it’s tough being a student during the time of coronavirus. on top of worrying about loved ones and the state of the world in general and really missing social interactions, like everyone else, you also have the added student stress of worrying about your education and your future. to help you cope and make the most of this crisis, here are magoosh’s 15 tips to stay sane as we practice social distancing and staying at home.

1. practice gratitude and positive thinking

one of the things this crisis has revealed is just how good many of us have it. especially if you have a roof over your head, a loving family to weather this crisis with, and food on the table, practicing gratitude is not only a good way to see the silver lining, but it’s also a great way to increase your happiness. check out some more tips on gratitude and positive thinking here.

2. intentionally take care of your mind and body

don’t let laziness get in the way here! even dedicating half an hour a day to taking care of your mind and body can work wonders for your sense of calm and happiness. if you take away anything from this article, let it be the importance of the following three practices:

exercise

being in quarantine doesn’t mean that we can never leave our house! even states with the strictest stay-at-home orders deem physical outdoor activities as essential—and for very good reason. do some yoga in your backyard or go for a bike ride around your neighborhood while maintaining considerable distance from other people (more than six feet, if possible). if there are a lot of folks out and about, you can work out at home—lots of gyms and fitness studios are offering streaming services completely free of charge.

practice good sleep hygiene

while it may be tempting to stay up all night one night and watch netflix, it’s super important to maintain good sleep habits. while lack of sleep may no longer be an issue for many students, it’s critical to maintain a consistent sleep schedule (even on the weekends) and avoid things that mess with your system right before going to sleep, like huge meals and extensive screen time. working out earlier in the day also helps with falling asleep faster!

meditate

if meditation isn’t already part of your daily routine, it definitely should be! even meditating as little as 5 minutes a day every day has huge health benefits, from reducing stress to boosting your immune system. look into apps such as insight timer, which has the largest free collection of guided meditations, or headspace. to boost your relaxation even more, consider pairing medication with fun self-care activities like taking bubble baths!
 

3. eat foods that make you happy

while many students stress eat, that’s not what i’m referring to—i’m talking about foods that are scientifically proven to make you happy (although many of them are indeed enjoyable to eat). here are some examples:

bananas: as you probably know, bananas are full of potassium, but did you know that potassium is proven to help reduce stress and depression? this is great news for everyone who has been baking a lot of banana bread these days!

dark chocolate: eating small amounts of dark chocolate actually regulates your body’s cortisol, a hormone that controls stress.

mango: the tropical fruit contains linalool, a chemical that university of tokyo scientists claim brings down stress levels.

green tea: green tea is chock full of l-theanine, which is said to reduce anger and stress. plus, sipping a nice, warm beverage is already sort of comforting and soothing. consider adding honey, which has chemicals like quercetin and kaempferol that have relaxing properties.

gum: okay, so this technically isn’t food, but it is something you chew on, so we’ll count it anyway. according to an nih study, chewing gum actually alleviates negativity and reduces cortisol when under stress. so grab your nearest pack of (sugar-free) gum and chew that thing like it’s nobody’s business!

for more happiness foods, check out this post.

4. create a routine

keeping a routine, which will help you create a sense of normalcy amid all this chaos, can do wonders for your mental health. go to sleep and get up at the same time (as mentioned before), dedicate a certain amount of time for your studies (even if your school is still trying to figure out a fixed schedule), continue doing your act or sat prep if it makes sense, and set aside a block for exercise and doing things you enjoy.

5. but also mix things up to the extent possible

forget about being confined in your house; it’s easy to go stir-crazy if all you’re seeing day after day are the same neighborhood streets. in addition to being the spice of life, variety is also good for your mental health. while having a general routine is important, you also want to switch things up within that routine as much as possible:

• try to do an activity in every location of your home.
• go to the park one weekend, a new hiking trail the next (since physical outdoor activities are considered essential activities, most states allow such travel).
• use this list as a jumping point to create a goal to do something different every day, no matter how small that goal is.
• if you need social interaction beyond your family, call a different friend every day and/or invite a friend to do an essential outdoor activity while strictly observing social distancing.

6. clean

the next time your mom asks you to help her with spring cleaning, resist the urge to roll your eyes—look at it as an invitation to practice self-care! cleaning and organizing not only allow you to feel in control of your environment (something we all need a sense of these days!), but they are also soothing activities that help you relax.

7. laugh

laughter really is the best medicine. or, at least, it’s excellent at de-stressing! scientific studies have proven that laughing eases stress and lowers blood pressure. just look at all the coronavirus-related memes everyone has been sharing or how tiktok has gotten even more weird and hilarious; it comes to no wonder why so many people have been using jokes as a coping mechanism. if you need to step away from these memes, watch some funny videos on youtube or remember a funny memory, and you’ll be guaranteed to feel a lot less stressed.

8. keep a journal

writing out your thoughts is a great way to organize and process your emotions and reflect on everything that’s going on. it’s also a really great way to document this historical time that we’re living in and it could be something that you’ll pat yourself on the back for doing in the future. consider journaling the first thing you do when you wake up and/or one the last things you do before you go to sleep.

9. engage in creative pursuits

it is never too late or the wrong time to bring more creativity in your life, and it is particularly true in these times. dust off that ukulele that’s been sitting in your basement for years. bust out that watercolor set that you’ve been meaning to use for ages (you may find yourself unearthing these things during your cleaning sessions! see what i did there ).
 

you’d be surprised at what kind of artistic or craftsy items are in your house, available online, or still in stock at essential businesses in your community. and if you’re hard-pressed to find anything beyond paper and pens, there’s a lot you could do with that, too.

10. show your affection

show love to the people you are homebound with! although it should be a no-brainer that feeling loved would make people happier, there is real science behind it: hugging reduces blood pressure and stress levels, and kissing fights stress-related hormones. if you live with essential workers, finding non-physical ways to express your affection and deep gratitude for their service does the trick, too.

11. listen to music

music definitely has a strong psychological impact on its listeners, and the right type of music can help you focus more, uplift your spirits, and even relieve your stress. consider listening to ambient music or low and quiet classical music as you do other activities. for more contemporary options, you won’t regret going through the entire catalog of npr’s tiny desk concert series.

12. have meaningful conversations

talk about your stress with someone. really, it helps. find an understanding friend or family member to talk about your problems with (preferably someone who won’t make you more stressed!). if you feel like there’s no one who understands, there are tons of counseling hotlines like this one which will help you for free.

13. minimize screen time

excessive screen time is already inadvisable during normal times; now that we’re in a situation where we’re tempted to use our electronics more while everything around us feels downright apocalyptic, it probably doesn’t take much screen time to drive yourself crazy these days. (also zoom fatigue is a very real thing.)

reduce your news and social media intake—set time limits if you need to. if you need social time, sprinkle in some old-fashioned phone calls with your facetiming so that you’re not staring at the screen. even when you have to use tech, switching it up between your phone and your laptop could help too.

14. give back

according to research, volunteering and giving back actually increases happiness. there are a lot of different ways to give back during this crisis, such as donating to mutual-aid networks, giving blood, or supporting your favorite local restaurant by giving to relief funds. check out this post and our post on how students are responding to the crisis for more ideas!

15. go easy on yourself

it’s super important to note that however you’ve been processing this crisis is perfectly fine. we’re living in troubling times and it’s really hard to manage. many of the tips in this post might be hard to work into your routine as a result. that’s totally okay.

try not to beat yourself up if you’re not being as productive as you want to be or if you’re not “making the most” out of your time in quarantine.

just focus on being in tune with yourself and your needs, which is also just good advice in non-crisis times. so in a few months from now, when you’re adding back extracurriculars and the five billion things you have in your typical schedules, don’t forget about these self-care tips to help you manage student stress!

the post 15 tips for students to reduce stress during covid-19 appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

in addition to causing a massive, worldwide public health crisis, covid-19 has uniquely impacted high school students. with the move to remote learning and the uncertainty around college admissions, it’s hard to find a time when student stress levels have been higher. what’s more, students from marginalized backgrounds are being disproportionately impacted by this crisis. here’s a look at some of these problems and how students all across the country have been demanding solutions.

overcoming technological and language barriers

one of the biggest issues facing students across the country is the lack of access to technology to continue schooling. immigrant families in particular also lack access to important information in their native language. members of the san diego-based organization youth will created a covid-19 action team and have been hosting virtual hangouts for youth in the area to discuss these issues as well as others related to the crisis.

through these hangouts, youth have determined the following demands to advocate for at the county, city, and school board levels:

• provide technological devices, such as laptops and wifi hotspots, to all students who need it
• provide translation services to families that don’t speak english as their first language
• improve their outreach by having a proactive, direct, and consistent line to students and families and actively engaging with their concerns as the crisis evolves
• expand access to mental health resources, including counselors and mentors

the covid-19 action team has also created the following list of resources, which include opportunities to get free technology, essential job openings, and other resources.

demanding pass/fail grading

given the reality that students do not have equal access to online learning, several students across the country have been pushing their school districts to move to a pass/fail grading system. milly from rhode island led her group, providence student union, to circulate a petition demanding that the rhode island department of education allow all high schools in the state the option to move to pass/fail. zoe, a prominent student activist in her maryland county, created a similar petition targetted at her school district.

fighting for test-optional

student voice, a national organization that is entirely student-led, has launched the #testoptionalnow movement to pressure colleges and universities to drop the standardized test requirement. they argue that sat/act cancellations and delays and the resulting logistical challenges will primarily impact low-income, minority, and other underrepresented students.

emanuelle, a high school junior from kentucky, has partnered with student voice to lead the test-optional movement in her state. her local group, the prichard committee student voice team, recently met with the president of the kentucky council on postsecondary education, which has dropped standardized testing as a minimum requirement for college admissions. their goal currently is to get a better grasp of the data and the arguments for going test-optional.

creating alternatives to college tours

with the cancellations of college tours and admitted student events, many high school seniors are struggling to make an informed decision about their college acceptance, particularly first-generation college students. the maryland-based student-led organization moco for change has created a service connecting current high school seniors with alums from the county who may have gone to their schools of interest. so far, the group has mobilized over 750 county alumni representing 179 different colleges and universities!

what you can do

we hope this post inspires and provides you hope during this uncertain time! if your community is experiencing similar issues, you can use these examples of student activism to create similar petitions and resources. here are some other tips to get started:

• mobilize a group of friends who are equally as concerned about these issues as you are.
• research the issue by surveying community members and looking up statistics.
• engage trusted adults in your community to help you draft communications and create a strategy.
• if you’re new to these kinds of actions, don’t let that stop you! you have real power to create positive change in your community and the only way to exercise that power is to get started!

are you doing anything else to help your community and your peers during this crisis? let us know in the comments below!

the post how students are responding to covid-19 appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

for any number of reasons, you may be thinking about graduating early. maybe you want to start taking college classes. or maybe you have a job lined up to save money for college. or maybe you’re just suffering a good old-fashioned case of senioritis, in which case we highly recommend this senior year survival guide! there are lots of pros and cons to graduating early, so if you’re asking yourself, “should i graduate early?” take this quiz to gain greater insight. and once you’ve taken it, read on to learn more about graduating early to decide if it’s the right choice for you!

take the quiz!

first thing’s first: get all the facts about graduating early

if you’re debating whether or not to graduate early, the absolute first thing to do is find out exactly what is required to graduate early, and how graduating early will impact your college decisions.

find out the following information:

then consider the following:

assess your reasons for graduating early

it’s a good idea to really consider why you’re considering graduating early. any of these reasons can be the right reason to graduate early, but you want to make sure you think through your motivation thoroughly.

emotional reasons

is there something going on in your personal life that it is making it hard for you to properly focus on school? for example, have you been ill, or dealing with a family issue? if so, graduating early might be the right option. keep in mind, however, that there may be other solutions, such as talking to a school counselor or taking fewer classes. if you’re experience high stress but don’t want to graduate early, talk to a teacher or counselor you trust at school about your options for lightening your load and receiving additional support.

financial reasons

let’s be real: college is expensive! plenty of students use their free time after graduating early to get jobs and save money so they can work less (or not at all) once they’re in college. if you have a job lined up already—especially if it’s one you think could add value to your resume down the line—graduating early might be the right route for you

academic or professional reasons

are you graduating early to get a jump start on college courses or to take advantage of an internship opportunity? sometimes high school students decide to take a required course at a community college, for example, or start volunteering somewhere aligned with their academic field of choice. if you’ll be intending a super intensive academic program for college, this might be a good way to get ahead, but make sure your schedule still feels manageable overall.

get feedback

while graduating early is ultimately a personal decision, it will impact some of your relationships, so it’s a good idea to get some feedback about the decision from a few different sources.

it’s a good idea to bounce your thoughts on the matter off of the following people:

the pros and cons of graduating early

obviously the benefits and risks of graduating early will be different for everyone, depending on your lifestyle and plans. but here’s a bit of a “graduating early cheat sheet” if you’re still unsure.

the potential pros:

the potential cons:

a final word on graduating early

whether or not you decide to graduate early, here’s a reminder of 5 things to do before graduation (or 10 things to do before graduation if you’re feeling ambitious).

after remember that whatever route you choose, graduation is a big deal and you should be very proud of yourself. so take a moment to pat yourself on the back and celebrate once it’s official!

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if you’re wondering to yourself, where should i volunteer? you’re in luck—we’ve created a quiz to help you decide!

take the quiz below and then read on to learn how to choose where to volunteer your time.

take the quiz!

table of contents

• do you want to work with people?
• are you passionate about a cause?
• what are your strengths?
• where do you like to spend time?
• final word

do you want to work with people?

one of the biggest factors to consider when weighing different volunteer opportunities is whether you would like to spend your time chatting with people or not. if your preference is to minimize your human interactions in any given day, then find a volunteer opportunity where you can work alone, such as sorting books at the library or walking dogs at your local animal shelter.

on the other hand, if you wake up every day ready to chat, then share your social skills at a hospital or school. you probably won’t be happy sorting through mail in a backroom in an office.

whether you prefer the company of people or dogs is totally fine—no judgment here! the most important thing is to be true to yourself and choose the volunteer opportunity where you’ll be most comfortable, and therefore, most effective.

are you passionate about a cause?

the next big consideration is whether you are passionate about a particular cause. do you get outraged when someone throws something in the trash that could have been composted? do you have a history of rescuing baby birds? pay attention to these strong feelings and past actions.

if you have such passionate feelings about a specific issue, find organizations that are working on those important matters. then, find out how you can help support the cause. the most effective volunteers are those who truly care about their work and are dedicated to the cause. so, follow your heart to find your best volunteer opportunity!

if you don’t have a particular passion at the moment, don’t despair. there are loads of other ways to find a volunteer opportunity that’s meant for you, such as volunteering in a field where you might want to have a career someday.

another great way to discover the perfect volunteer opportunity for you is to contemplate what you’re good at doing. so, let’s talk a little bit about strengths.

what are your strengths?

another great way to decide where you should volunteer is to make a list of your strengths. by reviewing what you excel at, you can decide where best to share your talents. think back on past jobs or internships and write down what you did well and what you enjoyed. did you love chatting up strangers at the receptionist desk? did you find it thrilling to help fellow students in class when they struggled?

your reflections will help guide you to decide where you can share your unique strengths and qualities. if people often tell you that you’re good at explaining things, consider teaching or tutoring with a local nonprofit. alternately, if you find that you love cheering people up who are feeling down, consider volunteering at a hospital or nursing home.

no matter what your strengths are there is a place in need of them. so, get out there and start sharing your unique skills!

where do you like to spend time?

one final deliberation is to think about where you choose to spend your free time. if you often find yourself at the art museum or library, these places might be the perfect place to share your talents. alternately, if the thought of a museum immediately makes you sleepy, set your sights elsewhere—maybe coaching youth soccer is a better match for you!

another option, especially if you love to spend time outdoors, is to volunteer at a local or national park. you can give back by helping to repair trails or greeting folks as they enter the park. it’s a great way to get some sun, see some wildlife, and give back all at the same time.

final word

volunteering is a chance for you to give back to the community and strengthen your college application. finding the right volunteer opportunity requires the consideration of many factors. you’ll need to think about your strengths, the places you prefer to spend time, and the why behind your volunteering, such as getting into your dream school. once you’ve determined your passions and strengths, and where you enjoy spending time, you’ll be able to choose the place to volunteer that’s a perfect fit for you!

the post where should i volunteer? take the quiz appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

we get it: sometimes you just want to go exploring! but wanting to study abroad and choosing where to study abroad are two different things. there’s literally a whole world out there full of adventures just waiting to be had. fear not! magoosh has put together a quiz to help you decide, “where should i study abroad?” once you’ve taken the quiz, come back to find out even more about choosing a study abroad country that’s right for you.

take the quiz!

which country is best for study?

you’d be surprised at how common the question, where should i study abroad? is. a lot of students have the misconception that you have to know exactly where you want to study abroad before you make the decision to go. that’s not true! there are a ton of factors that can influence your decision. one of the most important? how valuable the experience will be for your education. will the courses you take count for your major? beyond that, how well will they prepare you for what you want to do after college?

you may or may not have chosen your major yet, but if you do know what you want to study, it can help you narrow down your list from hundreds of countries to a handful. check out some study abroad guides that emphasize the disciplinary strengths of different programs.

however, if you don’t know your field of study yet, you can still make a strong choice based on academic rankings. while this isn’t a foolproof method (what differentiates a #13 from a #14 ranking? is it enough to base your decision on?), it can give you a great starting point. times higher education has a well-respected overview of the world’s colleges and universities.

which country is cheapest to study?

believe us, we know that college isn’t cheap to begin with. you may think that throwing study abroad costs on top of already hefty tuition will saddle you with more debt than you can handle. however, planning carefully and choosing the right program (and the right country!) can make studying abroad go from a far-off dream to an awesome reality.

there are a few things you’ll need to think about when asking where should i study abroad to save the most money? first of all, how expensive is university tuition? for most students, tuition will top the lists of study abroad costs by far. be careful, though: sometimes tuition is cheaper for citizens of a particular country, and those enrolling through study-abroad programs or partnerships may have to pay more.

the second biggest study-abroad cost is likely to be living expenses. finding out the average cost of living in various countries can help, though don’t forget to factor in travel costs such as visa fees, passport applications, and airfare. do some research on travel prices, as airfare can vary considerably depending on when you’re traveling, how far in advance you search, and, yes, how long the flight itself is.

if your dream country seems out of reach, don’t despair—and don’t give up just yet! there are ways you can save money on study abroad, even in the most expensive cities on the planet!

where should i study abroad in europe?

ah, europe. the vineyards of france, the ski slopes of the alps, the art of italy…we could go on and on. if you’re one of many students set on going to europe but haven’t decided where precisely you want to go, think about a few things.

first of all, what languages do you speak—and what languages would you like to speak? you can find programs offered in both english and foreign languages abroad, but they’ll give you different experiences. (and, of course, don’t forget that great britain is always an option!) ask yourself a few questions when evaluating your choices in europe. how immersed in the local culture (and slang!) do you want to be? six to nine months may feel like an eternity to spend in a foreign city, but you’ll be amazed at how fast it goes by. how much of that time are you willing to spend on language study, and how well do you want to speak the local language when you return home?

second of all, what kind of experience do you want? would you prefer to be in a big city, a small village, or a rural area? there are tons of options, but they may be limited by country: research is in order to find out just where in europe you can get the experience you want.

how do i decide where to study abroad?

still wondering, where should i study abroad? it’s spreadsheet time, my friends! in a column, make a list of the factors that you care about in your study abroad program, then arrange them in order of their importance to you. then, in a row, make a list of countries you’re considering. rate each of them on a scale of 1-10 for each factor. (it’ll take some research time, so plan on filling this out over a couple days or weeks.) once you have your scores, total them. the math should help you decide where to study abroad—and if it gives you an answer you’re not happy with, that’s also important information!

a final word

where should you study abroad? only you can decide—but that doesn’t mean you have to do it on the spur of the moment! careful research into things like cost and university rankings, combined with an evaluation of your feelings about the experience you want and your future plans, will lead you to the best possible answer to that question. happy travels!

the post where should i study abroad? take the quiz appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

pop quiz: you’re in your favorite class, scanning your syllabus, and you see that there are going to be two major tests, a midterm and a final. how do you feel? if you’re like a lot of students, chances are that the answer isn’t “awesome!” and definitely not “excited!” however, with a little bit of work in the right areas, you can find out how to be a better test taker on all kinds of tests. no longer will multiple-choice questions floor you! no longer will you live in fear of the essay section! take our quiz to find out: what kind of test taker are you? then come back to find out how to be a better test taker and say goodbye to test anxiety!

take the quiz!

what is the best way of studying?

first things first: polishing your study skills can vastly improve your test-taking skills. nobody ever teaches us how to study, which means that a lot of students can end up just reading their notes over and over in the hopes that somehow, it’ll sink in. while this is better than not studying at all, it can be a waste of time! (this is particularly true if your notes aren’t organized.)

there are lots of things you can do to improve your study skills. first of all, create a schedule and stick to it. cramming doesn’t work (really, it doesn’t!). this is a marathon, not a sprint. studying for even fifteen minutes a night can work wonders if you start early enough. try using a planner where you set goals for the week as well as each day, or use a calendar where you map out your tests for the semester.

study materials are also key. make a “cheat sheet.” no, not one you take into the test with you; instead, a small piece of paper with the most important things you need to know on it. don’t cheat yourself and use a large sheet! by narrowing down the info you need to know to things like important formulas or vocabulary, you’ll ensure that you can memorize it before test day. flashcards are a great way to test yourself on these.

