Study Skills

							                                                               STUDY SKILLS

                                                                 Organization

The key to success as student is to be organized. Organized with your notes, binders/notebooks, and due dates is a necessity. Start an organized
binder/notebook for each of your classes. Start and finish notes on a topic on the same paper. Keep all your notes together and in order. Have a
system that allows you to find anything you want, at any time you need. The rule is: if you have to look for it, then it is not organized.

ORGANIZED NOTES:
     When you take notes, keep them organized. Place your name and date at the beginning of each lecture. When a lecture is continued in
     the next day, continue on the same sheet from where you left, until the topic is completed. Never misplaced notes or get notes from
     someone who is not as organized as you are (unless you have no choice). Place notes somewhere safe and organized. They are your
     link to future knowledge. Most people will forget things over time. But if you have good notes, you can always go back and review,
     even if you no longer have the book.

BINDER ORGANIZATION:
    Start the binder by placing any classroom rules and instruction papers. Use a divider or a whole-punched construction paper to make a
      separation or "section" for this. Title the section Class Rules / Procedures
    Then make a new section for ongoing on repeated assignments that do not relate to a specific topic. Make a new divider for this
      section. Place these assignments in order. It may be a good idea to place all assignments of a specific type together and then in
      chronological order. For example, if your teacher has a weekly "current events" assignment, place them in your binder in this section,
      together, and in the same order you did them (some people place most recent things on the top - I personally like this method so that
      you do not need to flip through old things to get to the new ones, which you are most likely to have to visit). If the class has more than
      on assignment type that is recurring without being specifically connected to a topic, have each type placed together in order. I prefer
      not to place assignments of different types intermixed with each other.
    Make a new section of Topic-related materials. Make a new divider for this section. Here you should place all outlines, study guides,
      key terms, class notes, worksheets, homework, projects, etc. Use cover pages for each new topic. Within each topic, put things in
      order. First place outlines, then key term lists and/or study guides, then keep handouts and notes (keep notes together in the order you
      took them -his is very important), then place any worksheets given by the teacher, then keep any homework assignments, then place
      any projects, then any other topic-related papers. Keep this order for each new topic, with a new cover page for each. Make an index
      that shows the topics in order. Keep topics in the same sequential order as your index
    Make a new section for grade tracking. Make a new divider for this section. Here you should keep a worksheet where you write down
      all the grades you get so that you can keep track of your grades. Alternatively, you can print your grades every week from the online
      system (if your class you are taking has one). Understanding how you get graded empowers you to know where to focus and how to
      improve your grade. Having understanding of the grading process gives you sense of power and control. It also makes sure that you do
      not rely on the organization capacity of teacher to know the grade you deserve. In other words, you should be able to figure out your
      own grade, without the teacher telling you what it is. That way you can never be treated unfairly and you know what to do to fix your
      grade in case the teacher or you made mistakes.
    In my class, make a new section for FCAT prep related assignments. Make a new divider for this section. Place all assignments that
      are specifically related to review for and prepare for FCAT testing in this section.

STUDY LOG
      Use a study log (see Daily Tracking Worksheet) to keep track every single thing you do for the class on this log. Then you can
      compare it to test results and see what works and does not work for you.

PLANNER:
     It is very important to keep a planner to organize your study goals and due dates.
     Good students have a secret. They have a plan. They know when assignments are due and what they have to do what. It is not easy to
     develop the habit of doing this, but nothing can stop you once you do. You also do not need to do it all at once. You can do this in
     stages. Master one step, before proceeding to the next one.

