Successful Students (9)

Successful Students 

9

9. . . .don't cram for exams. Successful students know that divided periods of study are more effective than cram sessions, and they practice it.

If there is one thing that study skills specialists agree on, it is that distributed study is better than massed, late-night, last-ditch efforts known as cramming. You'll learn more, remember more, and earn a higher grade by studying in four, one hour-a-night sessions for Friday's exam than studying for four hours straight on Thursday night. Short, concentrated preparatory efforts are more efficient and rewarding than wasteful, inattentive, last moment marathons. Yet, so many students fall to learn this lesson and end up repeating it over and over again until it becomes a wasteful habit. Not too clever, huh?

When you cram, you are taking the shortcut, and shortcuts never produce any real worthwhile results. Also, when you take shortcuts, you feel rather rotten knowing that you could have done better but didn't. Shortcuts cut you short. You can't plant watermelon seeds and harvest fresh watermelons the next day. Plus cramming for a test or project doesn't help you academically, so why even do it. Plan ahead, prepare ahead. Give yourself plenty of days and weeks to prepare for upcoming accountability opportunities.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!!

Academic Success pt.2

Academic Success

Part 2

Laura B.’s Academic Success Story

In high school I was one of the good students who didn’t really have to be a good student. The information that I took for notes in class usually sunk in enough for me to be able to get by on the tests by simply reviewing the material just before the class began. It wasn’t that I didn’t try, I had a 4.0 all through out high school, but I never really had to put forth much of an effort to get the results that I wanted to see. In college however, that changed. Not only did I start studying and reading the book, but I Began to understand that the little tiny facts were just as important as the general concepts. My overall study method: I do the reading that is required for the classes, and I try to keep up. If I do fall behind, I usually use the reading that I did not get to as an additional study aid. I take good notes in class and actually attend every class that I can. Sometimes, with volleyball, it’s tough because we are on the road a lot, but if I do miss class because of volleyball I make sure that I get the notes from another student in the class. Also, for a subject such as chemistry, I do practice problems to help me understand what the material means.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!

Academic Success (pt.1)

Academic Success

Part 1

My great academic success: In my principles of marketing class, we had to come up with a new product and sell it. My group ended up with a couple supposedly bad students according to our teacher since they were the last ones picked. In the end, they helped out more than needed since I was team leader I assigned them certain pieces of the project that became solely their responsibility. Delegating work always helps since it allows a group member individual work without separating the group.

English, math, foreign language tips: Math basically just takes practice. I always tell students to take a blank paper and write everything you know about what you’ve learned or what you’re studying for in the class.  If you don’t remember everything or start drawing blanks, then you need to study more and review your notes. Note cards work really well for foreign language.

Here are my final words of wisdom for students who want to get better grades in college: go to class, make friends with people in class just in case you’re absent, and remember that you should want to learn.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT