Time Management Tools

Most people need a tool to help them stay on track and manage time well. Very few people can stay organized without a device of some sort that records and reminds them. But we're all difference, and some students like simple tools while others prefer gizmos with pop-up reminders and alarms.?

It doesn't matter which tool you use. It's just a good idea to use some tool!

Find one that fits your personality and style. You'll be amazed at the freedom that comes from getting organized with a good tool.

1. Daily Task List

This is one of those simple tools that anybody can use with supplies that you can find around the house. In fact, the task list consists of a pen and a paper tablet. But you'd be amazed at the power this simple organization tool provides you! You simply write down every task that you want to complete on a single day, and cross them off as you progress. Any tasks that are left undone (or those that can't be completed) are carried over to the next day.

2. Repeating Phone Alarm

Who doesn't have a cell phone with a calendar these days?

When you have an assignment that is due on a regular basis, like a journal entry that is due on over Monday, you should put this assignment in your cell phone calendar and set up an alarm that goes off the day before your task is due. This is a great way to make sure that you never forget those repeating tasks.

3. The Lazy Meter

The LazyMeter is an online tool that does the same job as the daily task list. You enter all your tasks into the LazyMeter and check off each task as it is completed. This tool allows you to add notes and reminders to each task, and carry them over to a future date when necessary. It's a great tool for techie students who prefer to use technology for reminders.

4. Gmail

Google has lots of tools to make homework easier--and easier to remember. The Gmail account is connected to other tools, like Google Docs and Google Calendar, that will keep you on track and organized. You can set up reminders when those big assignments are due, and you can even have those reminders sent to multiple people.?

• If you want or need to keep parents informed about asignment due dates, you can send them a reminder along with your own. ?
• If you're working on a group project, you can send and receive reminders, and check on each other's work through Google Docs.

5. Student Planner

Most students own planners at some point. But owning a planner won't keep you organized and on time. You have to know how to use the planner effectively.

• You should come up with a color-coded system for marking days when tests will occur. Use red for test day, for example, but also use yellow stickers as a warning sticker, of sorts--to mark your calendar about three days before a test.
• Don't throw away old pages! You'll find yourself looking back over old pages with important information, like phone numbers and assignment page numbers. You never know what you'll need at the end of the term, when reviewing for a final.

6. Time Management Tracking Chart

You can use Microsoft Excel to generate colorful depictions of your progress. Learn to make a chart to track grades, points, pages, or any activity. Charts make a vivid display that can serve to motivate you into action!

7. Goal Tracking Grid

It is so easy to make goals and forget about them. We're all human!?

You can use a goal tracker?to stay on track with your goals and make yourself proud. A goal tracker is just a simple grid that contains space for you to write down your long-term and short-term goals. Simply place a check in the appropriate box as you go--and watch those goals become achievements!?

8. Big Wall Calendar

This is another simple but very effective time management tool. The big wall calendar should be placed on a prominent place on your wall. Use color coded markers or stickers to mark important dates or events. You'll never forget an assignment!

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PSAT Study Guides

Many students take the PSAT during their junior year. This test is actually important for two reasons. It prepares students for the SAT, of course, but it also provides them with a chance at the National Merit Scholarship. Every student should prepare for the PSAT, but study habits differ from student to student. The best approach is practice, practice, practice.

1. Research and Education Association PSAT/NMSQT Guide

This comprehensive guide offers a study schedule, subject reviews and drills, and practice exams with a detailed explanation of correct answers. Includes a CD (Windows) with two tests: one diagnostic and one timed, like the real thing. The computer tests are scored instantly. Great value for the price.

2. Barron's PSAT/NMSQT Guide

This guide starts you off with a pre-test to identify your strengths and weaknesses. It follows with six full-length practice tests and extra sample questions. No CD included. Extra study tips and vocabulary-building advice, as well. Good value for the money.

3. Cracking the PSAT/NMSQT

This is the Princeton Review guide. It includes strategies, techniques, a vocabulary list, and two full-length practice exams with full explanations. No CD with this book but the Princeton Review offers good PSAT study guidance on their web site, free for all to use.

4. Kaplan PSAT Guide

Kaplan offers good pointers and three practice tests. With the purchase of the book you also qualify for more help online. This book is usually the least expensive of the major guides.