         Level 1 - Make Lists:
                  Make to do lists of things you need to accomplish. Organize to-do lists in a ranked order of importance. You may also do this
                  by underlining some tasks with color coded colors. For example, important tasks can be underlined with one color, regular
                  tasks can be left alone, and the tasks that might be postponed for later in another color
         Level 2 - Calendar:
                  Start with a calendar. On this calendar, write down due dates for tests, homework assignments, projects, etc. You can do this
                  based on your to do list skills. In order words, each day of your calendar is its own to-do list. You can also write tasks that
                  repeat themselves over and over in post-its and after completing them once, you just move them to the next due date.
         Level 3 - Study Planning:
                  Based on your to-do list and on the due dates, set up a plan to study. Divide the work throughout the days you have left and
                  decide ahead of time what you want to accomplish for each day. In order words, this means setting up your own due dates in
                  order to accomplish major deadlines in progressive steps.
Example: You have a science midterm 2 weeks from now. Do level 1. Make a list of all the topics you have to review. Do level 2. Add the
midterm to a calendar and set up goal dates between now and that date. Do level 3. For each goal date, set up a target. For example, say: "By
the first goal date, I must have the first 1rd of the topics mastered". Then split up the work and decide what to do each day so that you can
accomplish each goal and ultimately the entire review for the midterm.

Remember: Start and finish early. When work is assigned. Do it or start it that same day. Do not leave things for the last minute because we
often underestimate the time necessary to accomplish tasks. If you start early, you increase your chances of having enough or even extra time.
Turning in things early allows you to get feedback from teachers and improve while others have not even began worrying about it yet. You will
always set yourself apart from the pack!

                                                                       Motivation

Sometimes you will have great teachers, which are lots of fun. Other times you will have teachers who do nothing for you. Either way, it is
YOUR JOB to stay motivated. If you cannot do so, you will just give more work to your parents IF they care. But one day, you will be on your
own. If you do not learn to motivate yourself now, you cannot be ready then. Maybe it is about having a better future, maybe it is about
impressing your parents or your friends. Maybe it is because you like the teacher or the subject. Maybe it is just because you have to. For
whatever reason you pick, you MUST find a way to CARE. Unfortunately, no one can make you care. Even the best teacher or the best parent
cannot do that for you.

Motivate yourself. Remember that you can always improve. Understand that failure is when you stop getting better. You can always succeed,
because success is not a destination, it is the journey itself. It not about being perfect, it is about trying to be better every day. It is the direction
you look to. So if you see yourself as a failure and think you cannot change, stop that train of thought! Do not allow yourself to fail. Set the
right goals. Focus on improving, not on being perfect.

Some ideas for motivation
    Setup reward system with yourself or parents in which you receive points towards cash or other major desired reward with each
        success. That way, each time you get an A, you get something out of it
    You can also use this token economy, or point reward system to keep track of how much effort you are putting and bargain with your
        parents for rewards and privileges .
    If it does not distract you, find ways to spice up the environment where you study. If you are more comfortable, you will feel less
        irritated about studying
    Always tell yourself before and after studying that you are doing this for your future
    Learn to love to do what you must do. Find passion in each subject, especially the ones you have trouble with. You may do this by
        always trying to find ways that you can use this in real life. It forces you to be creative and at the same time, helps you retain the
        material longer. It may also help you care more about it and thus maintain your motivation.
    Ground yourself from anything you like until you do what you must. That way, completion of something required is always followed
        by the reward of something you want to do. However, never start with fun and then do homework; you may end up not doing it.
    Bring fun into homework. Choose to do homework that pleases you. Ask your teacher. He may be willing to work with you.
    To get through key terms faster and get some exercise at the same time, leave key terms on one side of the house and answers on
        another. You’ll be forced to learn faster by getting tired of walking back and forth to check the answers. You are also less likely to
        grow bored.
    Study with a friend. If it does not distract you it might make it more fun.

