Have you read many posts from this blog? Have you thought about what you read? Do you agree or disagree with it? Maybe a bit of both, hey? Let's say you are feeling down in the dumps about school. It could be for stacks of reasons that we all experience at some time or another. Hmmm. Wasn't sure of where the expression 'down in the dumps' came from so I just spent five minutes googling to find out. It comes from old words meaning melancholy or depression, so that seems to fit how we use it. How easy it is to procrastinate. Back to writing. Think I'll have a drink first. That's better. Now where was I?
Procrastination and this blog. Oh yes now I remember. How easy it is to get off task with things that are more appealing and more enjoyable. Like many, I have the attention span of a crazy puppy.
The school experience can be somewhat insidious, often stressful and always very busy. When it comes to school work, procrastination can slay the outcomes like you wouldn't believe. Or maybe you would, having been there. Many a time did you say? The art of procrastination is so well developed in most that it seems to be almost genetic. You may not put off intense training sessions the way others do because you like the endorphin buzz you get from the physical output but where is the buzz in four hours of English assignment you grumble. No argument here. I think we all have procrastination skills, just depends on the task and how we see it and what we envisage we'll get out of it.
What comes out of a four hour assignment blitz? Boredom? Drudgery? Stiff back? Maybe missed opportunity with that interesting and good looking new neighbour? Grrrr. Sometimes it is really hard to measure a positive anywhere in a task. True, true. Strategy? For those really absolutely awful and pointless pieces of work (let's hope they are few and far between at your school), your joy may be just that you have one less to do when it's done. Make it quality and those around you who fall by the wayside on such tasks will fall behind you in the race to secure the futures generated by Success at School. Just as in the workplace some things just have to be done. Don't put such tasks off. The longer they sit there, the more time you have to think about it and the worse you feel about doing it. Jump right in and get started. You'll have a huge chunk of it done before you know it and be well on the way to finishing when your friends are still bemoaning the fact that they are still to start. Try it, it works.
So back to my opening. Have you been reading the bits in this blog? They are written to maybe help you across the line that society draws in the sand; the line that is the 'Success at School' requirement for progress to an interesting and fruitful future. A future less filled with boring and meaningless tasks like those we are discussing here. Start to organise yourself right now. Log off Facebook, turn off your phone for say 1 hour, turn off television for that same hour. Find peace in your head, knowing that starting right now puts you on track for a better future. Pick out a couple of postings to read. Act on them.
Please get started. We need smart young people to graduate into the world and build better futures for all of us. If I can help you, let me know.
Have a go. It can't be worse than progress and situations you are not happy with.
Good luck. Have a great day
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Develop a system for taking notes and reviewing II
Let's suppose you read 'Develop a system for taking notes and reviewing I' and now have a notebook for each subject. You have numbered the pages; each day you put a day, date and topic; at the back you have started to diarise important information such as topics covered, location of reference material, clues the teacher may give you as to what is required for exams or assigned tasks; lists of homework due dates; and any other important key bits of information.
What else? You want this book to help you. Why else would you go out and get it? Don't let it get all scruffy, ripped, disorganised. That's how study from it will turn out. Horrible, hard, indigestible. Write the main body of text in blue or black for ease of reading and underline or highlight in another dark color such as dark orange, purple. Don't fill your book with all colors. Again that just sends confusing signals when it comes time to study or review. Make it easier for your brain to follow what was done and find the bits it is not sure of quickly. Once found and highlighted, these fewer topics can become the center of your focus as you begin the exam process. You can easily judge where to spend more time.
If you must doodle on your page, set aside an area at the bottom or side of the page for doing this. Don't let it get all over your work. It may look creative and fun. It has no place in among serious notes. It will interrupt your thoughts as your mind drifts away to interpreting the artwork, rather that the more serious business of the notes on your page.
To let revision of your work flow smoothly put a very brief phrase or two on the top of each page, telling you what is on that page. You may forget in a couple of months' time what you have covered and this can serve as quick triggers to target the revision and study process and make it more efficient. Making better use of your time is one of the most important goals in your ambition for Success at School.
