Academic success

Howers

I suppose I just have high standards when it comes to secondary education, unlike most of the country today. What I consider "typical high school" may actually fall under "accelerated learning" with a healthy dose of AP science and math. In those classes, one student got a 4.0. I already said that it depends on the school, so likely most people (most schools are public) will be capable of perfect grades.

I find this is getting ridiculously off topic. Mister "Alien", the best thing you can do is focus on work that is marked. Focus in class and understand the work you do, not merely hand it in.

j93

On your 1st point thats complete bunk I doubt anyone can say you need an 130 IQ score to get a 4.0 especially since in HS and college your GPA is tied to your course selection and course load.

On the seconf point I would have to agree , I doubt a 4.0 in Stuyvesant means the same as a 4.0 in a standard HS.

endi

thanks for the replies so far, does anyone else have any ideas?

daveyinaz

First off, you obviously didn't watch Stand and Deliver. Secondly, I did calc 2 in high school while my sister barely got thru algebra 2...so there goes the sibling theory. I might also mention that I hope that no one is taking you seriously...it's quite obvious you have no idea what you are talking about.

As for the OP...I like the advice from the guy who is writing the golf guide.

endi

comon guys, stick to the topic >:(
the alien needs to know what needs to be done to get straight as. The alien understands this concept of studying, and learning 90%< of presented material, but what else is there? and what ways are there to study for people who like doing things by hand?

Raizy

1. You might want to read bunch of articles here: http://supermemo.com/ only on your spare time

2. Visit http://www.mnemosyne-proj.org/ or http://ichi2.net/anki/ Those two flashcard systems should help you with the Spanish. I prefer Anki.

Consider these facts, alien:

1. Humans are run by emotion. If you are crap at regulating them you'll break.
2. There are decisions to be made. These are called sacrifices; enslave yourself for high grades, or find the perfect balance for success to preserve your sanity? Or overachieve and lose your sanity in the process?
3. How good are you at time-management?
4. How good are you at preventing procrastination?
5. We don't have a hyperbolic time chamber... at least not yet.
6. If all of us had the capacity of someone like Leonardo DaVinci, then there wouldn't be such thing as "genius" anymore.

Adding:

1. Put good food in you. Keep your brain nourished. Avoid fast food, avoid pop cans... avoid junk.
2. Forget about exercising, honestly... if we'll use the fact that you are nothing special (no offense, 99% of people are), that precious 45 minutes is needed. Unless you actually used exercise as an escape once you're finished studying. Although, I doubt this. I don't know how good or bad it will be for you if you exercise right before sleep.
3. Don't do all-nighters. Don't underestimate the important of sleep. Trust me, get 3-4 hours of sleep for 2-3 days, and try to learn new material. How does it feel?

endi

Thanks for the post Raizy!
yeah, I've got a problem with both time management and also procrastination, and i think i am a visual/hands-on learner. Thanks!

qntty

Hmmm this one doesn't seem right. Physically fit people generally have more energy. The time doesn't have to be completely dedicated to exercising, for example you can plan out an essay while you take a run.

qntty

Maybe you'd be interested in reading a website like this

Raizy

The most important thing, and I really hope you do give it some time and getting used to, is the spaced learning system (the Anki or Mnemosyne software). It's apparently ideal for learning new languages. It also works quite well for me in remember formulas, and little tiny bits of important facts you need to know. You probably won't need this in college though since I read you get "cheat sheets" ?? Anyone want to comment on that?

I was actually biased based on my experience (bad idea I guess). I've tried this during the first 2 months of being back in school and from what I've gathered, you need at least 20 minutes of intense exercising 3x a week to gain benefits from aerobic routines. I guess everyone is different, because after the 20 to 30 minute session I have to take another 30 minutes just to relax -- if I try to do my work it feels very uncomfortable. I take 15 minutes to get rid of the sickness feeling, and another 15 minutes to eat a snack. I absolutely must eat a snack, and I can't munch down as it feels like I'd barf. So in total, for me I lose 1 hour of study/homework time.

Oh yah, while writing essays in class I had to do some research using the school's online library. I found a paper mentioning that Aerobic exercises leads to increase blood flow to the brain, and anaerobic (I guess this is weighlifting) increases synaptic connections (could be the other way around -- i kinda forget). Anyways, whatever the hell that means...

AUMathTutor

I find I am motivated to study by doing things rather than just reading the text.

For some courses this is easy - math, science, computing, etc. In courses like that, you can just do problem sets or write programs... it's easy for me to get into a problem-solving mode where if I don't know how to solve a problem, it becomes easy for me to learn. This serves the double purpose of preparing you for questions in exams. I would say that you should try to set aside at least an hour every day to *just* work problems in math/science/computing courses.

Also, I've found that paying close attention in class makes things easier. You definitely don't want to miss class, but that's not enough. Pay attention to what the teacher is saying in class. I know that sounds basic, but if you think about it, you're probably only ever vaguely "listening" to your teacher. Try to keep a concept list with you to gauge how much time is spent by your teacher spends on each topic. I think that it's generally true that things your teacher lingers on are more important for tests.

For humanities courses... well, the best I can usually do is to make a study guide. Actually writing it out, I've found, is better than reading it. And notes... well, I'd actually advise against taking notes in class. I find it distracts from actually paying attention. I wonder how other people feel about this...

AUMathTutor

And there's not much difference between a 4.0, a 3.95, or a 3.8. It has little to do with IQ... in my opinion.

Choppy

With respect to exercise, I am with the school of thought that it has tremendous benefits. You don't need to go so hard that you feel sick for fifteen minutes afterwards. Sometimes a twenty minute walk can count as exercise.

When you release all your pent up physical energy, it allows you to concentrate more on any given task. Further, regular exercise allows you to sleep better at night - again because your body is physically tired.

Some other tips:
- turn off your television
- limit time for things that are unimportant such as video games, frivolous social networking, mindless web surfing etc.
- join academically oriented clubs

endi

AUMathTutor, thanks for your input, what do you think someone struggling in heavy memorizing classes (spanish, history) should do to study? Flashcards are already my principal method for learning new concepts/vocab, but I do not know of any other. Have you any ideas?