Exam Boot Camp

1. Exam Boot Camp Day 2 – Effective Study Skills

2. Introduction • Day 1 - Organization & Time Management • Day 2 - Effective Study Skills • Day 3 - Test Taking Strategies • Day 4 - Managing Anxiety and Stress

3. Knowing yourself - Learning Environment • Finding a good place to study • What works for you • Knowing your learning styles • How do you learn best

4. Finding a Good Place to Study • Interruptions • Kitchen Table, Shared Bedroom, Single Bedroom, Attic, Basement • Noise • Phone, TV, soft music • Comfort • Not too comfortable or you may fall asleep. Do not study on your bed. • Space • Need space for all your materials.

5. Finding a Good Place to Study • Temperature • Too warm and you may fall asleep, too cold and your thinking may slow. • Light • You need enough light to see comfortably, bright lights may be overpowering. • Supplies • Need to be fully stocked so you don`t need to look for things everytime you study. • Pens, Pencils, Paper, Rules, Calculator, Thesaurus, Dictionary.

6. Knowing your Learning Style • TAKE THE QUIZ!!! • Primary Learning Style: _______________________________ • Secondary Learning Style: _______________________________

7. Tips for Auditory Learners Use tapes for reading and class lectures Sit where you can hear well (front and centre) After you have read something, summarize it and recite it back to yourself Learn by participating in discussions Find a friend/classmate who will tell you what they learned from the textbook readings Relate most effectively to the spoken word Often information in the written form will have little meaning until it has been heard

8. Tips for Visual Learners Look at all study materials (charts, maps, movies, notes and flash cards) Take good notes, after class fill in sentences and compare notes with other students Write out everything for frequent and quick visual review Practice visualizing or picture words, concepts and even spelling in your head Colour Code to organize Ask for written directions Relate best to written information, notes, diagrams and pictures

9. Tips Kinesthetic Learners Learn skills by imitation and practice Trace words as you are saying them Facts that must be learned should be written several times Taking and keeping good lecture notes will be very important Make good study sheets Take frequent breaks in study periods Use a computer to reinforce learning (sense of touch) Memorize or drill while walking or exercising Relate best to information received thorough movement or when physical activity is involved

10. Ch.11 Memory Quiz Plate TV fly cow radio cat knife sparrow pot fork newspaper telephone cup camel smoke signal ANIMALS COMMUNICATIONS DISHES Cow radio cup Camel smoke signal knife Cat TV plate Sparrow Telephone pot Fly newspaper fork

11. Ch.11 Memory Quiz Cheese car elk train bear bicycle milk cookie cat apple bus horse lettuce plane lion FOOD VEHICLES ANIMALS Cheese plane horse Apple bus bear Lettuce Bicycle Lion Milk Train Elk Cookie car cat

12. Ch.11 Memory Techniques You need to learn how to get into your long term memory and retrieve the info when needed. • Learn from the general to the specific – get big picture or concepts first. This will make understanding of details easier • Create associations – mind is similar to a file cabinet. Try to make connections with previous knowledge or concepts • Learn it actively- talk out loud, move around • Relax – much more difficult to retain info when stressed, start studying early

13. Ch.11 Memory Techniques Continued….. • Create pictures – diagrams and sketches allow us to tap our visual learner and helps to organize • Recite and repeat – common memory device • Write it down in your own words – causes you to think about the information, can create ‘cheat sheets’ • Distribute learning – marathon study sessions not effective for recall. 3 - 2 hr sessions better than 1 - 6 hr session. • Use it before you lose it – info in long term memory needs to be access frequently or it will become harder to get. Keep re-visiting the information.

14. Ch.11 Memory Techniques Continued….. Mnemonics - A verse or formula intended to assist the memory • http://bradley.bradley.edu/~campbell/mnemonic.html • http://www.eudesign.com/mnems/_mnframe.htm • http://www.fun-with-words.com/mnem_example.html • http://www.fun-with-words.com/mnem_numbers.html

15. Study Skill Techniques Study when alert Alternate subjects Alternate types of material Try fun resources to make it fun http://www.studystack.com http://memorize.com/ Review readings/notes within 24 hours

16. Study Skill Techniques • Use short blocks of time • Let your parent`s know this • Plan study breaks - Budget time for fun • Let your parent`s know this • Break down the larger tasks into smaller chunks. • Study difficult or boring tasks first

17. Ch. 6 Effective ReadingSQ3R • Survey – a quick scan of the chapter • Question – creating questions from the survey • Read – read the chapter • Recite – talk about what you are reading • Review – keep coming back to the material • http://www.alamo.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/sssq3r.htm • http://www.studygs.net/texred2.htm • Sample Text for Practice

18. The Cornell Method • A simple way to organize your notes • 3 parts • Note taking area: where you actually record your notes in class • Cue column: when reviewing notes, place cues that will force you to think about the material • Summary: A few sentences that provides a concise recap of the lecture • Cornell Method diagramed