EXPERT ADVICE EDUCAT ION
Ann Myers Centre Director
Cramming doesn’t work. The “all-nighter” is a time-honoured strategy for getting through tests, right? Wrong! The human brain just isn’t made for cramming. If you want to learn something, put in the time to practice and master it. Just ask any accomplished athlete or musician. Neither does multitasking. Multitasking is a myth. It’s okay for everyday chores and activities, but for important tasks like studying, you cannot give 100 per cent of your attention to more than one thing. It’s simple arithmetic. Budget your time. Based on what kind of learner you are decide what routines work best for you. When are you at your best: Morning or nighttime? Take control of your time, your learning and your grades by dedicating yourself each day to keeping up with your studies. Be sure not to procrastinate! Need help figuring out what study habits work best? Sylvan’s Study Skills program can help point you in the right direction! Our teachers can help get you more organized, strategically plan projects and reach goals! Work with a study buddy. Learn from each other. Quiz each other. Support each other’s good habits. Remember, we retain what we first learn and what we last learn, so schedule plenty of short breaks. Keep up with the reading. Newsflash! You can’t keep up with class material, discussions or projects if you’re not up-to-speed. Do the daily drills and practice. Read the daily assignments. Make a list of things you don’t understand so you can ask about them. Be involved. Be active. Be in control.
Anticipate the test questions. It’s usually not too difficult to know which questions teachers will put on tests. Pay attention to what is stressed during class. What major points keep cropping up? What are favourite and recurring themes? What skills are stressed? What are the book’s chapter headings? If you were the teacher, what would you put on the test? Anticipate your answers. Prepare some possible answers, especially for short and long answer questions. Do you have enough information to fully answer the question? If not, keep working on them. Star athletes anticipate challenges, so do the same thing. Think ahead. Organize yourself. No matter what you’re working on in life, organization is guaranteed to help. Keep a planner with important test and assignment dates in it. Schedule study times alone and with study buddies. Keep notebooks and electronic material organized, so you can easily find what you need. If organization isn’t your thing, ask for help from friends, parents, or teachers. Take good class notes and review them regularly. Write or type the major themes and important information in class each day. Then, just like star reporters, interviewers and writers do, review them as soon as possible to make sure you’ve got it!. If you don’t, ask follow-up questions. Set goals. Be determined that this time you’re going to be serious about improving your test grades. Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat sensibly and use your common sense. Set yourself up for success, and you’re bound to do well!
Study habits that work.
One of the most frequently asked questions by parents and students is, “What’s the best way to study for tests?” Although there isn’t a single guaranteed way, there are study tips and techniques that almost always work in combination with dedication and determination. Encourage your child to try these out before their next test!
Sylvan Learning 18 Superior Crescent, Charlottetown 902.367.3678 www.sylvanlearning.com
WINTER 2017 www.pei-living.ca
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