Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
How to Retain More of What You Study: Better Scores With Less Time!
The traditional, stereotypical ideal of the straight-A student spending countless hours studying at the same desk in the library week after week is not only inaccurate, but actually counterproductive. Too many students think that this is the way to good grades, and to ace the ACT test, but nothing could be farther from the truth. To be sure, studying more is generally better than studying less, but studying that is tedious and boring is not nearly as effective as it could be. It can actually be a waste of time.
How We Remember What We Study
By studying the way the brain works in memory, scientists have been able to determine what best helps us remember things. All the studying in the world is pointless if you don't retain what you're studying, so it is critical to analyze the nitty gritty of memory to find what techniques work best.
What the brain does in learning does is to associate what we are studying with things we already know. Our brain says "oh, I understand this new thing, it's kind of similar to this other thing I already know..." Thus, the more we know, the easier it is to learn because we have more things to associate new learnings with.
New Revelation for a Great Study Technique
A recent study found that it is not just what we already know that helps us remember things, but also the environment and surroundings WHERE we are learning. Specifically, if we study something several times in several different places - let's say a coffee shop, our living room, and at a friend's house - we have much greater retention because the brain has three different locations to tie it all into. It's not just the repetition that helps, but also that we were in three different environments. Even though you won't remember in a month where you learned something, the brain actually used the fact that you studied it in a few different locations to make it easier to retain in its long term memory.
What This Means for ACT Studying
Change your study location. If you have a study partner or study group, see about meeting in different places to review what you went over the last time you studied together. Before you meet with your study group at a coffee shop, for instance, skim the material at home or on the way to or from school. If you can aim for 3 different locations, reviewing the material 3 different times, you will save time over a long cram session and end up doing better.
Divide up your study time. If you have 3 hours to study in a week, then study 20 minutes a day for 6 days. The repetition will help you retain what you are studying.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters or email tips. The more frequently you look at the material, the better.
For a great weekly newsletter and daily 60 Second Video Tips for the ACT, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com and sign up today.
How We Remember What We Study
By studying the way the brain works in memory, scientists have been able to determine what best helps us remember things. All the studying in the world is pointless if you don't retain what you're studying, so it is critical to analyze the nitty gritty of memory to find what techniques work best.
What the brain does in learning does is to associate what we are studying with things we already know. Our brain says "oh, I understand this new thing, it's kind of similar to this other thing I already know..." Thus, the more we know, the easier it is to learn because we have more things to associate new learnings with.
New Revelation for a Great Study Technique
A recent study found that it is not just what we already know that helps us remember things, but also the environment and surroundings WHERE we are learning. Specifically, if we study something several times in several different places - let's say a coffee shop, our living room, and at a friend's house - we have much greater retention because the brain has three different locations to tie it all into. It's not just the repetition that helps, but also that we were in three different environments. Even though you won't remember in a month where you learned something, the brain actually used the fact that you studied it in a few different locations to make it easier to retain in its long term memory.
What This Means for ACT Studying
Change your study location. If you have a study partner or study group, see about meeting in different places to review what you went over the last time you studied together. Before you meet with your study group at a coffee shop, for instance, skim the material at home or on the way to or from school. If you can aim for 3 different locations, reviewing the material 3 different times, you will save time over a long cram session and end up doing better.
Divide up your study time. If you have 3 hours to study in a week, then study 20 minutes a day for 6 days. The repetition will help you retain what you are studying.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters or email tips. The more frequently you look at the material, the better.
For a great weekly newsletter and daily 60 Second Video Tips for the ACT, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com and sign up today.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
How to Choose an ACT Test Date for the 2010 - 2011 School Year
Becoming a junior is exciting - now you're finally an upperclassman! But one of the biggest decisions (even bigger than driver's ed) is when you will take the ACT test. It seems that everyone has their own strategy and what generally happens is that you don't make the decision yourself and the calendar ends up making the decision for you... That's not a strategy for success.
