Managing Your Study Time

Prepare a Weekly Schedule

Before the beginning of a school week, it is best to prepare a weekly schedule. In it you should set aside time to:

• Review your class notes for the upcoming lessons in the week

• Complete your homework and assignments

• Work on projects

• Study for tests.

These times may be even during the school day, right after school, and on weekends. Do keep it a point to update your schedule as the week goes on.

Remember: The number of hours in a day are fixed, but you can decide how to best use them!

Setting Goals For Yourself

So, what is a goal?

It is essentially something you desire to achieve. There are two types of goals, short- term and long- term.

A short-term goal is something you want to achieve very soon. An example of a short term goal is passing this week’s Maths test.

A long-term goal is something you want to achieve at a later point in life. An example of a long term goal is getting an A in the year end examinations for test.

Where do I start?

Often your parents and teachers will set goals for you. If you do not like the idea, then, set your own goals for yourself.

Bear in mind that the goals that you set for yourself MUST be specific. Write down what you wish to achieve, otherwise, you will evetually lose the direction and your focus.

Each goal that you have set should state WHAT you will do and WHEN you will accomplish it.

Set a goal and plan to achieve that goal. If you fail to plan, well, you have basically planned to fail.

3 Reading Styles You Must Know

There are many types of reading styles. The most common 3 used by students are Study, Skim and Scan.

Study - read at a rate that is slower than your normal reading rate so as to to understand the material.

Skim - most useful when you have to read a large amount of material in a short amount of time, looking for main points in each paragraph.

Scan - used to locate a specific piece of information within reading material.

So, which one?

Before you begin, it is best that you identify the purpose of your reading. Ask yourself if you are reading for a high level of comprehension, trying to get a general idea or looking for specific information. Most importantly, choose a reading style that best suit you and serves your objectives.

Improving Your Self Esteem

The higher your self-esteem, the higher will be your achievement.

Self-esteem reflects a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. A high level of self esteem will allow you to have the confidence in your ability to learn.

How can I improve on my self esteem?

• Start with the basics. Be positive about yourself. It’s much healthier to give yourself compliments rather than think negatively.

• Do not compare yourself with others. Asian societies are often guilty of this.

• Get involved in activities that you enjoy when the pressure heightens. This will help keep your spirits up.

• Attack your weaknesses by proving to yourself that “you can do it!”

• Help others. You will really feel good about yourself when you do.

Follow the simple tips given above and see yourself transform to becoming someone with more self confidence and having a greater edge in your learning.