                                                                       Dedication

General Good Studying Habits:
    Follow the teacher's and social rules - respect teachers, parents, and colleagues. Think of it this way, if you do this, you make allies.
        When you need them, they will help you. If you do not, you make enemies, which will actually stand against you in your time of need.
        Get on people's good side! It will be easier that way.
    Always come prepared to class. Bring all required materials and completed assignments in an organized fashion.
    Consider class time as sacred work time. If there is every free time, use it to get ahead of the game.
    Unless you are absolutely in control of the material of the class and could even perhaps teach it to others, never do anything else
        during that classes time, but focus on learning more about it.
    Do not copy. Do it yourself. Always! Every time! Take no shortcuts. Longer roads give you more views. The reward is learning
    Master level: Study every day. If there is nothing to do, do something extra.
    Do not study near distractions. Instead, choose a place you can focus. For some people, music helps them focus. Some people like to
        study near other people. For others, that causes distractions. Study the way it helps you, but NEVER study in a way that you waste
        time with distractions. This means you need to keep changing where, how, and when you study until you find your optimum
        conditions. For some this might mean a silent library early in the morning. For others, it might mean a swimming pool or sandy beach
        full of people in the middle of the day.
    Music helps some people focus. Try to listen to something that energizes you , but does not distract you. Lyrics are usually a problem.
        (ps.: Give classical music a chance)
Reading:
       It starts and ends here. The best predictor of academic success is reading skills. Read as much as you can, as often as you can, and you
       will improve. So always start and end with reading. Read the chapters being covered in class BEFORE the topic starts and read it
       again at the end, when you think you are done studying. For reading strategies, consult Steps to Reading worksheet

5-Minute Summaries:
       For every 30 minutes of studying, 5-minutes of continuous writing without looking at the material. This process helps you focus and
       identify what was learned the best and what needs review to consolidate knowledge. Whatever you wrote, you know best. If you wrote
       anything wrong, you must work to resolve the confusion. If you did not even write it, you definitely need to review it.

Muddiest Point
       Write down questions you did not understand, weakest points, or something that goes beyond the topic presented in case you
       understood everything (extension question)

Questioning
        Become a teacher (helps you learn) and predict test questions. Create higher level thinking (see Higher Order Questioning) guide to
        questions about the material.
        Level 1) Recall; Complete; Count; Name; Match; Observe; Define; Recite; Describe; List; Identify; Recall; Quote;
        Level 2) Analyze; Categorize; Explain; Classify; Contrast; Infer; Organize; Sequence; Collect & Display; Estimate; Graph; Predict
        Level 3) Hypothesize; Draw conclusions; Revise; Create; Design; Imagine; Plan; Evaluate; Judge; Extrapolate; Invent; Speculate;
        Generalize

          For more information, see Higher Order Questioning Guide

Outline
          Sometimes the material does not make sense until you organize the main ideas, topics, and definitions. The best way to do this is by
          making a good outline. Outlines help you create summaries, make you to organize ideas, and lead you to structure your knowledge in
          a simple coherent way that will facilitate the process of identifying links between the main ideas and understanding of the topic as a
          whole. A good outline will be brief, but also complete enough to include every single key term and main idea of the topic.

Lists / Study Guides / Flash Cards
          After reading and outlines, using study guides and key term lists is the best way to set yourself up to succeed. Going over study
          questions or key terms lists over and over again until you know them all is the best way to guarantee that you know all the things you
          most likely be tested on. You can do this by having the questions / key terms in one page and the answers on another (the answers can
          be your notes). Alternatively, you can write the answers on one side of the paper, fold it, and write the answers on another. As you go
          over words/questions, you can mark the ones you know with a plus sign and the ones that you do not know with a negative sign. When
          you are done, you can go back and rehearse worked marked with negative signs until you know them and turn them into positive
          signs. When all are positive, do another task. Return to the list hours or days later. If you still know the words, mark them with a
          checkmark and you know you are good. If you do not, repeat the process for the words you did not know. Remember that words can
          only receive checkmarks if you got them right hours/days after the last time you missed them or studied them. You can also do a
          similar process using flashcards (there are even digital apps for this). Create the flashcards and place them on piles for positive,
          negative, or check marked. The advantage of flash cards is that you are actually re-writing notes as you create them and you can also
          shuffle them.

          All of these tools work better if you allow yourself time to work ahead. The more practice, the better.

Graphic Organizers
       Another great study tool. Moves you beyond knowing the key terms. These establish relationships between them and help you retain
       the material. I have a separate handout about graphic organizers on the website. Please review them separately.

