you weren’t sure of, you will find it easier to locate the
question you want to recheck using the information you may have found.
CHOOSE wisely which
essays you will answer. On your scrap
paper, list the parts you know for each question and figure the amount of
points you would get for each question, then choose the questions which will
gain you the most points.
OUTLINE your answers
to the essay questions before you write them.
This allows you to organize your thoughts and makes it less likely you
will leave something out as you write.
CHECK for full
completion of all of the parts of the test before you hand it in. Then, double check to be sure you have
something in each and every blank. A few
tests have a penalty for guessing a question wrong, but an empty blank is 100%
wrong every time. If you did a good job
of eliminating the obviously wrong choices, you should have a good chance of
getting 50 % of your guesses correct.
Being a smart student means proper
preparation, wise choices, and following directions. If you follow the directions in this article,
you should find your grades improved and your sense of accomplishment
complete.
