Janet Engle - 101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for High School Students: What Every Student Needs to Know Explained Simply

101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for High School Students

What Every Student Needs to Know Explained Simply

By Janet Engel

101 Ways to Make Studying Easier and Faster for High School Students: What Every Student Needs to Know Explained Simply

Copyright 2008 by Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

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ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-217-7

ISBN-10: 1-60138-217-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Engle, Janet.

101 ways to make studying easier and faster for high school students : what every student needs to know explained simply / by Janet Engle.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-217-7 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-217-0 (alk. paper)

1. Study skills--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. High school students--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. II. Title: One hundred one ways to make studying easier and faster for high school students. III. Title: One hundred and one ways to make studying easier and faster for high school students.

LB1601.E54 2008

373.130281--dc22

2008023670

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Table of Contents

Introduction

The teenage years are often referred to as the best time of your life frequently by adults who graduated too long ago to remember what high school is truly like.

In addition to being a chance to experiment with identities, branch out socially, and learn new skills and ideas, high school can be stressful and exhausting. Students may be expected to juggle school, work, extra-curricular activities, after-school jobs, and household chores, but they are seldom given the tools they need for success.

When I was in high school, I managed to get good grades despite horrible study habits. Some late nights at the dinner table and early mornings at the school library, combined with a natural talent for quick memorization, were sufficient for most tests and assignments. When semester exams rolled around, though, I would realize just how little I had truly learned during those haphazard study sessions. I always felt as if I was looking at the material for the first time, and my exam grades would reflect that I had never mastered the concepts.

Projects and term papers were equally unsuited to my cram the night before study technique. Luckily for my report card, my teachers stopped assigning long-term homework around my sophomore year. Maybe they were as tired of grading half-completed, poorly-organized work as my classmates and I were of doing it.

My poor time-management and study habits did not become real problems until I started college. Between lectures, laboratories, and readings, I had to learn more information than I could possibly memorize in one night. Most of my classmates seemed much more skilled at keeping on top of their work, and the professors did not share my high school teachers avoidance of long-term assignments.

I had to learn how to study, so I took every time-management and study-skills workshop I could find. Because I had to manage a full class load and a part-time job, I quickly figured out which techniques gave the best results in the least amount of time.

The ability to study does not come naturally to all students. If you have been making good grades by cramming the nights before your tests, you may wonder why you should take the time to change your habits. If you spend hours each night with your textbooks but do not make the grades you want, you may wonder if there is any hope.

The techniques in this book can help you. The tips will help you categorize your tasks in order of importance, organize your work area, and complete more schoolwork in less time:

By learning how to study more efficiently and effectively, you will be able to manage your responsibilities with less stress.

High school can be the best years of your life. The study and time management skills you develop now will help you prepare for success in college and throughout your career.

Chapter 1

Study Easier & Faster

Unless you recognize the long-term consequences of your academic performance in high school, you may find it difficult to put in the time and effort needed to succeed.

The grades you make now can shape your life in many ways. States and schools may set eligibility requirements for participating in sports and other extracurricular activities. If your grade point average drops too low, you may not be able to pay basketball, try out for the spring musical, or represent your school at the next art show.

Some localities do not allow students to hold summer or after-school jobs if their grades fall below a certain level. Even if you meet the minimum requirements, employers may be hesitant to hire students who have trouble managing their class work. If you rely on employment to pay for a car, spending money, or to help your family, low grades can limit your earning potential.