academic tips and stratigies

by Tracie Voitik

Academic Tips and Strategies

These helpful tips and strategies were developed by the faculty at MCHS in order to help students help themselves.

Organizational Skills

for students

Keep a separate binder for each or your courses. Use section dividers to keep categories such as homework, notes & handouts, assignment calendar/ to do list, corrected work, testes and quizzes.
Include a pencil pouch containing highlighters, pens and pencils in the binder.
Be on time, in your seat, and review notes and activities covered in the previous day's lesson (this should be filed in the binder)
Use a highlighter to highlight directions and important study and lecture points.
Utilize class time to start homework; avoid I'll wait until I get home-thinking.
Formulate a plan of action to complete assigned work.
Always check with teacher for missed material if absent.
Establish a routine of checking, cleaning, filing, recording, and updating material.
Keep an organized locker space by keeping books, binders, calculators, and writing utensil in designated areas.
It is good to have a good backpack to organize the transfer of items between school and home.

for home working environment

Study and complete homework in a well-lit, quiet area: at a table or desk (not a bed or comfortable chair/couch).
Establish a routine: doing homework early.
Keep an area in your home for homework materials: computer, dictionary, pens/pencils, markers/colored pencils rulers, calculator, etc.
Check K12 Planet for updates.

Know how long each assignment will take you to complete so you can plan your study time accordingly.

Ask teachers how long you should devote to studying for a class each night. Fifteen minutes? An hour? When assignments are given, immediately budget time to get them done so that they are turned in on time.
A valuable resource for writing papers is the University of Minnesota website www.lib.umn.edu/help/calcualtor. This site will break down a large writing project into small steps and give you due dates along the way so that you do not get behind. If you can stick to the timeline, your paper will be finished in time without staying up the night before it is due to finish it!

Be more time efficient by breaking down large projects/papers/assignments into smaller steps with a timeline for the entire project.

Use the University or Minnesota (listed earlier) for writing assignments.
By breaking down large assignments into steps, you will be able to focus your attention better on certain areas of the project and be more successful instead of overwhelmed. Make sure you break down your steps into a logical sequence to accomplish your goals.
Ask your teacher for help on how to break down larger assignments or project if you are not sure how. They will be more than happy to help.

Assignment books provided by MCHS can help you to be more time efficient! Scheduling is an important part of managing time wisely!

Keep track of your assignments by writing them in your assignment book. Write down the days they were assigned and the days that they are due.
Use your planner to keep track of your schedule both in and out of school. Be specific! Write work 6-10, practice 3:30-5, finish chemistry lab @8:00,etc. Make sure that you schedule commitments, study time, and fun time as well.
Another part of being time efficient is Prioritizing. Decide which assignments/activities are the most important and demand immediate attention, as well as which can be put off until later. Mark important tasks that can be put off. Stick to this priority list!
Check off events or activities as you complete them. This will help you see your accomplishments and motivate you to continue to be time efficient.

Follow your plan for time management!

Adjust your plan, if necessary, if you are not being successful. As they always say, try, try again!
If you fall behind in your schedule, be more realistic in your time for the next day.
Be consistent with your plan!

Before class

During class

After class

Before the test

Study! Study some material each day instead of cramming the night before the test.
Get a good night's sleep.
Eat a sensible breakfast.
Be positive about the test! If you are relaxed and well prepared, you can avoid test anxiety.

During the test

Read all directions carefully and completely. Listen to verbal instructions.
As soon as you receive the test, write down important information (such as formulas) in the margins that will help you during the test.
Scan the test. There may be one part you wish to complete first.
Make makings (such as *) next to questions you wish to go back to later if you have time.
Skip questions that you find difficult. Answer the easier times first. They may give you clues to other questions.
On most tests, it pays to guess! Unless you are told otherwise, try to make an educated guess.
Do not go back and change answers unless you are sure. Your first instincts are often your best.
Budget you time wisely.

True/False

Every part of a true statement must be true.
Read statements containing no, not, or cannot very carefully.
Statements containing qualifiers words such as some, most, or usually are more likely to be true.
Statements containing absolutes words such as none, always or never are more likely to be false.

Multiple Choice

Try to answer the question before reading the answer choices. Select the option that most closely matches your answer.
Eliminate options you know are incorrect
Look for grammatical clues. For example, singular subjects require singles verbs.
Question options that contain negative or absolute words.

Short Answer/Fill in the blank

Use grammatical clues within a statement as hints for the correct answer.
A guess made with common sense could give you more points than if you leave an item blank.
Write your answers in clear, simple sentences that include a lot of information.

Matching

Read each list all the way through before you begin to match.
The first time through, mark only those answers you know well.
Keep working through the list, eliminating possibilities each time.
Look for grammatical clues, such as subject-verb agreement.
Take note of whether each answer choice will be used once, more than once, or not at all.

Essays

Set up a time schedule to answer each questions.
Read through all of the questions once, and note if you have any choice in answering the questions.
Pay attention to key words such as compare, contrast, describe, or justify.
Before you write your essay, make a brief outline.
Get right to the point, making sure that you answer all parts of the question.
Begin with a strong first sentence that states the main idea of your essay.
Develop your argument, using transitions to connect your points.
Qualify answers when in doubt. For example, instead of saying âin 1894,â it is safer to say âtoward the end of the 19^th century. The approximate time may be all that is wanted.
Summarize in your last paragraph. Restate your central idea, and indicate why it is important.
Try to allow time to review your answer. Fix errors such as misspellings and incomplete sentences.