Taking Notes:
       Paying attention to the teacher is also important. It is true that only 15% or less of all students learn through reading and lecture.
       Practice is the key (see below). Nevertheless, the teacher may help you understand it so that you can then practice it and learn it. Think
       of it as having a guide, but having to take the trip yourself. Without good notes, you have the guide, but no map. When the guide is not
       around, you will completely lost. A good note taker writes everything from the board and most of what the teacher says. How do you
       do this when some teachers talk and teach so fast? Get the key things down. For example, if the teacher says: "Higher altitudes
       experience colder climates". You can write down: Altitude ↑ = Climate↓. Learn to use symbols, abbreviations, and key words that you
       will remember and convey the same message without costing too much time. Remember that when you do this, you are also
       reinterpreting the information into your own words, that is immensely better than simply "copying". Also, make sure your notes are
       always organized (see above). If you miss a day, make a detailed summary based on the book or get the notes from a
       reliable/organized student. Also, when taking notes make sure to write down what you cannot get from books / posted notes. For
       example, focus on examples given by the teacher or the questions the teacher asks. Those are usually important.
         Methods:
                Margin notes
                         Purposely leave margins around your notes so that you can add the following next to them:
                          Summary
                          Create your own test questions
                          Mark down questions you have to ask the teacher about it next time
                          Write down the teacher’s answers
                          Write down teacher questions / examples
                          Write-out examples or mnemonics to help you remember the material
                          Highlight or Spotlight most important points
                         Best method to use when you have provided notes ahead of time.
                Cornell Notes
                         Steps
                         (1) Note-taking (Getting the most, as fast as you can)
                         (2) Re-read (Twice: 1 + Another out loud)
                         (3) Summarizing (Putting knowledge on your own words to find your strongest points)
                         (4) Muddiest Point (Uncovering your weakest link)
                         (5) Questioning (Creating your own questions on the subject)
                         (6) Self-Quizzing (Cover answers and look at key term and try to talk about it without looking at the notes)
                Structure
                              Keyterms            Definition
                                                  Explanation
                                                  Use abbreviations / summarization skills
                                                  Drawings / Examples
                              Next key term       Same as above


                              Etc                 Etc.


                              Summary             At the end of the lecture write 3-5 sentence summary of everything you can
                                                  remember that you learned.
                              Muddiest Point      Write about what you least understood
                              Questioning         Come up with questions to ask Mr. Lima about it or test questions you would
                                                  create for the material

                           Can also be created based on reading, rather than teacher instruction. In that case, you could add margin notes
                           around it during lecture, in other words, you can also blend both methods and leave margin for examples/teacher
                           questions/etc. around cornell notes

Mnemonics & Memorization by Repetition:
      When everything else fails, sometimes the only thing you can do is memorize! The problem with simple memorization is that
      sometimes after you learn other things, everything gets mixed up. You try to memorize new things and end up forgetting new things or
      confusing them. Furthermore, in the long run, memorized knowledge does not stick as well as things that you KNOW because you
      teach, make relevant, or practice. Also, true learning requires use of higher levels of critical thinking. Nevertheless, sometimes it is all
      you have left and it is hard to worry about critical thinking if you have not mastered key terms.

         Repetition: When that is the case, repetition/rehearsing is the key. Over and over and over again until you know that you know that
         you know that you know (that you know that you know that you know - again). Get the message?

