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Archive for January, 2010

Study Tips: Optimal environment for studying?

Monday, January 25th, 2010

What kind of environment is optimal for studying (light, noise, desk, chair, temperature, etc.)

optimal environment for studyingStudying is serious business. Therefore, it requires an environment conducive to extracting maximum success out of the effort. This includes the general environment in the place of study as well as among the students and teachers involved.

Students should study in a place which is well-lit. This eases the strain of the eyes and general disposition to become lethargic due to the lack of lighting. At the same time, the lighting should not be so acute that it hurts the eyes or results in general discomfiture.

The venue of studies should have enough flow of air, that is, it should be well-ventilated. This too, eases pressure on the student as adequate oxygen flow is important for the human body to function well.

Ideally, the temperature of the place where the student is studing should be ambient. However, it must be accepted that this is easier said than done as temperatures could vary between room to room and building to building. As an alternative, where control of room temperature is not easily possible, the student should wear appropriate clothing to maintain body comfort.

Seating comfort is also a vital part of being able to study well. The student should sit on a table and chair, which is comfortable, yet not too comfortable so as to induce lethargy or sleep. Typically, the student’s legs should touch the floor while sitting on the chair for the body to be able to maintain balance. The chair should be straight-backed so that long hours of studies do not result in bent back, pain in the back or neck and strained muscles.

Where teachers are also involved, care should be taken to keep the environment stress-free. An air of enquiry should be maintained so that students are motivated to ask questions as well as encouraged to give answers. This will enhance the quality of education. The end result will be high-quality studies.

How to predict the questions on next week’s test?

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Getting to know the questions that could possibly be asked in the ensuing week’s test can be of great help for students to score well. But most students are unable to find out the “jackpot questions” in the normal course of studies. Yet, it is not an impossible task to find out. Let’s see how it can be done.

Students need to keep a keen ear to hear the questions on which the teacher lays stress in the days preceding the test. Teachers generally lay stress on such questions – without of course, making it evident that the questions would be asked in the ensuing test – so that students learn the topic and are able to answer the questions.

Another way is to look for topics which are covered in great detail in the class. Though all topics are important, in the run-up to the test the teacher may cover certain topics/questions in great detail. Make a note of these, as there’s a good chance that these questions will find their way into the exam.

Ask the teacher how the questions would be – essay, multiple choices or a mix of both. Also, find out the time span over which the test would be held. Students can also find clues to possible questions from the previous years’ tests. This would entail seeking inputs from students who took the same course in previous years.

Sometimes teachers ask the students whether they have understood certain topics well and make the effort to repeat them. If this is done a few days before a test, there is a high likelihood that some questions relating to the topic will appear in the test.  Also, students need to do some introspection and identify the topics that they find most difficult. In many cases, these would be tricky topics and could well appear in the test.

Online Biology Tutoring; round the clock biology help

Monday, January 11th, 2010

Online biology tutoringBiology is an extremely challenging science with the vast vocabulary and knowledge students are expected to develop in a relatively short time. To cope with such pressure and come out with good results many a times requires special attention to the subject; this is where biology tutors can solve your problems. The secret to champion biology is an understanding of the various natural processes and organs in a comprehensive fashion, Biology tutors can offer this using their years of experience in describing these problems to students and can easily identify the difficult areas and give special focus.

Biology tutors also help your student develop an easy understanding of the subject, making biology an interesting and easy to score subject. Biology tutors also provide various tools to commit complicated processes to memory which is essential at any level of biology.

Online biology tutors offer help right at the comfort of your home, allowing your child to find time for other subjects as well. Online Biology tutors offer a planned approach to the tough parts of the subject and you can handle the easier part allowing you to pay for only the difficult areas and giving great savings in return.

Is it better to study with a friend or on your own

Monday, January 11th, 2010

is it better to study with friendsEach of us would have done this – study with a friend, family or on ones own – at some point during the course of our education. Each of these options has its own positives and negatives. However, there are more positives associated with studying alone than with studying with friend or family member.

For students inclined towards education or who are naturally endowed with high intelligence, self-study is the best option. It gives them the opportunity to chalk out their own strategy for attaining success. Nothing could be better than that, as it prepares them to get used to working to achieve success in their field of work. It also gives them the opportunity to understand their shortcomings and work towards correcting them. On the contrary, if they were to study along with friends or family members who may not be as systematic, intelligent or knowledgable as they are, the possibilities of their getting slowed down by the others would be very high. That would be sad.

