Test Taking Strategies

Examinations are a fact of life in college. When you take a test, you are demonstrating your ability to understand course material. Here are some tips to help you develop great test taking skills.

Take a Note from the Past. Always try to analyze how you did on a similar type of test in the past, i.e. multiple choice, and as well try to review previous tests and sample tests provided by your teacher. Each test that you take can help you to prepare for the next one!

Be Prepared. Always try to arrive early for tests—this will give you time to do a last minute review of your notes, and to take a deep breath and relax before you have to write the test. Make a list and prepare what you need, i.e. pens, pencils, calculator, beforehand to avoid last minute panic.

Be comfortable but alert. Choose a comfortable location with enough space for your needs—if you require additional space, try choosing a seat at the back or on the end of a row as opposed to right in the middle of the class or area. Try not to slouch; maintain good posture and stay relaxed and confident.

Relax. Keep a good attitude and remind yourself that you are going to do your best. If you find yourself panicking, take a few deep breaths. Try not to talk to other students right before writing--stress can be contagious!

Avoid Careless Errors. Read the directions carefully, and if there is time, quickly look through the test for an overview. Previewing the test allows you to see how much time you need to allot for each section--if the test is all multiple choice questions, it is good to know that immediately. When answering essay questions, try to make an outline in the margin before you begin writing. Organization, clear thinking, and good writing is important, but so is neatness, so be sure to make your writing legible. Answer questions in a strategic order--easy questions first to build confidence, then those with the most point value. Allow yourself extra time for the more difficult parts, like essay questions if this is your area of weakness.

Review! If you have time, review your answers and ensure that you haven’t missed any questions. Resist the urge to leave when you complete the exam—a second review gives you a chance to change answers to questions if you made an error or misread the question.

How to Study Mathematics

Buy used textbooks. Sometimes we don't understand a concept because the explanation is just plain bad or it's not written in a way that we can understand. It's good to have a text that gives alternate explanations and additional sample problems to work out. Many used book stores will have inexpensive texts. Just double check to make sure that the explanations and answers from the previous owner are correct!

Study actively. Don't just work out a problem, draw pictures and diagrams of a process and make up stories to go along with them. If you are an auditory learner, you may want to make brief recordings of yourself defining some terms or processes.

Read actively. Use sticky notes or flags to mark important things in your chapter or things you need to ask about in class. If you have a sample problem that you've worked out and you'd like to have similar problems for additional practice, mark it with a flag and ask the teacher next time you are in class.

Use college prep study guides. If you can't find an old textbook to use in addition to your class text, try using an SAT, ACT, or CLEP study guides. They often provide great explanations and sample problems. You can also find free online study guides for these tests.

Take breaks. If you come across a problem that you don't understand, read it over a few times and give it a try—but then walk away from it and make a sandwich or do something else. Your brain will continue to work on the problem subconsciously.

Review old tests. Old tests are the best clues to future tests. They are good for establishing a strong foundation for the newer information, but they also provide insight as to how the teacher thinks.

Practice neatness. How unfortunate would it be to miss a test question out of sloppiness? It's important to make sure you can line up problems neatly so you don't confuse yourself, and also to make sure you can tell your sevens from your ones.

Find a study partner. A study partner can test you and help you understand things you can't get on your own.

Understand the process. You sometimes hear that it doesn't matter how you come up with the right answer, just as long as you get there. But, this is not always true. You should always strive to understand an equation or a process.

Balancing Social Life with School Work

Sometimes, if we are only focused on getting great grades, we forget our friends and our family and that there is a real world out there to have fun and discover. On the other hand, some of us don't care about our grades in high school or college because we think our social lives are more important. If you want to succeed in life, you need to find a balance between your academics and your social life. Here are some steps to help you to find that balance.

Be organized. Organize your study time and the time that you spend with people. Have an agenda, and write down what you will study one day, how much time you will spend studying, and at what time.

