Time Management

Generally, you need 2-4 hours of study time per each hour of class Typical Breakdown 45 min to 1 hr - Review notes and understand steps 30 min to 1 hr - Work examples over and over 30 min to 1 hr - Do your homework

Don't just dive into your homework to get it done. Review, practice, learn, practice, solve. Studying for these subjects is time consuming (often frustrating!) but without this level of commitment you will not gain the understanding and problem solving skills needed for your exams. Put the time in from the beginning to be rewarded at the end. Strategies on Using Time Develop blocks of study time. About 50 minutes? How long does it take for you to become restless? Some learners need more frequent breaks for a variety of reasons. More difficult material may also require more frequent breaks. Schedule weekly reviews and updates. Prioritize assignments. When studying, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or Find alternative study places free from distractions to maximize concentration. Got "dead time"? Think of using time walking, riding, etc. for studying "bits". Review studies and examples just before class. Review lecture material immediately after class. Forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without review. For mathematically based subjects, most info is lost within the first 20 to 60 minutes after learning. Schedule time for critical course events. Papers, presentations, tests, etc. Schedule time for critical course events.

task.

Labs, Midterms, Final Exams

"To Do" List Effective Aids Write down things you have to do, then decide what to do at the moment, what to schedule for later, what to get someone else to do, and what to put off for a later time period. Daily/weekly planner Write down appointments, classes, and meetings on a chronological log book or chart. If you are more visual, sketch out your schedule. First thing in the morning, check what's ahead for the day always go to sleep knowing you're prepared for tomorrow. Long Term Planner Use a monthly chart so that you can plan ahead. Long term planners will also serve as a reminder to constructively plan time for yourself.

Stress Management First You Must Recognize Stress: Stress symptoms include mental, social, and physical manifestations. These include exhaustion, loss of/increased appetite, headaches, crying, sleeplessness, and oversleeping. Escape through alcohol, drugs, or other compulsive behavior are often indications. Feelings of alarm, frustration, or apathy may accompany stress. If you feel that stress is affecting your studies, a first option is to seek help through your educational counseling center.

Managing Stress: Look around See if there really is something you can change or control in the situation. Remove yourself from the stressful situation Give yourself a break if only for a few moments daily. Don't sweat the small stuff. Try to prioritize a few truly important things and let the rest slide. Selectively change the way you react, but not too much at one time. Focus on one troublesome thing and manage your reactions to it/him/her. Avoid extreme reactions; Why hate when a little dislike will do? Why generate anxiety when you can be nervous? Why rage when anger will do the job? Why be depressed when you can just be sad? Get enough sleep Lack of rest just aggravates stress. Avoid self-medication or escape Alcohol and drugs can mask stress. They don't help deal with the problems.

Try to "use" stress. If you can't fight what's bothering you and you can't flee from it, flow with it and try to use it in a productive way. Learn how to best relax yourself. Meditation and breathing exercises have been proven to be very effective in controlling stress. Practice clearing your mind of disturbing thoughts. Set realistic goals for yourself. Reduce the number of events going on in your life and you may reduce the circuit overload. Don't overwhelm yourself by fretting about your entire workload. Handle each task as it comes, or selectively deal with matters in some priority. Change the way you see things Learn to recognize stress for what it is. Increase your body's feedback and make stress self-regulating. Do something for others to help get your mind off your self. Work off stress with physical activity, whether it's jogging, tennis, gardening. Develop a thick skin. The bottom line of stress management is "I upset myself".

Try to be positive! Give yourself messages as to how well you can cope rather than how horrible everything is going to be. "Stress can actually help memory, provided it is short-term and not too severe. Stress causes more glucose to be delivered to the brain, which makes more energy available to neurons. This, in turn, enhances memory formation and retrieval. On the other hand, if stress is prolonged, it can impede the glucose delivery and disrupt memory." All Stressed Up, St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch, p. 8B, Monday, November 30, 1998. Most importantly, if stress is putting you in an unmanageable state or interfering with your schoolwork, social and/or work life, seek professional help at your school counseling center. Cramming You may be able to pass a humanities class cramming the night before an exam but it becomes much more difficult to do this for a math, science or engineering course. You will also retain much less if anything from cramming (which will catch up with you later). Don't cram for these subjects. If you absolutely can't help it, here are some tips: Emergency Cramming Tips: Preview material to be covered. Be selective: skim chapters for main points only. Don't read information you won't have time to review. Spend the majority of your time concentrating on the example problems.

See Emergency test preparation for an alternative, structured approach to cramming. Cramster How-to Tips:

Search for resolved questions on the Answer Board to review the most common pitfalls to problems from your textbook. Preview examples of test-type questions from archived exams. Skim. Attempt to solve open questions on the Answer Board for your course. Practice.

Thinking about pulling an all nighter? A study on www.about.com offer these tips: 1. Plan ahead. Gather all the study materials and supplies you will need in advance. Take a nap early in the day before the big night. A one hour rest will make a big difference. Allow time at the end of your all-nighter to compose yourself. You want to be as lucid as you can be so you can focus on the task ahead. 2. Set an alarm. Set your clock or wristwatch to signal you at reasonable intervals to keep you on task. 3. Be careful about magic formulas for staying awake at night. Cat naps, coffee, chocolate, and caffeine pills work for some but have devastating results for others. Stimulants may get you through the night, but if you can't concentrate or you're so tired the next day that you can't think straight, what's the benefit? It might be best for you just to face the challenge and just take the test cold turkey. 4. Avoid getting too comfortable. Study at your desk or anywhere but on a soft bed or comfortable sofa. Study at an all-night diner if you have to. 5. Take five-minute breaks. When you begin to doze off, get up, stretch, take a walk, turn on the radio or TV for a few minutes or take a shower. This will clear your mind so you can focus better when you return to your studies. 6. Exercise. Do something to get your heart rate and energy level up. Don't overdo it. Your priority here is to focus your energy on studying and concentrating, not exercising. 7. Cover all the material, even if you just skim it. If your choice is to know half of the material thoroughly or all of it superficially, pick option number two. Look for summaries and outlines. Then dive into the example problems. 8. Don't do all-nighters often. You can manage a late night every once in a while, but a steady diet of all-nighters guarantees that you will be fighting off the drive to doze. Also, studies show that cramming results in little long term memory.

Taking Lecture Notes

You can develop your own note taking system and study strategy: Record * Reduce * Recite * Reflect * Review Start Developing Your Own Strategy: Get a good loose-leaf notebook: 4

This will enable you to add, delete, and re-sequence pages and materials. Begin each session's notes with a cover page for later summaries and test preparation. Heading Date Class/subject or title or number (e.g. 3/34) Heading, continued Guest speakers' names, including your fellow students' contributions 1. Record/take notes here: identify the main points capture the main ideas Use outlines or concept maps Use words and pictures and graphs or whatever it takes to get the information down quickly. Avoid quoting unless it is very necessary 2. Reduce; after class note: key/cue words phrases questions Link information from the text or other sources 3. Recite: Review from memory what you have learned Using the left hand margin's key words and questions, talk through, or illustrate definitions, concepts, etc. Create your own examples 4. Reflect: Think over! How does this relate to what you knew before? Note the essay terms and find the best ones that refer to your studies: Apply, Compare, Diagram, Evaluate, etc. Create your own examples 5. Review the Notes You Took At your next study session Before reading new material When studying for tests Multiple pages of notes for one lecture: summarize each page at its bottom, summarize the lecture on a cover or end page

