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Study Assistance;
Need some help?

Here are some links and files you want to check out. Mainly, keep in mind that it's here if you run in to any trouble.

And guys, seriously, Wikipedia can be your best friend. Take the three seconds you need to look something up, don't just go on "context clues". Ugh! Most of what you need about a topic in High School is above the table of contents.

Time management/motivation issues?
Well this really works, Pomodoro!

I think new AP students should seriously consider the online free course offered by the University of San Diego, Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects. 1.8 million students have taken this widely regarded course, and it gets great reviews. The New York Times wrote this background story about the professors.

Crash Course Study Skills

Yep, those fast talking, cool folks are tackling study skills! Good stuff in YouTube video form!

Khan Academy

These guys have a great video series if you need help learning the content stuff.

SQ3R Reading Method, a system that works with college level reading. This is what reading REALLY is, anything less and you can't say, "but I read it, I don't understand why I failed the reading check!" But you know, and I know.
ap_homework_survival_guide.pdf
File Size: 423 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

sq3r_reading_method.pdf
File Size: 28 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Please, please, please....take some time to read and consider what I've written for you in the file above.
close_reading_questions.pdf
File Size: 69 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

study_strategies.pdf
File Size: 50 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Good, simple ideas from a previous class.
reading_in_world_history.pdf
File Size: 534 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Mind-mapping is a different and exciting way that might work for you. Here are two web sites that will explain it to you and help you get started.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm
 http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
I've been playing around with this stuff. Check out my first "mind map"!
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What Cognitive Neuroscience Tells Us about Studying:
1. We are all fooled to believe that re-reading is the only effective strategy. In fact, it's probably the least efficient.  Instead, constantly practice "retrieval". Read a section, close the book, and summarize outloud what you just read. Then check to see how you did before moving on. Do the retrieval part again in a couple of days. Check to see how you did the second time. You see, we all have a fundamental problem, we don't know what we don't know! Re-reading fools us, because even though we become more familiar with the words, we don't understand the ideas any better.

Also, when you are doing the Q, in SQ3R, try to answer those section question before you even read. This "guessing" primes your brain to anticipate what's important.

2. Most people think that repetition is the key to learning. Again, this really is not true. Instead, set up a schedule of spaced retrieval. That is, over a period of several days, plan out a series of self quizzes to reinforce your ability to recall information.

Doing this in a comp book keeps you more organized, but you could use index cards.
outlining_a_text_.pdf
File Size: 66 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

harvard_article_on_reading.pdf
File Size: 139 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

andrea_outline_2.pdf
File Size: 788 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Here are some more that I did for a student I tutored for the 2012 WHAP exam (she got a 5). I write these using full sentences because that is my style. You may want to use more abbreviations and leave out less important words such as "the" or "to", but the danger here is not understanding what you meant later. It's just a matter of your style, or the style you would like to develop.

The video below illustrates perfectly the way most students approach school. It's time to break away from your assumptions!
On line glossary (including audio pronunciation).

Make sure you check to see if there is a forum (What Works) going for what you are working on currently.

Watch this video about 8 essential Study Hacks

Learn your countries at World Maps in a fun and engaging way.

One of the best sources of reliable data on any part of the world is the CIA World Factbook. Great stuff, thanks spooks!

Grammar Girl keeps me on track in simple and entertaining ways.
Wyatt Bingham-All Rights Reserved      "If, after I depart this vale, you ever remember me and have thought to please my ghost, forgive some sinner and wink your eye at some homely girl."