finally, make sure that you’re focused on studying the hard stuff as well as the enjoyable stuff by getting it out of the way first. it’s really easy to put on the hamilton soundtrack before your ap us history exam, but it might be a bit harder to actually dig into those federalist papers. save the fun stuff for a treat and dive into the deep end!

how to be a good test-taker on multiple-choice questions

what kind of test taker are you? students who struggle with multiple-choice questions tend to face one of two issues: either they hesitate when choosing between answer choices, or they run out of time. not surprisingly, one of these problems tends to lead to the other. so what can you do to master the multiple-choice question?

the key here is not to get distracted by the answer choices. easier said than done, right? try this: cover up the answer choices before you read them. now, read the question itself until you’re sure you’ve understood it (be sure to keep an eye out for “nots” or “excepts”!). then, tell yourself in your own words what the answer should be. only now should you read the answer choices. read all of them, eliminating choices you know must be wrong. then select the best choice. it might not be exactly what you predicted, but it should be close.

what about guessing? if you’re running out of time, read as many questions as you can, eliminating as many answer choices as you can. then, make your best guess. even if it’s not ideal, you’ll still vastly improve your odds by eliminating even one answer choice per question!

if your issue is accuracy, rather than distractors or timing, make sure that you use all the time available to you. as tempting as it may be to hand that test in early and pull out a novel, you’re not doing yourself any favors! use all remaining time to check your work and make sure you haven’t skipped any steps or entered anything wrong.

mastering essay questions on tests

mastering essay questions involves three things: understanding the prompt; organization; and being careful with timing.

the quickest way to get a low score on an essay test is to misunderstand the prompt. are you being asked for three examples? make sure you outline them. are you being asked to make an argument? be sure you make one! jotting down the basic requirements of the essay (e.g. “3 ex.”) on scrap paper can help you ensure you don’t miss anything. while you’re at it, review this list of common verbs so you cover what the exam is asking you for.

because essay questions can be intimidating, a lot of students will just dive in and start writing. this is dangerous, because a little bit of planning can make their answers so much better. take a few minutes at the beginning of an essay exam and outline the points you want to make. organize them into paragraphs (how many will depend on the complexity of the question and length of the exam, but three body paragraphs is a very rough guide). be sure to include a brief introduction—with your thesis statement!—and conclusion. this system is also helpful because it ensures you have a thesis statement.

finally, be strategic with your time. plan to spend a small portion of it brainstorming, then outlining, at the beginning, and proofreading at the end. do you have an hour for your essay? five minutes for planning and five for proofreading is a good guideline. twenty minutes? spend two planning and two outlining. as much as you may dislike writing essays, practicing this at home during test prep can be a great way to master the timing (as well as the ideas you’ll be tested on!).

(studying for a test with other types of test questions? this guide can help!)

how to be a confident test taker: test anxiety

maybe you’ve prepped strategically for weeks, you know multiple-choice techniques down flat, and you’re a master at writing essays—and yet you freeze when your teacher hands out an exam. you may be suffering from test anxiety.

if so, follow the 3ps: preparation, perspective, and planning.

by preparing, you’ll know that you’re doing everything in you power to master the exam. make sure you get as familiar with the test materials (or in the case of standardized exams, practice tests themselves) as possible. familiarity breeds comfort!

keep a sense of perspective about the exam. in most cases, it’s not going to be your entire grade; think about the other parts of the class that will also help boost your grade. if you’re thinking about a standardized exam, the same thing applies: it’s not your entire college application—far from it! (and remember, you can always retake it.)

finally, plan ahead to make sure you get enough sleep and you have healthy food on the day of the test. if you can, get a little exercise in before school or at lunch. you’ll be amazed at how much of a difference your physical health can make when dealing with anxiety.

slow test taker? timing on tests

how to be a better test taker? if you struggle to finish tests, working on your timing can be helpful. here, both planning and practice are key. if you know (or can find out) in advance what the format of the test will be and how many questions there will be, you can find (or create) practice questions to help you get your timing down. figure out in advance how long you will have for each question.

now, forget that for a minute. sit down with a set of ten practice questions and start a timer (but don’t watch it!). once you’ve finished, take a look at how long they took you and how accurate your answers were. compare that to how long you will have for ten questions on test day. set the timer for ten seconds less than the first set took you and try another set. score yourself for accuracy and time. keep yourself at this timing level until your accuracy scores are as high as they were during the untimed set. then, shave another ten seconds off of your time and work on another set!

this strategy works best over a period at least several days, but it will help you get faster while remaining comfortable with the test materials.

a final word

what kind of test taker are you? no matter what your style is, you can figure out how to be a better test taker by zeroing in on your strengths and weaknesses; evaluating the exam materials beforehand; starting early; and polishing your study skills. when you do, you’ll find that your new, improved test skills have the potential to help you out in college—and beyond. happy studying!

the post what kind of test taker are you? take the quiz! appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

have you been dreaming about hiking machu piccu? having a coffee under the eiffel tower? visiting the great wall of china? or just want to go somewhere new? sounds like you’ve been bitten by the study abroad bug. but deciding whether to study abroad is a big choice; after all, we’re talking about packing up and leaving everything familiar for a few months or even a year. if you’re asking yourself, should i study abroad? we’ve created this quiz to help you decide! once you’ve taken the quiz, read on to learn more about studying abroad and if it’s the right choice for you.
 
take the quiz!

table of contents

• are you ready to study abroad?
• have you researched study abroad programs?
• can you afford to study abroad?
• do you have time to study abroad?
• how long do people study abroad?
• when should i study abroad?
• studying abroad: a cost-benefit analysis
• a final word

are you ready to study abroad?

the most basic question to ask yourself when it comes to studying abroad is if you want to do it. for a lot of people, the answer is yes, but…. evaluate what’s keeping you from feeling 100% great about studying abroad. sometimes these will be small issues (how to do laundry in taiwan); sometimes they’ll be bigger ones (how to avoid feeling lonely and homesick). weigh these carefully, but don’t forget to consider them in the context of the question, what do you gain from studying abroad?

but there are academic things you’ll need to think about, too, in terms of readiness. are your language skills strong enough? make sure you’ve met any requirements for the study-abroad program you’re considering; talk with the program administrator and former students if you’re still unsure. what kind of classes does the program you’re considering offer? have you met the prerequisites for those?

finally, there’s self-knowledge: does studying abroad make you feel really excited, or give you a kind of queasy feeling? if you’re not feeling great about it, consider other options: different programs, different countries, or even not studying abroad.

have you researched study abroad programs?

maybe you’re thinking about studying abroad, but everything still feels abstract to you. that’s totally normal! the best way to decide if studying abroad is right for you is to get a sense of what it actually feels like to go on a program. and to do that, research is key!

a great place to start is by reviewing top programs. if you already know where you’d like to study, take a look at programs in specific countries. beyond imagining yourself instagraming the beautiful locations that they show, what should you think about when looking at these programs? evaluate their academic value; find out their costs; compare their admissions requirements to your background; read student 足球世界杯举办地2022 (and don’t hesitate to contact the program coordinator for student information–sometimes emailing or chatting with an actual student is the best way to determine if a program would suit you).

it’s helpful to make a long list of 5-10 programs that you’re interested in finding out more about, then narrowing that down to 2-3 to which you’ll apply.

can you afford to study abroad?

traveling can be expensive and studying abroad is no different. however, just as there are ways to travel cheaply, there are also ways to study abroad cheaply. if you have a financial aid package or scholarship, check to see if it will cover a study-abroad program; some will. there are scholarships for specific study-abroad programs, so check to see if yours offers one. studying abroad doesn’t have to be more expensive than attending your current college, but it definitely can be—so make sure you do your homework! don’t forget about things like airfare and passport/visa fees; they can add up.

how much do study abroad programs themselves cost? it depends entirely on the program. if your school has an exchange program, it might not cost you any more than a semester (or year) normally would. that said, the average figure per semester is around $18,000—but can be much lower (or much higher).

however, it’s important to be really specific when you’re calculating these costs. there are great study-abroad cost calculators (including spreadsheets!) out there to help you understand really specifically what your budget should be.

one big caveat: don’t plan on working while you’re abroad. not only is it illegal in many countries to work while on a student visa, but it will also add a lot of pressure on you to find a job once you arrive in the country. be prepared financially for the amount of time you’re planning to spend abroad before you go.

do you have time to study abroad?

do you have (academic) time to study abroad? in other words, will you graduate on time if you spend a semester or a year overseas? most colleges will accept study-abroad credits, but they may not count towards your major or pre-professional track (like pre-med). taking an extra semester to finish college may not be a problem for you—or it might be a nightmare in terms of finances or your schedule.

picking the right semester to study abroad can help you solve this problem. considering alternate options, like studying abroad during summer or even winter break, is another possible solution (and usually cheaper than full-semester programs). there are other ways to get around academic challenges, as well, like taking online courses with your home institution, or applying to get particular kinds of credits from study abroad (check with your college’s heads of departments before you go just to be sure–and get it in writing!). there are ways to make this work; they just take a some careful planning!

how long do people study abroad?

usually, students study abroad for a semester or an academic year. however, if this isn’t feasible some reason, and you’re dreaming of spending time in foreign parts, consider spending a summer abroad instead—there are lots of great programs that offer six-to-eight-week programs.

if you want to go abroad but aren’t sure for how long, there are lots of ways to decide. what they all boil down to, though, is weighing the value of the experience against practical considerations. completing our cost-benefit analysis below can also help you do this! keep in mind that there are some advantages to being abroad for both short and long periods of time, and you’ll definitely reap some benefits of the experience no matter which you choose.

when should i study abroad?

traditionally, students take a “junior year abroad.” why? because by your third year in college, you’ve most likely taken a lot of your core courses and met prerequisites. chances are, you’ve declared a major, too. you’ve done a lot of work and made a lot of important decisions. furthermore, you’re not yet in senior year, when you’ll be prepping for the job market and/or graduate school, so you have some time to spare.

with that said, sophomore year or first-semester senior year may also be a good choice for you, depending on your educational path. in fact, there are benefits and drawbacks to studying abroad during each semester of college. how important each one will vary by person, but definitely think through things like meeting prerequisites, how easy it is to get into courses you want or need to take before graduation, and whether the programs you like accept students at that stage in their studies.

studying abroad: a cost-benefit analysis

how can you analyze if it is worth studying abroad? a simple pros-and-cons list is a great way to start. after you’ve written out the great (and not-so-great) aspects of studying abroad for you, give each factor a weight from 1 to 10, 1 being least important and 10 being a make-or-break factor. for example, if you have always wanted to study archaeology in sicily as an important step in your career, that might be a 9. however, if the program you’re looking at costs $10,000 and you only have $8,000, that might be a 10. don’t forget all of the longer-term benefits, too: studying abroad can be a great portfolio piece for high schoolers looking to get into top schools along with good grades and test scores (magoosh can help you here), or for college students as they apply to their first jobs or graduate school (taking the gre? magoosh can also help you with that!).

once you have the values for each column, compare them. what decision are they driving you towards? how do you feel about that? if there are heavy-weighted cons on your list, like not graduating on time or not being able to pay the costs, see if you can find ways to make them less strenuous. can you talk to your advisor or department head about counting some of your credits? can you enroll in a summer program or volunteer abroad instead? keep thinking through the factors until you have the answer to the question “should i study abroad?” that you’re most comfortable with.

a final word

should i study abroad? in the end, you’re the only person who can decide if studying abroad is the right choice for you—but by taking the above factors (and quiz!) into consideration ahead of time, you can make sure that it really is the best possible experience!

the post should you study abroad? take the quiz appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

there are so many things to juggle when it comes to senior year of high school–especially when you’re applying for college.

so this week we’re talking about high school senior year advice!

for a month-by-month breakdown of everything college-bound seniors need to know, check out our free ten minute video: “high school senior year survival guide!”

watch the embedded video below, or scroll down for a full video transcript.

what will i see in the “high school senior year survival guide!” video?

in this 10-minute video, our act expert kat will give you a short introduction, followed by a month-by-month guide to acing your senior year of high school.

here’s a short overview:

july: research!
august: study for the act/sat!
september: more act/sat studying!
october: ask for letters of recommendation!
november: write essays!
december: submit your applications!
january: do your fafsa!
february: apply for scholarships!
march: visit campuses!
april: choose a college!
may: keep your grades up!
june: participate in your senior year activities–it’s your last chance!

if you enjoyed this video, hit that like button, subscribe, or better yet, send it to a friend! all of us can go to college

“high school senior year survival guide!” full transcript

hey, everybody, this is kat at magoosh.

and today, we’re going to talk to you about all the major things you should be keeping track of as you go into your senior year.

okay, and i’m gonna give you one tip.

one thing to focus on, for every month starting with july right before your senior year and going through june.

by the way, how many of you are seniors right now?

finishing up high school in the last process.

if you want, go ahead and leave a comment.

[sound] or if you’re going into your senior year, what are you most concerned about?

what are you thinking about as you go into the whole college application process?

so we always love to hear from you, leave us a comment.

and let’s start with july.

so july before your senior year, this is a really good time to not totally tune out school.

i know it’s tempting, but this is when you can do some kind of like low key fun research.

so researching schools, like get the dream alive.

and while you’re doing that, definitely look into scholarships.

i know it’s overwhelming sometimes to try and find them, but july is a really good time to start looking for scholarships.

because scholarships are due all through out the year, there isn’t like one month where they’re all due.

every month their gonna be scholarships due, okay?

so july, look at scholarships.

now, august is a really good time to study for the sat, act.

and of course, here at magoosh, we have a lot of resources to help you with that.

and i think that if you start in august, you’ll be in a really good position to take the act or sat in like mid to late october.

so that’s a really nice time frame.

and if you have already taken it, i know there are a lot of you that took a junior year and not gonna take it again.

then, i could say go ahead and get started on your applications, there’s really no disadvantage of getting started early.

so now we’re getting actually into the school year.

and we have, oh, well for some of you, the sat and act in september, okay?

so october is also a good time to take it, but i’m trying to give you the safe side.

so you’re not close to any last minute deadlines for schools that do early admissions decision.

so october is fine, but september is better, okay?

so i think that’s a great time to do that.

and then october, so i have here, you’re noticing, letters of rec, okay?

that’s only one piece of a college application puzzle.

but why am i highlighting it here?

i’m highlighting it because for a lot of people, it’s the most intimidating part.

it’s hard to ask people sometimes for letters of rec.

i tell this to my pre-med students also, that teachers it’s part of our job.

so when we’re teaching we know that students are gonna ask for letters of rec.

the earlier you do it the better, because people get really busy.

and if you drew a letter writer, it’s a little bit of a heads up.

it’s just gonna make everything go so much smoother.

okay, and so while you’re doing, just also maybe start filling out the application.

so usually, applications have a lot of easy parts, you just like birth date and things like that.

and then a lot of hard parts like the essays, okay?

so do get started and the essay is actually the very next tip i have for you, okay?

moving into november, write your essays.

and i think a month is not unrealistic.

i think that a lot of students do this at the last minute and do not realize how important the essays are.

and i’ve been on the other side of it, okay?

i’ve help make decisions about kids getting, or sorry, young adults getting into college.

and the essays count a lot more than you realize.

so do some essay writing and see if you can get some people who will review them for you.

a lot of times guidance counselors will do that, family members, of course, are always an option.

somebody who is maybe a year ahead of you in school that whose advice you really trust.

so start writing the essays, they really do matter.

another thing i’ll say about that is that unfortunately, the essays don’t apply across all schools.

so you might have one essay that works for a whole bunch of schools.

but the other essays are often very school specific, which means you could be writing 15, 20 essays.

okay, so month of november, you know what you’re gonna be doing.

december, december is a great time to submit applications.

and i will say that there are some schools that have early admission deadlines in november.

and actually some schools, the deadline’s november 30th.

but that’s pretty rare, most deadlines are in january.

so december i think is just like the prime spot to get those applications out of the way.

make sure that you have all the materials that you need.

so you’re gonna have to have some kind of transcript.

it’s involved, but if you’re done with your essay, the submission part is pretty straight forward.

and so now we’re into the new year, you’re almost sort of graduated already.

and what happens in january?

well, it’s a really good time to do the fafsa.

and the reason for that, is because your parents will have gotten their text documentation from the year before.

so the nice thing about fafsa is it really does have a really long time window of when you can submit, but not all scholarships have a really long time limit.

so in order to get in the good running for different scholarships, you wanna have your fafsa done.

and that’s gonna be the earliest time you can do it with the most recent tax information from your parents.

and guidance counsellors always have extras, so they’re a great resource for that.

very used to helping students navigate the path, so.

and then february, so february again, i’m coming back to scholarship issue.

because i do think that it’s something that students overlook.

i overlooked it, i think i only applied for one, could have done a lot more.

but february is a short month, it’s a quick month, it’s gonna go by fast.

and you’re kinda in the sweet spot right now.

you’ve already submitted your applications and you’re not yet at point where you need to make decision.

so go ahead and use that time to look more scholarships.

all right, now we’re into march.

and for a lot people march is spring break, and for a lot people who take spring break during their senior year, that’s also a good time for campus visits.

i think visiting three campuses is probably a good number.

you can do more if they are really close together.

but if you aren’t able to make campus visits or maybe aren’t able to visit all the schools you want to see.

a really good idea is to email the schools orientation program and you can just find that through doing searches.

and then asked them if they have a current student that you can email to ask them about what’s it like to be a student here.

and that’s the quickest way to do it, it’s one of the best ways to do it.

so take advantage of emailing, if you can’t actually visit all the schools.

and then we have april.

so a lot of schools require you to make a decision may 1st.

what does that mean?

it means the month of april is like i remember being so distracted that month, trying to decided, i was down to two schools.

and they’re so many pros and cons to weigh.

so it’s a strange time, that decision time when you realize whoa, i could wind up on the west coast, east coast, small school, big school.

my whole life is kind of an unknown.

so give yourself that time to really make a good decision, and try not to stress out about it too much.

there’s wrong decision if it’s not the right school that you can always change schools.

i know it doesn’t sound like what you wanna do right now, but that’s april.

and then may is gonna come up so fast after april.

and it’s gonna be sort of unbelievable, it’s gonna be a blur.

you’re gonna be really busy with classes.

i haven’t mentioned that during all of these.

you’re also trying to take classes.

some of you are trying to work part-time jobs.

so all of a sudden, it’s may, and what should you do in may?

you should keep your grades up.

a lot of people blow off their spring semester grades.

they feel like, well, schools have already accepted me.

what’s the big deal?

what a lot of students don’t realize is financial aid packages and scholarships can be revote, i know that sounds really scary and mean, but it’s true.

so if you’re not keeping your grades up, if there is a big drop in your academic performance, scholarships can decide not to give you the money after all.

so keep your grades up, it’s just that last semester you’re a pro at this by this point, right?

and then june, so my advice for june is actually a little bit different, kind of on a different angle.

and here i have participate, and by that i mean participate in the celebrations.

so when i was high school senior, i kind of develop this attitude of why do i need to go to senior skip?

why do i have to do these senior all nighters?

i don’t need a graduation party.

i just doesn’t seem like so much effort and i was just already thinking about the future.

i wasn’t interested celebrating high school, and honestly, i kind of regret it.

and actually, i would’ve won something at a raffle if i had attended the senior all night party, and i didn’t get it, and my
friends told me.

so i know it’s just kind of like a silly piece of advice, but years from now, you might wish you had attended some of these senior events and graduation parties.

it doesn’t mean you’re gonna necessarily have a blast, you might, hopefully you will.

but it’s an experience that you’re never gonna have again.

and senior year is pretty cool, there’s a lot going on.

want more high school tips?

take a look at some of our other useful strategies for getting through those magical four years:

happy studying!

the post senior year survival guide | video post appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

unless you already have a 4.0, you probably wouldn’t mind a little boost in your gpa. so why not shoot for straight a’s?

making that final push from b’s up to a’s can be a little intimidating, but have no fear, we’ve got you covered! to help you start getting a’s across the board, we’re proud to present our brand new resource: the “how to get straight a’s” video.

watch the embedded video below, or scroll down for a full video transcript.

what will i see in the “how to get straight a’s” video?

in this free video, you’ll receive a brief introduction, followed by seven must-have study hacks:

1. figure out why you want straight a’s.
2. commit to getting straight a’s.
3. make a good impression with your teachers and professors.
4. know all of the components of your grade.
5. don’t forget the little stuff.
6. check out “how to study”.
7. remember that your grades don’t define you!

“how to get straight a’s” video transcript:


hello, welcome, today we are going to be talking about how to get straight as.

all right, you’re in school. you’re doing pretty well. you think you can shoot your shot and get straight as.

i believe in you.

let’s go through some tips.

tip number 1 is figure out why you want straight as.

okay, so straight as in and of themselves not that great of a motivator.

they’re kind of just an arbitrary grade that you get.

so figure out why you want them.

do you want straight as because you’re trying to get into a specific college or grad program and you know that having a great gpa will really help you do that?

or are you trying to get straight as because you want to prove to yourself and to others that you really, flawlessly know the information in your classes front to back.

or maybe you’re trying to win a really awesome pizza party.

i’m not judging you, i’m just saying that you need to know your why.

because, otherwise, when you’re in the depths of studying, and you’re tired, and you wanna just go to sleep, it’s gonna be easy to lose steam if you don’t have a big why compelling you forward.

tip number 2 is to commit to getting straight as.

so once you know why you want them, you need to actually commit yourself to getting straight as.

what does this mean?

basically it means when the time comes and you are trying to decide whether or not you should re-binge watch stranger things season two or you should study, you’re probably gonna need to choose studying.

one big way to commit to getting straight as is to look at you’re spending your time during the week.

where is there a spot where you can sneak in an extra study session or two extra study sessions?

what activities are you doing regularly that don’t really serve you?

like for example, if you’re just scrolling for an hour in the instagram discovery section, could you instead be studying biology?

this doesn’t mean that you can never relax.

but try to make choices with your time that get you closer to your goals.

