4 Back to School Tips
It’s the season for school again, whether you are in elementary, high school, or any level of education, the pleasant break just does not seem to last. If you happen to be dreading the courses, and workload ahead, you have stumbled upon the right place. Here are 4 tips to get ready again for school.
1. Have a plan
Set a plan for school. This could be in the form of a to-do list, a calendar, or even a schedule. A plan allows you to visualize long-term objectives, stay on track, and avoid cramming things last minute. A plan also serves as a rational guideline, it makes you follow what you actually need to put time into and not what you feel like you do. In other words, you know you are going to be studying for that A+ on math instead of binging the new season of Doctor Who and getting a C- on the test day, if you follow your plan.
2. Set goals
Set goals that are measurable, and defined. Goals should be partitioned into long-term and short-term goals. In other words, there will be a long term objective that you are trying to achieve, each of which is supplemented with concrete short-term goals which often details the steps in achieving it. For instance, if your long term goal is to improve your English writing skill, set a short-term goal of writing 200 words per day and reading 30 articles within a month.
3. Studying smart
Studying is a skill that can be improved. When you are studying, you want to be maximizing the time that you put in, I often like to refer to the equation “Time X Intensity”. It is important to note when you function best during the day, which varies between people. When you are forced to memorize certain factoids without much context, use mnemonics (including acronyms, rhymes, imagery etc). Two personal methods I personally like is “Quiz + Recall” and “Hat Trick”. Quiz + recall is a simple technique that requires you to write down questions for concepts/facts that you anticipate difficulty retaining, and later revisiting the questions and recalling the answers from your memory. The hat trick technique involves writing down different concepts onto separate pieces of paper and putting them into a hat. Two pieces of paper are randomly drawn from the hat, and then you connect the two concepts together.
4. Utilize online resources
There is a wide array of free online resources available to help you study. If you like to use flashcards, there is an online edition that can be downloaded onto your computer called Anki. If you happen to be a visual learner and love using flowchart and diagrams, there is a free website called Bubbl.us, which allows you to make instant flowcharts and diagrams.