For students who are not inclined towards education or have problems in comprehending or learning things on their own, self-study would hardly give the good results desired by their parents. This would give rise to a lot of heartburn. In order to set right this situation, they would then have to look for help – preferably professional – such as tutors. Another option could be to look for assistance from parents, elder siblings or friends. Though this mode of assistance would not cost anything, the student may not be able to receive consistent inputs from these sources since the arrangement would be informal and without any commitment for sustained time allocation. It may not yield the desired results.

However, during exam/test periods, it is a good idea for students to study in a group as it helps them clarify issues, recap concepts and make preparing for the test more fun.

How can you improve your reading comprehension?

Monday, January 11th, 2010

improve reading comprehensionReading comprehension is about understanding, grasping and retaining what has been read. It’s not just about glossing through or running your eyes over the pages. After all, what counts at the end of the exercise is the amount of material you have been able to understand and retain for future reference.

Typically, you would have some idea of the story, article or book that you have taken on to read. Therefore, keep your mind on how that idea is being expanded upon. See the manner in which the paragraphs have been developed, how the different ideas have been differentiated under various headings, how the story progresses to it logical conclusion.

As you continue reading, either take notes or highlight the vital portions. Avoid underlining portions of pages as it clutters up the pages and lends them a dirty look. Highlighting will also help you revisit the necessary portions. You could highlight with different colors to mark out different ideas.

Look at the new words that have been used in the story. Make a note of these words and their meanings. Try using these words in sentences of your own. This will help you understand these words better. And then add them to your personal vocabulary.

After completing reading the story or a large portion of the book, sit back and review it all. This will help bring into focus all the vital aspects of the story. It will also help look forward to the things that need to be looked for in the ensuing pages.

Look for things you have not been able to understand in the story. Jot down these points and look elsewhere, such as reference books or on the Internet, to clarify these issues. Thus, you will eliminate the gaps in the story. A good reader is one who would have understood and grasped all that has been read. That’s a tall order, but nevertheless worth striving for.

Ways to improve your concentration power

Monday, January 11th, 2010

improve concentration powerEver seen an act of magic? They say it’s just a sleight of hand coupled with a lot of talk, which actually distracts the audience’s concentration. The entire audience is led to believe the most bizarre of things, thanks to the magician’s skill at distracting the audience’s normal concentration powers.

This actually showcases the importance of the powers of concentration. Yoga, the Indian art of maintaining a balance between the mind, body and spirit, is often cited as one of the most potent means of improving your powers of concentration. It helps focus the mind and the body, which it turn helps achieve remarkable feats. This focus of the mind and body helps to attain a kind of equilibrium. Kung Fu, the Japanese martial art, is another means of enhancing the powers of concentration. However, Kung Fu is used mostly for self-defense.

For students, honing the powers of concentration is important. For this, they need to sleep well, eat well and keep away from tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks and very fatty fast foods, which result in slothfulness. During the course of study, they need to break up the work spread over several hours. They should take breaks, say of two to three minutes after every half hour or for five minutes after every hour. This could also be done after the successful completion of a specified portion of the studies. The break should be used to walk around, get a drink of water, exercise the neck or visit the washroom.

Look at each page you read. Close your eyes and picturize the page. Try and save a ‘photocopy’ of the page in your mind. At the exam venue, again close your eyes and try to visualize the page. If you have done your exercise honestly, it will re-appear.

Jot down your ideas. For this, carry a jotting pad and a pen everywhere. One never knows when inspiration strikes. Once you develop this habit, ideas keep coming to you. And once you elaborate on them in your spare time, it could result in the writing of a book, blog, column or making a film. There’s really no end to the things that you can actually achieve with a little bit of concentration.

Brain Food; it’s good for memory

Monday, January 11th, 2010

Is there such a thing as brain food? Can certain foods really improve your intelligence or memory?

brain food for intelligence and better memoryStrange as it may sound, there really are some foods that are good for the healthy functioning of the brain. Thus, these foods may be called ‘brain food’. And when the brain functions in a healthy manner, the output naturally is superior.

