Academic/Study Skills
Being well organized and using different strategies for studying will help you become a successful student at Carrington and beyond. Getting good at a sport or instrument takes practice, and that is true for mastering study skills and getting the grades you want! Below are some usefully study tips to practice everyday:
1. Find a place to study or work. Find a table, desk, or area where you can spread out and get your work done. You may not always be able to find a quiet space, but let people around you know you are working so they will not bother you. Make sure you have ALL the materials you need including; pencils, paper, workbooks, calculators, and other necessary supplies.
2. Use your planner. Carrington provides you with a planner at the beginning of the year, so use it! Write down all your assignments in the planner. Make sure to write what assignments/projects are due and when, and for which classes. If you do not have or lose your planner then ask a teacher or counselor where to get a new one.
3. Estimate how long each assignment will take. Decide how long each assignment should take to complete before you start. This will help you decide when you need to take breaks, and if you are actually staying on-task.
4. Break up projects. Make sure to get started on big projects early, accomplishing parts of it over time. This will help you decide which parts are most important, and help you feel less overwhelmed. It is important to start early with this skill since in High School you will be assigned big projects that require spreading work out and managing your time.
5. Look over your notes every night. Take 15 minutes each night to look over the notes you made in class that day. Reviewing your notes will keep them fresh in your mind for the next day and make studying for tests/quizzes easier since you already reviewed the information.
6. Organize your notebook every day. Have you ever lost assignments or important notes because your notebook or backpack was overflowing with papers and materials? The easy answer is to organize your notebook or workspaces so materials and assignments are easy to find. Taking a couple of minutes everyday to organize your notebook and put papers/material in their right place will help you locate what you need faster. It also helps you feel ready to start homework or classwork.
7. Make flashcards or study sheets. Making flashcards or study sheets keeps all the important information in one location, making it easier to study and review material. Many students feel that studying for tests/quizzes are easier since you can quiz yourself and quickly review important information.
8. If you are having difficulty, ask for help. If you do not understand an assignment or project, ask someone for help! This could be a teacher, friend, or parent. If they can not help you, ask someone else. Although it may not feel like it, if you are confused about an assignment then it means someone else is also - so asking a question will help everyone out.
9. Ask someone to quiz you. Ask a parent or friend to quiz you about information you learned. Make sure you let them know what information you want them to quiz you on and how to find it.
10. Go back over your work. Look back over old work and projects to get an idea of what you need to spend more time studying.
1. Find a place to study or work. Find a table, desk, or area where you can spread out and get your work done. You may not always be able to find a quiet space, but let people around you know you are working so they will not bother you. Make sure you have ALL the materials you need including; pencils, paper, workbooks, calculators, and other necessary supplies.
2. Use your planner. Carrington provides you with a planner at the beginning of the year, so use it! Write down all your assignments in the planner. Make sure to write what assignments/projects are due and when, and for which classes. If you do not have or lose your planner then ask a teacher or counselor where to get a new one.
3. Estimate how long each assignment will take. Decide how long each assignment should take to complete before you start. This will help you decide when you need to take breaks, and if you are actually staying on-task.
4. Break up projects. Make sure to get started on big projects early, accomplishing parts of it over time. This will help you decide which parts are most important, and help you feel less overwhelmed. It is important to start early with this skill since in High School you will be assigned big projects that require spreading work out and managing your time.
5. Look over your notes every night. Take 15 minutes each night to look over the notes you made in class that day. Reviewing your notes will keep them fresh in your mind for the next day and make studying for tests/quizzes easier since you already reviewed the information.
6. Organize your notebook every day. Have you ever lost assignments or important notes because your notebook or backpack was overflowing with papers and materials? The easy answer is to organize your notebook or workspaces so materials and assignments are easy to find. Taking a couple of minutes everyday to organize your notebook and put papers/material in their right place will help you locate what you need faster. It also helps you feel ready to start homework or classwork.
7. Make flashcards or study sheets. Making flashcards or study sheets keeps all the important information in one location, making it easier to study and review material. Many students feel that studying for tests/quizzes are easier since you can quiz yourself and quickly review important information.
8. If you are having difficulty, ask for help. If you do not understand an assignment or project, ask someone for help! This could be a teacher, friend, or parent. If they can not help you, ask someone else. Although it may not feel like it, if you are confused about an assignment then it means someone else is also - so asking a question will help everyone out.
9. Ask someone to quiz you. Ask a parent or friend to quiz you about information you learned. Make sure you let them know what information you want them to quiz you on and how to find it.
10. Go back over your work. Look back over old work and projects to get an idea of what you need to spend more time studying.
Additional Resources
Here are a number of additional websites and resources that can help you create successfull studying and academic habits. Let your counselor know if you want to set up a time to discuss them.
http://sf.factmonster.com/homework/studyskills1.html - This site has some great game-plans to use before tests, during, and after tests. It also has essay writing suggestions and ideas for working well under pressure.
http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl.html - This site has many different strategies for all types of studying and academic issues.
http://sf.factmonster.com/homework/studyskills1.html - This site has some great game-plans to use before tests, during, and after tests. It also has essay writing suggestions and ideas for working well under pressure.
http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl.html - This site has many different strategies for all types of studying and academic issues.