5. 11 Practice Tests for the SAT and the PSAT

If you enjoy practice tests, you might want to select this comprehensive study guide. You can practice for the SAT and the PSAT, and enjoy access to online tools, including a diagnostic test with instant scoring. You'll also get advice on specific colleges and their admission policies. It's a great value.

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Interview Exams

An interview exam, or oral exam, is a test that is conducted much like a job interview. The student faces one or more questioners and answers questions out loud, face to face.

Since the format of this test is so different, students should take steps to prepare in a special way. It's a good idea to try to predict essay questions, as many questions as you can, and practice answering them in front of a mirror.

It might be a good idea to review tips for speaking in class, as well. It will be important to keep your nerves under control.

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Introductory Paragraph

First impressions are so important. How many times have you heard that? It is true that the first impression—whether it’s a first meeting with a person or the first sentence of a paper—sets the stage for a lasting opinion.

The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start with a sentence that piques the interest of your readers.

In a typical essay, that first sentence leads into two or three sentences that provide details about your subject or your process. All of these sentences build up to your thesis statement.

The thesis statement is the subject of much instruction and training. The entirety of your paper hangs on that sentence. But its function is to be informative and direct.

This means it’s not normally very exciting.

Your First Sentence

To get your paper off to a great start, you should try to have a first sentence that engages your reader. Think of your first sentence as a hook that draws your reader in. It is your big chance to be so clever that your reader can’t stop.

As you researched your topic, you probably discovered many interesting anecdotes, quotes, or trivial facts. This is exactly the sort of thing you should use for an engaging introduction.

Consider these ideas for creating a strong beginning.

Surprising fact: The pentagon has twice as many bathrooms as are necessary. The famous government building was constructed in the 1940s, when segregation laws required that separate bathrooms be installed for people of African descent. This building isn’t the only American icon that harkens back to this embarrassing and hurtful time in our history. Across the United States there are many examples of leftover laws and customs that reflect the racism that once permeated American society.

Humor: When my older brother substituted fresh eggs for our hard-boiled Easter eggs, he didn’t realize our father would take the first crack at hiding them. My brother’s holiday ended early that particular day in 1991, but the rest of the family enjoyed the warm April weather, outside on the lawn, until late into the evening. Perhaps it was the warmth of the day and the joy of eating Easter roast while Tommy contemplated his actions that make my memories of Easter so sweet. Whatever the true reason, the fact is that my favorite holiday of the year is Easter Sunday.

Quotation: Hillary Rodham Clinton once said that “There cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard.” In 2006, when Nancy Pelosi became the nation’s first female Speaker of the House, one woman’s voice rang out clear. With this development, democracy grew to its truest level ever in terms of women’s equality. The historical event also paved the way for Senator Clinton as she warmed her own vocal chords in preparation for a presidential race.

Finding the Hook

In each example, the first sentence draws the reader in to find out how the interesting fact leads to a point. You can use many methods to capture your reader’s interest.

Curiosity: A duck’s quack doesn’t echo. Some people might find a deep and mysterious meaning in this fact …

Definition: A homograph is a word with two or more pronunciations. Produce is one example …

Anecdote: Yesterday morning I watched as my older sister left for school with a bright white glob of toothpaste gleaming on her chin. I felt no regret at all until she stepped onto the bus …

End With a Good Beginning

Once you complete a first draft of your paper, go back to re-construct your introductory paragraph. Be sure to check your thesis statement to make sure it still holds true—then double check your first sentence to give it some zing.

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Plural of Hippopotamus

Question: What Is the Plural of Hippopotamus?

Answer:

Technically, you could use either hippopotamuses or hippopotami and be correct. This isn't much comfort to many people, however, since both seem to make us feel a little silly.

It's probably safest to go with hippopotamuses.

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50 Black History Essay Topics

Black history, or African-American history, is full of fascinating stories, rich culture, great art, and courageous acts that were undertaken within circumstances that we can hardly imagine in modern society. While Civil Rights events are the most common themes in our studies, we should resist equating African-American history only with Civil Rights-era history. There is so much more to explore! This list contains 50 prompts that might lead you into some interesting and little-known information about African-American history.

Note: Your first challenge in studying some of the topics below is finding resources. When conducting an Internet search, be sure to place quotation marks around your search term (try different variations) to narrow your results.