If you remember some time ago I said that we do not want to fill every waking moment with study, study, study. Yukk! If your time is used well, then you will find that you have time for breaks. Those breaks will be enjoyed more because in the back of your mind is not the worry of unfinished, even unknown tasks; you have it all under control. Proper use of time when you are young will transfer to adulthood so you will still have fun knowing that all you need to do is under control. Worry free play. Yeah to that!
Good luck with your studies
Have a great day
What else? You want this book to help you. Why else would you go out and get it? Don't let it get all scruffy, ripped, disorganised. That's how study from it will turn out. Horrible, hard, indigestible. Write the main body of text in blue or black for ease of reading and underline or highlight in another dark color such as dark orange, purple. Don't fill your book with all colors. Again that just sends confusing signals when it comes time to study or review. Make it easier for your brain to follow what was done and find the bits it is not sure of quickly. Once found and highlighted, these fewer topics can become the center of your focus as you begin the exam process. You can easily judge where to spend more time.
If you must doodle on your page, set aside an area at the bottom or side of the page for doing this. Don't let it get all over your work. It may look creative and fun. It has no place in among serious notes. It will interrupt your thoughts as your mind drifts away to interpreting the artwork, rather that the more serious business of the notes on your page.
To let revision of your work flow smoothly put a very brief phrase or two on the top of each page, telling you what is on that page. You may forget in a couple of months' time what you have covered and this can serve as quick triggers to target the revision and study process and make it more efficient. Making better use of your time is one of the most important goals in your ambition for Success at School.
If you remember some time ago I said that we do not want to fill every waking moment with study, study, study. Yukk! If your time is used well, then you will find that you have time for breaks. Those breaks will be enjoyed more because in the back of your mind is not the worry of unfinished, even unknown tasks; you have it all under control. Proper use of time when you are young will transfer to adulthood so you will still have fun knowing that all you need to do is under control. Worry free play. Yeah to that!
Good luck with your studies
Have a great day
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Good results? Always? Too easy? Beware!
So you have always found schoolwork easy. Consider yourself blessed. Many don't and struggle even in the early years. The first ten years of school often lacks any challenge and, therefore, interest for many students. They receive sound reports and comments from school, suggesting they are going well. Indeed all that you can see points to them going on to appear in awards lists in the last years of school, going on to College and University after successfully passing through the rigors of the first major part of their academic career. Are you a student like this? Time for caution. When the passage through school is relatively easy, lacking challenge, you can develop the bad habits that result from lack of pushing your brain to its limits. Those habits can become ingrained and cause hurdles in the next few years. They may reduce your chance of success at school.
Beware. Be cautious. Be warned. Those poor habits may reduce your potential for the highest grades and hobble results to the second top tiers as you struggle to overcome structures you find irrelevant. Make sure you push yourself, even if the curriculum doesn't. Be careful that you go beyond the routine required by your brain. The Senior years of school require several elements not evident in the lower years. These include more emphasis on clear, written detail of your problem solving pattern; evidence of individual research; increased volume; improved presentation structures; a larger number of theories joined into the same assigned task; much larger assigned tasks. All these serve to take your skills to a point leading to College and University learning.
If you have had a school career that has offered little challenge so far and you are about to enter the final couple of years, do yourself a favor. Listen to all the advice you hear from your teachers and act on it. Get your brain strong ASAP. Most good teachers are fully aware that students with above average intelligence often resist the work requirements of the Senior years when they find the very comfortable, and somewhat lazy, effort needed so far is disturbed as greater pressure is placed on them to achieve the same excellence in their grades.
Complacency with your wonderful ability can lead to a slow and insidious rotting of clear communication channels within the brain, particularly those used to meet with challenge and problem analysis and solving. Your brain will work like cold mush. Keep it strong, keep it flexible. Keep it creative. There are many ways to do this. Prepare well for the future.
Have a great day
Beware. Be cautious. Be warned. Those poor habits may reduce your potential for the highest grades and hobble results to the second top tiers as you struggle to overcome structures you find irrelevant. Make sure you push yourself, even if the curriculum doesn't. Be careful that you go beyond the routine required by your brain. The Senior years of school require several elements not evident in the lower years. These include more emphasis on clear, written detail of your problem solving pattern; evidence of individual research; increased volume; improved presentation structures; a larger number of theories joined into the same assigned task; much larger assigned tasks. All these serve to take your skills to a point leading to College and University learning.
If you have had a school career that has offered little challenge so far and you are about to enter the final couple of years, do yourself a favor. Listen to all the advice you hear from your teachers and act on it. Get your brain strong ASAP. Most good teachers are fully aware that students with above average intelligence often resist the work requirements of the Senior years when they find the very comfortable, and somewhat lazy, effort needed so far is disturbed as greater pressure is placed on them to achieve the same excellence in their grades.
Complacency with your wonderful ability can lead to a slow and insidious rotting of clear communication channels within the brain, particularly those used to meet with challenge and problem analysis and solving. Your brain will work like cold mush. Keep it strong, keep it flexible. Keep it creative. There are many ways to do this. Prepare well for the future.
Have a great day
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Develop a system for taking notes and reviewing I
One of the easiest ways to head into higher marks territory is to organise your notetaking really well. Make it efficient. Make it suit you. Make it make it easier for you to learn the material from each class. Make it make it easier for you to keep up to date and to study for exams.
Make sure your notes are suited to your needs. Who does not want to have some success at school? If you are going to do exams and reports you will want to know what is on the exam and what to focus on in a report. Duh! Of course. So why is it that so many students have the rattiest looking notebooks with bits and pieces of several subjects jumbled together? Easier study, more efficient study, less exam stress and ultimately better grades are targets of better notetaking. Making your life more blissful; ahhh! Your notes are key.
You should never be in doubt about what to study and where to go for useful material. Write each subject in a different notebook. Doesn't matter if you can get one with eight, ten, twenty divisions so all subjects fit. Do not get a notebook like this. It will mess up your mind with what's in it. Separate books for separate subjects. If some subjects require less notes, get a thinner book with fewer pages.
In the back of your notebook goes a sort of diary. You write homework tasks; report information such as due date(s) topics, size, references, special data sources and so on; exam topics if they are mentioned; and page numbers and topics in relevant texts. Each entry needs a date. Use this in case any conflicting information comes along so you can go to your teacher ask them to clear up the confusion. Your classmates will thank you for keeping on top of things.
In the front of the book write down the date, heading and topics, and references. Number the pages in your notebook. Use the page numbers to link up with the summary information you are putting in the back of the book. It keeps everything very tight. No question about what is on the exam or what is due when.
Do not just copy off the board or image. Listen to what is being said and add notes to help your understanding.
Sometimes what the teacher says is more important to your understanding than what they write or show. Use this information to fill in gaps or answer questions you may have. Write as neatly as possible. Use very few colors. Blue, black, red, orange (only if dark) if you like. Colors must be dark so they are easily read and do not strain your eyes when exam time comes around. Work hard to get as much down as possible. Class time is is the best time to learn. Use the time wisely. It will mean you spend less of your free time trying to figure stuff out. So, good notetaking means you will have more free time. Yeeha to that!
As soon as you can, re-read your class notes to see if you understand all, yes all, that was written. Find out what you do not understand; look it up, ask your pals, ask your teacher, google it but quickly fill in the gaps in your required knowledge for each section. At least you will have the comfort of knowing you know all you need to know; :) Then once a week quickly go back over all you did for that week and the weeks prior. You will never have to read too much as exams are sort of doorways between components of knowledge. As you go through the material you may find the amount of reading becomes quite big. Now's the time to read English on Monday, Math on Tuesday, History on Wedesday and so on. The smaller subjects can be grouped into one evening.
As well as reading, do a few practise problems. This would be important for Math especially but also for Science and other subjects that need you to do problem solving. Do adequate often until you can solve most problems quite freely and do not leave your fate to Fate. Keep your brain muscle flexed and it will be ready to use at peak performance. It is vital you keep your learning up to date, day by day, week by week. Yes, people do pass exams by cramming, they do pass with little study. Is it worth the risk? Definitely no, no it is not. What if you get sick, find your family or friend needs help, you get stuck with too much work and get tired out, get too weary to study because your coach insists on extra training? Why risk your future when you can ensure it quite easily? Success at School is the key for your future success and future choice.
