June 30th, 2011 | Tags:

I know you. I have seen you in my geometry classroom many times over the last 29 years. You have always, and I mean always, been a very good math student. You made good grades in Algebra with very little effort, and you have always liked math. But now you are taking high school geometry, and you are really frustrated. Youve got good study habits; you pay attention in class, ask questions, and do your homework. But for some reason this strange course just doesnt make sense to you and you find yourself even requiring some additional help with geometry homework, which has never happened before. Heck, in past math courses you were the one that could give others help!

To make matters worse, you are seeing classmates who had trouble with Algebra suddenly doing very well in geometry, understanding it, and actually enjoying math for the first time in their lives. Not that youre not happy for those fellow learners, but you cant understand why this course is so different from the other math courses you have taken, and why are you not able to grasp it?

High school geometry is a strange creature. In my 29 years of teaching high school geometry I have seen the above scenario played out over and over again. Just what is it that makes this course so different? And what are some strategies that will help frustrated students master this course that sometimes seems so strange?

First of all, if you are experiencing frustration with your high school geometry course, it is very important for you to realize that this is quite common, especially early in the course. Please know that most students do get past the confusion and frustration if they dont give up. Practice the techniques Im going to give you, continue to work hard, and even though it takes longer for some than others, that light bulb should eventually light up for you.

It might help if you understand why geometry is so different from other math courses. A traditional high school geometry course is about logic. It is abstract. It requires a different way of thinking. It is not what I call cookbook mathematics where one is given a recipe and merely has to follow that recipe in solving every problem. Geometry is not about a lot of drill and practice. It is about critical thinking, learning concepts and principles and knowing when and how to apply them.

It is true that previous Algebra courses required critical thinking skills as well, but not to the extent that geometry requires them. However, as you work at honing these critical thinking skills in high school geometry, there are some simple, straight forward skills that also must be mastered if you are to succeed.

Learn all the terms and definitions as they are presented. This is absolutely essential. The same goes for postulates and theorems. And dont just memorize them; as a matter of fact you dont have to memorize them word for word. But make sure you have a very clear understanding of what each term means. I often told my students You cant expect to solve a problem about a scalene triangle if you dont know what a scalene triangle is. Develop your geometry vocabulary.

Dont rush through your geometry homework. Your goal shouldnt be to just get it done so that you are finished with it but to really understand it. Before you tackle the assigned problems, review your notes from class and look over the corresponding material in your textbook. As you work through the homework problems, check your answers with those provided in the back of the book. If you have something wrong, go back and rethink it. If you still cant figure it out, put a star or check mark by that problem to remind you to ask the teacher about it the next time the class meets.

Finally, when you have finished your homework assignment, make yourself think just a little more! Resist the urge to immediately slam your book closed and put your work away. Spend just a few minutes looking back over the problems and thinking about what you had to do on each one. Developing this habit of reflecting on your work can reap huge benefits in understanding and remembering important concepts. The more you understand and remember from each assignment, the less youll have to study and review when it comes exam time.

June 26th, 2011 | Tags:

According to medical professionals, the best strategies for overcoming social phobia include varied treatments. These treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive group behavioral therapy and medication.

A doctor, specifically a psychologist or psychiatrist will determine which strategy is best suited to each individual patient in order to help the patient overcome their type of social phobia. This is done by assessing the severity of the symptoms that the patient is experiencing, the level of affect that social phobia is having on the patient and the ability of the patient to recover from their disorder.

Cognitive behavioral treatment or CBT is one of the first treatments that will be tried to resolve social phobia. It is a form of psychotherapy that has been in use for varied mental illnesses and disorders for many years. It works by analyzing the roots of all the emotions experienced by someone with social phobia.

The first step in cognitive behavioral treatment for social phobia strategies is to determine the negative thoughts that are causing the patients anxiousness. These are then put into different categories and help the therapist to teach the patient ways of controlling these thoughts, correcting the patients perceptions which result in these thoughts and then help them to restructure their thought patterns to avoid these unreasonable thoughts.

The strategies for treating social phobia with CBT involve varied methods such as attribution, teaching the patient the difference between irrational and rational thoughts, and helping the patient to overcome any past experiences that may have contributed to their irrational thoughts. In the case of children, psychiatrists can get to the root cause or trauma that may have resulted in their social phobia. They can help them to understand the event and learn to deal with what happened and cope with moving forward in life with a new positive approach and attitude versus forgetting what happened, which in itself is merely avoidance of the memories of those events.