         Mnemonics: Sometimes it helps to make mnemonics or funny easy to remember thing to help you remember something else. It is not
         that hard to come up with them. It can be a phrase, a song, a list, a sequence of numbers, anything that will help!
          Use music or jingles
                  Example: Big Mac Song
          Ode or Rhyme Mnemonics:
                  Example: I before e except after c; or when sounding like a; in neighbor and weigh
          Name mnemonics: The first letter of items in a list/sequence are used to create a names (anagrams)
                  Example: ROY G. BIV = colors of the spectrum (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.)
          Expreesion or Words: Similar to name mnemonics, when you associate expression or words to first letters of word list or
              sequence.
                  Example: The order of operations for math is Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, and Subtract = Please Excuse
                  My Dear Aunt Sally.
          Image Mnemonics: Associate word or word list to an image that helps you remember
                  Example: Picture a BAT. Bats are depressing drugs that depress your mod are Barbiturates, Alcohol, and Tranquilizers.
              Example Mnemonics: Associate word or word list with examples that make you remember it
                    Example: All the examples in this mnemonics list
              Association Mnemonics: Associate new knowledge with previous knowledge
                    Example: The 1st part of the word latitude sounds like flat and flat runs horizontal or East and West.
              Mapping Mnemonics: Create a conceptual link between words (see Concept Mapping) to help remember their meaning
                    Example: Concept Maps, venn Diagrams, Column Notes, etc
              Story Mnemonics: Remember list or sequence by associating events in a story to words in list
                    Example: Associate each of the stages of hurriance formation with each of the blows of the Bad Wolf in the 3 Pigs story.
                    When you remember the order of the story, you remember the order of the stages (if you do not forget which stage was
                    associated with what)
              Spelling mnemonics: To remember how to spell a difficult part of a word, associate the word with a word that has the same part
               but you remember it easily.
                    Example: A principal at a school is your pal, and a principle you believe or follow is a rule.
              Model Mnemonics: Remember the material might be easier by drawing or constructing a diagram/model that helps establish the
               sequence visually
                    Example: Kreb’s Cycle or Food Pyramid

               There are many more!!! Be creative in the way you remember and you will remember it forever. But remember that the best way
               to learn is by doing (practicin it), making it relevant to you (analyze, evaluate, apply), and creating something with it

Practice
           The best ways to learn are teaching it, making it relevant, and practicing it. Practicing it means USING the knowledge. This is doing
           projects, homework, labs, and simply going over the material many times. When you try to learn something last minute, the day before
           that big test, you might remember it a few hours later (if you did not have to study for 2 tests or did not study something else before or
           after it). However, if you need the knowledge again years later, you will probably not remember it if you only crammed it all in by
           looking at it once. On the other hand, if you practice it a lot, you might remember it forever. Think of it like learning to play a song in
           an instrument, or learning to draw or paint, or learning to ride a bicycle. With practice, these things become things you just know how
           to do. Achieving knowledge is about developing skills, not about remember things. You do not need to "remember" how to ride a
           bicycle. You just do it. How do you get to that point? By practicing it. Do not deprive yourself from the chance of doing so. Do ALL
           the work and ALL the studying you can. The more times you see it. The better you will just DO.

           A note on HOMEWORK: Remember that homework assignments should be used for practice once you already learned or to recover
           as remediation when you did badly on a test. You should focus on studying more than on homework. Also note that the very first
           homework you should do to remediate after a test should be correcting the test. One very good way to practice is to self-quiz or pair
           yourself up with someone and quiz each other. You can also rewrite notes, take practice quizzes, play games, do virtual labs, and
           many other tasks.

           Also, the kind of practice matters too. Different people learn in different ways, so you have to match how you practice to how you
           learn. Some people learn better by moving or manipulating things (bodily/kinesthetic), others are artistic, others musical
           (musical/rhythmic), other need natural connections to outdoors or environment (naturalist), logical/problem solvers
           (logical/mathematic), others like to read or write (linguistic/verbal), other like to listen (audio), others need to see (visual/spatial)
           others need to interact with people (interpersonal), others need time to introspect or think it through by themselves (intrapersonal).

           In general though, most people learn better by actually USING the knowledge in an active and engaging way. Especially if it allows
           connection to the material and for creativity and inquiry. In science, labs are a great way of doing this.

