I know most students are preparing for their midterms right now. Getting ready for these exams do not need to be a painful process. Being a great test-taker is about learning how to maximize your time, so start planning now! Just a little bit of extra preparation will help you learn and retain more for test day. Read on and good luck!
1. Make the TIME to study
2. Use the TIME wisely
3. Apply the TIME well on the test
With just a little bit of time on your side, you will surprise yourself with how much you know and retain for test day. Your formula for finals success is easy: TIME x 3!
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• Read, read, read! (novels, not comics)
• Get a set of flash cards (SAT/ACT Vocabulary) and start on them early. • Read the newspaper. • Visit a news website such as NY Times, CNN and read the top stories. • Do crossword puzzles. • Write in a journal or as much as possible. • Solve logic puzzles. • Answer the SAT question of the day on-line. • Take the practice tests offered on-line or at your school . 10 Visual and Performing Arts Schools to Consider (via Education-Portal.Com)
Private schools are notoriously rigorous, particularly in middle and high schools. High school students in private schools take a number of difficult classes, including some advanced classes, while participating in extracurricular activities and sports outside of class. While a manageable level of stress helps many students perform at their best and can be motivating, too much stress is counterproductive.
Here are some strategies for defeating stress in school: Tip #1: Take Advantage of Your School's Resources Many schools are employing their own stress-reducing programs, including classes in relaxation techniques and yoga. Take advantage of these classes if you can. Ask your teachers for help. Some schools also offer classes on study skills. These classes can teach you to study more effectively and efficiently, reducing the time you need to spend on your schoolwork and eventually reducing your stress level. Tip #2: Learn to Study Effectively Using classes taught at your school, you can learn to study more efficiently. If your work is taking too long or you aren't getting the results you want, be sure to ask your teachers what they recommend. They may have strategies to help you speed up your work, and they may also be able to direct you to additional resources. Tip #3: Speed Up Your Homework Learning how to make your homework go more quickly reduces stress. For example, if you notice that most of your homework time is spent surfing the web or on Facebook, you may need to disconnect yourself from the Internet while you are working.Try to find a peaceful homework spot where you won't be disturbed, and set a timer so that you are aware of time passing. Estimate how long tasks will take you. Don't waste time. Tip #4: Work with a Tutor If you've tried to work with your teacher but still don't understand the material, consider working with a tutor who is familiar with your school and its demands. Some schools also provide peer or other tutors who can help you. When working with a tutor, be sure to do all the work yourself. Ask your tutor to show you strategies to make your work more efficient and to help you prepare for tests with less stress. Most college applicants can expect mid-December or April 1 to bring at least one piece of good news. Although the acceptance rates at the top schools have dropped steadily in recent years as applicant pools have grown, the majority of U.S. colleges and universities continue to admit the majority of their applicants. Seniors who applied to a sensible range of schools should find themselves with at least one admissions offer in hand.
That's small comfort, however, for someone who has been waitlisted or denied at their top-choice schools. For these applicants, it may be time to make some difficult decisions. Re-Assessing Your 'Safety Schools': Ideally, you did receive acceptances to one or more of your lower-priority schools. Take another look at the information you have on the school. Would you be happy there for a full four years? Could you accept attending a year or two of classes there and then try to transfer to one of your preferred schools? Or would you be genuinely unhappy from the first day you set foot on campus? If your answer to that last question is 'yes,' think twice about accepting your admissions offer. Even the most disciplined student has a hard time doing their best work if they truly dislike the school they're attending. Positioning Yourself for a Transfer: You may be able to successfully apply as a transfer student after a year or two at another institution. You'll need to plan ahead for this strategy to work, however. You'll need to do well at the first institution, making sure that your performance there ameliorates any weakness the admissions committee may have seen in you as an applicant for freshman admissions. Top schools tend to accept few, if any, transfer applicants because few of the students who initially enroll there choose to transfer out. Taking a 'Gap Year': The gap year option – which is when a high school graduate waits a year to apply to colleges – has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. It's not as simple a solution as it might sound, especially for applicants whose gap year is a fallback they turned to after being denied admission to their target schools. Those applicants need to devote their gap year to activities and accomplishments that will outweigh whatever doubts the admissions committees had about them the first time they applied. To be successful, a gap year strategy needs to be carefully planned and thought out. Appealing a Denial: This strategy hardly ever works. College and university admissions committees do not make their decisions lightly. They are extremely unlikely to reverse an admissions decision once it has been made. You'll be doing yourself a big favor if you do your best to get your college applications right the first time around. Were You Waitlisted or Denied by Your Top-Choice School? Our Waitlist Assistance or Denied Analysis package can help you understand your situation and options. Our consultant with first-hand college admissions experience will review the application you submitted, give you their assessment of the reasons for your admissions outcome, and advise you on what to do next. Call us at 646,266,6084, email us, or pursue our website to learn more. Study. Apply. Succeed. True for all aspects of education, and especially with the college application essays. Personal statements and admissions essays can be overwhelming, but Lee Academia has helped clients brainstorm compelling topics, compose and organize a memorable essay without stress for years. Their approach leaves the student in charge of the essay, so that student gets to the heart of the story and produces an essay that's attention-grabbing and authentic. All the years of guidance, experience and strategies are now compiled into a new easy-to-follow workbook for students to use on their own. Stop procrastinating and write that college essay now!
We've all been there, right? You forgot about a test (or procrastinated) and realized that you had less than an hour to cram in as much knowledge as you could. Learn how to cram for a test efficiently, and study for your test even if you only have minutes.
NOTE: These techniques will not work for tests like the SAT, or ACT. If you need help studying for those, contact Lee Academia. 1. Go somewhere quiet. Head to the library if you're in school. If you're studying at home right before the test, turn off the TV, shut off your cell and computer. Tell your friends and family to leave you alone. You have less than an hour to cram, so you're going to need 100% of your focus. 2. Learn your study guide. Most teachers pass out study guides for a major test. If your teacher is one of them, use it now. If you have to cram for a test, it is the only resource you have time to use. Memorize everything on it. Don't bother making flashcards at this point – you'll just be wasting time if you only have minutes. 3. Head to the book Read the first two pages of every chapter that's being covered on the test, looking for major ideas, vocabulary, and concepts. Read the last page of every chapter, too, answering the review questions in your head. If you can't find an answer to a review question, then look it up in the book. It's probably a question on the test. 4. Review your notes/quizzes/assignments Your teacher probably created your exam based on the notes, quizzes and assignments he or she gave out during the unit. Read through everything you can, memorizing the info on the pages. 5. Quiz yourself. Now is NOT the time to hunt down your best friend and have him or her quiz you. This is a cram session! You'll waste time! Cover up the answers on the study guide and quiz yourself, instead. Cram Tips
Tutors vary in terms of teaching styles and quality of instruction. Thus, it is critical to interview a potential instructor before choosing one for yourself or your child. Here are some questions to be answered before entrusting your child's educational future with a tutor.
Whether you choose to enlist the help of a private tutor, a learning center, or other tutoring program, it is crucial that you take the time to interview the prospective instructor. Ensuring he or she is the right person for the job. Important Questions to Ask the Tutor
Make your studies a little bit easier. Sometimes, the things that lend a helping hand are more surprising than you’d think. For instance, trying a little music therapy on yourself might be the key to acing that next exam.
Have you noticed that music is all around us? From the stereo in your car to the music played at department stores or even in the elevators. And you also may not be aware that music has a wide array of impacts on your health: Studies show that music has a strong effect on your mood levels and emotions, and also on how you think and your general intelligence. The music you listen to can have a profound effect on your test scores and your ability to quickly process information. And if you’ve ever played an instrument, studies show that you’re already ahead of the curve. Playing an instrument is a great way to test out your creative thinking and push your brain to process information in a new way. Stephenie always encourages her students to play or listen to certain types of music to boost their test scores. Having played musical instruments all her life, she is familiar with how music has profoundly impacted her mind, life and studies. For more information and to know more about the studies and test results of students who listen/play to specific types of music, contact Stephenie. See below recommendation. Mozart for your Mind |
Stephenie Lee
Stephenie, having been a tutor/instructor/mentor since 1996, discovered her passion and founded Lee Academia Educational Consulting, LLC. after she left the dental and medical field. She loves teaching/mentoring and counseling her students. Her passion lies in educating others and helping them pursue their educational path. Today, certified in College Counseling and with more than 10 years of experience, Stephenie and her team continues to blog about current updated educational news and events. Archives
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