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/.

Conquering AP Exams

By: Gracie B.

Jtk13 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

AP exam season can be a difficult time, especially for students taking their first exam or juggling multiple tests. However, like most standardized tests, AP exams are highly predictable in their structure and content. By preparing diligently and employing effective test-taking strategies, you can conquer your AP exams.

Before the Exams

It is crucial to ensure that you have completed all pre-registration materials. If you are taking an exam for a class that is not offered at your face-to-face school, touch base with your school’s testing coordinator to make sure your test has been ordered and is scheduled for administration. Keep track of which of your tests are morning sessions and which are afternoon sessions. Morning exams start at 8:00 a.m., while afternoon exams begin at 12:00 p.m. One notable exception to this schedule is the Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism exam, which begins at 2:00 p.m. Prepare to arrive at your testing center at least thirty minutes before your exams and make sure you have eaten and are well-rested before testing.

One of the most valuable resources to prepare for AP exams is College Board’s AP Central, which contains free response questions from previous years’ tests. It also provides scoring rubrics and sample student responses. You will find that the College Board tends to ask similar types of questions every year, so studying past tests is an invaluable use of your review time. The College Board publishes a limited number of multiple choice questions on their website, but you can find additional practice tests in targeted prep books such as those published by the Princeton Review. These books also review course content. Khan Academy is another useful resource that provides free videos, summaries, and practice questions for AP subjects such as Calculus and Art History.

Study Resources:
College Board’s AP Central: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses
Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/

During the Exams

As you take your AP exams, keep in mind how the tests are scored. On some exams, students may be able to pass by answering only about 60% of the questions correctly. You can still earn a four or a five on an AP exam without being able to solve every problem. The key to mastering AP tests is to find a way to maximize your score by focusing on your strengths. A Calculus BC student struggling with Taylor Series might skip the last free response question and focus his or her energy on answering the other questions. When you are stuck on one specific question, it is often best to make an educated guess and move forward to ensure that you have enough time to complete the rest of the test.

Another key strategy is to look for patterns throughout AP tests. AP exams, especially those in history and social science, often reinforce a series of overarching themes. For instance, you are almost guaranteed to see questions about race relations, women’s rights, and the expansion of America’s role in international affairs on the AP United States History exam. If you understand these underlying concepts, you can often make deductions that will lead you to correct answers. For example, if you know that Native Americans were treated unfairly throughout U.S. history, you can infer that a specific conflict may have been caused by the displacement of natives from their homelands. While some students scramble to memorize every last piece of information pertaining to a subject, those with a deeper understanding of the material are often most successful on AP tests.

After the Exams

AP scores are released in July. The exact date you will receive your score depends on your state. Your school should have issued you an AP number card with instructions on how to log into College Board to view your scores. A score of three is considered passing, as the College Board recommends that a student who earns this score is qualified to receive college credit. A student who scores a four is well qualified, and a student who scores a five is extremely well qualified to receive credit. College Board offers no credit recommendation for test-takers who score a one but states that those who score a two may qualify for credit, depending on the university they attend. Any AP scholar awards you receive will be added to your account in the days following your initial score release. Remember, while a stellar AP score can allow you to place out of introductory college classes, failing an AP test is not uncommon and will not ruin your prospects for future academic success. Most colleges do not require the submission of AP scores as part of the application process, and students who scored poorly may actually benefit from retaking a course in a university setting.

By applying the strategies and information discussed in this article, you can work to ensure that your AP testing season is successful and stress-free.



Sources:
“About AP Scores.” College Board, apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/about-ap-scores/.
“AP Calendar.” College Board, apstudent.collegeboard.org/takingtheexam/ap-calendar.
Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam. Penguin Random House, 2018.

Have No Fear! Time Management is Here!

By Isabella S. 

Deadlines can be hard to keep, especially if you don’t have a teacher telling you to submit an assignment every day. This is where time management comes into play! If you can manage your time wisely, avoid procrastination, and keep a regular schedule, online classes will become abundantly easier! This may seem like a difficult task, but with three easy steps, you can take charge of your workload and submit assignments on time.

Step 1: Commit.

The first step of becoming a time-managing wizard is to commit to deadlines and WANT to do your best. You must have a desire to achieve. Ask yourself: Why should I commit now? Every student has a different reason that pushes him or her to stay on track. For some, it may be to allow more time to other activities, such as sports, academic teams, and clubs. For others, the idea of earning a higher education and knowing that every grade received in high school affects their chances of achieving in this area will push them to submit assignments on time. Lastly, some students simply want to free themselves from the stress and anxiety that can come from falling behind.

Whatever your reason, you must understand that online classes will take commitment in order to help you steer clear of procrastination. If you are not sure you are ready to commit to your class, talk to your teacher and ask them what is expected of you. Knowing what your teacher is asking of you is extremely crucial. Make a list of your goals for this semester and what you want to gain from the class; this may be a particular grade, knowledge in a certain area, or completion of all of your assignments. Whatever your reasons for commitment and goals are, time management can help you steer clear of procrastination.

Step 2: Plan.

The second step for taking control of your online classes, and probably the most important, is to plan. Developing a schedule is essential to turning in assignments before or on the due date. Try making a list of the assignments that you need to work on by breaking them down into simpler tasks. For example: If you have to write an essay on zombies for your biology class and the paper is due in two weeks, you can dissect (excuse the pun!) your project into multiple sections and give yourself shorter work periods so that the assignment becomes less mind-boggling. You can allow yourself only a week or less to complete research- that’s the beauty of time management! You can customize your deadlines, as long as you pledge to keep them. You can decide to give yourself five days to conduct your primary research. You can choose to finish your introduction and conclusion in three days, and your body paragraphs in four days. Suddenly, this monumental task has become three smaller projects that are easy to complete within the time period.

One important element that you must remember is to always finish your assignment at least a day in advance. This will give you flexibility and an opportunity to allow others to review your work. Another important part of planning is looking at assignments ahead of time. Open the Pacing Guide for your online class and look at the work that you think will take the most amount of time. Keep a planner that includes all of your assignments that are due and ask someone you can trust to remind you in case you forget. You could program your phone to send you an alert when it is time to start working on a project. Make a plan, and everything will be much easier!

Step 3: Do.

You must follow through on all of your plans or nothing will ever get done!  If you have decided to spend a certain amount of time on an assignment, you must act on this decision. Sometimes this involves rescheduling personal events and/or missing them. A great tactic to use is to look ahead at the time you have scheduled to work on your assignments and treat it as an appointment that you must keep. You must learn to say “no” to friends and interferences.

One easy way to avoid wasting time is to remove distractions. Turn off the television, cell phones, and social media. Find a quiet place with adequate lighting, minimal distractions, and seclusion. Go ahead and remove the issues that may call for a break. Eat a snack ahead of time, start with a sharpened pencil, and collect all of your materials. When you start with everything laid out and ready to work with, you avoid stopping in the middle of your studying.

Now it is time to get to work! Throw yourself at it and do not be afraid to ask questions. Find a nice stopping point by looking back at your plans and by seeing how much time you will have left to finish the assignment. Continue to keep your commitments and plans, and… Voila! You’re on track to an A+ performance!

Image: NasimAhmed96$ [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons