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Learning Styles and Skills

Don't fear the pop quiz! Improve homework skills with effective time management, strong organizational skills, and informative class notes.
10 Ways to Stand Out From the Crowd
With the job scene getting tougher and college admission becoming increasingly competitive, you are probably trying to think of ways to make your application stand out. If you really want to raise some eyebrows, try some of these methods and ideas. Don't fade into the crowd! Read over these 10 ways to wow them and discover which ones may work for you.
Strategic Plan for Students
If you really want to be successful in high school, you can use a strategy that is used by many organizations. You can develop a strategic plan incorporating a mission statement, list of goals, and objectives.
What Is an IQ?
The measurement of IQ or intelligence is a contentious topic, and one that often sparks debate among educators and psychologists. Is intelligence even measurable, they ask? And if so, is its measurement important when it comes to predicting success and failure?
Brain Health

Your brain is a complex and still-mysterious living computer that controls everything from your moods to your heat rate. The brain is comprised of separate parts, and each part carries out a special function, but each segment also works in cooperation with every other.

Certain substances, like food and drugs, affect certain parts of your brain. Some effects are good and some are dange…

Ecstasy and Your Brain
If you’ve ever seen, heard about, or read about a teenager who has suffered a brain injury from a tragic accident, you can understand the horrible consequences of dangerous behavior. You may not realize that using Ecstasy or club drugs can bring about the same results.
Your Brain and Cocaine
There is a direct link between levels of education and cocaine use. That is why it is so important for students to understand how cocaine use affects their brains and their abilities to perform in class and in testing situations.
Your Brain and Marijuana
If you think smoking pot is harmless, then think again. Many studies show that marijuana affects your ability to think and to perform, and long-term use has an extremely damaging effect on your brain's performance.
Summer School Tips
Summer terms are shorter than ordinary school terms. That means the courses are more condensed. What does this mean for you? Discover some important tips for surviving summer school.
Study Skills Assessment Tool

Good study skills can make a big difference in your school performance. Even if you find a particular subject difficult to understand, you will find that being organized and knowing how to tap in to your natural strengths can add valuable points to your scores.

Use the assessment tool below to determine your score. Mark each topic with a score from 1 to 5, with 5 meaning "strongly agree…

Mind Maps
Mind maps offer students the ability to draw a picture of their thoughts. Mind maps are helpful because they present a true reflection of your own thought patterns, unlike illustrations in books that present somebody else’s thought patterns.
Building Self-Confidence
You can start building your self-confidence by identifying the things that make you feel bad about yourself. Once you discover these "secret" weaknesses and work through them, you'll see your self-confidence begin to grow.
How to Listen and Retain
Have you ever zoned out during a lecture? If so, you might need to work on your listening skills. Practice active listening to improve your retention.
Brainstorming Techniques
Brainstorming is a great way to generate new ideas for a paper or project. Some students are uncomfortable with traditional brainstorming because it feels too chaotic. You can find a brainstorming technique that is most comfortable for your learning style.
Working With a Slacker
Trying to work with a slacker? If you are teamed up with a student who is notorious for slacking off, you can't let it get you down. Take some steps to encourage your partner to work.
Read and Remember
How often have you read a book from start to finish, only to discover that you haven’t retained very much of the information it contained? Now you can remember the important facts of a book by learning to reinforce what you’ve read in a simple method.
Are You Gifted?
There are certain traits that are common among students with very high intelligence quotients, or IQs. If you answer "yes" to more than fifteen of the following questions, you may be a gifted student.
Concentration
Does your mind wander in class? If you can't concentrate when your teacher is lecturing or when you're working on homework, you may need to determine what factors are affecting your concentration.
Tips to Motivate Other Students
If you are a group leader or just a very interested and motivated member of a project group, you will have a strong interest in keeping other students motivated. By establishing clear communication practices and a welcoming atmosphere at the start of a project, you will instill interest and pride in each team member.
Improve Your Handwiting
Good handwriting is important for success in school. There are several good reasons to improve your handwriting. When it comes to essay tests,both speed and legibility are essential for good grades, so it’s in your best interest to learn to write neatly and in a way that doesn’t fatigue your hand quickly.
Tactile Learning
Tactile or kinesthetic learners are those who learn through experiencing/doing things. For this reason, tactile learners may become bored more quickly than other students while listening to a class lecture.
Visual Learning
Visual learners are those who learn things best through seeing them. Visual learning students like to keep an eye on the teacher by sitting in the front of the class and watching the lecture closely.
Auditory Learning Style
Auditory learners are those who learn best through hearing things. They may struggle to understand a chapter they've read, but then experience a full understanding as they listen to the class lecture.
How to Start a Podcast Club
By starting a podcast club, you and your friends can have fun and learn about a variety of subjects at the same time. A podcast club operates the same way as your parents' book clubs of the past!
Top 5 Healthy Homework Habits
Your homework habits might be affecting your grades. Are you feeling tired, achy, or bored when it comes to homework time? You can change the way you feel by taking better care of your mind and your body.
Repetitive Stress Injury in Teens
Many students are reporting pain in their hands and joints while typing on the computer. These could be signs of Repetitive Stress Injury, or RSI.
Critical Reading
You're often told to give a book a good critical reading. But do you know what that means? Whether you're reading a classic novel or a tough nonfiction text, it's important to know how do read the book with a critical eye.
How to Be a Project Leader
Group projects require clear goals, strong time management, and team cooperation. Learn how to organize a group project and become a strong group leader.
Secret Homework Excuse Cryptogram
Do you know every homework excused? Have you used them all? Take a break from your studies and enjoy this cryptogram to find the secret message that's really a homework excuse.
Improve Your Memory
You can improve you memory with an ancient mnemonic exercise used by Greek and Roman orators. The "loci" method is an easy to use, valuable tool.
Form a Club
If you share a strong interest with a group of students or friends at school, you may want to form an academic club. Your specific club rules and structure can be guided by your tastes. This article provides some organizational guidelines.
Homework Time from Mom's Point of View
Is homework time a difficult time in your house? Does your mom get mad when your homework isn't done, night after night? It might help to look at the situation from her point of view. Then, encourage her to do the same.
Organize Your Homework
Organize your homework with color coded supplies. With this method you will always know when a due date is looming.
Finding a Study Place
Your study environment is important to success. If you don't have a regular place to study, you might be able to improve your study skills by making one. Some students do well studying in their bedrooms, but some students need to be away from the place that's associated with the rest.
Reading Comprehension of a Difficult Book or Chapter
We all encounter textbook chapters or books that we just can't get into. There are many reasons, like difficult terms, bad writing, or boring material. If you try to read a chapter and realize you're not retaining any information, try these steps.
When Your Teacher Has a Pet
Do you ever feel that your teacher favors certain students? It's possible, but it may be that some students demand more attention--and they get it.
Homeschooling
If you're thinking about homeschooling, but worried about getting into college, think again. It took awhile, but college officials have come to realize that homeschool students are among the strongest new enrollees each year.

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