Or, use separate notebooks. Follow the same tips listed
above.
USE AN ASSIGNMENT BOOK
Use it to keep track of when things are due. Take it to
every class. Write down when you have meetings or practices too.
Calendars are also helpful.
BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR
ASSIGNMENTS
If you have a question, ASK! Other students may have the
same question.
KEEP YOUR LOCKER NEAT
A messy locker can slow you down and make you late for class.
Stopping to talk to friends at your locker can too. Try to keep
conversations brief.
MAKE TIME FOR HOMEWORK
Set up a special time each day. Then:
If you have a study hall, use the time to start your
assignments.
BREAK BIG PROJECTS INTO
SMALLER ONES
It can make a heavy workload easier to manage. For
example, for a research project, collect research one week, take notes the next,
and begin writing the next.
PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE
It will save time in the morning. You should:
 | Be Prepared for the test:
Get to the test site early so you can select a seat, organize your
materials, and get comfortable. Be prepared with pencils, paper,
calculator, and books (if appropriate.) Take a few deep breaths to relax
tense muscles, repeat throughout the test. |
| Read the directions:
Never assume that you know what the directions say. Can more than one
answer be correct? Are you penalized for guessing? Etc. |
| Read the problem carefully
and completely: Re-read the problem to clarify thoughts. Read scale
of graphs. |
| Pre-read: Captions,
headings, subtitles, charts, maps, bold and italicized words. Look
carefully at diagrams and pictures. |
| Find “clues” in the passage
to support answers: Look in the entire paragraph for context clues for
any unknown words. |
| For Social Studies: DBQ
questions (for each source) write DIPS to the side, Details, Inference,
Prior Knowledge, and Solution/Summary. |
| For Vocabulary: VVWA
boxes for key vocabulary (great in essay questions) where you four square
the term, visual representation, definition, and personal association. |
| For Math: Check by
opposite operation if possible. Estimate answer. Use proportional
reasoning. Show all of your work. Check your work. |
| Label items in a problem to
help you keep track: For paired passages, look at the top of the page
for page numbers to reference questions. Work neatly and carefully. Draw
pictures when appropriate. Polygon the question, if there is one. |
| Circle, highlight, or
underline key words, important information, answers you are seeking, and
numbers you need for calculations: This will force you to focus on the
central point. Watch for words not in the question or problem, mark
out information not needed. |
| Answer the easy questions
first: This will give you the confidence and momentum to get through
the rest of the test. You are sure these answers are correct.
|
| Go back to the difficult
questions: While looking over the test and doing the easy questions,
your subconscious mind will have been working on the answers to the harder
questions. Also, later items on the test might give you useful or needed
information for earlier items. |
| Evaluate and eliminate answer
choices: Read all answer choices. Decide the difference from a
possible answer choice and the best answer choice. Eliminate the
answer choices that are inappropriate. Notice disqualifying words
like-all, but, not, everything, except. |
| Answer all questions: Do
no leave anything blank unless you are penalized for wrong answers. After
choosing an answer, reread the question and answer to double check
that your choice is correct. |
| Ask the instructor to explain
any items that are not clear: Do not ask for the answer, but phrase
your question in a way that shows the instructor you have the information
but are not sure what the question is asking for. |
| Try to answer the questions
from the instructor’s point of view: Try to remember what the
instructor emphasized and felt was important. |
| Use the margin to explain why
you chose the answer: If the question does not seem clear or if the
answer seems ambiguous. |
| Express difficult questions
in your own words: Rephrasing can make it clear to you, but be sure you
don’t change the meaning of the question. |
| Use all of the time allotted
for the test: If you have extra time, cover up your answers and
actually rework the question. |
