ASK FOR HELP!

Lesson 9: Squirrel 2.0

So here's the scoop! 

I didn't like SQ3R in school any more than you do!!!  

BUT, I'm hopeful that we can put this to some good uses, and that by presenting a couple of different approaches to this study topic help you find the method that works for you!

Lesson 8: ACTIVE LEARNING; learning does take practice.

Active Reading is as much a part of learning as practice for a sport is!
These 4 things are the first steps to approaching active reading.

Active note-taking is the next step, and is just as much a learned skill. This requires thought and effort and continual use. You must use this skill to keep this skill!

DETERMINE TO REMEMBER

Lesson 7: Test Prep and Test Taking Tips

Once you have completed the study phase of your test prep it is time to put all of this knowledge to work.  Remember, when climbing pyramids, you don't start at the top, you finish there; and the same is true with these pyramids.

Lesson 6: Anxiety: Use it or Lose it!

Anxiety is a leading cause of declining grades and poor test performance! I want to help you all find better ways of dealing with this. I have been dealing with depression and anxiety since high school; these tips are things that I have found to work and to be beneficial to me, my family, and my friends.

 

By taking any 4 or 5 of these ideas and making them part of your daily life I believe you can see a decrease in your anxiety level and a more focused course of study. Especially if you find a way to turn your anxiety into a useful tool to beating the cause of your anxiety.

For Deep Breathing, Mindfulness, and Meditation techniques:

4 quick mindfulness techniques 

Meditation for Beginners - 20 Tips 

Deep Breathing 

I beat my dragons - I lost my anxiety and learned to ride my motorcycle, and now instead of dragons in my stomach, I have wings and get to fly and enjoy riding all over New England. You can defeat your dragons and grow to fly!

Lesson 5: Goal Management or "Can't Never Did Anything!"

In July of 2008 I went back to college to complete the last 8 courses of my Bachelor's Degree. I had been out of school for over 10 years, but I had to get this done, and the best way to keep me on track was to let my friends and family know what I was working on and get them to help keep me on track. When I had a tough course, or a long course, or a class I didn't really care for they were there to refocus me, redirect me, give me new ideas, and prod me in the right direction.

The other thing I used to help me stay on track was a chart, a progress chart showing every lesson that I had to submit, and every test I had to take, and finally the rewards I would get once I had completed all of these things.

 

You can see there is still a row of unfinished work to be marked off - this is the list of rewards that I'm still gathering up - finally ending with the Graduation ceremony and celebration in December 2011!

Other tips can help you meet your goals include:

• Work toward this goal every day, it should become as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth.
• Keep all the tools for working on this goal in one place - so that you can always find them.
• If there is a part of the goal that seems obscure or odd - ASK!!! Teachers, friends, and family would love to help if you let us know what we can do to help.
• Have an attitude of "I CAN" remember "Can't never did anything".
• Remind yourself of the benefits of not procrastinating!
• Writing our goals out, making them visable, sharing them with friends, family, coworkers, and even teachers is a great way of getting their assistance, getting their support, gaining useful encouragement, and keeping yourself accountable. Our friends, loved ones, and teachers desire the very best for us - they want good things to happen to us, and if they know what we are working on they are often help motivate us to get things done.

Lesson 4: Time Management Tips or Making the most of what we have.

Everyone has a different way of dealing with the scheduling of their lives and organizing their time. I'm a calendar nut: I have one in my kitchen; one in my office; one on my phone; and one in my school binder. Each one of these has a different purpose, but many events find their way to multiple calendars.
I once tried to schedule my life by the hour - no luck. Then I tried to schedule my school work so that I only worked on one subject every day - no luck, again. But every failure led to an attempt to try something new.
Now I stick to the "to do list" option.

I start every day with three of the same things: dishes, laundry, and dinner prep. But then i try to add no more than 6 other items to my list.  
But the biggest point to remember here is that everyone needs to find a method that works for you, and keep trying until you find one that really works.

Lesson 3: What makes us do what we do? What motivates us?