Connect to the Material:
       Transform the topic into something that means something for you. For example, if you just memorize that some volcanoes blow up
       dark clouds of ash that block the sunlight causing colder climate, you may forget it years from now. But if you have to travel in an
       airplane and end up delayed because of the same cloud, you will never forget its effects. When something is relevant to you, you
       remember it. Try to find ways to relate to subject. To connect to it. If it changes or affects your life, you will remember it. One way of
       doing this is by using things to exemplify what you are learning. For example, when studying volcanos a student can relate by
       remember an episode of a cartoon that had one, by remember a family trip to a country that had one, or by simply associating with an
       exploding pimple. Whatever works.

           Another way to connect is to perform explorative tasks:
                   (1) Importance (Why is this topic important for science? Why to learn about this? Why should this be studied further?)
                   (2) Application (How can I use the knowledge I gained in this topic in my daily life?)
                   (3) Opinion (What did you think about this topic? Did you like it? Why or Why not?)

               For each item, you can write as much as they wish, but should write a minimum necessary to explore the questions fully (3-5
               sentences)
Synthesis or Creation Tasks:
        True mastery can be reflected and generated by tasks where you discover their own learning through inquiry and creativity.
        A good example in science is student-designed or discovery-based experiments (where students have no prior knowledge of the
        material) or demonstrations. In addition, when you create their own content, you truly become a MASTER. Focus your practice on
        activities where you discover something new by doing a task or where you have to create something that did not exist before. For
        example, making you’re your videos, podcasts, songs, worksheets, concept maps, crossword puzzle, etc.

Teaching:
       The best way to truly learn is to teach. I guarantee that pairing up with a friend or classmate and taking turns teaching the material will
       help you learn. If you do not have someone to do this with, you can try a family member or even teaching it to yourself in front of a
       mirror. You might feel silly, but it does help a lot! Working with a partner can also be more motivating and two heads will work better
       than one in coming up with study ideas, resources, and techniques. Most of my study tricks, I picked up from a friend. MASTER are
       those who teach. So true mastery comes with teaching the material.

Study Routine:
       How do you put all of this together? Well, these and many other studying strategies can be used in many different ways, by many
       different people. I have a general suggestion. Check it out on a separate document called: A Good Study Routine for Mr. Lima’s Class

Ideas on Reviewing:
     Read over class notes
     Read over class notes out loud
     Rewrite class notes
     Do a 5-minute summary based on class
     Write your muddiest points after the class
     Self-Quizzing:
        o Use the study tools (like flashcards / study lists / foldable) created before the class to reinforce/study/learn key terms
        o Practice answering important points and questions raised by teacher during class discussion (written in your notes)
     If you did not do this before the class, do questioning, importance, relevance/application, opinion, and experiment creation steps to
        help the knowledge stick forever
     Complete pending class work or perform post-lab procedures
     If after all this studying you still feel that you need more practice (highly unlikely), do one of the following steps:
        o Practice Worksheets
        o Online games / quizzes
        o Virtual Labs
        o Web Quests
        o Other work of your choice (see assignment guide)

    Note: Remember that homework assignments should be used for practice once you already learned or to recover as remediation when you
    did badly on a test. You should focus on studying more than on homework. Also note that the very first homework you should do to
    remediate after a test should be correcting the test.

General Notes on Studying:
        When looking for resources to study based on, do not limit yourself to what the teacher gives you. Look for notes, websites, videos,
        music, online textbooks, textbooks, presentations, podcasts, animations, lecture guides, tutorials, games, quizzes, virtual
        labs/demonstrations, etc. You can FIND your own content. Even better, you can create it!

         It is not necessary to do ALL of these things. You must find things that work best for you! But you can definitely not passively do
         nothing.

         Do not do it alone! You do not have to. Ask for help. Not last minute. From the beginning. If you do not understand, talk to someone
         that does - a teacher, a parent, a colleague. Working together is much more fun. People learn better in groups.

REMEMBER:

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all
we might yet discover and create." - Albert Einstein

"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery." - Anais Inn
"Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary. Knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by
dispersion." / " Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know." - Daniel J. Boorstin
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which
knowledge gives." - James Madison
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply!" - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe