College Credit for High Schoolers

 By Keniya B.

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Scientifically Proven Study Tips

By: Sonia G.

Studying can feel like a chore. Some students study for hours and cannot seem to improve their grades, while other students do not study at all and easily maintain “perfect” averages. There are many myths around the topic of studying, but have no fear, scientifically proven study tips are here.

1. Study before you sleep

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What do you do before you go to bed? Many people wind down by reading or listening to music, but it might be worthwhile to try studying. In a 2012 study by the University of Notre Dame, psychologists studied 207 students who habitually slept for at least six hours per night. Participants were randomly assigned to study different types of word pairs at 9 a.m. or 9 p.m. and returned for testing 30 minutes, 12 hours or 24 hours later. At the 12-hour retest, memory overall was much better following a night of sleep compared to a day of wakefulness.¹ So next time you learn a difficult concept in class, consider studying before you go to bed.

2. Study out loud

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Talking to yourself can feel weird. People tend to look at you and you draw a lot of attention to yourself. But when it comes to studying by yourself, you may study better when you study out loud. One study shows that people who explain ideas to themselves learn almost three times more than those who don’t. The Harvard Business Review stated that “talking to ourselves is crucial to self-explaining and generally helpful for learning. For one thing, it slows us down — and when we’re more deliberate, we typically gain more from an experience.” ² When University of Illinois psychologist Brian Ross enrolled in a computer course, he found it hard to keep up with his younger counterparts. After reading assigned texts, he asked himself, “What did I just read? How does that fit together? Have I come across this idea before?” This helped him guide his self-studying, and these same questions can be used as you self-study. Next time you study, consider studying out loud (just not in the library).

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3. Exercise before you study

Do you like going for a jog in the evening? Do you like to do yoga before bed? No matter your answer, you may want to incorporate some exercise into your studying schedule. Exercise stimulates a brain structure called the hippocampus, which research has shown is important for reasoning and memory. Besides short-term boosts in cognition, regular exercise can help slow down the shrinkage of the hippocampus that comes with age. Additionally, exercise helps reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. By doing just 20 minutes of physical activity before studying, you not only get in a good workout, but you also harness the stress-reducing, positive cognitive effects that can assist you as you study.³

As you read this, it is my hope that you will consider incorporating these tips into your study routine. You may find that after using these tips you will see an improvement in your grades, or your study time will become more efficient. Even if you feel comfortable not studying, it is still a skill that can help you in the future by helping you become more confident in your answers. By making the most of your study time, you may grow to appreciate it and might actually learn something new. Studying is a good skill to hone in high school and can be helpful throughout your future career and other endeavors, if you do it correctly.

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¹ University of Notre Dame. “Sleeping after Processing New Info Most Effective, New Study Shows.” Notre Dame News, 23 Mar. 2012, https://news.nd.edu/news/learning-best-when-you-rest-sleeping-after-processing-new-info-most-effective-new-study-shows/.
² Boser, Ulrich, et al. “Talking to Yourself (Out Loud) Can Help You Learn.” Harvard Business Review, 25 Sept. 2017, https://hbr.org/2017/05/talking-to-yourself-out-loud-can-help-you-learn.
³ Pittman, Olivia, et al. “5 Study Hacks Proven By Science.” College Raptor Blog, https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/tips-tools-advice/5-study-hacks-proven-by-science-and-why-they-work/.

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

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Stop Strangling the Mouse!

By Isabella S.

We get it. You’ve been staring at a screen for over an hour, and you’re slowly becoming a zombie.  Your eyes are beginning to glaze over, your mind slowly dozing into a hypnotic state, and your hand is cramping to the point of immobility.  You submit the assignment only to return to absolute confusion the following day.  We’ve been there. 

WAKE UP! Chances are that you are struggling to absorb the information because you are using subliminal thought rather than thinking. It’s as though the basketball players are dribbling and passing while the coach burns holes into the court with his eyes. You need to get your head in the game! Here’s how to fix it:

1.     Breathe.

Sit up straight and inhale deeply. With your hands in your lap, relax your shoulders and focus on the movement of your chest as you slow down and readjust. This will help you reset and come back to the material with a clear mind.

2.     Blink.

As you sense your mind drifting and you start to lose focus, blink three times. Look at the last sentence you read/wrote and see if it makes any sense. If you are reading, reread the paragraph. If you are writing, cut the last sentence out and paste it at the bottom of the page. Then, read the sentences before and continue writing as if the sentence that you pasted at the bottom of the page never existed. Don’t worry! You can always come back to the original later because you pasted it at the bottom of your page. If this step puts into a mad frenzy of writing but you get stopped at a roadblock due to confusion over the “right word,” leave it blank. Take advantage of positive energy and creative streaks, and then come back to edit with a clear mind.

3.     Break.

You may be clicking or scrolling without thinking. This problem occurs more often in virtual classrooms due to the lack of verbal communication between teachers and students. Without noise, your studies can become monotonous. Stand up, eat a snack, and play a short song (in earbuds if you're in a lab). If you are able to, try some physical activity during your break in order to increase your brain’s functioning. Map out what you can remember in a bubble map or brain dump. This will allow you to see exactly what your mind was absorbing while you worked.  After your break, reread or re-watch the last subject material you covered and continue on with a fresh start. You may discover through mapping out your knowledge that you need to completely start reading, writing, or watching over again.

Time your breaks appropriately. Finish the last math problem you were on or find a stopping point that will make sense when you restart. This can be tricky and comes with experience. If you are watching a video, it is helpful to at least pause approximately every four minutes. However, you may need to vary this timing if the four-minute time period ends in the middle of a category or speech. Each student is different, so you may need to take breaks more or less often than your classmates.

Note: All of these suggestions come from personal experience and conversations I have had with fellow students. Please remember that every student is different and results will vary.

Making the Most of Your Peer Tutoring Session

By Ramya Krishna M.

The Peer Tutoring Center is a free service offered by NCVPS for the benefit of their students – all of you! After all, why should any student feel like a buoy in the middle of the ocean, in regards to their academics? As peer tutors we are here to offer you the benefits of our experience, whether from online courses, classroom courses, or intellectual curiosity.  Whether you are a first timer or a returning customer, it’s important to us and to you that the help you receive is actually beneficial. None of us want you leaving a session dissatisfied or more confused than you were before. This article is meant to help you prevent such problems before they start by making the most of your Peer Tutoring Session.

Start by preparing ahead. Before you begin hyperventilating, ask yourself what exactly you need help with.  All of us have had that class where we reach that point of being overwhelmed, but in order to seek help, we must target the areas that plague us the most. For example, instead of simply saying, “I need help with pre-calculus”, ask for help with specific concepts, such as functions or trigonometry. That way, we can target our assistance to fit your needs. However, be smart about what you ask your tutors. It's not impossible to figure out when you're asking us test questions, which are meant to test your knowledge, not ours. Plagiarism (taking someone else's words as your own) is also academic dishonesty and both will merit disclosure to your teacher. Just don't do it.

Active participation will allow you to retain the information you have studied with your tutor. Make an effort to understand the assignment or concept instead of seeking a speedy answer, especially when you have to build on this knowledge throughout the course. Figure out what teaching styles and methods suit your learning style best, either through experience or numerous online quizzes like this one: (http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm) and inform your tutor. Help us help you. You should be taking detailed notes as you go through a session with a peer tutor. You don't want to exit a session and go back to your assignment, only to realize that you don't remember what your tutor said.

Suppose you are a particularly astute learner who has caught your tutor making a mistake. Don't let us get away with it. Instead, politely inform us of our error. We strive to always give you the correct information, but we're human too. I don't say this to make you paranoid, but it's a reminder to keep your eyes open. 

Understandably, you may be feeling frustrated when you don't get the material. Don't succumb to this frustration, even when it is hard. Keep asking questions to your tutor, don't be too worried about holding us up. We want to help you! If your tutor can't help you, don't stop looking until you find someone who can. It may seem daunting to ask for assistance, but it is absolutely worth it. 

Note Taking Formats

By Elizabeth M.

There isn’t a “one size fits all” rule for taking notes. Everyone has a slightly different learning style, and the endless stream of words method may work for your best friend, but not for you. Listed below are a few alternative note-taking options that you might find helpful.

• Foldables

A lift-the-flap for secondary school students, foldables are useful when you need to quiz yourself on content, but you do not have anyone around to help you.

You can make foldables with any number of flaps and tabs with some scissors and a sheet of paper. The most basic foldables are folded once like a book, and 3-6 flaps are cut on one half of the paper. Tutorials and examples of more complex foldables can be found online if you want to test your creative side. Foldables are a very customizable way to organize your notes, but I would not recommend them for detailed notes since space is often very limited under the flaps of a foldable.

Your notes can be written on the inside of the flap. Write a key term or vocabulary word on the outside of the flap so you can test yourself on the related definitions and facts you may need to recall.

• Cornell Notes

I personally use Cornell Notes often, and I find that they are a great method for keeping the content I learn in class organized.

1. If you are using notebook paper, draw a dark horizontal line across the top line of the paper. You can also make Cornell Notes out of regular printer paper in a pinch. Just draw the horizontal line about an inch down from the top of the paper. The class and/or subject of the notes will be written on this line.
2. Draw another horizontal line 3-5 lines away from the bottom of the page. If you think you may use more than one sheet of paper, save this step for the last page of your notes. The summary of your notes will be written below this line.
3. Draw a vertical line about a hand's-width away from the left side of the paper, starting at the subject line and ending at the summary line. On the left hand side of this line, the main points/questions of the notes will be written. On the right hand side of the notes, the body of the notes will be written.

During the class, lecture, etc., you only need to write on the right hand side of the vertical line. After you finish writing the body of the notes, re-read your notes and identify the main points of the notes and write them in the left hand column. At the bottom of the page or set of notes, write a short summary of the most important facts in the body of your notes. Finding the most valuable parts of the body to write in the left hand side of the notes and the summary is an efficient way to analyze your notes.

• Flash Cards

I find flash cards to be one of the most effective studying tools. They break up your notes into smaller pieces by their very nature, making studying seem less overwhelming. It is an easy format for you to test yourself, and other people can quiz you without much hassle as well.

Flashcards work best with vocabulary and concepts with short descriptions and even sketches, drawings, and diagrams. You can make flashcards out of index cards, which I like because they are sturdy and have ample room. You can also cut pieces of printer paper into rectangles to make flash cards too.

If these strategies don’t work for you, think about modifying these techniques and other note-taking methods you already know and coming up with a style that works for you!

A Learning Style for Everyone

By: Noah H.

Learning styles are the fingerprints of the mind; they are as unique as the person using them and as varying as all the people in the world. There are several generalized categories of learning styles, and all influence how a student learns. Understanding them is the best way for a student to pass a class. Knowing about your learning style can help you know how to study for an online class.

A learning style is the way in which a person learns, for example whether or not they learn more from a video or a book. There are several different theories as to how learning styles work but the most common is divided into 4 categories: visual, auditory, reading/writing-preference learners and kinesthetic/tactile learners (hands on).
The most common learning style is visual. This learning style focuses on pictures, diagrams, movies, and other forms of visual media, even visual demonstrations are helpful. The next most common learning style is auditory. These people benefit from someone talking to them to help them learn, and they benefit from lectures and video/audio setups. Reading/Writing-preference learners are most comfortable learning from books and texts, these students have no trouble reading chapters of a textbook, and may prefer to read a book about a subject than watch a movie about it. Lastly, kinesthetic/tactile learners are people who learn by “hands-on” experience.
One thing to keep in mind is that all people have parts of every learning style in them: no one is 100% one way or the other. You may be 10% reading, 10% visual, 50% auditory and 30% kinesthetic; however you should try to study the best way for you. So the person above would most likely want to get auditory help in a subject because that is their greatest strength. Another thing to keep in mind is that your learning style can change over time usually babies start out with learning through touch (tactile) but as they grow they will learn to use visual and auditory learning more and more.
Knowing your learning style is important, because as soon as an individual discovers which type they are they can begin to attempt to adjust their studying to their strengths. For example, if a student knows they learn very well from videos then they should look for tutorials on YouTube or some other video site rather than trying to decipher a wiki. Another way they can try to help themselves is in the way they ask for help. An auditory student may want to call the teacher over the phone for assistance while a reading/writing-preference learner will want to send an e-mail. All these factors lead to an easier online class experience.

To learn about your learning style, follow these links: http://www.educationplanner.org/education_planner/calc_frames.asp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aessuccess.org%2Fgetting%2Flearning_quiz%2Fquiz.html&pagetype=Preparing-Learning+Styles+Quiz&sponsor=2859