Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Midterms & Study Skills: Make An Assessment

October/November is usually midterm time. What have you done to prepare for your tests? Or, if you have taken your test already, what was the outcome? Was it what you expected? If not, then it's probably time to re-evaluate your study skills and your study practices.

Do you put in enough hours for studying? If you are taking a 3 hour class, then in reality, you should be putting in at least three hours of studying per week to make sure you are staying caught up on what you should be learning in your classes.  If you don't understand, you teacher or professor is not going to approach you to see if you are having trouble (maybe in high school, but especially NOT in college).  Knowing this, what are you willing to do to make sure you understand the material presented to you?  If you are in high school, ask your teacher if he or she can tutor you before or after class or ask them to recommend someone in the subject you are having trouble with.  If you are in college, you need to make time to visit your professor during his/her office hours and like in high school, seek out a tutor; there is usually a tutoring center on most college campuses and those services are usually provided for free.

If issues in a particular subject persist and you feel like you are not being successful in a course, seek out options. Are you able to drop the class without a negative blemish on your transcript? If so, weigh the option of dropping a class versus sticking it out until the end of the semester.  Also, especially if you are in college, is this a class you will need for your major? If so, you may want to see an advisor and they will help you figure out what your next step will be if you have to repeat the course.  If the class is not a requirement for your major, you may want to consider changing majors, especially if the subject matter is not of interest to you, and, especially if this course is one of the first courses you have taken.  Seek out your advisor and/or a career counselor to assist you in making the right decision so that you can ensure that you will be on the correct path to success.

"Education is the Civil Rights issue of our generation." --Arnie Duncan, US Secretary of Education For tutoring in reading, writing, basic math and basic science, GED, and College Prep, visit: http://novembercafe.yolasite.com or email at novembercafe.education@gmail.com

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