Another strategy that medical practitioners find useful is cognitive group behavioral therapy. It is similar to CBT in its strategy for dealing with social phobia, but in a group setting with other people who are suffering the same disorder and one or more group therapists. The aim of this strategy is to not only overcome the negative thought processes attributed to social phobia, but allow the patients to realize that they are not alone in what they suffer and have support from people who understand what it really feels like.

There are other important strategies for overcoming social phobia that group therapy undertakes. These include:

Group discussions of each individuals symptoms, perceptions, experiences and traumas

The use of the group to show their support for individual social phobia attacks by encouraging the changes in thought patterns and perceptions.

The use of the group on outings to overcome social phobia attacks with people that each member feels can be trusted to not judge them or ridicule them. The group helps each member to avoid perceived embarrassment and the need to become isolated.

The group outings help individual sufferers realize that social interaction with new people does not have to be fearful or even judgmental or embarrassing.

The use of the group in varied situations in helping each individual social phobia sufferer to no longer having the need to put on appearances in how they look, behave, talk or in regards to their abilities to lessen the likelihood of misinterpreted judgments by others.

The use of the group in varied situations to support individual sufferers in learning that they no longer need to feel embarrassment or guilt in social situations.

Group discussions to help each individual sufferer in overcoming anger resulting from previous situations or traumas.

Group discussions to assist each individual sufferer in overcoming the need to please everyone, be a perfectionist, procrastinate, avoid social interactions and in becoming a realistic individual with self-confidence and self-esteem.

Group discussions to assist each individual sufferer in dealing with times when social interaction does result in judgment or embarrassment by others.

These strategies for overcoming social phobia have proven to be very useful in helping patients deal with their affliction. Studies have shown that both forms of cognitive behavioral therapies do succeed and allow each patient to move forward and enjoy normal, productive, socially interactive and happy lives. Of course, there are a few cases were the affects of the anxiety are so deep rooted that the individual needs to combine these therapies with medication. However, if you do sufferer social phobia, getting guidance from your doctor is the best first step to curing your suffering.

June 22nd, 2011 | Tags:

With many habits, the sooner you start practicing and developing good habits, the better chance you will have that you will continue with them. We all know that good study habits are essential to educational success. Good study habits are an important part of any student’s success. We probably can diminish the academic dishonesty by promoting good study habits with students, and letting the students know that good study habits are very important when it comes to school. Still, even procrastination can be overcome with proper study habits, and improving your study habits is the key to better studying. Good study habits are a great tool to have in the toolbox of life.

Many of the tips for success for online students are the same as those for students in an onsite classroom. Consider asking your school’s student council to take on a study tips project. Following a few simple study tips can help students effectively learn new concepts and theories. There have been numerous published tips students can use as a guide for good study habits.

A good way to stay organized is to use folders so you child can keep his/her assignments until needed and it is a great way of staying organized. Once children reach the grades where homework and tests are part of the curriculum, there are many things parents can do to encourage good study habits. An effective way to study is to study before and while you do the homework. A little amount of homework may help elementary school students build study habits. Being organized and having homework routines are the most important things in helping your child develop good study habits for life.

All learning, however, is a process which settles into certain steps. Students with learning problems, however, may still have generally inefficient and ineffective study habits and skills. Becoming aware of your learning style will help you to understand why you sometimes get frustrated with common study methods.

Effective study habits are a very import part of the learning process. Good study habits are all about keeping to a daily routine and giving all subjects equal treatment. If your study habits are weak, take a “study skills” course or have someone show you good study habits. The problem is that those high school study habits are hard to shake. Hard work and good study habits are assets that should be nurtured. Motivation and study habits are obviously crucial as well. Good habits are important for all students to protect investments of time and money and to achieve educational goals. After that experience your study habits are permanently altered, this will help your own preparation as you start teaching and last a lifetime. The main priorities are class attendance, time management, and great studying habits are necessary workings for an academic success.

Author: Melissa Fishman
Learning Good Study Habits
June 19th, 2011 | Tags:

When you thought you have everything placed for memorization use, think again. The fact is; there’s a big possibility that these things could be the very element why you forget important information which you should have been retaining in the first place.

Having said this, lets cite an example you. When you try to remember something, you work hard on doing it right? Sometimes, you rely on things like organizers to help you better in retaining the information. On the contrary, all you think about after internalizing the material is you worry about forgetting it. The very act of worrying is already a negative impression on what you are capable of doing. In the end, instead of having retained the information, you’re left with nothing to recall. This is because you were too worried about forgetting it when what you are doing is actually blocking what you needed to remember by worrying.