[sound] and now, for a word from our sponsor.

this video is brought to you today, by magoosh.

magoosh is online test prep, that makes studying for standardized tests accessible, effective and enjoyable.

that’s awesome.

they teach a lot of different tests including the sat, act, gre, gmat, lsat, mcat, toefl, ielts, praxis, probably ones that i am even forgetting right now.

so the next time you have a standardized test to study for, check out magoosh.

you can find out more by going to www.catharsisit.com/youtube or checking out the link in the description below.

magoosh is the shortest distance between you and an acceptance letter.

[sound] tip number 3 is to make a good impression with your teachers and professors.

you want them to know who you are and you want them to think that you are awesome.

so sit at the front of class.

ask questions that show that you have done the reading.

if it’s a really big class and a university, go to the office hours and introduce yourself and ask the brilliant question that you cooked up.

take a little bit of extra time to make sure that you stand out in a good way.

you’re gonna wanna go above and beyond on all of your assignments, which is awesome because that is what actually gets you straight as.

but make sure you especially go above and beyond on your first assignments because those set the tone for what the teacher or professor thinks of you as a student going forward.

this has it’s own psychological name.

it’s called the halo effect.

basically, the information someone gets about you at the beginning of your relationship colors what they think about you for the rest of your relationship.

so this tip is backed by science.

tip number 4 is to know all of the components that you are being graded on.

since you have multiple classes, sometimes it can be hard to keep track who is gonna be giving you quizzes, what classes your participation especially matters in.

once you know what all of the components are for each class, write them down.

write them down in one space, so that you know that you definitely have all of those pieces of your grade on lock.

tip number 5 is don’t forget about the little stuff.

it can be really easy to forget to check your answers at the end of the test or to think, oh do i really need to proofread that essay?

if you wanna get straight as, you need to proofread that essay.

make sure that you aren’t letting little things like that go to chance, and be detail oriented.
that’s what’s really gonna get you to straight as.

tip number 6 is to check out my video about how to study.

i’ll link it in the description.

but basically, this video goes a lot more in-depth about how to actually structure your studies.

so if you have questions there, i think i could be a really big help.

tip number 7 is actually a disclaimer.

basically, don’t forget your grades don’t define you.

straight as can be an awesome goal for all of the reasons that we discussed before, but they are not the only thing.

your focus should be on learning and on growth.

there’s a really good mark twain quote, which is don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.

make sure you don’t.

all right, those are of my tips for you.

i hope that this was really helpful, and i’m really excited for you to get straight as, seriously.

okay, i want you to leave a comment about which thing you are going to commit to doing to get straight as and maybe even why you wanna get straight as.

i would really love to know.

all right, i will see you in the next video.

want more study tips?

ready for more? take a look at some of magoosh’s other free study tips and resources on our high school blog!

happy studying!

the post how to get straight a’s | video post appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

]]> //www.catharsisit.com/hs/gen/how-to-get-straight-as-video-post/feed/ 0 how to get straight a's (video) | high school (life) | magoosh blog unless you already have a 4.0, you probably wouldn't mind a little boost in your gpa. so why not shoot for straight a's? making that final push from b's up to a's can be a little intimidating, but have no fear, we've got you covered! to help you start getting a's across the board, we're proud to pre how to get straight as straight-as //www.catharsisit.com/hs/gen/how-to-study-video-post/ //www.catharsisit.com/hs/gen/how-to-study-video-post/#respond fri, 23 mar 2018 17:41:07 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/hs/?p=12422 do you have questions about how to study? maybe you aren't sure how to be productive after school or how to get good grades. good news: this video has all the study hacks you need!

the post how to study | video post appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

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studies on memory have shown that humans forget about half of most newly learned information within twenty minutes – and almost two thirds of that information by the next day!

…that is, if we don’t do any sort of review.

by going back over information, you are moving it from your short-term memory to your long-term memory, where you can count on it to stick around for longer than twenty minutes. so if you’re a student, it’s super important to study!

you probably understand why you should study, but not necessarily how to study.

have no fear, we’ve got you covered! to get you started down the path to study stardom, we’re proud to present our brand new resource: the “how to study” video.

watch the embedded video below, or scroll down for a full video transcript.

what will i see in the “how to study” video?

in this free video, you’ll receive a brief introduction, followed by eight must-have study hacks:

1. schedule your studying.
2. don’t cram.
3. make a cheat sheet.
4. spend time on the hard material — not just on the stuff that you are enjoying.
5. figure out the best study conditions and best study location for you (everybody is different!)
6. find a study buddy.
7. be present.
8. use paper.

no one ever really teaches you how to study, and yet it’s a huge part of learning and getting good grades. seriously, studying is a must!

“how to study” video transcript:


hey, welcome.

today we’re going to be talking about how to study.

okay, first of all, you clicked on this video, which means that you want to learn how to study better, which is awesome.

a lot of people don’t even make it that far, so go ahead and pat yourself on the back already.

if you would like to see other videos like this, about how to up your study game, your learning game, your life game, like this video and subscribe to this channel, so that you can see a notification when they come out.

okay, on to the tips.

so my first is to schedule your studying.

first of all, you want to find out when your test is, or when your quiz is, and you want to put it on your calendar.

you just want to get it on there, so it’s not a nebulous date that you’re not really sure when it is, it’s kind of at the end of march, question mark?

you want to know exactly when your test is going to be.

now that you know exactly when that test is you can work backwards and figure out how much time you have to study.

so if the test is a month from now you have a month to study.

you can then decide exactly how long you want to study.

if it’s that you feel pretty comfortable with material, you know that you need to study a little bit less.

if it’s a test on something that really freaks you out, then you know that you need to study more.

but you got to make an informed decision about how much time you’re gonna spend on it, instead of just seeing how much time you have a week ahead of time, freaking out and cramming, you don’t wanna do that.

as soon as you’ve decided how much time you have to study, now you’re gonna time block it on your calendar.
you’re gonna go through your calendar again or a planner and put in exactly how much you’re going to study.

so on tuesday the fourth, you’re gonna write down, study for one hour for chemistry test.

then a few days later, study one hour for chemistry test, even putting it exactly in the day when you’re gonna study like from three to 4 pm.

this way you’re not just having it as a to-do list item that may or may not get done, you know the exact day, the exact time that it’s gonna get done.

then once this time box are on your calendar, you’re gonna wanna keep the appointment with yourself.

treat it just like you would going and hanging out with a friend.

you’re not gonna just bail on it and not do it and you’re not gonna move it around in your calendar a 100 times to different times that you’ll think you’ll have more time to study.

you’re gonna do it when you said you were gonna do it.

because you wanna treat yourself as well as you would treat a friend, for a lot of reasons.

but in this case, it’s so that you study well.

okay, speaking of cramming, tip number 2 is don’t cram.
please don’t do it.

it can be really tempting, but honestly, it never pays off.

you learn a lot less in the short term.

you remember a lot less in the long term.

and there are a lot of scientific studies to back this up at this point.

it’s possible that you could put your body through the nightmare rigmarole of pulling an all nighter, but really, it doesn’t work because of something called the curve of forgetting, which sounds like it should be in harry potter.

basically, it’s a visual representation of how your brain stores memories.

up at the top of the curve is how much you remember right after you learn something, which is a lot.

but the curve goes steeply downwards if you don’t review that information.

so if you never look over a note that you take in class ever again, it’s pretty probable that a few months out, a few years out, you’re not gonna remember that information.

but if you review that information at regular intervals over time, there’s a much better chance of you retaining it.

believe me, it may seem like the test you’re about to take is the most important thing and the biggest reason why you need to remember all the us presidents, but you’re gonna want to know that information later.

for example, if you’re becoming an engineer and you’re learning important math concepts, you’re gonna need that math for the rest of your life.

don’t forget it.

and now for a word from our sponsor.