For the 2010 - 2011 School Year, the test dates (and registration deadlines) are as follows:
•October 23, 2011 (register by September 17 to avoid a late registration charge)
•December 11, 2011 (register by November 5th to avoid a late registration charge)
•February 12, 2012 (register by January 7 to avoid a late registration charge)
•April 9, 2012 (register by March 4 to avoid a late registration charge)
•June 11, 2012 (register by May 6 to avoid a late registration charge)
First, Select the Month
The best month to take the test is as early as possible in your junior year. This allows you to have time to study and retake the test if you do poorly and want to increase your score. Ideally, you want to take the test in December or earlier. After you add on three weeks after the test date to get your score report, you will still have plenty of time, if you need to, to study and retake the test in February, April or June.
When making your decision, check your school calendar to see what things might interfere with the test date you want. For instance, a late night homecoming basketball game on the Friday night before the test Saturday morning is not a good idea. Check your exam schedule, prom and other activities.
Second, Register On Time
Register for the test as soon as you can. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a seat if registering just before the deadline, let alone if you are registering late. You may end up having to go to a different test center farther from your house if there is no more room at your preferred test site, and that extra drive means you have to get up earlier before the test, giving you less sleep.
Third, Register for a TIR With NO Reports Sent to Schools
When you register for the December, April or June test dates and take the test at a designated "National Test Center" you can pay a fee of $18 extra to receive a TIR (Test Information Report) that will give you a copy of your test, the answers you selected and the answer key. This is the best possible way to understand why you got questions wrong and what you need to study if you decide to retake the test!
If you aren't sure about how well you are prepared for the test, you can choose to NOT send your scores to the colleges you are applying to. That way, if you didn't do as well as you'd like and intend to retake the test, you can send the scores from the next test (a small additional fee is required). Knowing that nobody will see your score until and unless you send it to them can be a BIG stress reliever on test day!
The best way to prepare for the test is a little bit every day instead of trying to cram. You can do that by subscribing to an email newsletter or a "tip of the day."
For a free month's worth of Video Tips of the Day, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com where you can select either the weekly newsletter, the Daily Video Tips or both.
For the 2010 - 2011 School Year, the test dates (and registration deadlines) are as follows:
•October 23, 2011 (register by September 17 to avoid a late registration charge)
•December 11, 2011 (register by November 5th to avoid a late registration charge)
•February 12, 2012 (register by January 7 to avoid a late registration charge)
•April 9, 2012 (register by March 4 to avoid a late registration charge)
•June 11, 2012 (register by May 6 to avoid a late registration charge)
First, Select the Month
The best month to take the test is as early as possible in your junior year. This allows you to have time to study and retake the test if you do poorly and want to increase your score. Ideally, you want to take the test in December or earlier. After you add on three weeks after the test date to get your score report, you will still have plenty of time, if you need to, to study and retake the test in February, April or June.
When making your decision, check your school calendar to see what things might interfere with the test date you want. For instance, a late night homecoming basketball game on the Friday night before the test Saturday morning is not a good idea. Check your exam schedule, prom and other activities.
Second, Register On Time
Register for the test as soon as you can. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get a seat if registering just before the deadline, let alone if you are registering late. You may end up having to go to a different test center farther from your house if there is no more room at your preferred test site, and that extra drive means you have to get up earlier before the test, giving you less sleep.
Third, Register for a TIR With NO Reports Sent to Schools
When you register for the December, April or June test dates and take the test at a designated "National Test Center" you can pay a fee of $18 extra to receive a TIR (Test Information Report) that will give you a copy of your test, the answers you selected and the answer key. This is the best possible way to understand why you got questions wrong and what you need to study if you decide to retake the test!
If you aren't sure about how well you are prepared for the test, you can choose to NOT send your scores to the colleges you are applying to. That way, if you didn't do as well as you'd like and intend to retake the test, you can send the scores from the next test (a small additional fee is required). Knowing that nobody will see your score until and unless you send it to them can be a BIG stress reliever on test day!
The best way to prepare for the test is a little bit every day instead of trying to cram. You can do that by subscribing to an email newsletter or a "tip of the day."