Here is another one. You may or may not have realized it before, but your willingness to remember makes a difference. When you know in you that you can and will be able to remember what you’ve just studied, the power of intention to remember works wonders. How you look at things will certainly boosts your capacity to remember.

And of course, the most interesting part in memorization is the selection of important or significant details alone. Once you’ve learned which part of a material you need to choose, you can use others as well. Apparently, selection is an important part of memorization, not to mention for students studying for an exam. This makes it possible for the learner to omit unnecessary words and concentrate on key points. The technique here is for the learner to read or study the material as a whole and then go through it after and pick important major ideas. Going through the entire material first before actually picking up important parts for memorization is essential since memorization can never be done without a complete understanding of what is being learned.

Author: Shareen Aguilar
Studying Tips For Memorization
June 17th, 2011 | Tags:

In school you will hear about forming a study group. Your instructor may advocate forming a study group or one of your peers may ask you to join. The question is are study groups to your personal advantage? Your study time is a limited resource and is a study group a good use of that resource. This article will explore the pros and cons of a study group.

The advantages of joining a study group.

A study group can help keep you accountable. Many people are better at doing what they need to be doing if other people are counting on them. With a study group you know that two or three other people expect you to show up at a certain time and to be prepared.

A study group will help you test your own knowledge. Different students tend to pick up different things in lecture and in their readings. During study group a fellow student may say or ask you about a topic that you may never have considered focusing on. This may make the difference on a key question on the test.

Explaining to others is a great way to learn. As you explain the material to other students you yourself will get a better understanding of it. This process will also expose missing knowledge that you have on the topic. As you explain the topic other members may start explaining parts to you as time progresses.

A study group can create a sense of camaraderie. It may become just more fun to study. Instead of simply rereading the same notes over and over again you are quizzing each other and interacting. This will make your study session more fun and time pass more quickly.

The group can be of help when you are in need. The Study group can help you out if you need to miss a lecture as well as with an assignment you do not understand.

The disadvantageous of a study group.

The study group is just a gossip session. If the group is not focusing on classwork and just talks about current events or the latest fashion it will not help you exam scores. Whenever people gather there will be some small talk. The problem arises when the small talk expands to the detriment of the the study time. You need to be on guard for this as a whole afternoon can be wasted.

A member of the study group is unethical. It is perfectly OK – depending on the instructors guidelines – to help each other with homework or at the least explain the assignment to a fellow student. The problem arises when a fellow scholar wants to copy your work. You can feel a lot of pressure to comply.

The study group starts late and is out of your way. If you drive to a faraway location to meet and half the group is an hour late this can be a waste of your time. Not only is it disrespectful, but it accomplishes little in the way of preparing for the exam.

Members of the study group are not prepared. It is one thing to help discuss the reading and to ask and answer questions about it, but it is a completely different issue to answer questions for someone who did not do the reading. If all members are not prepared the study group will not function well.

You learn better on your own. For some students this is true. They are focused and get an ‘A’ by locking them selves in their study area and plugging away. Some students say this even though though they are failing because they do not like the idea of a study group. If you have a 4.0 by doing it on your own keep up the good work.

To decide to form or to join a study group is entirely up to you based on your needs and preferences. It is important that you join the right group and analyze if it is a productive use of your time. Not every group of students studying is the same. You may need to bounce around till you find the study group that is right for you.

June 15th, 2011 | Tags:

Learning to play the piano can be trying at times. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out, or if you have played for years, sometimes it feels like you just aren’t getting anywhere at all. And, no matter how long you sit and study and play the piano, you are bombarded with the old adage “Practice makes perfect”. But, how can you study the piano if you aren’t really sure what you’re supposed to be doing? Well, every good piano player should know that studying the piano is more than just practicing. Studying the piano involves playing all different works to help your fingers continually train and stretch, reading through music and understanding every work before you master it, how long you can practice, and how well you can use your study time.

Every piano player needs to find the study technique(s) that will help them to learn better and faster, and usually it’s trial and error that will point this out to you. Some piano instructors will help you find the right study technique by giving you several tips and ideas that helped them, while others will simply tell you to “go home and practice”. But, if you are not playing correctly while you are practicing, you are simply defeating the whole purpose of practice. So, how do you know what to do when studying the piano?

Study Techniques To Help You Improve

While there are millions of ways to study the piano, there are some techniques that will always provide help to any player, new or old:

Make sure that your practice area is free of all distractions, such as the television, phone, loud music, and even other people if needed. Having a quiet place to read, study, and practice can help you more than anything while you are learning.

Read through your music or assignment. Every piano instructor will either assign you or show you some great practice suggestions for your study at home. There is a reason for these, and you should always do any practice pieces at home when you can.

