Test Day Tips
Do you realize that a successful test day starts as soon as you wake up in the morning? That’s when you should start getting ready for the test—within the first few minutes of your day.
Deciding when to get up, what to wear, what to eat, what to pack--these decisions can all impact your test performance.
For example, on most days it’s not all that important to remember to wear a wristwatch. It’s merely a convenience on the ordinary day. But on test day a watch can be a life saver! When you’re able keep an eye on the minute hand you can avoid spending too much time on one section and avoiding another. This makes a huge difference on your total grade.
Are you preparing for a big test? Find more tips here:
Photo © istockphoto/Andrzej Burek
Reserve Your Study Time
My neighbor had a problem this weekend. She had planned to hold a garage sale for weeks, and she set aside time Friday night and Saturday morning to set it up and manage the whole affair. The problem was she needed the help of her son to carry it off. That really was a problem, because he had planned to spend the same time studying for finals.
If you have a big project to work on or a few finals to prepare for in the coming week or so, don't assume that your time is all your own. There are many things that can pop up and require a few hours of your time. Sometimes we just don't have time to give.
Plan ahead and reserve a time that you need to spend on school work. Mark it on your family's calendar and inform every that this is your time. Don't get caught up in a time crunch that causes stress and worry for everybody!
Undo Your Mistakes!
The other day I was working on a web page and I got to a point when my page just started looking silly. This was unfortunate, because I really started off well, but in my pursuit of finding a good color scheme things got out of hand. What did I do? I kept “undoing” my work until I got back to a point where my page looked good again.
The undo command can be a useful tool. You’ve probably used this command before. You can find it on your edit menu in a word processor. The feature allows you to undo all sorts of things, like typing, formatting, and most importantly—deleting.
Who hasn’t deleted whole paragraphs or pages by accident? Thank heavens for the undo button!
I thought it was worth noting that this handy tool is available in all sorts of programs, and not simply the word processors you’ve used. Whenever you get yourself in a scrape when making slides, charts, photo editors, or web page designs, remember you can always try the undo option.
I Saved My Paper - Now I Can't Find It!
The Temporary Folder Strikes Again!
The temporary folder is a directory were many computer programs automatically store files that you download, or those that you open from email attachments. It’s very likely that this folder has caused more lost homework and more headaches than any other computer feature or component.
The reason this folder is so troublesome is because it stores your downloaded files in a place that is really tough to find again. Here’s an example of how the temporary seems to “eat” your homework assignments:
You work for hours on your research paper at school and decide to finish it up at home. Naturally, you email the file to your own account so you can open it from any computer without having to carry around a flash drive. When you get home, you open your paper and give it the finishing touches. You decide to print it out in the morning, so you hit the “save” command, close the word processor, and go to bed.
The next morning your paper is nowhere to be found. You know you saved it, but it doesn’t show up in your list of recent work or in any directory. Panic time!
By hitting the “save” command, you have inadvertently saved your work in the temporary folder. To find it again, you have to access the folder again, or find the temporary folder’s path--but that's not so easy to do. You can get into the folder by going back to the email and opening the original attachment again. Once your paper pops up on the screen, go to “open” as if you want to open a second file.
Your computer should show you all the files in the folder you’re currently working from—and that should be the temporary file. You will find the updated version in the list. If you’re using Microsoft Word, both files (original and updated) will be saved with the same name, but they will be numbered. The most recent file will be the updated version. You’re saved!
Typing Your Paper
Word processors are not all that easy to use for the first time, so it pays to consult a guide for using Microsoft Word to find out how to get your first draft on paper. Once you've completed and polished your final draft, you may need to add page numbers or insert a table of contents. Both of these tasks can involve some sweat and tears.
If you are expecting to write a big paper in the next few weeks, and you have limited experience on a computer, you might want to brush up now.
Senior Year Starts Now
Are you looking forward to being a senior next year? It is a blast, being a senior, but there are lots of responsibilities that come with your final year of high school, as well. You should start preparing now!
Now is the best time to brush up on the essential skills and necessary steps that every senior should know about, such as learning to read books that are a little more difficult to get through. You'll need this experience as you prepare for college.
Find more advice for your senior year in this list of tips designed just for rising seniors.
Do You Know a Sentence When You See One?
If you check a dictionary, you’ll find that a sentence is typically defined as a string of words that includes a subject and a predicate.
But my own favorite expert on such things, our About.com Guide to Grammar, takes this a little further and defines a sentence as:
“A word or (more commonly) a group of words that expresses a complete idea. Conventionally, a sentence includes a subject and a verb. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.”
The notion of “a complete idea” is very important when it comes to recognizing a sentence. Why? Because an incomplete sentence (sentence fragment) can contain things that look like a subject and a predicate. It’s easy to be fooled!
If you get confused by the technical definition of a sentence, you can always do what I do and go with your gut instinct. An incomplete sentence leaves me feeling empty. I doesn’t satisfy. It just doesn’t close the deal. This is because—no matter how long they are—sentence fragments just don’t express a complete idea. Take a look at some long sentence fragments that look like they could be sentences. They really leave you feeling empty and unfulfilled!
Unclogging Your Brain
Have you ever studied to the point of brain freeze? Sometimes we can get so caught up in stress and worry that our minds become too jumbled to operate effectively. This is especially dangerous in a test situation. After hours of reading and studying, our brains can lock up in a state of overload.
There is a way to unclog your head when you're feeling like it won't work anymore. You simply need to learn how to "zone out" for awhile. Read more!
Have You Considered Using Old Textbooks?
And people are different. Some textbooks are just plain confusing because one particular writer doesn't explain things in a way that a particular reader can follow.
I know many graduate students who work as tutors in colleges, and they always carry around a tattered, well-worn book they've clung to for years. They do this because that book explains things better than any other.
The point of all this is simple. You could be struggling in a topic because you're trying to follow writing that just doesn't suit you. If you're having trouble in a subject, try visiting a used book store and browsing through some old textbooks. You will be surprised to see how much they differ--and how much one may seem so much more sensible than another.
How to Write an Argument Essay
You may be perfectly comfortable arguing with your siblings, but you might feel a little uneasy about writing an argument essay. But are the two acts really different?
An argument essay is much like any argument or debate. You just make a claim and stick by it stubbornly. Sound familiar?
If you really want to write an engaging essay, you should pick a topic that is a little controversial and choose the side that you can stand behind with some evidence. After a little preparation you'll be ready to write your essay.