All that a student needs: SQR3- Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review!

All that a student needs: SQR3- Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review!

All that a student needs: Overcoming test anxiety

All that a student needs: Overcoming test anxiety

All that a student needs: Overcoming test anxiety

All that a student needs: Overcoming test anxiety

All that a student needs: "A.S.P.I.R.E." A Study System

All that a student needs: "A.S.P.I.R.E." A Study System

All that a student needs: Learn to be a learner

All that a student needs: Learn to be a learner

All that a student needs: Learn to be a learner

All that a student needs: Learn to be a learner

Overcoming test anxiety

Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam However, when anxiety affects exam performance it has become a problem.

• General preparation/building confidence:
• Review your personal situation and skills. Academic counselors can help you in these areas, or refer to our Guides on the topic
• Developing good study habits and strategies
• Managing time(dealing with procrastination, distractions, laziness)
• Organizing material to be studied and learnedTake a step by step approach to build a strategy and not get overwhelmed
• Outside pressures success/failure consequences (grades, graduation), peer pressure, competitiveness, etc.
• Reviewing your past performance on teststo improve and learn from experience
• Test preparation to reduce anxiety:
• Approach the exam with confidence
• Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: vizualization, logic, talking to your self, practice, team work, journaling, etc.
• View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive a reward for the studying you've done
• Be prepared!Learn your material thoroughly and organize what materials you will need for the test. Use a checklist
• Choose a comfortable location for taking the testwith good lighting and minimal distractions
• Allow yourself plenty of time,especially to do things you need to do before the test and still get there a little early
• Avoid thinking you need to cram just before
• Strive for a relaxed state of concentration
• Avoid speaking with any fellow students who have not prepared, who express negativity, who will distract your preparation
• A program of exerciseis said to sharpen the mind
• Get a good night's sleep the night before the exam
• Don't go to the exam with an empty stomachFresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.
• Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, chips and similar snack foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices
• Take a small snack, or some other nourishment to help take your mind off of your anxiety.
• Avoid high sugar content (candy) which may aggravate your condition
• During the test:
• Read the directions carefully
• Budget your test taking time
• Change positions to help you relax
• If you go blank, skip the question and go on
• If you're taking an essay test and you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may trigger the answer in your mind
• Don't panic when students start handing in their papers. There's no reward for being the first done
• If you find yourself tensing and getting anxious during the test
• Relax; you are in control. Take slow, deep breaths
• Don't think about the fear
• Pause: think about the next step and keep on task, step by step
• Use positive reinforcement for yourself: Acknowledge that you have done, and are doing, your best
• Expect some anxiety It's a reminder that you want to do your best and can provide energy Just keep it manageable
• Realize that anxiety can be a "habit" and that it takes practice to use it as a tool to succeed
• After the test, review how you did
• List what worked, and hold onto these strategies It does not matter how small the items are: they are building blocks to success
• List what did not work for improvement
• Celebrate that you are on the road to overcoming this obstacle

SQR3- Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review!

SQR3- Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review!

Before you read, 

Survey the chapter:

• the title, headings, and subheadings
• captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps
• review questions or teacher-made study guides
• introductory and concluding paragraphs
• summary

Question while you are surveying:

• Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions;
• Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each subheading;
• Ask yourself, "What did my instructor say about this chapter or subject when it was assigned?"
• Ask yourself, "What do I already know about this subject?"

Note: If it is helpful to you, write out these questions for consideration. This variation is called SQW3R

When you begin to Read:

• Look for answers to the questions you first raised;
• Answer questions at the beginning or end of chapters or study guides
• Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc.
• Note all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words or phrases
• Study graphic aids
• Reduce your speed for difficult passages
• Stop and reread parts which are not clear
• Read only a section at a time and recite after each section

Recite after you've read a section:

• Orally ask yourself questions about what you have just read
or summarize, in your own words, what you read
• Take notes from the text but write the information in your own words
• Underline or highlight important points you've just read
• Use the method of recitation which best suits your particular learning style but remember, the more senses you use the more likely you are to remember what you read - i.e.,
TRIPLE STRENGTH LEARNING: Seeing, saying, hearing-
QUADRUPLE STRENGTH LEARNING: Seeing , saying , hearing, writing!!!

Review: an ongoing process.

Day One

• After you have read and recited the entire chapter,
write questions in the margins for those points you have highlighted or underlined.
• If you took notes while reciting,
write questions for the notes you have taken in the left hand margins of your notebook.
Day Two
• Page through the text and/or your notebook to re-acquaint yourself with the important points.
• Cover the right hand column of your text/note-book and orally ask yourself the questions in the left hand margins.
• Orally recite or write the answers from memory.
• Make "flash cards" for those questions which give you difficulty.
• Develop mnemonic devices for material which need to be memorized.
Days Three, Four and Five
• Alternate between your flash cards and notes and test yourself (orally or in writing) on the questions you formulated.
• Make additional flash cards if necessary.
Weekend
Using the text and notebook, make a Table of Contents - list all the topics and sub-topics you need to know from the chapter.
From the Table of Contents, make a Study Sheet/ Spatial Map.
Recite the information orally and in your own words as you put the Study Sheet/Map together.
Now that you have consolidated all the information you need for that chapter, periodically review the Sheet/Map so that at test time you will not have to cram.

"A.S.P.I.R.E." A Study System

"A.S.P.I.R.E." A Study System

Study is nothing else but a possession of the mind
Thomas Hobbes, 1651 English

A:  Approach/attitude/arrange

·         Approach your studies with a positive attitude

·         Arrange your schedule to eliminate distractions

S: Select/survey/study!

·         Select a reasonable chunk of material to study

·         Survey the headings, graphics, pre- and post questions 
to get an overview

·         Study marking any information you don’t understand

P: Put aside/piece together:

·         Put aside your books and notes

·         Piece together what you've studied, either alone, with a study pal or group, and summarize what you understand.

I: Inspect/Investigate/inquire/:

·         Inspect what you did not understand.

·         Investigate alternative sources of information you can refer to:
other text books, websites, experts, tutors, etc.

·         Inquire from support professionals (academic support, librarians, tutors, teachers, experts,) for assistance

R: Reconsider/reflect/relay

·         Reconsider the content:
If I could speak to the author, what questions would I ask or what criticism would I offer?

·         Reflect on the material:
How can I apply this material to what I am interested in?

·         Relay understanding:
How would I make this information interesting and understandable to other students?

E: Evaluate/examine/explore:

·         Evaluate your grades on tests and tasks
look for a pattern

·         Examine your process
toward improving it

·         Explore options
with a teacher, support professional, tutor, etc.

Learn to be a learner

Your path for most effective learning is through knowing

·         yourself

·         your capacity to learn

·         the process you have successfully used in the past

·         your interest in, and knowledge of, the subject you wish to learn

It may be easy for you to learn physics but difficult to learn tennis, or vice versa.
All learning, however, is a process which settles into certain steps.

These are four steps to learning. 
Begin by printing this and answering the questions. 
Then plan your strategy with your answers

Begin with the past	What was your experience about how you learn?  Did you like to read?  Solve problems?  memorize?  recite?  interpret?   speak to groups? know how to summarize? ask questions about what you studied? review? have access to information from a variety of sources? like quiet or study groups? need several brief study sessions, or one longer one? What are your study habits?  How did they evolve?  Which worked best? worst? How did you communicate what you learned best?  Through a written test, a term paper, an interview?
Proceed to the present	How interested am I in this?  How much time do I want to spend learning this? What competes for my attention? Are the circumstances right for success?   What can I control, and what is outside my control?  Can I change these conditions for success? What affects my dedication to learning this? Do I have a plan?  Does my plan consider my past experience and learning style?
Consider the process, the subject matter	What is the heading or title? What are key words that jump out? Do I understand them? What do I know about this already? Do I know related subjects? What kinds of resources and information will help me? Will I only rely on one source (for example, a textbook) for information? Will I need to look for additional sources? As I study, do I ask myself whether I understand?  Should I go more quickly or more slowly? If  I don't understand, do I ask why? Do I stop and summarize? Do I stop and ask whether it's logical? Do I stop and evaluate (agree/disagree)? Do I just need time to think it over and return later? Do I need to discuss it with other "learners" in order to process the information? Do I need to find an authority, such as a teacher, a librarian, or a subject-matter expert?
Build in review	What did I do right? What could I do better? Did my plan coincide with how I work with my strengths and weaknesses? Did I choose the right conditions? Did I follow through; was I disciplined with myself? Did I succeed? Did I celebrate my success?