2. Concentration
When you learn how to
concentrate, you have won
half the battle. Use these
suggestions to strengthen your
concentration skills:
3. 1. Many Students have trouble
concentrating with an empty
stomach. Before you begin studying,
eat a healthy, energy-boosting snack
that includes both protein and
carbohydrates. Try peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches, fruits smoothies, or
English muffin pizzas.
4. 2. Are you most focused when you
get home from school, or are you
more attentive after dinner? To
find out, vary your study times
for a week, and keep track of
how long it takes you to finish
your assignments. Then, choose a
study time based on what works
best for you.
5. 3. Getting the most difficult work
done first can give you a sense of
accomplishment that will help
you get through the rest. For
example, you might work on a
creative writing assignment
before studying your list of
vocabulary words.
6. Concentration means
focusing all your attention
on a single subject. Like
other skills, concentration
can be learned through
practice and repetition.
7. Many students have
difficulty concentrating
while studying. Being able
to concentrate while you
are studying is essential to
doing well in class and on
tests.
9. 1. Study in a quiet place that is free from distractions and
interruptions. Try to create a space designated solely for studying.
2. Make a study schedule that shows what tasks you need to
accomplish and when you plan to accomplish each task. This will
provide you with the structure you need for effective studying.
3. Try to study at the time of the day you work best. Some people work
well early in the morning, other late at night. You know what works best
for you.
4. Make sure that you are not tired and /or hungry when you study.
Otherwise you won’t have the energy you need concentrate. Also,
maintain your physical fitness.
5. Don’t try to do two tasks at the same time. You won’t be able to
concentrate on either one very well. Concentration means focusing on
one thing to exclusion of all else
10. 6. Break large tasks into a series of smaller tasks that you can complete
one a time. If you try to complete a large task all at once, you may feel
overwhelmed and may be unable to maintain your concentration.
7. Relax. It’s hard to concentrate when you are tense. It’s important to relax
when working on a task that requires concentration.
8. Clear your mind of worrisome thoughts. Mental poise is important for
concentration. You can get distracted by your own thoughts. Monitor your
thoughts and prevent yourself from following any that take you off track.
Don’t daydream.
9. Develop an interest in what you are studying. Try to relate what you are
studying to your own life to make it as meaningful as possible. This can
motivate yourself to concentrate.
10. Take breaks whenever you feel fatigued. There is no formula for when
to take breaks. You will know when you need to take a break.
11. Test-Taking
Successful test-taking involves four critical steps
1. Preparing well in advance of the day of the test.
2. Taking the test in an organized way,
3. Managing stress, and
Learning from the test after it is over.
The following steps focus on ways to become a
successful test taker.
13. 1. Find out ahead of time what material the test covers,
what type of test it will be, how the test will be graded
and how much the test will count towards your final
grade.
2. Study in a place that is free of distractions and have all
your materials ready to use.
3. Study at a time when you feel alert and not hungry or
sleepy;
4. Don’t wait until last minute to study! Short daily study
sessions are better than one long session the night
before the test.
5. Set goal for each study period. If you are tested on
three chapters, set up four study sessions, one per
chapter and one for a review of the main ideas in all
three chapters
14. 6. Repetition is the key! Read and reread your class notes and the relevant
chapters in the book.
7. Take good notes!
8. Organize your notes according to what will be on the test.
9. While you are reviewing your notes, cover them up periodically and
summarize then speak them put loud. Pretend that you are explaining the
material to someone else.
10. Make up your own quiz or test based on your notes and have a friend,
parent or sibling test you.
11. Do any practice exams or study sheets provided by the teacher. These will
help you focus your study session and give you confidence.
12. Get help from the teacher if you do not understand something.
13. Finish studying the day before the exam.
14. Get a good night’s sleep.
15. Eat breakfast
16. Be on time to school.
17. Avoid stressful situations prior to the test.
15. STUDYING IN A GROUP
It often works best to have just three to five people in a
study group. That way, each person gets the time to talk
and make sure they understand the material.
16. 1. Schedule a few study sessions. Whether studying alone in a group, a few
short sessions are much more useful than one long “cram” session.
2. Have one person act as the leader can help the group to run smoothly. The
main goal of the leader is to keep everyone focused on studying so that
things don’t become too social.
3. Be prepared! A study group is a place to share your understanding of a
subject. The other people in the group aren’t there to teach you facts you
already know. The more you can offer the group, the more you’ll get out of
it.
4. Create and stick to an agendum that is important.
5. Compare notes and review old homework. If there is something you have
trouble understanding, write down your questions about it before meeting
with your study group.
6. Drill each other on facts you need to memorize.
7. Lastly, take the time to discuss “why” questions. One way to handle “why”
questions is to make a list of important one that you will want to review.
Then divide the questions among the group. At your next meeting, have
each person present a lesson about their question
17. During the test
1. Listen to and read instructions carefully make sure you
understand them
2. If you have a question, ask it.
3. Answer the question completely and with detail.
4. Check and make sure you have not skipped anything and
proofread your answers
5. Do not let other test takers distract you it makes no
difference who finishes first or last.
6. If you finish early, go back and proofread your answers
again. But don’t change anything unless you are sure.
Studies show that the first answer you choose is usually the
right one
18. After the test
when the test is returned, read the teacher’s comments carefully
and try to learn from your mistakes.
1. Save test for later review for end of term tests.
2. If you must cram, begin with 5 sheets of paper.
3. Identify 5 key concept or topics that will covered on the test.
4. Enter one at the top of each page
5. Use only key words or short phrases.
6. In your own words, write an explanation, definition, answer,
etc. on each page. Do not use text or notes!
7. Compare your response to your text or class notes.
8. Edit or re-write your understanding of each topic
9. Add topics if you have the time and follow the same
sequence.
19. DETER – TEST-TAKING STRATEGY
D = DIRECTIONS
Read the test directions carefully
1. Ask your teacher to explain anything
2. Only by following the directions can you achieve a good score on the
test.
3. If you do not follow the directions, you will not be able to demonstrate
what you know.
E = EXAMINE
1. Examine the entire test to see how much you have to do.
2. If you do not know the entire task break it down into parts that become
manageable to you.
20. T = TIME
1. Once you have examined the entire test, decide how much time you will
spend on each item.
2. If there are different points for items, plan to spend the most time on the
items that count the most points.
3. Planning your tie especially important for essays tests where you must
avoid spending to much time on one item that you will have a little time
for other test items.
E = EASIEST
1. Answer the items that you find easiest first.
2. If you get stuck on a difficult time that comes up early in the test, you may
not get to answer items that tests things you know.
R = REVIEW
1. If you have planned your time correctly, you will have to review your
answers and make them as complete and accurate as possible.
2. Also make sure to review the test directions to be certain you have
answered all items required.
21. Concentration and Memory
Skills
Take some time to go through ways to
create concentration and memory skills by
discussing the following information.
22. Making an effort to remember
1. Interest. The Brain prioritizes by meaning, value and
relevance. To have meaning, you must understand what you
are learning. In order to remember something thoroughly,
you must be interested in it and think that it has value and
relevance in your life.
2. Intent to Remember. Your attitude has much to do with
whether you remember something or not. A key factor to
remembering is having a positive attitude that you get it
right the first time. Attention is not the same as learning, but
little learning takes place without attention.
3. Basic Background. Your understanding of new materials
depends on what you already know that you can connect it
to. The more you increase your basic knowledge, the easier
it is to build new knowledge on this background.
23. Controlling the amount and form
1. Selectivity. You must determine what is
most important and select those parts to
begin process of studying and learning.
2. Meaningful Organization. You can learn
and remember better if you can group ideas
into some sort of meaningful categories or
groups.
