It's Vacation, But Don't Let Your Mind Turn to Mush!

I don't know about you, but I am already bored. Not saying that I want to go back to school or anything, but I'm bored. School let out on December 17th, which gave me plenty of time to tie up all the loose ends before Christmas. It is one of the wonderful things about teaching in South Texas.

Now that we are on the 9th day of vacation, the 9th day of no obligations, the 9th day of waking up late and taking naps, I'm bored. I'm "ready to go." On the inside, I wish I had the desire to exercise my body, but I've been so physically lazy that my desire is not strong enough to do so. My mind has been resting so much that it isn't anxious to do anything either. HOWEVER, if I don't get my mind moving, it is going to be tough going when school starts again. So, here is my plan:

1. Get online and chat with my friends (reading, writing, thinking)
2. Clean my room (physical movement, decision making--"Where should I put this?"
3. Call a friend (language skills)
4. Cook a meal (focus, physical movement)
5. Do crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search, picure puzzle (critical thinking)

If I do a little bit every day, my mind won't go into shock when classes start up again. Plus, I'll feel a shot of satisfaction each time I complete an activity and I won't feel lazy, which makes me feel guilty.

No matter what, enjoy your vacation--you deserve it!

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

My Daughter Studies So Hard But With Poor Results

Hello Lora,
I found your blog by searching study coaches on Google. No one showed up in my area of Springfield, MA but you did!

What I have read so far on your blog, I have enjoyed. I just wanted to ask about your study manual. My daughter, a 10th grade A & B student (with an occasional "C" on tests and quizzes), does well but studies hours longer than her friends who get the same grades. She incorporates color coding, flash cards, outlines of notes and keeps a daily planner/calendar and is not a procratinator. These are all ideas I see in many study guide manuals. Does your book offer more suggestions than those that would help a High school student?

Thanks!
Marcia

Does this sound familiar? Are you like Marcia's daughter, studying harder than your friends yet earning the same grades? What I noticed in what Marcia wrote is that her daughter's study methods only include visual stimulation. There is not interaction with others and there is no speaking or listening. I bet that if Marcia's daughter added speaking and listening to her repertoire of study strategies, she would see an improvement in her studying efficiency. I would suggest that she have her friends or parents quiz her on the material and that she quiz them. Also, I would suggest that she talk aloud to herself as she studies. If she is not a visual learner, she may be an auditory one. Also, moving her mouth is a kinesthetic way to put information into her mind. It is amazing how the various parts of the body work together for a common purpose.

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

Looking for a Way to Help Our Son With Study Skills

Hi Lora,
Just found your website and I am looking into ways to help our son with his study skills. I am very curious about your manual and would like to hear more about it. I'm just concerned that it will give the basic information and not sure if he will get anything out of it.

Can you shed some light on why yours is different than all the others that are out there?

Thanks,
Julie W.

Hi, Julie!
Thanks for writing. What I love about my manual is that it is easy to read, not long and verbose like other study books I have seen, so it's great for the student who is already struggling. The activities are perfect for the student who doesn't have others to study with. (I devised the majority of the activities when I was a college student studying in my dorm room alone.) The other great aspect about the Easy Study Manual is that students can spend a half hour or less engaged/working with their information and learn a good chunk of it. Later on, they can return to the same activity or one of the many others to continue studying. I am a firm believer in working with information in a variety of ways and in multiple sessions in order to really learn it.

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

You're Not Supposed to Know Everything

It's funny how my students think that they are supposed to know everything in order to participate in a lesson or to complete an assignment. They find it hard to accept that the purpose of lessons and assignments is to get to know the material better, to try out their thinking, to practice.

Students, assignments are assigned to give you experience with what is being taught in class. If you have the kind of brain that knows everything already, then just do the assignment to get it over with. However, if you're like the rest of us, then the assignment is going to take some thought to complete, which is what's supposed to happen. It really isn't a bad thing. The more you think, the stronger your brain gets, and the more you think about something, the more it becomes ingrained in your brain; the deeper it's ingrained, the easier it is to access it, making your whole life easier!

So I beg, do all of your assignments with thought. Do your very best to provide the best answers you can. And if the teacher asks you to show your work, then show your work, even if you can do the math in your head. The idiom "You can pay me know or pay me later," applies to school work too. So, pay up now so you can play later!

Enjoy your long weekend by taking time to explore your curiosities.

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

In Full Swing

By now, all students are back in school. It can be so exhausting the first few weeks, so take the time to go to bed early and stay away from the sugars. After a summer of relaxing, it takes my body two weeks to fully adjust to the rigor of thinking and being "on" all day, 5 days a week. That's why I forfeit watching the late news for a couple of weeks. I do allow myself an extra bit of caffeine, though, to get me through the mid-day hump, but not so much that I can't get to sleep. The worst thing to do is to eat a lot of sugar, because sugar is an energy thief. Have just one candy or a small soda if you get a craving, but don't use it as an energy source. Much more than that and your body will have to fight the fatigue of school stress and a sugar crash, and you'll feel horrible.

Moving on. When your teacher gives you an assignment that seems too hard, too easy, or worthless, remember that school, education, is so much more than academics. It's learning how to persist when you want to quit; how to go with the flow even when you want to go against it; how to put your own desires aside and give the other person what he wants; how to delay gratification; and how to shut your mouth, stop complaining, and just do what you're told. These, perhaps, are the hardest things to learn in school and these are the skills that bring success.

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

They're Here!

That's right, the school supplies sales have begun! Take advantage and get as organized as possible. Each subject needs its own pocket folder for sure and perhaps its own 3-ring binder. Loose leaf paper is always a staple in my supplies, and I'm sure to put enough in each folder and binder. Spirals are last on my list, because I end up using them as scratch paper and for writing personal notes, or sometimes I feel like doodling, which clutters my note page. With the loose leaf paper, I can doodle on a separate sheet and I can remove any sheet that is not school-related, leaving my notes neat and organized.

You don't need to get fancy with your school supplies. The least expensive ones will do just fine. If you can't afford the tools you need to be organized, talk with your teacher or counselor. All schools have a way to hook up students with what they need to succeed. Don't be shy or embarrassed. This is your future we're talking about!

Being a student is hard enough without adding the stress of not being able to locate what you need, especially notes, homework, study guides, and calendars. Being organized is the greatest gift a student can give himself, and being disorganized is the greatest self-created obstacle. Some students claim that they don't have time to organize their papers, but there is always time: it's when you're waiting for class to start or for the teacher to hand out the worksheet or notes to the rest of the class, even while you're watching tv.

Do yourself a favor, get organized before your classes even start, regardless if you have a supply list or not. At least get yourself started; you can always put on the finishing touches by the end of the first week of classes. Remember, school is going to be your life for the next 10 months, 180 days, or 40 weeks, however you want to look at it. So, get started on the right foot -- get organized!

Here's to a great 2010-2011 school year!

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

Summer Break

It's hard to believe that a month of summer break has already passed--at least for those of us in Texas and other southern states. I have spent this first month visiting with faraway friends. It is the best way to unwind from 10 months, 180 days, 36 (or 40) weeks of class. Although school is out, I am enjoying reading. So far it's been The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and O Pioneers! by Willa Cather. As always, there's a little Guideposts in the mix.

The best way to look at the summer is not that it's a break from school rather that it's a chance to explore all the things you've been curious about all yeat but hadn't had the time to check out. So I encourage yout o satisfy your curiosities and take the rest of your summer break to explore!

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

The Exams are here! What do I do?

It's hard to believe that testing is here. Tomorrow Texas students begin their first round of testing. My 7th graders will be taking the Writing TAKS, which includes writing a composition and finding grammar errors in selected pieces of literature. Besides putting in their best efforts, I'm hoping that they'll remember to do a few more things:
1. go to bed 1/2 hour early.
2. eat a healthy breakfast.
3. drink plenty of water (a dehydrated brain doesn't function properly).
4. do all the easy questions first.
5. do all the difficult questions last.
6. do their best on each question, as if it is the only question on the test.

I wish you all the best!

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach

Hello, Denver!

Here we are in Denver, Colorado. It's a beautiful city with old and new architecture and a wonderful view of the mountains. Mom and I toured the city on foot and were pleasantly surprised by the pedestrian-friendly planning.

Have you ever been made aware of an upcoming test and your first thought is something like - "Great! I have a week before I have to start studying."? Well, what you just did was decide that instead of making it easy and pain-free, you're going to stress yourself out and bring on misery. Not a good plan. Look at it this way, if you were an athlete, would you wait until the night before a competition to practice? Of course not.

So here's a tip to get yourself ready for your test:

Every day, from the time you find out about your test until the night before, tell your parents 3 cool things you learned, 3 useless things you learned, 3 important things you learned, or 3 pieces of trivia about what you learned. What happens while you're doing this is that 1. your brain is recalling information, 2. you're providing details, 3. you're finding out what you don't know and still need to study, and 4. you naturally begin to question and wonder about what you're saying. All of this is studying, and it doesn't take up much time or cause you too much pain.

Remember, knowledge is one thing no one can take away from you.

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com

The Exams are coming! What do I do?

I hope that you all have found your return to school a potitive one. It took me a good week to adjust to waking up early and staying focused all day long. But now I'm back in the swing of things and thinking about the state exams that begin in February, in Texas at least.

It's never too early to begin studying for the exams. Many schools have already begun their after school tutoring programs, and if you're like me, you will need the extra help in at least one area--but don't fret! It's all good.

There are many easy things you can do to prepare yourself and take advantage of the time you have left. Here's one:

Always, always, ALWAYS let your teacher know when you don't understand something. Yeah, it can make you feel dumb when it seems like everyone else knows what she's talking about or when classmates start laughing or making comments, but I guarantee you, you have at least 3 of those classmates who are as confused as you are.

Check back for another tip!

If you need effective, interesting study strategies, ask me about my book - The Study Coach's Easy Study Manual!

Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com