1. African-American newspapers
2. African-American soldiers in the American Revolution
3. African-American soldiers in the Civil War
4. Aviators
5. Buffalo Soldiers
6. Business-owning slaves
7. Buying time
8. Camp Logan Riots
9. Clennon Washington King, Jr.
10. Coffey School of Aeronautics
11. Crispus Attucks
12. Domestic labor strikes in the South
13. Finding lost family members after emancipation
14. First African Baptist Church
15. Fort Mose
16. Freedom's Journal
17. Gospel music
18. Gullah heritage
19. Harlem Hellfighters
20. Harlem Renaissance
21. Harriet Tubman
22. Historically Black Colleges
23. History of rock-and-roll
24. Inventors
25. John Brown
26. Jumping the broom
27. Manumission papers
28. Maroon villages in the eighteenth century
29. Midwifery
30. Motown Records
31. Multi-cultural pirate ships
32. Nat Turner
33. Otelia Cromwell
34. Property-owning slaves
35. Purchasing freedom
36. Ralph Waldo Tyler
37. Register of Free Persons of Color
38. Secret schools in antebellum America
39. Sherman's March followers
40. Slave Narratives
41. Susie King Taylor
42. The Amistad
43. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
44. The Communist Party (involvement)
45. The Great Migration
46. The Haitian Revolution
47. Tuskegee Airmen
48. Underground Railroad
49. Urban slavery (related to buying time)
50. Wilberforce College, Ohio

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Parts of a Research Paper

Are you facing your first big research paper? It's important to get started early to give yourself lots of time to do a good job. First you should consider the various parts of the paper.

• The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start with a sentence that piques the interest of your readers. Think of your first sentence as a hook that draws your reader in. It is your big chance to be so clever that your reader can't stop.
• No single sentence will pester you quite so much as the thesis sentence. Often you'll find it is both the first sentence you write and the last sentence you re-write while constructing the body of your essay.
• Page numbering can be frustrating and difficult. The first step is to divide your paper into sections that your computer will recognize.
• Your research note cards should include all the information necessary to write your paper. You should take extreme care as you create these note cards.
• If you want to give your research paper a professional look, you may want to insert a table of contents. When you do it right, this is a simple process that takes a few moments, and it makes a world of difference in the look of your paper.
• The MLA style provides a standard for giving your list of sources at the end of your paper. This alphabetical list of sources is called either a bibliography or a works cited list.

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Backward Planning

If you have a project, but you don't know where to start, you might want to try starting from the end for a change!

If you're like many students, you sometimes have trouble getting started on a project, because the end result seems so far away and impossible to reach. Sometimes, when you start out with an idea and a blank sheet of paper and look into the future, all you see is lots and lots of unfinished research, reading, planning, and work.

Through a process called backward planning, you may be able to overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed by all the steps between you and a finished product.

It starts with your imagination and a calendar. Sit in a quiet place and close your eyes, and imagine your project completed--and with a great passing grade. Now, open your eyes and write "project completed" on the day before your project is due.

Next, take a close imaginary look at your project and analyze the parts. How many sources, paragraphs, diagrams, experiments were necessary? Make a note of each one.

Next, determine how much time it took to complete each part. Count the days or hours and write that down. Then count backward from your completed project and mark a deadline for starting each part.

The point of this method of planning is taking a new look at your work timeline. Deadlines are difficult to assign and even tougher to stick to. If you look at your project from a "finished" point of view, you can see more clearly the necessity of sticking to self-imposed time tables.

This method takes some practice and time to get used to, but you may find that it helps you overcome the anxiety of starting from nothing. If you start with a finished project and count backwards, the hurdles and deadlines may pass more easily.

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Research Paper Checklist

A research paper checklist is essential, because the writing process involves many steps. Nobody writes a perfect research paper in one sitting!

Once you have finished the final draft of your research paper, use this checklist to make sure that you have remembered all the details.

See all Checklists

Research Paper Checklist

First Paragraph and Introduction	Yes	Needs Work
Introductory sentence is interesting
The thesis sentence is specific
The thesis statement makes a clear declaration that I back up with examples
Body Paragraphs
Does each paragraph begin with a good topic sentence?
Do I provide clear evidence to support my thesis?
Have I used examples with citations evenly throughout the work?
Do my paragraphs flow in a logical manner?
Have I used clear transition sentences?
Paper Format
Title page meets assignment requirements
Page numbers are in the right location on the page
Page numbers start and stop on the right pages
Each citation has a bibliography entry
In-text citations checked for proper formatting
Proofreading
I've checked for confusing word errors
I've checked for logical flow
My summary restates my thesis in different words
Meeting the Assignment
I mention previous research or positions on this topic
My paper is the right length
I've used enough sources
I've included the required variety of source types

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Starting With a Clean Slate

In Victorian times, students used slate boards in the classroom. Every morning, as a new day began, students would start with a shiny clean slate.

Today a "clean slate" indicates a fresh new start. I hope you will start this school year with confidence and excitement. And I hope that you are determined to do your very best work, and to make the most of this clean slate.

Here are a few suggestions.

• Take charge of your schedule, and don't rely on others to get you out of bed or to prompt you to do your homework.
• Complete assignments right away and avoid the urge to procrastinate.
• Keep yourself on track with checklists.
• Find the right tool for time management and commit to using it faithfully.

This school can be the best year ever. Be excited!

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What is Rhetoric?

Rhetoric has many definitions, and in today's society it can have negative connotations. That is why it may be confusing to you when you see that your English class is called "Composition and Rhetoric" in high school or college.

Rhetoric can refer to exaggerated or inflated talk, much like that which we hear in political speeches. That is because rhetoric refers to the art of persuasion through carefully crafted words. Rhetoric can be used as a pejorative term because it suggests that the speaker (or writer) is using words falsely, instead of using "plain talk" to convey something.

On the other hand, crafted words don't have to be false words. You can say something you really do mean in an artful way. In literature specifically, that can be a good thing!

In literature, rhetoric is what convinces you to feel a certain way about a topic. It is the art of conveying a point in a convincing, eloquent, and effective way. Rhetoric is what makes some writing beautiful and other writing bland.

The study of rhetoric goes back to ancient Greece, when speakers began to practice the art of persuasion in courts of law. The ancients realized that presentation is as important, or perhaps more important, as facts.

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Analytic and Sequential Learni

An analytic person likes to learn things step-by-step, or sequentially.

Sound familiar? If so, look over these characteristics to find out if these traits hit home, as well. Then you may want to capitalize on the study recommendations and improve your study skills.

Are You a Sequential Learner?

• An analytic or sequential learner may be more likely to respond to a problem with logic first, instead of emotion.
• If you're a sequential learner, you may feel the need to understand each part of an algebra equation.
• You may be good with time management, and you probably get to school on time.
• You tend to remember names.
• Your notes may be divided and labeled. You categorize things a lot.
• You plan ahead.

Problems

• You may get hung up on details when reading. You have to understand something before you move on.
• You might get frustrated easily with people who don't understand things as quickly as you do.

Analytic Style Study Tips

Do you become frustrated when people assert opinions as facts? People who are very analytic learners might. Analytic learners like facts and they like learning things in sequential steps.

They are also fortunate, because many of their preferred methods are used in traditional teaching. Teachers also enjoy giving tests that favor analytic learners, like true and false or multiple choice exams.

Since your learning style is compatible with traditional teaching styles and you enjoy order, your biggest problem is getting frustrated.

An analytic learner may benefit from the following:

• Ask for clear rules. You need clarity. Without rules, you might feel lost.
• Don't get frustrated by opinions. Some students may offer opinions in class, especially the holistic learners who want to make comparisons! It is just their way of understanding, so don't let it bother you.
• Don't worry about not finishing a task. You may not want to move on to a new task if something (like a lack of supplies) interferes with your work. Try not to get hung up. Sometimes it's okay to move on and re-visit a project later.
• Don't worry if things don't seem logical. We don't make the rules sometimes. If you come across a rule that doesn't make sense, don't let it bother you to distraction.
• Group your information. Analytic learners are good at categorizing information. Go ahead and place your information into categories. It will help you recall the information when you need it.
• Sit in the front of the class, to avoid distractions. If you're annoyed by rowdy or talkative students in the back of the class, try to sit where you won't notice them.
• Don't worry about big concepts right away-give yourself time. If you're reading a book or chapter and you don't seem to be "getting the message," give it time. You may need to know all the details first, and then put them together.
• Take things step-by-step, but don't get hung up. If you're doing a math problem with an equation, don't get hung up if you don't understand a certain step. Take a leap of faith!
• Ask for specific goal. Analytic learners may feel the need to understand the specific goal before they can get into a project. Go ahead and ask for clear goals if you need them.