It is an accepted fact that green vegetables are good for the body and the brain. These vegetables contain an array of vitamins, which are essential for the smooth functioning of the body. And of course, when the overall body functions well, the brain is able to do its part even better!

Dark-skinned fruits are also said to be good for the brain. Blueberries, blackberries, broccoli, grapes, oranges, raspberries, plums, prunes and cherries, all dark-skinned fruits, have very high levels of antioxidants and phytochemicals that are good for the brain and helps keep it sharp.

Eating plenty of fish is a good idea if you want to keep your brains in top shape. Fish such as mackerel, tuna, sardines and salmon contain huge amounts of Omega-3 acids, which help foster healthy communication between brain cells.

Proteins enhance the thinking capacity of individuals. Therefore, it is a good idea to eat a protein-rich diet for lunch as it helps perform your duties, whether it be studying or working in an office, better during the daytime. For the night, it is best to eat carbohydrate-rich food as it helps the body relax and sleep well. However, there is a danger in this for those who have the tendency to put on weight – carbohydrates increase the risk of weight gain.

Drink plenty of water. This keeps the body hydrated, washes out the acids and impurities in the body and helps the brain function properly.

According to studies, fish oil, eggs and blueberries are among the top food candidates that help improve intelligence and memory.

How can you use study time most efficiently?

Monday, January 11th, 2010

Using the time available for study is vital for getting best results. The right use of this time also helps set aside some time for other pursuits, such as hobbies, sports or exercise.

The first step in the efficient use of time is to schedule the things that need to be studied. Without a schedule you wouldn’t know where to start and where to end. A schedule should also contain all the subjects or topics need to be studied. In fact, care should be taken to see that nothing is left out.

Now, allocate the time needed for each topic. There are no specific formulas for this exercise. As a rule of thumb, you just need to allocate maximum time to the most difficult subjects or topics and the least time to the easiest subjects or topics.

This should be followed by determining the part of day or night when the study has to be done. It would be a good idea to study the difficult subjects or topics when you are most fresh since it allows for greater concentration and more understanding.

Once the study is in process, it is essential to gauge how well it is proceeding. For that, you would need to sit back from time to time and survey all that has been studied. A good student will work up the courage to ask himself or herself difficult questions, and see how well the subject or topic has been absorbed. Naturally, there would be some doubts, too. At such points it would be best to repeat the same thing to oneself several times and memorize it. Get back to the topic once again after a few hours or a day and see whether you remember it all. If yes, the hours spent in studying has been worth it. Otherwise, you would need to spend a few more hours at it. Online Tutors at SchoolTrainer help you develop healthy studying habbits so that you can make most of your study time.

Time Management during a Math Test

Monday, January 11th, 2010

What should be your strategy?

time management during a math testA math test can be daunting for the best of students. The allocation of time between the questions can be even more of a concern. And the worst part is that as soon as the student lays a hand on the question paper, it is always the most difficult question that catches his or her eye. That induces fear in the mind of the student, which in turn erodes the sharpness of memory that is so important for taking a math test well.

Don’t get flabbergasted. The trick is to look for the easiest questions first. Solve those questions first. But remember, these easier questions may not be in serial order. So, remember to put down the serial number of the questions correctly, else it will result in deduction of marks. Doing the easier questions first will enhance the student’s confidence level and help move on to the more difficult ones. It will also ensures that the student is able to capture as many points as possible in the shortest possible time. After a few right answers, when the breathing of the student gets back to normal, he or she will start remembering how to solve even the more difficult questions.

For those students who feel that remembering formulas is an uphill task, they may write down the important formulas on the margin of the answer paper as soon as these are handed out. This will obviate the need to recollect these formulas often. It will also show the examiner that the student is meticulous.

Even if the student is unable to do a particular problem, the steps involved should be written down in order. This will help extract some points from the examiner.

The student should make sure that all rough work is shown on the margins of the answer paper. Nothing should be erased or crossed out. Many examiners keep these things, besides neatness, in mind while grading the test.

Last, but not least, keep an eye on your wristwatch. Better still, keep it on the table and look at it once in a while.

Online Math Tutors at SchoolTrainer help you understand math concepts with clarity and you learn how to solve problems fast.