If you want to help your college-bound child learn how to study effectively as possible so they can reach their full potential now, and later when they head off to college, one of the best things you can do is help them to learn how they can deal with the various distractions that could make studying difficult.
With that in mind, here are some of the most common study distractions and what you can do about them:
Continue reading 5 Common Study Distractions (and how to help)
Social studies is concerned with a wide array of disciplines that impact and affect human society on different levels. At the school level, social studies is a commonly taught subject and can include geography, history, anthropology, sociology, political science, and so on. Social studies is inherently important to any school curriculum because it teaches children the value of good behavior, ethic, and civics and molds them into better more productive citizens. Not to mention it is invaluable for any democratic society with global values.
When your child goes to school and then grows up further, they will undoubtedly need to interact with other children from other cultures or will read about them. Social studies provides a kind of map that can be followed for children to know how to live and behave in society and understand its underlying mechanisms.
Continue reading Why Social Studies Matters
Online and distance learning have long been popular ways to improve your education. People across the world are relying on these methods to enable themselves to better their qualifications, offering ways to learn and build a career that doesn’t involve going to school. While popular, though, options like this can also come with some challenges. You need to think about yourself and your goals before you embark on something like this, and it will make sense to explore whether or not online learning is right for you before you get started.
Going to university or college means that you have to be a good independent learner, as you won’t have teachers pushing you to do your work all the time. Of course, though, this will be even more important if you decide to study online. With very few deadlines to meet, it can be all too easy to allow your online education to drag on for a very long time. You have to make sure that you will be able to push yourself to work and learn, especially if you have a lot of other things in life to think about.
Continue reading Is Online Learning the Right Choice
Most parents aren’t going to be all that hands-on with the kind of living environment that their kid makes for themselves while they’re out at college. However, if they’re looking to study more effectively, then it’s important to realize just how crucial their surroundings are for that. Here are a few tips to help them create an environment much better suited to their aims.
First of all, you need to make sure those physical needs are taken care of. If studying involves poring over the books or working at the PC on a desk, then you have to make sure that can be done comfortably. Look at some of the ergonomic chairs at Chair Office that you could potentially invest in. Make sure there’s plenty of lighting to contrast any screen lights to prevent eyestrain, too.
Continue reading Creating the Perfect Study Environment
Most schools have been closed over the past few months, and continue to be closed, but this does not mean that learning has to stop. Online lessons have proven to be a great help.
You can find all types of resources online to help your student continue the learning process. Beginning in the early grades like third grade writing worksheets, and continuing as your student moves into junior high and high school.
Online learning websites are widely available. With so many to choose from, there are many factors to consider when looking for the best. One of the main decisions you need to make is whether to pay for access to a learning website or whether to only use free resources.
There is no right or wrong when determining whether to pay for lessons online. It is all about deciding what is right for you. If you are currently not in a position whereby you can afford to spend money on such lessons comfortably, then, of course, start with free resources until you can.
Aside from this, you need to consider how motivated you are. If you are not a self-starter, you may struggle to stick with a free program. However, if you are paying for a service, it will certainly give you the extra push you need to study regularly. Moreover, if it means gaining access to a much better pool of online lessons, it may be worth paying for a learning website, especially if your time is precious. You could get to the same skill level, in the end, no matter what website you use, but with free resources, it may take a little bit longer, unless you find one that ticks all of the boxes, of course. If that is the case, then great! Also, if you need personalized help, you can get access to a live teacher and so on with some paid websites.
Online music lesson websites are widely available for those who want to learn from the comfort of their own home and have the freedom to practice as and when suits them. There are many benefits associated with this approach to learning an instrument or how to sing, as you will discover below.
One of the main reasons why so many people choose online music lessons is because they are much more cost-effective. Rather than paying a fee every time you have a lesson, you are more likely to pay a one-off cost for access to the website in question, or in some cases, you may need to pay monthly or annual fees. There are also free resources on the web for you to make the most of, meaning you are bound to find the right solution for your budget.
Another benefit is that you have more control over your learning experience. You will be able to find resources suited to areas you feel you need more practice, and you can decide when you take the lessons, and how long for. You also have a much wider scope of music lessons online to choose from, including variation in the way these lessons are presented, from the written format to demonstration videos. You can also continue your lessons no matter where you go, which is ideal for those that travel a lot with work. Finally, you will be more inclined to experiment and take risks when you only have yourself to answer to.
As a college student, it’s an environment where you’re constantly learning, and when it comes to getting the most out of it, there are ways that you can help give yourself that extra boost. Here are some tips for soon-to-be college students to improve their skills.