Study and practice the piano every day. No matter if you can only set aside thirty minutes per day to study, you need to be sure that you are practicing each day. Once you have your study time down, you should continue to study at that same time, every day.

When you sit down to practice, make sure that the sheet music is easy for you to read and that you have enough light to see it. There is no need to strain your eyes or try to play something that you can’t read.

When you are working on learning a long piece, don’t try to cram it all in at one study session. You should break it up into smaller pieces and learn each of them in order so you will be prepared and ready to play the whole thing through.

As you break down each section in the piece, you should play through them slowly at first, making sure that each note, pitch, melody, tune, and rhythm is right and in the right spot. There is no need to study that piece if you play the same mistakes over and over. By practicing each work correctly, and slowly, for a few times, you’re fingers will know where to go and what to do when they get there.

When you have a good study session, you should reward yourself by playing something that you already know and love after something new and hard. By playing something that you are already good at, you will bolster your self esteem and let you know that you are a good piano player, and practice will have you playing this new, hard piece in no time too.

You should take your teacher’s suggestions and tips home with you. By using their advice, you will find all sorts of new avenues of study and play that you didn’t know before. After all, it took them years of practice and study to get where they are, so they have done something right!

Find a musical dictionary. This will help you study your pieces the right way by telling you what each Italian term on your music means, such as Allegro vivace, so you don’t get confused while practicing or playing. Knowing what the original composer meant and wanted that particular line to sound like will help you become a better player.

Experiment. Use different study techniques until you find some that work for you. Everyone has different ways of learning, whether it’s by reading all about the piano and the work that you are trying to learn, or whether it’s sitting down and playing it over and over until you get it right and can play it in your sleep, each different piano player will have to experiment to find that perfect study technique for them.

Listen, Learn, and Play

While you are in class, you should always listen to your piano instructor. This means that you should soak in everything you possibly can, from new techniques that you need to master to where the next good piano concert will be and when. By knowing new techniques that you can use, you will find that you’ll be able to get these new techniques into your routine and help you on the road to becoming a better piano player. By attending some of the better piano concerts around your area, you will have time to study each different piano player and see how they play, read, study, and much more. When you are able to watch the better piano players, you will become better as well, as you should learn something from each different performance.

Once you have found a few new techniques for studying the piano, you can take them all home and try them out on your instrument. Make sure that you either memorize the techniques or that you write them down before you stop your practice for the day. By memorizing or writing down the new technique that you have learned that day, you are less likely to forget it the next morning.

June 14th, 2011 | Tags:

Studying in top universities and colleges in UK is a dream of number of students all over the world. There are number of universities in UK which are one of top universities in the world are always remained very popular amongst students since the time of there existence. A few of the top universities include University of Cambridge, Oxford University, University College London, London School of Economics and university of Edinburgh. Beside these popular colleges in UK, High standards of education, global exposure, number of international students and ample job opportunities around the world are a few of the other reasons that attract large number of international students towards UK.

Besides these reasons UK is one of the developed economies in the world and living standards in UK is quite higher than many other countries. There fore many students face problems in financing there study and stay in UK. There are many options in front of students that help students in evading the problem. A few of the options are bank loans, trust loans, financial wavers, scholarships and etc. Scholarships are one of the best options that enables students in supporting there stay and studies in UK.

There are number of Scholarships offered by universities, colleges, government bodies, organizations, trusts and other agencies. There are a few scholarships that students must consider seriously if they are looking forward to study in UK and these scholarships are listed below which includes scholarships offered by British Council and other agencies.

?British Chevening scholarship: This Scholarship is awarded by British government for those students and professionals who are looking forward for studying post graduate and research education in UK. As per the records more than 1800 Indian students are benefited by this scholarship program. The Scholar ship program is divided in two parts long term scholarship and short term scholarship. Long term scholarship is awarded to those students who are enrolled in one year post graduation program in any of the institution in UK. On the other hand short term scholarship is given to those students or professionals who are undergoing short term training or research work.

?Commonwealth Scholarship: Commonwealth scholarship is awarded by Common wealth scholarship commission to those students who are from common wealth countries. Scholarship Program for Indian students is managed by association of common wealth Universities, British Council and ministry of HRD government of India. The scholarship program is offered for more than 50 different subjects that includes subjects like medical science, engineering, agriculture, humanities and cultural courses and courses in pure and applied science.