Work well. Do not think you have to half kill yourself with study to get anywhere. Consistency is the way to go. Do some often, not a lot in great big scary chunks that expose you to shallow learning and less chance of success.
Have a great day
Make sure your notes are suited to your needs. Who does not want to have some success at school? If you are going to do exams and reports you will want to know what is on the exam and what to focus on in a report. Duh! Of course. So why is it that so many students have the rattiest looking notebooks with bits and pieces of several subjects jumbled together? Easier study, more efficient study, less exam stress and ultimately better grades are targets of better notetaking. Making your life more blissful; ahhh! Your notes are key.
You should never be in doubt about what to study and where to go for useful material. Write each subject in a different notebook. Doesn't matter if you can get one with eight, ten, twenty divisions so all subjects fit. Do not get a notebook like this. It will mess up your mind with what's in it. Separate books for separate subjects. If some subjects require less notes, get a thinner book with fewer pages.
In the back of your notebook goes a sort of diary. You write homework tasks; report information such as due date(s) topics, size, references, special data sources and so on; exam topics if they are mentioned; and page numbers and topics in relevant texts. Each entry needs a date. Use this in case any conflicting information comes along so you can go to your teacher ask them to clear up the confusion. Your classmates will thank you for keeping on top of things.
In the front of the book write down the date, heading and topics, and references. Number the pages in your notebook. Use the page numbers to link up with the summary information you are putting in the back of the book. It keeps everything very tight. No question about what is on the exam or what is due when.
Do not just copy off the board or image. Listen to what is being said and add notes to help your understanding.
Sometimes what the teacher says is more important to your understanding than what they write or show. Use this information to fill in gaps or answer questions you may have. Write as neatly as possible. Use very few colors. Blue, black, red, orange (only if dark) if you like. Colors must be dark so they are easily read and do not strain your eyes when exam time comes around. Work hard to get as much down as possible. Class time is is the best time to learn. Use the time wisely. It will mean you spend less of your free time trying to figure stuff out. So, good notetaking means you will have more free time. Yeeha to that!
As soon as you can, re-read your class notes to see if you understand all, yes all, that was written. Find out what you do not understand; look it up, ask your pals, ask your teacher, google it but quickly fill in the gaps in your required knowledge for each section. At least you will have the comfort of knowing you know all you need to know; :) Then once a week quickly go back over all you did for that week and the weeks prior. You will never have to read too much as exams are sort of doorways between components of knowledge. As you go through the material you may find the amount of reading becomes quite big. Now's the time to read English on Monday, Math on Tuesday, History on Wedesday and so on. The smaller subjects can be grouped into one evening.
As well as reading, do a few practise problems. This would be important for Math especially but also for Science and other subjects that need you to do problem solving. Do adequate often until you can solve most problems quite freely and do not leave your fate to Fate. Keep your brain muscle flexed and it will be ready to use at peak performance. It is vital you keep your learning up to date, day by day, week by week. Yes, people do pass exams by cramming, they do pass with little study. Is it worth the risk? Definitely no, no it is not. What if you get sick, find your family or friend needs help, you get stuck with too much work and get tired out, get too weary to study because your coach insists on extra training? Why risk your future when you can ensure it quite easily? Success at School is the key for your future success and future choice.
Work well. Do not think you have to half kill yourself with study to get anywhere. Consistency is the way to go. Do some often, not a lot in great big scary chunks that expose you to shallow learning and less chance of success.
Have a great day
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Control the volume
Being a Success at School is not about killing yourself with work, it is about controlling the volume. Those who are not successful let the volume take over. We have all heard sayings like the longest journey begins with a single step. At school, life is so busy that the volume of work to be done gradually adds to a small number of tasks, bit by bit. It sneaks up on you; English essay, history reading, science report, maths problems, art assignment, sport schedule and on it goes. Sneaky, very sneaky until the pile is so big you are swamped and don't know where to begin. Have you seen the pile of work build from something easy to take care of to a vast and complex pile of pain? You are not alone.
We agree that Success at School is important if we are to keep future options open and make sure we have a strong start to our career. Right? Right. So, how do we keep from overload. Time Management is one way. Time management is a skill we are already working on as we go. Another way is to track what is required of us as we get it.
Track what is required of us as we get it? That's right. How? Where? By now you should have a decent notebook you are using for Time Management. Notice I did not say use a diary for time management. Wrong purpose. In your Success at School notebook. Yes that's right. Get it out and write somewhere on it 'Success at School' so your brain will know the purpose of the book and the purpose of putting stuff in it. This book is where you can get creative if you wish. Remember we simplified all stationery in getting ourselves organised? Here you can let your hair down a bit. But keep it simple.
Go to the back of the notebook and start using it to record everything you are given that will take your time and require some effort. Get a list going now. Have a small column on the left for priority, next column to describe the task, next for any due date. That's all you need. When a job is done tick the first column. Record detail carefully each time something new is given to you. When I get to the bottom of a page, I like to take everything not done onto the next page, so that nothing is lost. The idea is to get rid of stuff on each page as quickly as possible. Your list stays fresh. Rewriting has the reinforcing effect of another reminder that something may have been on the list too long. Time to do it. Go on. Feel good about your successes, reward yourself each time something is taken off the list of 'to do' and becomes a 'done'. Sweet knowledge that is. Small reward, don't get too carried away.
Keep a close eye on the volume of work you have been given. Stay aware of it by writing it down. Keep the record of it for future reference. You never know when it may prove useful. Keep the notebook with you, so it will not be huge, but will be of good quality. A quality book makes you feel that what you are putting in it is important. Locks your planning skills onto getting it done. Just buy a nice notebook but well within budget. Read and update your book every day. Without fail. I'll know if you don't.
Good luck. All success to you. Have a great day
We agree that Success at School is important if we are to keep future options open and make sure we have a strong start to our career. Right? Right. So, how do we keep from overload. Time Management is one way. Time management is a skill we are already working on as we go. Another way is to track what is required of us as we get it.
Track what is required of us as we get it? That's right. How? Where? By now you should have a decent notebook you are using for Time Management. Notice I did not say use a diary for time management. Wrong purpose. In your Success at School notebook. Yes that's right. Get it out and write somewhere on it 'Success at School' so your brain will know the purpose of the book and the purpose of putting stuff in it. This book is where you can get creative if you wish. Remember we simplified all stationery in getting ourselves organised? Here you can let your hair down a bit. But keep it simple.
Go to the back of the notebook and start using it to record everything you are given that will take your time and require some effort. Get a list going now. Have a small column on the left for priority, next column to describe the task, next for any due date. That's all you need. When a job is done tick the first column. Record detail carefully each time something new is given to you. When I get to the bottom of a page, I like to take everything not done onto the next page, so that nothing is lost. The idea is to get rid of stuff on each page as quickly as possible. Your list stays fresh. Rewriting has the reinforcing effect of another reminder that something may have been on the list too long. Time to do it. Go on. Feel good about your successes, reward yourself each time something is taken off the list of 'to do' and becomes a 'done'. Sweet knowledge that is. Small reward, don't get too carried away.
Keep a close eye on the volume of work you have been given. Stay aware of it by writing it down. Keep the record of it for future reference. You never know when it may prove useful. Keep the notebook with you, so it will not be huge, but will be of good quality. A quality book makes you feel that what you are putting in it is important. Locks your planning skills onto getting it done. Just buy a nice notebook but well within budget. Read and update your book every day. Without fail. I'll know if you don't.
Good luck. All success to you. Have a great day
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Time management II
After completing the preparation phase, move on to make use of the time and strength of purpose that follows serious preparation. Do not be happy with the first model. Experiment. Take notes of what works and what seems a bit klutzy. The favours will all lie with you. You will find time you didn't think you had, the ability to relax at times you would normally stress, and be able to produce work of higher quality and, consequently be awarded better grades. The aim is not trying to fill your time with even more jobs to do. The effort here is part of the plan to use time more efficiently and so at exam time or when large reports are due, you watch all your friends stress around you, their workload out of control, while you know you have everything ticked off ready to go. While others stress, you are thinking of the final touches to a job well done and thinking you may go to the movies as a reward. That should be encouraging for you to persist. Maybe you might just go to the beach, or have a few hours in the snow. Who knows!