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so the next time you have standardized test to study for, check out magoosh.

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tip number 3 is to make a cheat sheet.

note, i am not saying to cheat.

do not cheat.

cheating sucks.

don’t be that guy.

okay, now that we have that out of the way, my tip number three is to make a cheat sheet.

now, what is a cheat sheet?

it’s a small piece of paper, a small list of all the most important information that you’re trying to retain.

so that’s big vocabulary, big formulas, big concepts, the most important figures.
you’re gonna write those down on, say an index card.

and you’re going to memorize those.

now why does this help?

so an index card is pretty small, you have to be pretty economical about what you’re going to put on it.

so this helps you identify the absolute most important information that you need to study.

another bonus is that if you have kind of a more photographic or visual memory, sometimes seeing it on a card or seeing it on a card in a lot of different colors, if you wanna very swaggy and aesthetic can help you remember the information you are trying to retain.

so if i know that alexander hamilton’s name is in the top left corner of my index card in purple gel pen, then i might remember that more easily on the test than if i just saw it in a huge paragraph of text in my textbook.

tip number 4 is to spend time on the material is hard not just on the stuff that you are enjoying.

so it can be really difficult to spend time on the material that’s hard, because it is hard and scary.

so maybe you are studying you are getting a whole bunch of questions in a row correct.

you want to just keep working on that concept or call it a day because you are doing so well.
but that would mean that you would be ignoring the material that you’re just really stumped by.

and that’s not a good plan because if you’re stumped by it while you’re studying, you’re probably going to be stumped by it on the test.

that’s why it’s really important, even though it can be really unpleasant to actually tackle that difficult material that you do not get.

ask for help from a friend, ask for help from a teacher.

but make sure that you’re not just kind of shoving it off into a corner, and ignoring it, and hoping that it goes away, because it won’t go way.

it will probably come up on the test.

ultimately, you’re gonna be really glad that you took the time to learn that stuff, so buy yourself a bribery coffee, sit down for an hour and really dive into the material that freaks you out the most.

tip number 5 is to figure out the best study conditions and best study location for you because everybody is different.

some people thrive on being at the library surrounded by other people studying.
some people like to be at home where literally, they are the only person there.

some people like a cafe cuz there’s nice background noise.

you need to take the time to figure out what exactly works for you.

also think about what level of noise helps you.

some people like a little bit of cafe clinking behind them.

some people love’s studying to music, i really like to studying to music that doesn’t have words or that has, words in a language that i don’t understand, and some people really need absolute silence.

so think about what works for you.

in fact take minute to think about times that you’ve been really productive in the last couple weeks, what were the conditions?

well if you can’t really remember the [laugh] last you were really productive, then start keeping score going forward.
as you’re studying in the next few weeks, give yourself a score for one to ten in how productive you’ve been in different environments, and then go back and look at that, and you may have your answer about where you should be studying.

tip number 6 is to find a study buddy.

this has a lot of benefits.

if you two are studying the same thing then you can help each other or teach each other new material because, bonus tip, teaching other people material is a is a great way to learn it better yourself.

and even if you’re not studying the same thing, they are a great tool for accountability.

so if you tell your friend that you two are gonna meet up at a certain cafe at a certain time, then chances are you’re gonna be there and you’re gonna study with them.
in fact, i want you to pause the video right now and text a friend to make a study date.

you can do it.

pause the video.

don’t just be a passive viewer.

pause it.

okay, did you unpause it?

i hope you unpaused it.

if you actually did that i want you to comment below so i can give you a high five through the internet because that’s awesome.

tip number 7 is to really be present and actually, actually studying.

this is not the same as saying i’m studying and then kind of messing around on facebook, coming back to your studies a little bit, day dreaming, spending ten minutes wishing you weren’t studying while you stare blankly ahead at your book.
none of those things are actually focused study.

and focused study is what you need to actually learn.

so how do you do that?

one way is to put your devices, your phone in do not disturb mode.

or you can, gasp, turn your phone off.

or if you’re working on a paper, you can outside with your computer where there is no wifi.

is there even such a place with no wifi?

there is probably a place with no wifi.

another great way to focus is something called the pomodoro technique.

when you have a big chunk of studying that you wanna do it can feel really daunting to be like i’m going to focus with 100% intensity for a whole hour.

so instead you can try the pomodoro technique, which involves setting a timer for a chunk of time, say, 25 minutes, studying with a lot of focus for those 25 minutes and then taking a five minute break.

you do this four times.

and then when you’ve done four pomodoros, which is what the longer study sessions are called, then you get to take a longer break of maybe 20 minutes, half an hour, to really refresh and recharge.

now, kind of in contradiction to the previous tip, i use a pomodoro app on my phone, i find it really helpful.

but if you are a phone addict, and you know you can’t have your phone with you, you can also very easily do this with a kitchen timer.

it’s called the pomodoro technique because it was first done with the kitchen timer shaped like a tomato or a pomodoro.

tip number 8, the final tip, i’m just gonna call the power of paper.

so yes, computers are amazing, tablets are amazing, technology is amazing, but for some reason sometimes just plain old paper tends to work better for studying.

i can read something on a screen ten times but if i just write it down my likelihood of retaining that information is a lot higher and there are a lot of scientific studies to back this up.

for example, the one on the screen right here now showed that students in the study required more repetition when they were learning from a computer than when they were learning with just straight up, plain old cheap paper.

so make flash cards.

use different pens and markers to separate information by color to help you remember it better.

make yourself little posters of what you’re studying and put them up near where you make your tea or where you brush your teeth.

all of these things are gonna help you learn the information that you are studying better and they can be fun and creative.

you can look up online #studyblur or go on pinterest for inspiration.

don’t let anybody tell you that your study time and your note taking has to be totally devoid of creativity and a complete left brain activity.

you get to make studying fun.

and i hope that you make studying fun, if you’re going to be spending a bunch of hours doing it.

[blank_audio]

all right, those are all my tips for today.

i hope that that was helpful.

and i want you to take a moment before you close this video to leave a comment about which tip you are gonna commit to, to improve your study game.

because watching this video does not count as studying.

but you knew that.

also if i forgot any tips that you want the other viewers of this video to know, put them in the comments because i would love for everyone to learn them.

all right, happy studies.

want more study tips?

ready for more? take a look at some of magoosh’s other free study tips and resources on our high school blog!

happy studying!

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]]> //www.catharsisit.com/hs/gen/how-to-study-video-post/feed/ 0 how to study (video) | high school (life) | magoosh blog do you have questions about how to study? maybe you aren't sure how to be productive after school or how to get good grades. good news: this video has all the study hacks you need! act study tips,sat study tips,how to study how-to-study