**Study & Homework Help**
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
-- Theodore Roosevelt --
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What Can I Do if I Want to Improve My Study Skills?
Improving your study skills is often about getting organized. If you can follow these simple guidelines, you should see an improvement in your grades. When you are well organized, you may find it takes you less time too.
- Select a spot at home with the least amount of disruption, with good lighting and where you can concentrate on what you’re doing. No TV, computers, or cell phones!
- Decide on a homework schedule – when you will do your homework each night and what you will cover.
- Schedule in short breaks (5 - 10 minutes) if you have a lot of study to do. Try it for one week. If it works, stick to it; if it doesn’t, change it and test again.
You will find it much easier to get ready for a test if you review the work you did in school when you get home.
It is very important to keep your school work neat, complete and well organized. Try to have a different notebook and binder for each subject. Do not crowd everything into one place!
Take a close look at the notes you keep. Good notes are very important and very helpful. Organize them after class when the information is still fresh; review them the same evening; and refer back to them when it’s time to start studying for tests.
You can also read material before it is presented in class. This will help you prepare for class. You can then ask questions about anything you didn’t understand.
Prepare for tests and exams in advance, not just the night before. It is way too difficult to 'cram' everything into your brain the night before. Review your notes every day. You will be surprised at how little time to takes to do this!
Set up your study schedule from the time your teacher tells you there will be a test.
Ask your teacher for tips on what to cover.
Make sure you find out what sort of test to expect – essay, questions, true/false, multiple choice, oral, etc.
Studying is a skill you can develop – something you have to learn how to do, so don’t be discouraged if it isn’t always easy.
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The websites below may also be helpful:
Study Skills
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/homework1.cfm
http://www.uleth.ca/ross/counselling/study_skills_handouts.html
Homework Tips
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/parents/tips.asp
Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/#
Presentation Skills
http://www.presentationskills.ca/
Public Speaking Links
http://www.caubo.ca/annual_conf/2010/pdf/Links%20to%20Public%20Speaking.pdf
Help for Elementary Students - 6 Traits of Writing
http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/concord/teacherlinks/sixtraits/sixtraits.html
How to Write a Literary Critique
http://chci.wrdsb.on.ca/library/4eng3uic.htm
MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia, Atlas and Homework,url
http://encarta.msn.com/
On-line Dictionary
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
Managing Test Anxiety
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/mcanx.html