So you have been recording the information you need to set aside times for. Activities such as sleep, part time work, sport, monthly meetings, weekly meetings, religious events, entertainment and party (caution here), going to library, in class time, lunch and other meals. You can be as detailed as you want. Have you got an approximate time attached to each activity? This does sound like a big job hey? Take my word, it does get easier. Once you have completed a first run through, then the future additions are just built on top, the time it takes is much reduced (is that a far off cheer I hear?).
Now comes a slightly tricky bit. Prioritise your list into four groups. (1) What must absolutely happen? (2) What is very important and should happen? (3) What do I do that is fairly flexible and not necessary to have if I need a bit extra time allocated to something else? (4) What do I do that could be totally changed or dropped easily to find time? Even if it can be repaid later. Try not to fill 100% of your time. Some time slots should be left blank for free use or for an emergency. You know what schools are like. "Do this by Thursday" sort of request, when you already have a full week.
I think now your list should be put into a computer for ease of manipulation. So you can easily re-order different activities. If you go with a computer list, make the four priorities four different colors so you can easily recognise those activities absolutely locked in and those that are a bit more flexible. You must have sleep, so put that in even in the peak exam period. You must have a break too. Allow for large and small. Use colored pencils or highlighters if you are not putting information into a computer. Make up a table to show a whole term or semester. You will be able to detail the close times while the end of semester is a bit fuzzy.
As you feel you can, begin to place the time zones into days, regular (e.g. every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m.) or into monthly times where you may need three or four hours set aside once a month. Start with your school timetable as the skeleton for this project as it is the area we want to make more successful. Don't forget to take your time to do the detail at first. Make sure it makes sense. Next time you will already have a structure which you can easily change, delete bits from or add stuff to. Are your days and what you do with them starting to take shape? Did you realise any really easy activities that could be modified to help you achieve Success At School.
Do not get disgruntled. Stay fresh as you focus on the future. You want better grades. You want to set yourself up so you are more likely to have a secure future and good career prospects. You want to choose your path through life.
So you have been recording the information you need to set aside times for. Activities such as sleep, part time work, sport, monthly meetings, weekly meetings, religious events, entertainment and party (caution here), going to library, in class time, lunch and other meals. You can be as detailed as you want. Have you got an approximate time attached to each activity? This does sound like a big job hey? Take my word, it does get easier. Once you have completed a first run through, then the future additions are just built on top, the time it takes is much reduced (is that a far off cheer I hear?).
Now comes a slightly tricky bit. Prioritise your list into four groups. (1) What must absolutely happen? (2) What is very important and should happen? (3) What do I do that is fairly flexible and not necessary to have if I need a bit extra time allocated to something else? (4) What do I do that could be totally changed or dropped easily to find time? Even if it can be repaid later. Try not to fill 100% of your time. Some time slots should be left blank for free use or for an emergency. You know what schools are like. "Do this by Thursday" sort of request, when you already have a full week.
I think now your list should be put into a computer for ease of manipulation. So you can easily re-order different activities. If you go with a computer list, make the four priorities four different colors so you can easily recognise those activities absolutely locked in and those that are a bit more flexible. You must have sleep, so put that in even in the peak exam period. You must have a break too. Allow for large and small. Use colored pencils or highlighters if you are not putting information into a computer. Make up a table to show a whole term or semester. You will be able to detail the close times while the end of semester is a bit fuzzy.
As you feel you can, begin to place the time zones into days, regular (e.g. every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m.) or into monthly times where you may need three or four hours set aside once a month. Start with your school timetable as the skeleton for this project as it is the area we want to make more successful. Don't forget to take your time to do the detail at first. Make sure it makes sense. Next time you will already have a structure which you can easily change, delete bits from or add stuff to. Are your days and what you do with them starting to take shape? Did you realise any really easy activities that could be modified to help you achieve Success At School.
Do not get disgruntled. Stay fresh as you focus on the future. You want better grades. You want to set yourself up so you are more likely to have a secure future and good career prospects. You want to choose your path through life.
Next we will look at setting up your program.
Good luck with this exercise. Have a great day.
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