For a free month's worth of Video Tips of the Day, go to http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com where you can select either the weekly newsletter, the Daily Video Tips or both.
Friday, August 6, 2010
ACT Test - How and When to Approach the ACT For the Best Possible Score
 |
| Start Early and Work Smart! |
When to Start Thinking About the ACT Although the ACT is a test for high school juniors, wise students begin to prepare for it in their sophomore year. Currently ten different states administer a test called the PLAN test to sophomores. This is a type of 'mini-ACT' and gives students a report on how well they can expect to do the following year when they take the ACT. It accounts for the fact that there are some subject areas where sophomores are still not proficient, but should be by the time they take the ACT in their junior year. However, the PLAN test is not your only option for an early indicator on how well you can expect to do on the ACT.
Taking Your First ACT Test
If your school does not offer this test, you can still obtain an official ACT practice test from your guidance counselor or download one from the ACT website free of charge. Taking the time on afternoon to take the test, with someone watching the clock, is a wise idea.
All practice tests are not equal, however. Ensure that you have either an official ACT practice test, or one that breaks the Math and English scores down into subscores. This is not the norm with practice tests you buy in ACT study guides at a bookstore, though some do have the subscore breakdown.
Understanding Your ACT Score Report
Whether you get an official score report from an actual ACT test or just score a practice test yourself, analyzing the results will provide you with some very valuable information. You will see in which areas you are strong and in which areas you need to focus some studying. "Just study everything" is a very ineffective plan, and your score report / score results will prevent you from wasting valuable study time in areas that did not negatively affect your score.
Time is on Your Side as a Sophomore!
By beginning in your sophomore year, you can accomplish a lot of preparation with just 5 minutes each day. Subscribe to an ACT mailing list, like the one at http://collegeexamtutor.com/ in order to get weekly or daily practice questions. By breaking it down into bite sized chunks, you can be very prepared and confident when test day comes around.
Now that you know what to do, go to http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/ to get free weekly tips and practice questions for the ACT!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
College Tuition - How to Save 40% at a Big University
All college graduates have three things in common. They have a degree, are looking for a job and have just spent a LOT of money on their education, even if they had scholarships or financial aid. For the overwhelming majority of them, it means that they need to get a job to start paying off student loans. But there is a way to enter the work world without as much financial pressure: like 40% less debt because you spent 40% less paying for college.
A Degree From Absolutely Any University at 40% Discount
Think about a big name school, such as Northwestern University or the University of Michigan, which charge around $40,000 per year in tuition. There are two ways to get the same degree; one costs $160,000 for four years and the other will cost you about $90,000. Both options have you walking across the same platform in the same cap and gown with the same leather bound folder with your degree. The difference is $70,000 in savings!
The way to achieve this is by completing all of the general education requirements during the first two years at a local community college and then transferring to the big name university for your junior and senior years. Your degree will be from the big name university, but you will have saved about 40% in tuition.
But Is the Education Quality the Same?
Absolutely. Unless you are majoring in a technical field, such as engineering, most all degree programs have the same basic general education requirements: English, Math, Social Sciences, etc. At the big schools, these freshman level courses are generally taught by teaching assistants and/or have a lecture class format. A lecture class format means that 200 to 300 students sit in a lecture hall and listen to a professor 2 days a week and then, if it is a science class, for instance, they break up into smaller groups for a "lab" that is supervised by a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants may be upperclassmen or graduate students. The fact is that the general education classes are all pretty much the same, regardless of the school. Introduction to Psychology is Introduction to Psychology whether you are at Yale or the Community College of DuPage.
Don't Make a Big Mistake....
It is not always as easy as just taking a freshman English class at a community college and automatically getting granted transfer credit from the big name university. The courses have to be the same. What generally happens is that the school you wish to transfer to will examine your transcripts and look up the course descriptions for the classes you took. Only if the course descriptions match the required courses at their school will they consider that you fulfilled the requirement. An English Composition class is NOT the same as an English Literature class.