Concentration Skills
Concentrating When Studying: Concentration: the ability to direct your thinking The art or practice of concentration, no matter if studying biology or playing pool, is to focus on the task at hand and eliminate distraction We all have the ability to concentrate -- sometimes. Think of the times when you were "lost" in something you enjoy: a sport, playing music, a good game, a movie. Total concentration. But at other times, Your mind wanders from one thing to another Your worries distract you Outside distractions take you away before you know it The material is boring, difficult, and/or not interesting to you The tips listed below may help. They Involve: What you can control in your studies Best practices Concentrating When Studying "Here I study" Get a dedicated space, chair, table, lighting and environment Avoid your cellphone or telephone Put up a sign to avoid being disturbed or interrupted If you like music in the background, OK, but don't let it be a distraction. (Research on productivity with music versus without music is inconclusive)

Stick to a routine, efficient study schedule Accommodate your day/nighttime energy levels See our Guide on Setting goals and making a schedule Focus Before you begin studying, take a few minutes to summarize a few objectives, gather what you will need, and think of a general strategy of accomplishment Incentives Create an incentive if necessary for successfully completing a task, such as calling a friend, a food treat, a walk, etc.

 For special projects such as term papers, design projects, long book reviews, set up a special incentive Change topics Changing the subject you study every one to two hours for variety Vary your study activities Alternate reading with more active learning exercises If you have a lot of reading, try the SQ3R method Ask yourself how you could increase your activity level while studying? Perhaps a group will be best? Creating study questions? Ask your teacher for alternative strategies for learning. The more active your learning, the better.

Take regular, scheduled breaks that fit you Do something different from what you've been doing (e.g., walk around if you've been sitting), and in a different area Rewards Give yourself a reward when you've completed a task. Best Practices: You should notice improvement in a few days But like any practice, there will be ups, levels, and downs: It will benefit other activities you do!

Be Here Now: This deceptively simple strategy is probably the most effective. When you notice your thoughts wandering astray, say to yourself "Be here now" and gently bring your attention back to where you want it. For example: You're studying and your attention strays to all the other homework you have, to a date, to the fact that you're hungry. Say to yourself "Be here now" Focus back on subject with questions, summarizing, outlining, mapping, etc. and maintain your attention there as long as possible. When it wanders again, repeat "Be here now" and gently bring your attention back, and continue this practice, repeatedly. It will work!

Do not try to keep particular thoughts out of your mind. For example, as you sit there, close your eyes and think about anything you want to for the next three minutes except cookies. Try not to think about cookies...When you try not to think about something, it keeps coming back. ("I'm not going to think about cookies. I'm not going to think about cookies.") You might do this hundreds of times a week. Gradually, you'll find that the period of time between your straying thoughts gets a little longer every few days. So be patient and keep at it. You'll see some improvement! Do not constantly judge your progress. Take it easy on yourself. Good practice is enough to say that you did it, and that you are on the road. The mind is always different and the practice unfolds over time with many ups and downs. Worry or Think Time: Research has proven that people who use a worry time find themselves worrying 35 percent less of the time within four weeks. Set aside a specific time each day to think about the things that keep entering your mind and interfering with your concentration. When you become aware of a distracting thought, remind yourself that you have a special time to think about them, Let the thought go, perhaps with "Be here now," Keep your appointment to worry or think about those distracting issues

For example, set 4:30 to 5 p.m. as your worry/think time. When your mind is sidetracked into worrying during the day, remind yourself that you have a special time for worrying. Then, let the thought go for the present, and return your focus to your immediate activity. Tally Your Mental Wanderings: Have a 3 x 5 inch card handy. Draw two lines dividing the card into three sections. Label them "morning," "afternoon," and "evening." Each time your mind wanders, make a tally in the appropriate section. Keep a card for each day. As your skills build, you'll see the number of tallies decrease Maximize Your Energy Level: When is your energy level at its highest? When are your low energy times? Study your most difficult courses at your high energy times. Sharpest early in the evening? Study your most difficult course then. Later in the evening? Work on your easier courses or the ones you enjoy the most. 8

Most students put off the tough studies until later in the evening when they become tired, and it is more difficult to concentrate. Reverse that. Study hard subjects at peak energy times; easier ones later. This alone can help to improve your concentration Visualize: As an exercise before you begin studying, think of those times when concentration is not a problem for you--no matter what situation. Now try to feel or image yourself in that situation. Recapture that experience immediately before your studies by placing yourself in that moment. Repeat before each study session.

Problem Solving
Study Tips: Devote the time to learn how to do the problem rather then getting to the final answer. Students who simply memorize how to do problems instead of understanding the reasons for correctly working the steps will face more difficulty down the road. See if you can solve a sample problem without looking at the textbook's solution (unless you get stuck). This makes the best use of sample problems, as students who "understood the lecture" or "read the chapter" often have difficulty doing their first problems using this new-found knowledge. Draw a picture when you can. Even a poor drawing can be helpful but good ones include parameters, formulas, units, unknowns, and assumptions. Double-check all diagrams and calculations. If you can't solve a problem, put it aside and try again later. Ask yourself if the answer you got seems reasonable. Try working out at least five new problems each time you study. The true test for determining if you know the material is to do a problem you have never done or seen before. Study with others. When you work alone and get stuck, you may be tempted to give up. When in a group, you can help each other learn. Cramster How-To Tips: Examine a step-by-step solution to figure out where you exactly you got stuck. If you need further explanation, ask a question about your problem on the Answer Board. 9

Check your answers for which the answer is not available in the back of your textbook. This may be the even-numbered or odd-numbered problems. Checking your answers can build confidence and help you prepare for tests. Look for errors in the work done by members or experts. As you read each step, verify to yourself it is completely correct. Otherwise, challenge the solution or post your answer on the Answer Board. Questioning a step or final answer is a positive learning sign. Whether indeed the solution is right or wrong, you're learning. Test your knowledge and problem solving skills by helping members on the Answer Board. Teaching others how to do a problem is the most effective way to learn it.

Preparing and Taking Tests

Test Preparation Tips: Do your homework when it is assigned. Attempt sample problems for extra practice. You cannot hope to cram 3 or 4 weeks worth of learning into a couple of days of study. On tests you have to solve problems; homework and sample problems are the only way to get practice. As you do them, make lists of formulas and techniques to use later when you study for tests. Get to know your professor. Study a copy of the exam of a previous class if available. Talk with someone who has taken the professor before for clues and insight. Ask your professor, TA, or study group questions; don't wait until the day or two before a test. The questions you ask right before a test should be to clear up minor details. Cramster How-to Tips: Preview examples of test type questions from archived practice exams. Take a practice exam before your midterm or final. Participate in our Practice Problem Project and create your own test type questions from material you expect to be on your exam.

The 10 Steps to Better Test Taking

Once you begin a test, follow the 10 steps to better test taking below: 10

Step 1 - Use a memory data dump. Upon receiving your test, turn it over and write down the information that you put on your mental cheat sheet. Your mental cheat sheet has now turned into a mental list and writing down this information is not cheating. Do not put your name on it, do not skim it, just turn it over and write down those facts, figures and formulas from your mental cheat sheet or other information you might not remember during the test. This is called your first memory data dump. The data dump provides memory cues for test questions. Example: It might take you a while to remember how to do a coin- word problem. However, if you had immediately turn your test over and written down different ways of solving coin-word problems it would be easier to solve the coin-word problem. Step 2 - Preview the test. Put your name on the test and start previewing. Previewing the test requires you to look through the entire test to find different types of problems and their point values. Put a mark by the questions that you can do without thinking. These are the questions that you will solve first. Step 3 - Do a second memory data dump. The secondary data dump is for writing down material that was jarred from your memory while previewing the test. Write this information on the back of the test. Step 4 - Develop a test progress schedule. When you begin setting up a test schedule, determine the point value for each question. You might have some test questions that are worth more points than others. In some tests, word problems are worth five points and other questions might be worth two or three points. You must decide the best way to get the most points in the least amount of time. This might mean working the questions worth two to three points first and leaving the more difficult word problems for last. Decide how many problems should be completed half- way though the test. You should have more than half the problems completed by that time. Step 5 - Answer the easiest problems first Solve, in order, the problems you marked while previewing the test. Then, review the answers to see if they make sense. Start working through the test as fast as you can while being accurate. Answers should be reasonable. Example: The answer to a . problem of ' to find the area of a rectangle e cannot be negative, and the try answer to a land-rate-distance problem cannot be 1,000 miles per hour. Clearly write down each step to get partial credit, even if you end up missing the problem. In most math tests, the easier problems are near the beginning of the first page; you need to answer them efficiently and quickly. This will give you both more time for the harder problems and time to review. Step 6 - Skip difficult problems. If you find a problem that you do not know how to work, read it twice and automatically skip it. Reading it twice will help you understand the problem and put it into your working memory. While you are solving other

