Studying over Thanksgiving Break

Everyone is excited and ready to go home for Thanksgiving break.  Everyone is looking forward to exactly that – a break!  But don’t take too much of a break from studying.  Remember that learning takes varied and repeated exposure over time.   If you take a week completely off, when you return to school you will have to relearn some of the information.   While you don’t have to study all the time, here are a few quick and easy suggestions:

• Put some of the most important or hardest information you want to master on study cards.  Review them for about 20 minutes several times over break.  You can do this while exercising, right before bed, while eating, or whenever you have a few quiet minutes.
• Schedule an hour or two to go to your local library and study.  You will feel more like studying in an academic atmosphere.  (I think Starbucks works for this too!)
• If you have some friends at home from your school, make plans to meet and study and then go out for lunch.
• Tell your family right from the beginning of the break when you plan to study and ask their help to make it happen.
• Do your studying early in the break.  You are more likely to do it then than at the very end.
• Plan something fun that you will do after you complete the study session.
• If you plan to stay home to study, don’t try to do it in your room (on your bed!) or in front of the television.  Pick another place – either where you did you studying in high school or someplace completely different – wherever you think you will have the most concentration and motivation and the fewest distractions.

 Have a Happy Thanksgiving!  Return to school relaxed and rested, ready to finish strong! 

Time Management for the End of the Semester

The fall semester is drawing to a close.  At my university there are only 4 weeks of classes followed by a week of final exams left in the semester.  Everyone is feeling the time crunch.  Many long-term assignments are coming due, Thanksgiving break is coming up, and finals are looming in the future.  Everyone feels a bit overwhelmed at this point. 

One way to deal with this is to make a calendar for the remainder of the semester.  You can do this on the computer or hand-drawn, but it works best if you can see the entire schedule on one page.  Add the following:

• Due dates for assignments (think about setting a false, early deadline for yourself!)
• Dates and times of finals
• End-of-semester and holiday celebrations you want to enjoy
• Study sessions and/or tutoring, Supplemental Instruction sessions
• Anything else that is happening that is important to you

Just a hint:  The time between Thanksgiving and the end of the semester is very hectic – fun, but hectic!  Plan ahead and get as much done as possible before Thanksgiving so that you can enjoy the last weeks of the semester!

Signal Words - signals from the writer to the reader

One way the writer helps the reader to follow along is through the use of signal words.  These are small words, not related to the topic, that alert the reader to the following:

• Are there several points?  How many?
• Is the writer changing topics?
• Is the writer giving an opposing point of view?
• Is the information presented in chronological order?
• Does one part of the information cause the other, or vice versa?
• Is the author comparing and/or contrasting information?

Here are some examples of signal words:

• Multiple points:  numerals, first, second, next, then, last, finally
• Opposing points of view:  but, on the other hand, conversely
• Chronological order:  in order, first, second, then, finally
• Cause and effect: as a result of, caused by, resulting in,
• Compare/contrast:  likewise, similarly, the opposite, in contrast, on the other hand

Of course there are many other words, these are just a few examples to give you the idea.  Just keep in mind that the writer is choosing words carefully to help you, the reader, understand his or her ideas.  Your job as the reader is to be aware of signal words and watch for them as you read.