Midterms, Tests...how do YOU study for them?!

[ppcock]

Originally Posted by 3507321C

Cheat.

exactly

that's how i made it through all my school.

[Antenna_Boy]

One of my professors just said "Focus on the Major topics and not so much on the small topics...and remember specific examples in class" I am going with that flow :)

[Ree Fresh]

I wish teachers would focus on 'study skills' and stratagies more then making you do busy work and asume youll figure it out for yourself during the elementry/secondary years. Since ive worked with allot of kids in high school (especialy wiht Learning Disabilities) Ive finaly learned and know a ton of tricks and helpers. Bare with me if some of this is too common sence or 'well duh'.

FIRST - Most important, you need to know what kind of learner you are. Gernarly there are 3, but ive been told that there are actualy 7 diffrent ways. I have read that 70% of ppl are visual learners. Generaly we are a bit of all, but stronger in other areas compared to others. EVERYONE LEARNS DIFFRNETLY and we tend to teach/express our selfs best the way we learn too.

1. Auditory—listening/hearing
tips: record lectures with a recorder, arrange to photo copy someone's notes so you can focus more on listing, make up ryhms/words to memorise (order of colours in the rainbow), videos


2. Kinesthetic—moving, touching, writing and doing
tips: HIGHLIGHT while reading, write during lectures, doodle during lectures, hold a stress ball while listing, skits, take advantage of projects that require more hands on learning etc. It's hard so be creative and have fun.


3. Visual *personaly I think there are two diffrent types of visual learners
a) reading
tips: READ, cue cards

b) pictures/diagrams/maps/colour code
tips: focus more on the pictures, diagrams, maps, draw pictures beside words to memorise, make webs, colour code, videos


Thats just a basic over view. If you can explain what your trying to accomplish for your studies, Im more than happy to give you some more specific ideas.

[charly]

rhia - you're absolutely right. they expect you to figure it out on your own, and i've encountered quite a few teachers who believe that if everyone does the same thing, they'll learn the same thing.

my japanese teacher actually just told us NOT to make flashcards or use anything like that. she said repetition, and writing out only. she said flashcards will just allow you to recognize the vocabulary, and you'll never really know it. of course, she said the same thing about the characters, and that's how i learned them. so i'm going to stick it to her and make flash cards anyways because i KNOW it helps me (and what she doesn't realize is that if you speak the word as you read it, you'll do more than teach yourself simple visual recognition). (now that i think of it, what she said really doesn't make sense as she mentioned an A student who stuck post-it notes all over her house to help her memorize the vocab.. but really.. that's the same basis as flash cards, isn't it?)

i just wish teachers would sometimes be more open to different learning styles.

okay i rambled..

ps - antenna boy.. don't give anyone that bs that the province is more convenient than the globe and mail. you're sitting on one of the greatest resources available.. THE INTERNET. the entire province/vancouver sun/globe and mail/national post is ALL available online. in fact, they're all based out of the same website, since they're all owned by the same company.. but still.. they're all right there, and equally convenient.

[Antenna_Boy]

Originally Posted by charly

ps - antenna boy.. don't give anyone that bs that the province is more convenient than the globe and mail.

I can mention that at the time I was writing that message, Ishould haev suggested that was the only paper I could get a hold of in hard copy..there are some news stories that you cannot read unless you are a subscriber. So, me being a student, does not wish to subscribe to anything I'd have to pay for. Now I found out that my school library gets all the newspapers, I can read all of them...especially the Globe and Mail :)

[Courtney]

im probably not very good at advice since ive been procrastinating all of today with my report...

but usually I find start studying for a midterm at least like 4 or 5 days before so you can study chapter by chapter rather than all at once...helps me out more..

and also i write out a lot of shit...i cant just read stuff and absorb it I have to write it all out over and over...

[Ree Fresh]

Originally Posted by charly

rhia - you're absolutely right. they expect you to figure it out on your own, and i've encountered quite a few teachers who believe that if everyone does the same thing, they'll learn the same thing.

my japanese teacher actually just told us NOT to make flashcards or use anything like that. she said repetition, and writing out only. she said flashcards will just allow you to recognize the vocabulary, and you'll never really know it. of course, she said the same thing about the characters, and that's how i learned them. so i'm going to stick it to her and make flash cards anyways because i KNOW it helps me (and what she doesn't realize is that if you speak the word as you read it, you'll do more than teach yourself simple visual recognition). (now that i think of it, what she said really doesn't make sense as she mentioned an A student who stuck post-it notes all over her house to help her memorize the vocab.. but really.. that's the same basis as flash cards, isn't it?)

i just wish teachers would sometimes be more open to different learning styles.

okay i rambled..

You wouldnt beleive how often resorse/special ed teachers and sea's shake their heads at teachers. Usualy the older ones. Like I said, we often TEACH and explain our selfs the way we learn. A large majority of teachers probly learned by reading and writing.
I wont remember anything if I just write it down. But if I begin to highlight and draw small pictures... ill remember 70-90% of my notes compared to 10% if I just re-wrote it.

Ironicly the only students who really get studdy skilss in school are those who take the the skills classes (a study class with a teacher instead of a language) The majority of the kids usualy have HDHD, Dyslexia, or just learn diffrently than the way their academic teachers teach. Why I rather call Learning Disabilities... Learning Diffrences.
However by time these kids learn or understand these skills... they have already given up or are so frustrated (with out knowing) that they have try and learn a completely diffrent way. Not to mention a large amount of them are kinistetic learnings and end up thriving in applied skills calsses... that they end up in the trades making tons. However since there is such a lack of these class's offered to them and their forced to memorise science, ss, math, and english... there to over welmed and will drop out or give up on the school system completly.

sorry you got me ranting too :p

ps: There are ways to learn to read that is hands on. It's called Orton Gillingham. It's very common with kids with special needs who are in elementry school. It basicly usues hands on material like glitter glue, alphabet cerial etc as a way to teach kids to write/spell/read. However youll never see these ways of teaching in highschool/uni.. yet.

[MarcelM]

Originally Posted by Antenna_Boy

how much time did that take you to do? I am considering it for the future exams when I get my studying schedule down pat. Btw, good job on the Law Exam..brrrrrrr's @ civil code.

hmmm well, it took me like 2 weeks, 8-10 hours a day to summarize it ( 900 pages to 250 handwritten ).
In my case, when I write things down I can memorize them alot better.