Practicing something is a sure-fire way to achieve the success of something quicker than you would normally do it if you weren’t. Getting yourself into the mindset of practicing can be tough, but if you have the drive to do so, it can get easier. Think about what skills you need to work on and how you can implement that practicing in some way, shape or form. For example, you could be building on your experience as a writer and so creating a blog might give you that opportunity you need in order to write something new every day. It could simply be using a word generator to help you find better ways of describing or saying something. Opening up your vocabulary is important, and there can be so much use in practicing.
Being able to handle your time appropriately is important because you need to be able to attend any lectures you might have throughout the week, make time to study and to see your friends around campus. So time management is something that’s definitely important, yet it’s not something you can always achieve easily, to begin with. It might take a little trial and error to get right but trust yourself to make the right decisions when it comes to getting up and doing something. If you struggle with time management, work out what’s making you late to lectures or to other commitments and then work on the ways that you can help change this for the better.
Dealing with stress is something that many of us will have issues with throughout our life. It can be an emotion that we all feel to some degree, and some of us can handle it better than others. Try not to panic or make anything seem like too big of a deal. As much as getting qualifications and degrees are important, they are not worth harming your body or your mental health. If you’re struggling, always ask for help.
Money is a big thing for students because you can easily spend it on rubbish that doesn’t benefit you in any way. There are lots of ways to help budget your money better if you’re having a hard time of it at the moment. Look at the ways you’re spending your money currently and how you might be able to cut down or make better choices when it comes to using your money around the college. Perhaps try to limit yourself to a certain amount each day.
With so many tests, deadlines, and social activities it’s crucial to learn some organizational skills. Use data keeping tools, calendar apps, and good old-fashioned note-taking to stay organized in your classes and in life.
Improving your skills as a college student is always going to help make this experience a lot better and fulfilling if you follow these tips.
I am so excited to introduce Beyond Brilliance, a new book by four UC Berkeley students about how we learn and how we can do it better. You can get the ebook free or purchase a hard copy and receive a full refund if you read it and write an honest review proving you read the book. That’s a win/win for all students. Parents will love the book too!
I sat down with Lucas Miller, the ambitious author behind the project, to learn more. Here’s a short excerpt from our conversation.
Q. Can you briefly explain the premise of Beyond Brilliance?
Lucas: Sure, the basic idea is that we were all lied to in school. We were taught harmful myths about intelligence and how our brains work that limit many of us from accessing our full potential. We were taught what to learn, but never how. The truth is, getting top grades and becoming an efficient learner is a skill that anyone can cultivate. You don’t need to be naturally “brilliant”, or pull all-nighters, or sacrifice your social life, or even give up the gym to do well in school. What you really need to do is learn how learning actually works. Then, you can use that skill to get better at anything you like.
Q. There are so many books out there. Why should someone read yours?
Lucas: Most books for students give you the same old advice: work hard, take detailed notes, use a planner, yadda yadda. Beyond Brilliance takes a brand-new approach. Chapters are 1-3 pages, illustrated, and filled with clear takeaways backed by neuroscience. In a weekend, you’ll be able to glean the main insights from about fifty books and even more papers and distill them into a body of knowledge that will change how you learn forever.
Q. Who do you want reading it?
Lucas: Engineering majors at MIT, C students, victims of tracking and standardized testing, graduate students who don’t want to starve anymore, workers taking online classes on the side, and parents whose children are either falling behind or trying to skyrocket to the top of the class. Really anyone who likes learning and wants to get better at it.
Q. What are five things students can do to immediately become better learners?
Lucas:
Q. What is the biggest difference you see between excellent learners and average ones?
Lucas: The best students stick to their word. When they say they are going to study, they actually study. When they show up to do a problem set, they actually do the problem set. And when they sit down with a cup of coffee to write, they actually write. No email, no Buzzfeed, just work. And then when they’re done, they’re done.
Q. What are some tools you recommend for studying and scheduling?
Lucas: Evernote for taking and storing notes. Google Docs for team projects. Google Calendar and Trello for planning appointments and tasks. The Pomodoro technique for building rewards into your study schedule.
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Lucas Miller is a Phi Beta Kappa, Leadership Scholar, and senior in the top 1.5% of students at the University of California, Berkeley. After spending three semesters in engineering, he now studies cognitive science and entrepreneurship and has served as a mentor for multiple undergraduate courses. He also conducts research in memory and performance psychology. Learning, teaching, and sharing ideas are by far his greatest passions. Check out the Beyond Brilliance website here.
The concept of learning has changed; students are often using an online learning platform to improve their grades. The online platform is now a tool for students to further their education. Everyone can get free information about any course from the online school system.
For efficient studies, students should make a habit of studying on a daily basis. Here are 7 solutions to boost your grades studying online to prepare for exams effectively and also perform better on the exams when you are actually taking them.
As we endure to grasp technology, the traditional trend of learning from textbooks are becoming obsolete. Online learning has become more user-centered and fluid. Sometimes, students can’t get benefit from textbooks because they can’t fix text into their minds until they find the best real tools for that syllabus which can guide them step by step. For example, Udemy, BookRags, Hippocampus, Bookwolf, Pink Monkey, Study Stack, Quil and much more are valuable tools to study online to improve your grades in that selected subject. Even you can get courses at negotiable prices from these websites, some of them are free. Grab these courses to enhance your grades.
There are various websites which are specially designed to help the students study every topic. Grab these opportunities and enhance your learning with free websites such as, Coursera (to make education available to anyone), Udacity (for brainy types), Open Culture (educational media and top-notch quality cultural), Ted-Ed (the powerhouse of amazing lectures), Memrise (education based on science and community), and Learnist (an interactive platform just as Pinterest).
Another way is to find an online tutor who will help you with assignments and problems. Online tutoring sites have gained more popularity around the globe. Online tutoring is a valuable solution for students as it can be executed at home on a PC or mobile. Students can get experienced teachers by searching online. You can find a tutor at homework help today.
Online forums provide a high-quality education for everyone. The panel allows learners to collaborate in an online learning environment. If students can’t find the solution for a given assignment or solving any course question, then they can join these forums to get the required answers from experienced, educated persons. Students can get multiple answers to their queries by just posting a question in the forum.
You can take online quizzes to prepare for your tests or final exams according to your subjects. It helps with evaluation and text preparation. There are practice tests available for free in many subjects, including standardized tests.
Another solution to boost your grades is use search engines to get more help, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. One of the second leading search engines is YouTube which provides a wide variety of knowledgeable videos with bountiful information on every topic. The mentors in these videos explain each and everything in detail e.g explanation of math solutions in depth, programming step by step, mechanics and many more other subjects.
Students can organize themselves into study groups and pages by using social media. Social media provides a new way of learning through educational groups and pages where they can discuss study tactics and options on any subject.
Bonus Tip. Try to get at least one A each class or semester. This A will change your perspective for future classes or semesters and will change how you think about yourself.
Students are always looking for more effective ways to study and parents want to help when possible. Two students, Michael Bollinger and Max Holnaicher “are using technology to take an age-old learning method – flashcards — and bring it into the 21st century,” says Microsoft’s dailyedventures.com. With SAT and ACT tests approaching, CardKiwi.com flashcards could be a valuable resource when used to study vocabulary and math formulas.
FreeTech4Teachers.com : “Card Kiwi is a flashcard service whose appeal is its simplicity. Flashcards on Card Kiwi are text only. As you flip through your flashcards you rate your understanding by simply clicking thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs sideways. Card Kiwi will show you the cards that you rate with a thumbs down or thumbs sideways more often than the others until you’re using the thumbs up on every card in your set.”
“Spaced repetition works, increasing knowledge retention by up to 50 %,” says B. Price Kerfoot, an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. What are the advantages of spaced repetition? “In fact, in one memory study, students who used spaced repetition learning techniques were found to have outperformed other students in over 95% of cases (Cepeda et al, 2008).“
To summarize: using cardkiwi students will save time (they can share the work of creating flashcards with their friends) and significantly improve their recall rates. The application is so simple to use, they even have kids in grade 2 using it.
Watch this simple video that explains how it works and your student can join for FREE and begin using it immediately.
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One of the unnamed difficulties of college is the allocation of resources and time. All too often, students are blindsided by the sudden responsibility of managing and scheduling their classes, courses and homework dates without any overseeing parental body to guide their hand. The proper management of time can impact the success of academic and social lives, while the mismanagement of the many distractions and temptations will result in a convolution of unmet deadlines, incomplete assignments, and a schedule that always seems to be one step ahead of the output.
The college compromise means finding a way to have your personal time and your academic time with their own allotted schedules and time frames. A successful college experience doesn’t have to mean focusing on studies without enjoying the social niceties, or conversely, partying without bothering to practice and study for assignments and tests. As with much in life, moderation is a key. Managing academic chores in one hand with personal choices in the other is the kind of mature grace that the most successful students exhibit.
Of course, some of this comes from proper preparation. Making sure that you have all the materials you need to take notes, investing in a laptop ahead of time, installing note taking software, all of this can be worthwhile. The same goes for how you manage the logistics of living on or off-campus. For instance, Off Campus Living can provide a very worthwhile alternative to mature students looking for a more peaceful, mature approach to studying and university life, rather than jumping in with the ‘freshers experience’ and ‘party accommodation blocks’ we hear so much about.