Get involved in social activities. If some of your classmates are having a party and you're invited, don´t think twice, just go and have a great time. That way you will be sharing time with them, and letting your mind and body relax.

Stay in touch with friends. Nowadays, we have the advantage of online social networking technology like Facebook, MSN Messenger, Skype and Twitter that you can use in order to keep in contact with your friends. Your cell phone is also with you at all times, so feel free to call to your friends whenever you want to also.

Plot out your weekly schedule on a grid. Decide for yourself at the start of the term that you won't let school work sweep you away. Chances are, you'll have small gaps between classes during the week, and longer stretches of free time on the weekends. Be sure to set aside at least one large chunk of time each week for free time - maybe all of Saturday, for instance.

Use time wisely. If you find yourself in one of those between-class gaps, use the time efficiently: read a few pages, run some quick errands or spell-check your paper.

Lastly, encourage your friends to follow a similar plan, so you can coordinate your free time with theirs.

When Does A College Transfer Make Sense?

It is estimated that about 30% of college students will decide to transfer to a different school at some point in their college careers. Too often students switch schools for the wrong reasons and find that the grass is not always greener after the move. Here are a few situations in which a college transfer makes sense.

Financial Necessity
Some students simply feel that they can’t afford to stay at their current college. If you're feeling money pressures, be sure to talk to a financial aid officer or your family before deciding on making a transfer. The long-term rewards of a quality degree might outweigh short-term financial inconvenience. Also, realize that a transfer to a less expensive school may not actually save you money in the long run.

Up for the Challenge
If you are not feeling challenged enough at your current school, or you have you earned such high grades that you think you can win admission to a significantly better school, than transfer might be a good idea. A more prestigious college may be able to offer better educational and career opportunities. Remember, however, that being the star of the class at lower-ranked school can also have its own rewards.

Specialized Major
If you discover in your first few years of college that you want to be a zoologist, you might want to transfer to a school that specializes in animals. Similarly, if nothing will suit you but a career as an astrologist, you should transfer to one of the few schools in the country that offers such specialized training.

Family Obligations
In some cases, family has to take priority over school. If you need to be close to home because of a sick family member, transferring to a different school closer to home might make sense. Try to talk to your Dean first--a leave of absence is sometimes a much better solution.

Social Situation
Sometimes the culture at a college turns out to be the opposite of what you wanted. Maybe the seven-day-a-week party scene isn’t for you, or perhaps the opposite is true and you’d like a more active social life. College isn’t just about the academics, so in some cases like these, a transfer might make sense. Don’t jump too quickly though--make sure that the social group that you’re looking for doesn’t exist at your current school and try a change of friends first before a change of school.

Is Social Media Derailing Your College Plan?

A recent survey discovered that over the last few years, colleges have increased their presence on several social media platforms, including Twitter, YouTube, Google and Pinterest. But, colleges aren’t simply using social media to recruit potential students; they are also using these platforms to eliminate students during the college admissions process. During the past year, 35% of college admissions officers admitted that they found something online that negatively affected a student’s chance of admission--for students just starting the college planning process, this should be a wake-up call! The good news is that there are several things students can do to help minimize any negative impact social media may have on their college admissions opportunities.

“Google” Yourself

It may seem vain, but Google is a great way to find out what’s online for others to find. You may be surprised to see pictures or read posts about yourself that may be less than flattering. Taking the time to go through the links and remove any negative content may help to avoid future embarrassment during the admissions process, or help to prepare for questions concerning incidents detailed online.

Strike a Pose
Pictures sometimes speak louder than words, so students should take great care to clean up any questionable shots that may be included on their Facebook page or other social platforms. Photos that include drinking, drugs or other illegal activities will definitely cause more harm than good. Also, consider removing any pictures in revealing outfits or provocative poses. Instead, try to include photos of yourself winning awards, time spent volunteering or images engaging in school activities.

Clean it Up
Although students may just be ‘playing around’ with their friends, quoting music lyrics, or simply sharing a funny video, these activities may be perceived by others as negative, depending on the nature of the content involved. Try to refrain from including profanity or sexually explicit content on any of your social media channels. Instead, consider linking to causes you are passionate about or including inspirational quotes and other positive messages on your Facebook wall and Twitter feed.

Be a “Follower”

Students should also consider following their prospective colleges on several social media platforms. Interacting with the college’s admissions staff and current students online can assist students in determining whether a school may be right for them, as well as showing colleges that they have a serious interest in gaining admission. 

Creating a positive online image is becoming an important aspect of the college admissions process and students should be aware that once something is posted online, it is very difficult to make it disappear. 

Ways to Keep In Touch With Friends After High School

While college often leads to a new city, a new school, and new friends, your new college life doesn't have to come at the expense of losing touch with your high school friends. But how exactly can you keep in touch with your friends from high school when you're busy managing all that college has to offer? Here are some tips to maintain those relationships that you cherish so much, without sacrificing your study time and college experience.

Use social media. Things like Facebook and Twitter are likely already a part of your social life. As you transition from high school to college, use social media to keep your friends updated -- and to stay updated about them. This will help you to stay informed about relationship updates, school changes, and the overall ups and downs of your friends' lives.

Use the phone and Skype or web chat. If you and your friends all have iPhones, you have the option of Face Time, or on the computer Skype and web chatting. While they don't have to happen frequently, phone calls and video chats can be a great way to help you keep in touch with your high school friends.

Use text or IM. If you have a busy semester, you don't necessarily have the time for a phone call or video chat. The solution? Consider sending a quick text message to one of your high school friends just to let them know you are thinking of them and are wondering how they are doing.

Use email. E-mail can be a great tool—especially when you need something to do to shift your brain away from that term paper or exam studying for a bit! Consider spending a few minutes drafting an email to an old high school friend to update them about your own college life while asking for the latest news on their end.

Meet up whenever possible. No matter how great technology is, there's just nothing like a face-to-face meeting. Meeting up in person is important if you'd like to maintain your high school relationships both during and after college. Remember, too, that you can meet up in all kinds of places: back in your hometown, at your campus, at your friend's campus, or even somewhere fun you both have always wanted to go.

How to Pick the Right Courses for Your Future

The main reason you're in school is to earn your degree, so picking the right courses at the right time and in the right order, is critical to your success.

To help you choose your courses, talk to your adviser. No matter how big or small your school is; you should have an adviser who helps make sure you are on track to earning your degree. Check in with them, no matter how sure you are about your choices. Not only does your adviser most likely need to sign off on your selections, but they can also help alert you to things you may not even have considered.

Make sure to balance your schedule and try not to set yourself up for failure by thinking you can handle more courses than you usually take. Make sure your schedule has varying levels of difficulty. If possible, vary subject matters so that you aren't using one part of your brain all day and choose courses with varying due dates for major projects and exams. When you choose courses, think about your learning style. If, for example, you learn better in the morning, you may want to schedule your more difficult courses for earlier and save electives for the afternoon or evening. See what options you have within a department or course section and pick something that matches best with your learning style.

Do you know of a professor in your department that you have heard has a great teaching style? See if you can take a course with them this semester, or if it would be better to wait until a later time. If you've found a professor with whom you intellectually click, taking another class with them can help you get to know them better and may lead to other things like research opportunities and letters of recommendation. If you're unfamiliar with professors on campus but know that you learn best from a professor’s particular teaching style, such as one who engages a class instead of one who only lectures, ask around and see what experience other students have had with various professors and their teaching styles.

Finally, when choosing classes, consider your work schedule and other commitments. If you know that you will need to have an on-campus job or need to do an internship for your major consider taking a class in the evenings. Planning around your commitments can help to reduce your stress level once the semester is well underway.

College Freshman Survival Guide

If you feel overwhelmed by your freshman year in college away from home, you are not alone! The first semester away from home is a difficult time for about every college student--you're not just learning college curriculum, you are also learning the challenge of how to be a college student. Here are some basic first year survival tips.

Be responsible for your own learning. No one is going to remind you when your papers are due or hold you responsible for doing your homework every night instead of socializing. Make sure that you go to class every single day unless you have an extremely good reason not to go. Now that you're no longer forced to be in class, it will be tempting not to go. Just know that if you don't go, you're not going to do well. When in class, take good notes and pay attention—no text messaging your friends or updating your Facebook status.

Try to meet new people. Be sure to take advantage of freshman orientation week--if you go home to visit old friends and visit family, you'll be missing out on the opportunity to make friends and build an independent life away from your family. Face your fears and your homesickness and stay on campus, at least for the first month or so. The same goes for if you have high school friends on campus with you-- avoid hanging out with them all the time and take the opportunity to make new friends and meet new people.

Learn to be financially responsible. Even if you're lucky enough to have parents who can help you out financially, you need to learn to spend money wisely. Also, be careful with credit cards--credit card companies prey on college students heavily, and before you know it, you may be in more debt than you thought possible. Make sure that you have an emergency fund for things like medical bills, car repairs, etc., so that if something goes wrong, you're prepared to deal with it.

Eat right and stay healthy. Try to eat well, exercise a reasonable amount--walking around campus counts, get regular medical checkups, and get enough sleep. Make sure you understand basic nutrition and how to eat right--college is full of junk food temptations and if you're not careful, you'll be packing on the dreaded "freshman 15" in no time and may make yourself sick in the process. Be careful not to have too much sugar or caffeine, and avoid consuming too much alcohol.

Seek out help if you need it. Academic and psychological help is available on all college campuses, but you need to take the responsibility to get the help you need. Don't be afraid to ask professors for help if you are feeling depressed or psychological overwhelmed.

If you follow these simple steps and guidelines, your first year as a college student will go much more smoothly. Take the time to educate yourself now to guarantee a great college experience.

Making the Most of Your First Year at College

Often students spend so much time preparing for college, they don’t know what to do when they get there! Whether it’s joining a fraternity or social club, playing sports or volunteering, there are many new opportunities available at college. Students, however, need to balance these new experiences with the reason why they’re at college- to get an education. The following are some tips on how students can both respect their academic responsibilities and get the most out of other aspects of college life.

Don’t Blow Off Too Many Classes. 

Unlike high school, attendance at college classes is optional, for the most part. Students are often tempted to skip class to sleep in or hang out with friends, and while missing a class here and there can be reasonable; missing too many classes can have very serious consequences for your grades and overall academic standing. Many courses have participation marks, which means just showing up is an easy way to ensure a decent grade. Students should also keep in mind that a low GPA from your first year can be all but impossible to raise, no matter how much work you put into your upper years of college.

Set Up a Schedule. 

Maintaining a schedule is just as important to knowing when your paper is due as the date of the next big varsity football game. Pulling all-nighters may seem like an integral part of the college experience, but it is not a productive or sustainable study strategy. By knowing ahead of time when to expect to be busy with school assignments, students can also more effectively plan for (stress-free!) social events.

Visit Your Professor.

Even if you feel you know the course material, taking some time to visit your professor during their office hours can be a very rewarding experience. For students contemplating graduate school, building relationships with professors in your first year can result in comprehensive and positive reference letters when it comes time to apply. A chat with your professor now and then can help you better understand your course material, keep in mind that professors are often great at pointing out resources for your assignments.

Get Enough Sleep, Exercise and Eat Right. 

It seems simple, but taking the time to take care of yourself can help you have a positive and productive first year. If you’re tempted by the daily pizza special in the cafeteria, think about taking the stairs instead of the elevator to class. Be sure to check out the school gym- usually its membership is included in your tuition fees. Getting enough sleep is important to not only paying attention in class, but ensuring you have enough energy to hang out with friends.

9 Helpful Tips for College Bound Freshmen

The excitement of going to college can crash and burn rather quickly a few days into the actual school year. Here are some tips to help you deal with that first year away from home at college. Adjusting to campus life doesn't have to be difficult if you have an idea what to anticipate.

1. Expect to get homesick - When high school graduation comes, it seems that every 18-year old believes they are grown and ready to face the world. The reality is that after leaving home, there is always some sadness. This is perfectly natural, but be prepared to cope.

2. Make new friends - Sure it is great to keep your existing friends from back home, but now that you are in a new place, you need to make new friends you will see on a regular basis. Other freshmen are looking to make friends, too, and campus life is easier when you build relationships and can rely on each other.

3. Orientations are helpful - Orientations are designed for a reason, and that is to help new students acclimate successfully to campus life. Some are mandatory, some are optional, but either way you stand to learn something that will help you in your adjustment to college life.

4. Don't miss class - Remember that attending class is very important. There are many other young adults who would love to be in your shoes but don't have the opportunity or funds to attend college. Secondary education is a prized opportunity, so get out of bed on time and attend all classes.

5. Don't expect to be treated like a high school student - College professors and teachers are not going to remind you of tests and homework the way your high school teachers spoiled you. You are the responsible party and must keep up with your studies if you want to "make the grade."

6. Eat right - Mom isn't there to stand over you and tell you to eat your fruit and vegetables. Proper nutrition is essential for a well functioning mind. Avoid a daily diet of sugar and fast food. The campus cafeteria typically serves well balanced options. Snack on fruits, vegetables, and drink plenty of water daily.

7. No one will tell you when to study - Mom and dad won't be around to tell you to turn off the television, study for a test, or when you should get in bed. You are an adult now and need to make grown-up decisions. It is okay to have fun and participate in quality activities other than just studying, but you are there to get an education.

8. Learn patience and giving - Many freshmen have never had to share a room with another individual, so it can be an awakening when a roommate doesn't share the same interests. You cannot always do exactly what you want in the confines of your college dorm room. It is a shared space and each student should respect the other's rights.

9. Don't be shy about asking for help - College is not going to be easy, especially in certain subjects. There are always people who can help with tutoring or as study partners if you ask. Take every advantage to get the best education you can.

To keep the excitement you have for going away for college, prepare in advance for the best ways to adjust to life on campus. Make your college experience one that you will remember fondly in the years to come.

College Costs - Personalizing the Dorm Room

There are so many costs associated with college other than tuition and textbooks. Planning ahead and researching what these costs are can save parents from a big shock as the time nears for their child to leave for college.

Other expenses to expect are meal plans, housing, various campus fees (i.e. parking permits), club memberships, and many other supplies and incidentals. Then there are the costs for the items required in the dormitory living quarters.

One college campus housing department noted that some students are known to spend more than $350 on their dormitory bed linens and other move-in accessories. Of course, parents want their children to have living quarters that are comfortable and homey, but this can be accomplished for less.

One source parents and students can visit online is www.rhl.org "Residence Hall Linens and Dorm Bedding." They offer discounted value packs tailored around the dormitory student. It is a great place to browse even if it is just to create a checklist of things you'll need that are often forgotten.

It is easy to take some things for granted when you are suddenly away from home. Some items that come in handy in a dorm room include a sewing kit, a tool kit (helpful on move-in day), a comfortable mattress pad, and first aid supplies.

Students with laptops will want to be sure they have the necessary security locks to prevent loss from theft. They'll want a clothes hamper for dirty clothes, and a laundry bag is helpful for transporting items to and from the laundry area.

A shower pack is recommended and should contain waterproof sandals, a toothbrush case, a snap-cover soap dish, a plastic cup, and a tote for bath items (shampoo, toothpaste, and conditioner). Keeping things clean and covered is essential for proper hygiene in the dormitory setting.

Other items you might want to consider are specially designed garment and shoe organizers. The idea is to purchase items that can be used for multiple semesters and are designed to require minimal space because dorm rooms are typically small.

A college bound student can set up housekeeping in the dorm room without breaking the budget. It just requires bit of planning and shopping to find the best solutions at the best prices.