What rewards do we give ourselves? What mes us push forward even when we aren't excited about doing so? What is our final reward for all of our hard work: CHOCOLATE; SHOES; VIDEO GAMES; CA$H; GRADES; TROPHIES; NEW CAR???

Ideas to make goal setting and keeping work!

• Set short term goals, break big goals down, and keep the list close to you.
• Mark off each goal as you complete it. (I like using brightly colored stars).
• Make daily progress towards your goals.
• STOP Thinking that you are unable to learn!
• Use criticism to teach you, not defeat you.
• Find your happy medium to perfection. If your goal is to lose 40 pounds by Christmas, I might be wiser to make mini goals like 5# by Halloween, 10# by Thanksgiving, 15# by Christmas. [we won't talk about what that would make my final weight ;-) ]
• Remember right now your #1 goal/job/task is school and your studies: not your job, or your boyfriend, or girlfriend, or athletics, SCHOOL!

Lesson 2: Learning Styles or "Does Thinking About Thinking Make You Nuts?"

Am I a visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinesthetic learner? Do I learn better by hearing, or reading, or touching, or using a diagram? We'll take the VARK quiz to find this answer. VARK Questionaire
What does this show me about myself? How can I apply this to my daily lessons? Then think about your results as we look at these other ideas. 

"Does thinking about thinking make you nuts?" Tawnya Johns

• Do my teachers teach using the methods I prefer?

• Can I create my own teaching devices from the information my teachers give me?

• If my learning style is auditory can I find my literature text on CD or MP3?

• If my learning style is all reading and writing, but my teacher loves to use hands-on projects and lab environments, how can I re-frame the information into something I can use?

• I am a visual learner, I need charts, graphs, diagrams, rubrics, and calendars to help me remember details. My teacher is all about the lecture without any visual aides. What can I do? 

Think about some responses to these and post your ideas in the comments section to share with others. Are there other issues you have faced and how did you deal with these? Any ideas to share? (remember you may need a gmail account to sign in and add your comments).

Lesson 1: Study Skills Assessment

Our first task is to determine how we study: to find the great things we are already doing and then find the things that need improvement. This works in Science, Math, English Language Arts, and Social Studies. This type of approach is also useful for working towards athletic goals or creative pursuits.

Study Skills Assessment

My results, how will I apply these to my new courses starting in January.

Study Skills Results


Time Management: 23 out of 32
Your answers indicate that you have relatively good skills in time management. However, you could develop more effective and efficient ways to prioritize and use your time. There are many links and resources in this section that can help you. Courses in college study techniques and college success can also help you in this area.
Concentration/Memory: 17 out of 32
Your answers indicate that you could develop more effective approaches and strategies to concentrating on and remembering what you study. You may want to talk to a counselor and/or check out the links and resources on this site to help you.
Note taking: 21 out of 32
You have relatively good skills in this area, but could develop more active approaches for taking notes in the classroom and when you read. There are a number of resources and links in this section that can give you new ideas on how to improve your Note taking and active listening skills. You may also want to consider taking a course in College Reading, Study Techniques, or College Success.
Test Strategies: 21 out of 32
Although you have relatively good skills in this area, you could develop more effective approaches to preparing for and taking tests. There are a number of resources and links on this site that you might check out. A counselor and/or a course in Study Techniques or College Success would also be helpful.
Organizing/Understanding Information: 22 out of 32
You could improve your study system and better organize information. In addition to the resources and links on this site, you might benefit from a course in College Reading, Study Techniques, or College Success.
Motivation/Attitude: 27 out of 32
Your answers indicate that you have a positive attitude and are using active approaches to keep you engaged and interested in your coursework. If you want more ideas, you can check out the links and resources in this section to guide you.
Reading skills: 24 out of 32
You could improve your strategies for reading and learning college materials. Academic reading requires more active approaches than reading for pleasure. You may want to check out some of the resources on this site and contact a counselor for more guidance. Consider taking a course in Academic Reading if one is available.
Writing skills: 23 out of 32
You could improve your strategies for writing and learning college materials. Academic writing requires more active approaches than writing for pleasure. You may want to check out some of the resources on this site and contact a counselor for more guidance. Consider taking a course in Academic Writing if one is available.