For this reason, it is absolutely imperative that you get the actual course descriptions of all the required general education classes from the school you wish to attend and compare them with the course descriptions at the community college. A phone call to an admissions counselor is also a good idea!
One Last Thing
Finally, make sure that you investigate the school's admission requirements for transfer students. You will need to keep a very high GPA to transfer into the more prestigious universities, and their admissions guidelines may also be such that involvement in extra-curricular activities will be required. Investigate what is required and then make a plan to fulfill those requirements. By "beginning with the end in mind" you can fulfill the general education requirements at about a tenth the cost of the university that you will graduate from.
But choosing the school and paying for it are only half the battle. Doing well in the critical first semester is key to ensuring a successful college career. At http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm you will find a great resource to ensure that you hit the ground running at college. It's a one hour DVD course called "7 Keys to College Success" complete with a study guide and checklists to help students arrive on campus Day One prepared to succeed!
A Degree From Absolutely Any University at 40% Discount
Think about a big name school, such as Northwestern University or the University of Michigan, which charge around $40,000 per year in tuition. There are two ways to get the same degree; one costs $160,000 for four years and the other will cost you about $90,000. Both options have you walking across the same platform in the same cap and gown with the same leather bound folder with your degree. The difference is $70,000 in savings!
The way to achieve this is by completing all of the general education requirements during the first two years at a local community college and then transferring to the big name university for your junior and senior years. Your degree will be from the big name university, but you will have saved about 40% in tuition.
But Is the Education Quality the Same?
Absolutely. Unless you are majoring in a technical field, such as engineering, most all degree programs have the same basic general education requirements: English, Math, Social Sciences, etc. At the big schools, these freshman level courses are generally taught by teaching assistants and/or have a lecture class format. A lecture class format means that 200 to 300 students sit in a lecture hall and listen to a professor 2 days a week and then, if it is a science class, for instance, they break up into smaller groups for a "lab" that is supervised by a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants may be upperclassmen or graduate students. The fact is that the general education classes are all pretty much the same, regardless of the school. Introduction to Psychology is Introduction to Psychology whether you are at Yale or the Community College of DuPage.
Don't Make a Big Mistake....
It is not always as easy as just taking a freshman English class at a community college and automatically getting granted transfer credit from the big name university. The courses have to be the same. What generally happens is that the school you wish to transfer to will examine your transcripts and look up the course descriptions for the classes you took. Only if the course descriptions match the required courses at their school will they consider that you fulfilled the requirement. An English Composition class is NOT the same as an English Literature class.
For this reason, it is absolutely imperative that you get the actual course descriptions of all the required general education classes from the school you wish to attend and compare them with the course descriptions at the community college. A phone call to an admissions counselor is also a good idea!
One Last Thing
Finally, make sure that you investigate the school's admission requirements for transfer students. You will need to keep a very high GPA to transfer into the more prestigious universities, and their admissions guidelines may also be such that involvement in extra-curricular activities will be required. Investigate what is required and then make a plan to fulfill those requirements. By "beginning with the end in mind" you can fulfill the general education requirements at about a tenth the cost of the university that you will graduate from.
But choosing the school and paying for it are only half the battle. Doing well in the critical first semester is key to ensuring a successful college career. At http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm you will find a great resource to ensure that you hit the ground running at college. It's a one hour DVD course called "7 Keys to College Success" complete with a study guide and checklists to help students arrive on campus Day One prepared to succeed!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nine Tips to Succeed in College
Learn these 9 things and you won't be caught off guard your freshman year!
1) Expect to be homesick. No matter how much you hated living with your family with all the rules and siblings bothering you, it is normal to miss home and feel lonely. You are in totally different surroundings, with different people and a lot of stress. Don't beat yourself up when homesickness hits; rather expect it and give yourself permission to feel sad and lonely, knowing it will pass.
2) Expect to be overwhelmed. It's okay to feel freaked out. Everything is new and you will feel like you are overloaded with new things. Again, don't worry about it: expect it and it won't take you off guard and knock you off your feet.
3) Remember that it's a totally different game with different rules. It will take a while to learn the ropes, and that's okay.
4) Get plugged in socially. Join a club and watch the bulletin boards for "freshman mixers" or other events that will introduce you to a lot of other people.
5) Find a mentor. If you are living in a dorm, there will be an upperclassman who is an RA (Resident Assistant) whose job it is to give out information and be a contact person for you. Don't be shy about going to the RA with questions, and see if you can find another upperclassman that you can go to with the millions of questions you are going to have.
6) Attend the orientations for freshmen. Yes, they are boring, but they have a lot of important information. You will have enough questions and concerns even if you do attend, so don't blow this off!
7) Plan on everything taking more time than you think it will. If you could crank out a 3 page paper in 3 hours in high school, expect it to take 4 or 5 hours now. Everything is different, and as the saying goes, 'the thing about ignorance is that you don't know what it is that you don't know."
8) Make a friend or acquaintance in every class. If you miss a class or think of a question afterwards, it is important to have someone in the class who you can ask to share notes with.
9) Ask "dumb" questions. Every freshman is intimidated, and many will be glad that you asked the question so that they didn't have to!
Going off to college can be frightening, as there is a huge adjustment to be made. For a great way to prepare academically as well as socially, visit http://www.CollegeExamTutor.com/7-Keys.htm and find out how to get some peace of mind during that difficult and critical first semester.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
ACT Test Timing - Finishing in Time, Answering Every Question
Anyone who is at all familiar with the ACT knows how difficult it can be to finish all the questions before the clock runs out. "Time Management" is one of the most discussed aspects of the ACT, but "hurry up and don't waste time" is really insufficient advice. It's not enough to realize that with 60 questions in 60 minutes for the Math test, for instance, that you should spend no more than one minute per question. What students need is a really detailed, practical way of improving their time management skills.
Step 1: Master the Times / Sections
First and foremost, it's important to know the 4 parts of the ACT, number of questions and minutes AND sections, inside out. Students should be able to rattle off by memory that the English test comes first, followed by Math, a short break, and then Reading and Science are last. Parents can help by asking "how many questions are on the Reading test?" (40) and "how many passages does the Reading test have (4).
Step 2: Know Your Times
The English test has 75 questions and is 45 minutes long. While there aren't really 'sections' as such, the two areas tested (the types of questions) are rhetoric and grammar & punctuation. The Math test has 60 questions, is 60 minutes long and has Algebra, Coordinate Geometry and Plane Geometry, and Trigonometry. The Reading test gives you only 35 minutes to read four passages and answer 10 questions on each. The Science test also lasts 35 minutes and has 40 questions, divided among 7 different sections.
Step 3: Know Your Minutes and Benchmarks
Students need to know ahead of time when they will need to be checking the clock for benchmark times to see if they are behind. For instance, about halfway through the time allotted for the English test (22 minutes), you should be at question 38 to ensure that you are on time. You should complete 15 questions every 15 minutes for the Math test, and complete one Reading test passage every 8 minutes. Finally, for the Science test, you should be done with about 20 questions after 17 minutes.
Step 4: Practice the Calculations
It is surprising to see that many students are not proficient at the math skills necessary to manage the clock, so be prepared to practice this critical technique. For instance, if the clock says it is 8:14 and you are starting the English test, what time will you be halfway through? The answer, 8:36, should be written down on the test booklet before going to the first question so you can look at it and the clock periodically. Be able to instantly calculate the benchmark times from any starting time.
Finally, take practice tests to ensure that you are becoming proficient at completing all the questions in the allotted time. Learn how to just guess on questions that you aren't sure on, or that will take too much time to figure out. By watching the clock, comparing the time to your benchmark times, and having the discipline to move on from questions that could get you bogged down, you will master the Time Management aspect of the ACT and get your best score.
Visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/ for more information about the ACT and how to prepare, as well as the "7 Keys to College Success" course on making a successful transition to college.
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