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problems, your mind is still working on that problem. Difficult problems could be the type of problem you have never seen before or a problem in which you get stuck on the second or third step. In either case, skip the problem and go on to the next one. Step 7 - Review the skipped problems. When working the skipped problems, think how you have solved other, similar problems as a cue to solving the skipped ones. Also, try to remember how the instructor solved that type of problem on the board. While reviewing skipped problems, or at any other time, you may have the "Ah, ha!" response. The "Ah, ha!" response is your remembering how to do a skipped problem. Do not wait to finish your current problem. Go to the problem on which you had the "Ah ha" and finish that problem. If you wait to finish your current problem, your "Ah, ha!" response could turn into an "Oh, no!" response. Step 8 - Guess at the remaining problems Do as much work as you can on each problem, even if it is just writing down the first step. If you cannot write down the first step, rewrite the problem. Sometimes rewriting the problem can jar your memory enough to do the first step or the entire problem. If you leave the problem blank, you will get a zero. Do not waste too much time on guessing or trying to work the problems you cannot do. Step 9 - Review the test. Look for careless errors or other errors you may have made. Students usually lose two to five test points on errors that could have been caught in review. Do not talk yourself out of an answer just because it may not look right. This often happens when an answer does not come out even. It is possible for the answer to be a fraction or decimal. Remember: Answers in math do not have "dress codes." Research reveals that the odds of changing a right answer to a wrong answer are greater than the odds of changing a wrong answer to a right one. Step 10 - Use all the allowed test time. Review each problem by substituting the answer back into the equation or doing the opposite function required to answer the question. If you cannot check the problem by the two ways mentioned, rework the problem on a separate sheet of paper and compare the answers. Do not leave the test room unless you have reviewed each problem two times or until the bell rings. Remember: There is no prize for handing your test in first, and students who turn their papers in last do make "A's." Stapling your scratch paper to the math test when handing it in has several advantages: If you miscopied the answer from the scratch paper, you will probably get credit for the answers. If you get the answer incorrect due to a careless error, your work on the scratch paper could give you a few points. If you do get the problem wrong, it will be easier to locate errors when the instructor reviews the test. This will prevent from making the same mistakes on the next math test. Remember: Handing in your scratch paper may get you extra points or improve your next test score.

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Reference: Paul D. Nolting, Ph.D., Winning at Math, 1997 1989 by Academic Success Press, Inc Test Taking Tips Begin reviewing early. This will give your brain time to get comfortable with the information. Conduct short daily review sessions. You can ease into a more intense review session prior to major exams. Prioritize assignments. When studying, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or task. Read text assignments before lectures. This will help you identify concepts that the professor considers important. Review notes immediately after lectures. This will help you identify information that you do not understand while the lecture is still fresh in your memory--and other students' memories as well. When you review immediately, you'll have time to clarify information with other students. Review with a study group. This will enable you to cover important material that you may overlook on your own. Conduct a major review early enough. This will allow you time to visit the instructor during his office hours if necessary. Break up the study tasks into manageable chunks. Studying three hours in the morning and three in the evening will be more effective than studying at a six hour stretch. Studying while you are mentally fatigued is usually a waste of time. Study the most difficult material when you are alert.

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