7 Bright Tips for Better School Performance

  1. Stretch Your Mind and Body: When studying, don't stay in the same position for too long, or you’ll get bored... and become board-stiff! As a change of pace, move around a few minutes each hour. Try changing chairs. Stand and read awhile. Shake out your wrists if you’re typing... do slow neck rolls... focus on distant objects to alleviate eyestrain. A few deep knee bends can energize you and relieve blood-flow restrictions. If possible, take 2-minute breaks every 15-20 minutes... a 5-minute break every hour. Check Day-Timers webstore for a big selection of ergonomic-friendly products that help maximize your productivity and comfort!

  2. Study the Ivy League Way: When taking lecture notes, don't write long wordy sentences. Instead, try the "Cornell Method:" Divide your notepad into two vertical columns: the first, one-third page wide (the "Key Word" or "Review" column), the other, two-thirds wide (the "Notes" column). After the class or meeting, jot down key words or phrases in the Review column that relate to the details to the right in the Notes column. These key words are your "memory joggers" and are used to practice your recall of the detailed material in the Notes column. Simply cover up the Notes column and allow the key words to trigger your memory. It works!

  3. Location, Location, Location: Study in a quiet area with few distractions. Go to the library or an empty classroom. Staying in the dorm? Confirm "do not disturb" times with your roommate.

  4. Develop a Daily Habit: Don't stay up all night and cram before an exam. Instead, get addicted to studying a little every day. Have 100 pages to read in 5 days? Don't read 100 pages the night before the exam. Instead, write "Read 20 pages today!" in 5 daily pages of your Day-Timer planner at least 5 days before the test. You'll get large doses of learning in short periods of time by breaking large tasks into easy-to-manage "chunks."

  5. The Magic of Mnemonics: In a fix? Try mnemonics! Try rhymes such as "The Id kid" for Freud... word games like "Charles Richard Drew the first blood" (the first person to develop the blood bank)... and formulas like, "Mary Very Easily Makes Jam Saturday Unless No Plums" to remember the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.

  6. Go to the Source: Never be embarrassed to consult a tutor or knowledgeable friend for help with tough lessons, confusing courses, and exam anxiety. You can be the source for someone else, too, and help ingrain the information in your own brain!

  7. Stumped? Here’s How to Guess: In multiple-choice tests, choose answer B or C. Studies indicate that these are correct slightly more often than would be predicted by chance alone. The same applies to the answers "All of the above" and "None of the above." Also, beware of extra-long answers... they’re usually decoys.


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