  You may want to check out the characteristics of a global learner.

  You can also discover the characteristics of students who learn best by seeing, hearing, or experiencing.

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Repeating Phone Alarms

Soon after the school year gets underway, you should make the time to set up a calendar with reminders. You could use a big wall calendar for your bedroom, with color coded stickers to let you know when important dates are coming up.

But one of the most effective calendar tools is the repeating alarm function that you have on your cell phone. You can set up an alarm to go off every night at a certain time, or every other night, or any specific combination of nights--whatever works for your schedule. If you have a regular assignment due, you should use a repeating alarm.

If you have an English class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for example, you will most likely have a reading assignment due every night prior to your class meeting. Just take the time once to set up your phone alarm to repeat a reminder every night prior to your English class, and you'll never forget to complete the reading assignment!

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MLA Bibliography

Be as specific as possible about the date and issue of a magazine.

• You will abbreviate months with five letters or more (all but May, June, July). Give complete dates for magazines issued weekly or every two weeks, written in this order: Day Month Year, as in 30 Mar 2000.
• Follow the instructions above for page numbers. In consecutive page numbers, give just the last two digits of the second number, as in 245-57.

Parenthetical Citations

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Intelligence Types

Good With Sports and Movement

Are you a natural when it comes to gymnastics or dance? Do you have smooth moves? Body and movement intelligence is a trait of the world's great athletes.

• You're good at sports
• You can dance well
• You talk with your hands
• You're interested in acting
• You like to build things
• You clown around in class
• You have great balance
• You can throw a ball accurately

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Healthy Homework Habits

Your homework habits might be affecting your grades. Are you staying on track with your assignments? Feeling tired, achy, or bored when it comes to homework time? Are you arguing with parents about your grades? You can change the way you feel by taking better care of your mind and your body.

1. Use a Planner

Did you know that poor organization skills can reduce your final scores by a whole letter grade? That's why you should learn to use a day planner the right way. Who can afford to score a big fat "0" on a paper, just because we got lazy and didn't pay attention to the due date? Nobody wants to get an "F" because of forgetfulness.

2. Develop Critical Reading Skills

Critical reading is "thinking between the lines." It means reading your assignments with the goal of finding deep understanding of a material, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. It is the act of analyzing and evaluating what you are reading as you progress, or as you reflect back.

More: Learn to Read Like a Teacher

3. Communicate With Parents

Parents are concerned about your success. It sounds simple enough, but students don't always realize how much parents can stress out about this. Whenever parents see a small sign of potential failure (like missing a homework assignment), they start fretting, unconsciously or consciously, about its potential to become a big failure.

More: Avoiding Chaos at Homework Time

4. Get the Sleep You Need

Studies show that teens' natural sleep patterns are different from those of adults. This often causes sleep deprivation among teens, since they tend to have trouble going to sleep at night, and have trouble waking in the mornings. You can avoid some of the problems that come with sleep deprivation by changing some of your nighttime habits.

More: Sleep Deprivation and Teens

5. Improve Your Eating Habits

Do you feel tired or dizzy a lot of the time? If you sometimes avoid working on a project because you just don't have the energy, you can increase your energy level by changing your diet. One banana in the morning might increase your performance at school!

More: Improve Your Diet and Improve Your Grades

6. Improve Your Memory

A great way to improve your homework habits is to improve your memory with brain exercise. There are many theories and ideas about improving memory, but there is one mnemonic method that has been around since ancient times. Ancient accounts show that early Greek and Roman orators used the "loci" method of remembering long speeches and lists. You may be able to use this method to enhance your memory at test time.

More: Improve Your Memory with an Ancient Technique

7. Fight the Urge to Procrastinate

Do you get the sudden urge to feed the dog at homework time? Don't fall for it! Procrastination is like a little white lie we tell ourselves. We often think we’ll feel better about studying later if we do something fun now, like playing with a pet, watching a TV show, or even cleaning our room. It's not true.

More: Procrastination and Homework

8. Avoid Repetitive Stress

Between text messaging, Sony PlayStations, Xbox, Internet surfing, and computer writing, students are using their hand muscles in all new ways, and they're growing increasingly susceptible to the hazards of repetitive stress injury. Find out how to avoid pain in your hands and neck by changing the way you sit at your computer.

