Download and share our 4-page newsletter; it’s packed with great learning strategies and school tips for both parents and students! Plus it’s completely free!
click on image to download the newsletter
We know that creating hand-written study notes is a surefire way to maximize your study efforts. It turns passively reading over notes into an active endeavor that uses multiple senses and helps to improve recall.
But just how do you create study notes, and what should you look for? The main thing to remember when creating study notes is summarize, summarize, summarize! Study notes are all about the art of condensing.
Here’s how to begin:
1. Grab a pen and paper. To maximize the benefit of studying, study notes should be written out by hand. Studies show that the act of writing is more beneficial than typing study notes on the computer.
2. Write down Key Words. Start by identifying all subject headings/subheadings/bolded words. These are the main ideas of each section and unit, and identify what the section is about.
3. Summarize. Under each heading, summarize the information. Use bullet points. Be brief. The point is to jot down the main ideas, not re-write the chapter.
4. Paraphrase. Read over a sentence and then say it back using your own words. What two or three words stand out as most important? Write those down.
5. Get Messy! These are your study notes, so develop a system that works for you. Colour code. Triple Underline. Sketch. Whatever will help you remember—and understand—is what will make your study notes successful.
As you practice creating study notes, you’ll get better and better at picking out the main messages and the key words to remember. This means that your study notes themselves will condense. The first time you create your own study notes, your might have multiple pages; as time goes one, you’ll be able to summarize your study notes onto on single, easy-to-refer-to page.
Want more information about creating study notes or other study tips? Your local Oxford Learning Centre can answer all your questions, and tell you all about a program that can help make studying and learning easier. Call today!
What do your fingers and hands have to do with how well you remember what you study?
Well, new research is showing that the physical act of handwriting stimulates critical activity in specific areas of the brain that develop a sort of visual memory of words and letters.
In the study, researchers asked two groups to learn an unknown alphabet. One group studied the alphabet by writing the letters out by hand. The other group read solely off computers.
It shouldn’t surprise you that the group who wrote the letters out had better recall and did better on tests of the alphabet.
The Take Away:
There are many ways to go about the process of studying. One of the tried-and-true study techniques is creating study notes using pen and paper.
It may seem an old-fashioned practice given the abundance of personal technology that students have at their fingertips, however, the act of physically writing creates a “motor memory” in the brain that helps both the brain, and the body, remember.
So if you want to maximize your study time, improve recall on tests, and get better grades, grab and pen and paper, open your textbook or notebook, and start making study notes!
Kids forget stuff all of the time. Where they left their book bag. What day the next soccer game is. When Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone.
Before writing kids off as hopelessly forgetful, consider that they may have simply never been taught how to remember.
As the World Memory Champions can tell you, there are tricks—simple tricks—that everybody can use to improve memory abilities.
So what’s the secret?
When it comes to improving your memory, the most important secret is … imagination.
And luckily for forgetful students, kids have a natural abundance of imagination.
Telling stories and visualizing details improves the ability to recall details. That’s because visual memory is larger and stronger than logical memory.
The main memory technique involves making visual associations. This is where imagination comes in. The associations do not have be logical or make sense. They only need to be relevant to the individual.
For students, it might be the only instance where being illogical, nonsensical, and random pays off in school.
Here are some of the best tips that filmmaker Josh Freed learned while filming his documentary
Where Did I Put My…Memory?
1. Numbers: Imagine numbers as shapes or common images. For instance, the number 5 could be a snake, the number 8, a snowman. Then, recall numbers by crafting a story around the numbers. This technique could be very helpful in helping young children remember phone numbers.
2. Placement: Always remember where you left something by imagining it blowing up. Rather than dropping off a book bag in the front hall, pause and visualize it blowing up. Or, maybe a less violent image for younger children—perhaps the image of taking a nap would work.
3. Names: Visualize something about a person’s name. Associate the first letter of the name with an object. For instance, the name Laura could be associated with a shamrock because she was wearing green when you met her, and shamrocks are lucky. Lucky and Laura both start with the letter L.
4. Singing. There has been much success with singing instructions and repeating the chorus. The Alphabet Song has been helping preschoolers learn the alphabet for years, while teacher Alex Kajitani has become known as the Rappin’ Mathematician for using rap to teach math skills to students.
5. Making up stories. Making lists and writing things down is a tried and true way to avoid forgetting, but when these sorts of memory aids are not available, making up stories can not only help people remember important tasks and details, it can actually help make the brain stronger, and less reliant on outside tools to aid recall.
Check out the article The Secrets of Mastering Your Memory for more information and for information about how technology will help memory in the future.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever left studying to the last minute, then stayed up too late, trying to review as much material as possible.
Keep your hand up if you’ve ever been reviewing your study notes right up to the last second as you walk into the classroom.
Cramming is a study technique that we are all familiar with. And despite what teachers and parents say, it’s one that has actually been proven to have a beneficial outcome for students.
Cramming is even a recognized study habit, with universities providing how-to guides for students to maximize their minimized study time.
If you MUST cram, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
But we’re not saying that we condone cramming tips. While we do support the getting of better grades, in the long run, cramming is not the best way to go about it.
In terms of what’s going on in the brain, the neural connections being formed during the cramming process are temporary. All of the information being stored is in the short-term memory. So while cramming can help you rock that test tomorrow morning, when it comes to long-term remembering, it’s utterly useless.
That’s because in school, learning is incremental. Students need to remember—and understand—the material they study, because lessons tend to build upon what was taught previously. Learning only for the test is not helpful when considering what will be taught next year, or the year after that.
After all, you can’t perform quadratic equations if you can’t remember how to multiply.
It just makes sense that students take the time to learn and understand the material.
The best way to study for long-term recall is with a technique that experts call the “spacing effect.” This technique doesn’t require longer or more intensive studying: it simply means that students space out their study time. An hour here, and hour there, makes for a more effective—and long-lasting—approach to studying.
When it comes to education, better grades on the next test are important—and cramming can get you there—but better grades quickly are not as important as developing solid study habits that won’t leave you stressed and scrambling at the last minute.
And, better grades quickly are not as important as putting in the time to develop real and lasting understanding.
To sum up:
Cramming PRO: A quick way to review material and re-familiarize yourself with concepts to get a decent—even awesome—mark on a test.
Cramming Con: Reviewed material leaves your head as quickly as it’s stuffed in there.
Dylan shares lessons that he learned in his first year in high school.
The Basics
I just finished grade nine and I have to say, it wasn’t as bad as far as high school stereotypes go. But, there are still some things kids should be aware of before starting grade nine.
1. Popularity. It’s a good idea to develop social skills earlier in life rather than later. It will help you a lot in high school and in the future—whatever your career might be. However, getting too hung up with the idea of “being popular” can lead to potential problems, the worst being unsuccessful grades.
2. Confusion. One thing you do not want to do in high school is fall behind. Confusion is usually the first step in falling behind. If you are confused about something, always ask questions about it. You may get made fun of, but the only thing that you have to worry about in high school is yourself. In the long run, you will succeed, but only if you listen to yourself and not to others.
3. Don’t Cram. Probably the number one thing you don’t want to do at any point in high school is cram for tests. In most cases, cramming leaves you sleep-deprived and completely clueless. Trust me, you’re much better off studying for and hour or so a night up until the test. This way you’ll have a firm grasp of the material, and you will be well rested for the big day.
4. Examinations. Everyone fears examinations: it’s fine if you do. The only advice I can really give you is to review and be prepared. Even if you feel that you have a good grasp on the subject, it is always a good idea to review every night. If you wait until a week before to start studying, you end up cramming. By reviewing every night, you have a much better chance of receiving a high mark on the final.
My Mistake: A mistake that I made this year was that I didn’t change my schedule before the year had started. I had Math, English, Geography and French in first semester, and my two electives, Gym and Science, in the second. I had one hard semester and one easy one. It is better to balance out your courses if yours are set up like mine. The workload becomes much easier to manage when more challenging courses are spread out evenly between each semester.
About me: I go to South Secondary School in London, ON and I have two younger siblings. I have always been a movie guy. But movies aren’t the only thing I enjoy. In the summer I love to bike with my friends down to the Thames River and ride along the trails. The sights and the entire ride are always beautiful. Anyway, hopefully you’ll enjoy my new posts! Remember to leave feedback and comments at the bottom! – Dylan.
As the school year begins to wind down, exam pressure begins to build.
So, what’s the one thing that students need to know in order to study successfully and beat exam stress?
Well, there are more than a few study strategies that help students study smart, not hard. It’s also important that students give themselves plenty of time to study so that they don’t end up cramming, which rarely works for remembering material long-term.
But if there is one thing—one secret—to effective studying it’s this: turning on the brain before hitting the books. Active learning. No, it’s not a buzzword—it’s a proven technique that gives students an edge.
Without it, students are just moving their eyes over the page, and that’s a very ineffective way to study—it takes longer, and gets less results.
So, how do students engage their brain while studying?
In order to properly engage the brain during studying, students need to be continually asking themselves questions before, during, and after study time:
These questions help students to “turn on their brain.” By “turning on the brain” during study time, students:
Stop daydreaming about summer! There’s work to be done!
Midterms have come and gone. Spring Break is over. The days are getting warmer, and what’s left of the school year can be counted in weeks.
Students have a tendency to drift as spring arrives. After spending months indoors, the warmer temperatures and shining sun become major distractions, which make it more challenging to focus on schoolwork.
While the school year may be winding down, this is not the time to slack off!
The school year may be coming to close, but there is still time to get better grades. There’s time to study harder. There’s time to complete an extra credit project. There’s time to develop better study skills. And most importantly, there’s still time to make a big difference on the final report card.
If grades need improving, the time to get started is right now! Slacking off now is NOT a good idea. In fact, can be downright dangerous to grades. Students who have worked very hard the entire year, can actually lose their academic footing if they let their focus slip from school.
That’s why it’s important to remain motivated. After all, there are still end-of-year projects, group work, and final exams on the horizon.
The truth is that this is the perfect time to renew a sense of school dedication. Because even though the school year is coming to a close, a lot can be accomplished in the time left.
So stop daydreaming about summer! There’s work to be done! Here’s how to stay motivated (and even pull up grades) in the time left:
1. Dust Off That Agenda. Agendas have kept students organized throughout the school year and now’s not the time to leave them forgotten in lockers or at the bottom of a school bag. Need to renew the drive to succeed? Flip through the agenda for a reminder of everything that has been achieved so far this year.
2. Work Towards a Goal. It’s easy to coast for the rest of the year, but rather than slacking, set a goal and work towards it. Whether it is by fine-tuning study skills or pulling up a math grade, having a goal to work towards makes staying motivated easy.
3. Take On Extra Credit Projects. Students that need a leg up (whether to pull up grades or to secure a university admission) can really benefit from extra credit projects. Talk to teachers about bonus projects or assignments. Teachers look favourably on students who make an effort, and this is especially important when it comes to creating final report cards.
4. Make Better Grades Your Mantra. To get better grades you have to do the work. To do the work, you have to be motivated, which is challenging this time of year. Create daily reminders of what the goal is—write “I want better grades” in your agenda, put it on post its by your bed, and repeat it to yourself while walking the dog. The more you say it, the more you’ll believe it!
5. Get Extra Help. End-of-year projects and exams can stress even the most organized students. Enlist the help of a professional tutor to help manage current workload and learn helpful tips to make studying for finals stress-free. Oxford Learning has many great programs that help students make the rest of this year as successful as possible. Call today and make the rest of this year count!
I find school, for the most part, easy. However, the one thing that I, and many others, struggle with is staying focused when studying.
For me, it’s all the distractions. There are iPods, TV, games consoles, magazines, and even siblings can be a distraction! But, the main distraction is myself. I find it very hard to block out everything else and focus on studying.
I don’t know why, but having to focus leaves me no choice but to find myself a distraction!
I have tried many different approaches, techniques, and tips to help me sit and concentrate. The few that work for me are:
I have followed these since I was in grade 8 and it has always been easy for me to study ever since! Do you find it hard not to become distracted?
Why is it so hard to concentrate?
About me: Hi! My name is Dylan and I am 15 years old. I have recently been asked to write a few guest posts on the topic Teens: Why Do We Do What We Do?
About me: I go to South Secondary School in London, ON and I have two younger siblings. I have always been a movie guy. In the summer I love to bike with my friends down to the Thames River and ride along the trails. The sights and the entire ride are always beautiful. I also like to bake and listen to old music. I hope that you enjoy my posts! Remember to leave feedback! ~Dylan.
Students of all ages can hone their study skills with these tips that teachers wished they knew when they were students.
Want a quick tip to cut the amount that you have to study in half? Partner up! Study buddies are a great way to divide study material, save time, and gain new perspectives.
Here’s how it works:
Sometimes teachers assign study groups, usually with 3-5 (or more) students per group. While a larger group might decrease the amount of material that you have to review on your own, it can also be a recipe for disaster. A too-large group can too easily lead to socialization and procrastination, so it’s important to follow the above tips and stay organized.
Print off this post.
Download the complete Insider’s Guide To Studying (PDF).
Related:
Tip 4: Putting it your own words.
Tip 3: The Fake Test
Tip 2: Mnemonic devices
Tip 1: Review with a Pen and Paper
Recent Comments