?Charles Wallace India Trust Award: Charles Wallace India trust award are given for Indian students going for post graduation and research programs in UK. The awards deem primarily on the arts and humanities and the organization provides up to 50 grants annually for Indians. There are 6 various fields in which these awards are provided which includes humanities, journalism, English studies, museum studies and curatorship, visual and performing art and architectural and material conservation.

?Scottish International Scholarship: Scottish International Scholarship is awarded to those international students who are going to pursue there one year post graduation from Institutions in Scotland. Scholarship is awarded on the basis of priority of fields which include science and technology and humanities and cultural studies.

Along with these major scholarships there are few other scholarships which you must look up to which include Ford Foundation Visiting Scholarship, Rhodes scholarship, The Skoll scholarship program, Oxford and Cambridge Society of India, The Dorothy Hodgkin postgraduate Award and Felix scholarship. This scholarship surely plays key role in supporting the studies international students who wants to study in UK.

June 13th, 2011 | Tags:

Need help with your next exam? Get pro-active and prepare for success ahead of time with these 10 study tips.

1. You need a dedicated study area. That means you need to find a good place to study thats quiet, has plenty of room to spread out books and papers, and offers plenty of good lighting.

2. You should have your study tools handy you need writing paper, note cards (like index cards), pens, markers / highlighters, colored pencils, yellow sticky notes, a small dictionary, calculator, and a folder to keep your papers organized.

3. Get a tutor or study buddy when possible, and be one yourself (you can often learn by teaching!)

4. Review your notes from class/books and rewrite them, clearing up any points necessary and reinforcing them.

5. Compare study notes and class notes with those of others. Fill in what they have that you dont. Get help understanding what you may have missed. Highlight or underline important points.

6. Read all of your assignments, required book chapters, lessons, etc. Take notes, then go back and re-read again. Jot down questions about anything you do not understand and follow up as best you can.

7. Use practice exams or old tests when studying.

8. Learn to make outlines and outline important information from each lesson, each chapter.

9. Use note cards to make your own flashcards. Then dont just memorize, but really try to learn the information.

10. Try to put information to music, rhyming or other word patterns; for example, remember Roy G. Biv: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet = colors of the rainbow. And how about: My very educated mother just served us nine pancakes (or just nuts now) for remembering: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (?).

So grab your study tips and go! Get pro-active about passing your next exam and invite success to come your way.

June 13th, 2011 | Tags: ,

Effective study habits are essential for achieving and maintaining a high GPA. More importantly, effective study habits help you to store information in long-term memory, allowing you to use the learned information in a novel setting. Applying the following rules for studying will aid you in earning excellent marks in school.

Do: 1. Keep the area around your desk neat and tidy. If possible, the area should also be quiet. If you are having trouble finding a quiet place to study, try the local library or park. The library is a perfect place to have peace and quiet. The park may not be as quiet, but the fresh air can make studying less nerve-racking. If these options are unavailable, then try listening to some music while studying.

2. Have a scheduled study time for each school day. Remember that one classroom hour should be reinforced by two hours of studying at home.

3. Sit down for 45 minute intervals, followed by 15 minute breaks. Having an easily attainable goal, like sitting for set duration of time, is effective for increasing motivation.

4. Reward yourself if and only if you have met your goal for that study session. For example, if you plan to study one chapter and succeed, then you may reward yourself by doing something pleasurable. Examples of positive reinforcement are: food, exercise, videogames, etc.

5. Make correspondences between your class notes and your textbook. This will help you to fill in any background information not covered in class.

6. Prepare questions about the chapter that will be discussed in the following class. This will help you identify areas that you don’t understand.

7. Put any new words or concepts to use. The more you use the learned information, the more likely you will be to remember it. This is especially true for language classes.

8. Finally, review what you have studied just before you go to bed. You will find that you will remember the words very strongly the next morning.

Don’t: 1. Procrastinate. Cramming is not beneficial for producing long term memory.

2. Highlight. Highlighting is a form of procrastination, because you are saving note taking for later. This means you must use the book twice instead of once. Instead, make careful notes to compliment your classroom notes, along with page numbers so that you can refer back to the book if necessary.

3. Study on the computer. You are bound to be tempted to check your email or surf the net.

4. Leave your cell phone on during study time. No matter who is calling or texting you, usually it can wait 45 minutes. Having your cell phone on during study time can be a major distraction and is not conducive to learning.

5. Study just after you have eaten. Studies have shown that thinking is slower after having a meal.

6. Space out. When you feel your mind begin to wander, remind yourself to concentrate. If you are reading, using your finger is a good way to keep your mind on track. The movement of your finger on the page forces you to pay attention to what you are doing.

Author: Gene Grzywacz
Effective Study Habits
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