More: Repetitive Stress and Teens

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In Five Chunks

The next chunk of presidential names begin with C,M,R,T,W,H,C,H,R:

24. Grover Cleveland
25. William McKinley
26. Theodore Roosevelt
27. William Howard Taft
28. Woodrow Wilson
29. Warren G. Harding
30. Calvin Coolidge
31. Herbert Hoover
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Crazy man, really. That Wilma had captured him romantically!

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Preparing for Final Exams

Final exams are stressful for many students--and it's no wonder. Finals are designed to allow students to demonstrate how much information they have retained from an entire semester.

Every subject is a little bit different, so you should specialize your study skills for each particular exam.

Final Exams and General Strategy

Studies show that certain methods are important when it comes to memorization.

• If you're studying for a topic that involves a lot of new terms and concepts, you must prepare for a test with a reusable practice test. Fill in the practice sheet and repeat until you get all the answers right.
• Believe it or not, lots of points are lost because students get careless on bubble sheets! Review these common and very costly bubble sheet errors that can wreck your test performance.
• Review common instruction words that teachers use. Know the difference between contrast, analyze, and compare, for example.
• If finals week means lots of back-to-back exams for you, you should prepare yourself mentally and physically for the many consecutive hours you can spend writing.
• Fill in the blank exams require special preparation. You start by reading over your class notes to underline new terms, important dates, noteworthy phrases, and the names of key people.
• If part of your final involves constructing a long essay outside of the classroom, you should become very familiar with all the behavior that constitute plagiarism. You might be surprised to find out how easy it is to plagiarize. And plagiarism normally results in an immediate fail!

Preparing for Finals in English and Literature Classes

Literature professors are most likely to test you with long and short essay questions. First rule when preparing for a literature exam: read the material again!

Before going in to any essay test session, you should review basic punctuation rules.

Preparing for Exams in Foreign Language Classes

If you're mainly concerned about memorizing a list of new words when learning a foreign language, you can use this color-coding method to memorize vocabulary words.

If you're preparing for a final exam in a Spanish, you can review a list of common mistakes students make when composing Spanish essays. You may also need to insert Spanish symbols as you create your final essay.

Practice early and practice a lot to ace a Spanish test! That's the advice from readers.

Sometimes it's necessary to cram for a foreign language final. If you need to learn a lot of French in a little bit of time, try some practice techniques offered by our Guide to French Language.

Preparing for Science Finals

Many science teachers like to use multiple choice questions to test students. To prepare for this type of test, you should look closely at the concepts behind themes to make sure you are prepared for "all of the above" and "none of the above" answers. Look at any lists of components or traits.

When taking a chemistry final, be sure to "mind dump" every memorized equation at the start.

Join a study group and seek study advice from other students.

Use common sense when you prepare for test day. Eat right and get enough sleep!

Preparing for a Psychology Final

If your psychology teacher offers a test review, it is important to take smart and sensible notes. You can use your review notes to create a practice exam.

When preparing for a psychology test, it's particularly important to review psychological theories you've covered in class and apply them to real life examples when you can.

Preparing for Math Finals

For many students, math finals are the most intimidating of all! Some of the best advice for preparing for math exams comes from our readers. Work slowly and review each problem at least ten times--that's the kind of wisdom readers share.

Review these problem solving strategies to know how and when to use certain procedures.

It's critical to memorize the basic rules that are necessary for working many problems:

• divisibility rules
• order of operations
• negative and positive rules
• geometry formulas

Final Exams in History

History exams will involve memorizing dates as well as memorizing new history terms for your exam. Be sure to brush up on techniques for preparing for a short answer test.

Many teachers in the social sciences prefer to use essay exam questions. To prepare for an essay exam, you should read over your notes and textbook chapters to search for hidden themes,

Your history final may involve writing a long history paper. Make sure your essay fits the assignment and is formatted correctly.

Our Guide to Ancient History provides excellent advice for last minute study tips for history class.

Finding a Study Partner

It is very helpful for many students to study with a good partner. Find a serious student and find a good study space to exchange practice questions and compare notes.

A great study partner will understand some methods or problems that you don't. You will be able to explain some problems to your partner in return. It's a trade-off.

Finally, read over these Top 10 Test Errors to avoid senseless mistakes that cost you valuable points!

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Vocabulary Quiz

Test Your SAT Word Knowledge

If you're ready to build your vocabulary, this quiz can help. Just test your word knowledge and check your score. If you miss any words, you can study the words and take the test again in a few days!

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Group Study

Looking for ways to improve your study skills?
If so, don’t neglect one tool that has worked since the early days of one-room school houses—the study group.

Many college professors agree that group study enhances students’ performances, both in class discussions, as well as on tests.

Why does it work? Group study pays off because it brings about changes in two ways: it forces students to alter their old ways of thinking and it changes their less effective patterns of behavior.

In a group environment, students are less likely to procrastinate. After all, it’s easy to put off an assignment when you only have yourself to answer to, isn’t it? But when you know you have a whole group of people counting on you, you’ll be more likely to get the job done.

Group study also encourages students to explain things aloud. By speaking to and listening to others, students often improve on recall ability, or ability to remember information on test day.

Students who study with others are also forced to become more organized. Once you learn to date and label your notes, you’ll see that organized notes make much more sense at the end of the week than the jumbled, mix and match variety.

One more great benefit of group discussion is that the many perspectives improve your chances of anticipating test questions. Group members will always bring up ideas and thoughts you’d never considered. The various views are sure to pay off on test day!

Finally, you’ll likely find that the benefit of group study reaches far beyond the good results on test day. It will build self-confidence that you can use for the rest of your life. Speaking to small groups will prepare students for speaking to larger groups in the future—or more official groups such as college admission panels or hiring boards.

So go ahead and start building a group of like-minded students who share your goals for success. Be sure to develop a set of study rules to establish the “where’s” and “how’s” and stick by them. The results will show on report card day!

Find Out How to Form a Study Group

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Daily Task List

One way to meet your goals is to keep a daily task list. This is a handy trick borrowed from the most successful business leaders. Sometimes important deadlines sneak up on us and take us by surprise. We end up trying to do too many things at the last minute.

This translates into a poor grade!

Avoid this trap by maintaining a simple task list.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 30 Minutes Spread Throughout a Day

Here's How:

1. Set your goals for a month. Record any large assignments or projects that you need to finish.
2. Divide your big jobs into small tasks. For example, if you need to make 100 science flash card in the next month, you can put "Make 10 flashcards" on your list some days.
3. Prioritize your tasks. For instance, you'll need to brainstorm a project first, buy supplies next, and start creating posters third.
4. Use an inexpensive paper tablet to write down a list of tasks you should complete every day. Keep it on you at all times.
5. Look at your list at least three times a day. Some tasks can't be completed until others are done or until you've reached a certain destination, like school or the library. It's a good idea to keep checking periodically as a reminder.
6. You'll find that some tasks just can't be completed. Don't stress about those.
7. At the end of the day, look at your task list. Mark off tasks that have been completed. You'll have a few left over that can be completed within 15 minutes or so. Complete those.
8. Tear off the old sheet, bring all unfinished or unfinishable tasks to a new page for the next day for a new list.
9. Observe and re-evaluate tasks that have been carried over for three days. Either finish them first or change them because they're unrealistic.

Tips:

1. Avoid carrying over tasks. Try to complete everything on your list every day. Keep it realistic.
2. List fun things! You should include little rewards for finishing other not-so-fun things. You deserve it! Plus, the more you check things off, the better it feels!
3. Add a vocabulary word to your daily task list. Commit to working it into conversation once or twice that day.

What You Need:

• A paper tablet - that's all!

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Need a Lazy Meter?

The LazyMeter is an online tool that helps you keep track of your daily tasks. It keeps you organized, so you can enjoy being lazy when you've completed all your tasks!

I've often recommended that you keep a daily task list, which requires you to write all your daily tasks on a piece of paper and move any unfinished tasks to the next day's list. The LazyMeter is basically the same tool, for techies.

There's a nice little video that shows you how to use this easy tool. Basically, you create every assignment or task that you need to complete and add any notes or reminders as needed. Then you check off tasks, one by one, as you complete them.

The best thing about a tool like this is that it lets you really enjoy your free time. Once you finish all your tasks and check them off, you can relax and know that you're right on schedule. You can be free from lingering worries that lurk in the back of your mind when you're disorganized.

And another plus? You can access the LazyMeter through your phone's web browser. No excuses!

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