10 Great Study Tips for Nontrads 2015

Going back to school this Fall? Already there? Here are some great study tips to try.

#1. Get and stay organized - - - have a notebook for each class, or just keep your notes and handouts separate somehow. I found having a separate notebook helped.

#2. Form a study group - - it can help you raise your grade. Plus it's kind of nice to have an excuse to make friends.

#3. Form a relationship with your teachers - it can help you if you have to miss a class or if you need extra help. They can point you in the right direction.

#4. Have good study skills. Try to study each subject at least 1/2 hour every other day OR each day. Don't wait until the last minute to start final projects or study for that test.

#5. Make sure you tape or take notes from every class.

#6. Bring enough pens and pencils with you.

#7. Consult the great Joe Landsberger Study Guides and Strategies site here: http://studygs.net/.

Study Guides and Strategies from the Joe Landsberger Site
http://www.studygs.net/ - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html#.VcJwhbdUx3k

#8. Use the Search Box here for this blog (in the upper left side here) and search for specific items like "study", "test taking" etc. - there are many postings about this with even more tips on them.

#9.  Organize your note-taking by being smart about it. Read this posting to find out how:  2-column Notes Page.

#10. Think positive. Visualize success. And when you need help, do not hesitate to ask for it, and use your schools free study help.

Please add your OWN tips as a comment.

#11: (a bonus) See #8 again. There are many articles to help you here.

Clobber your Test Anxiety Midterms and Grades - How to Improve Them 10 Tips for Doing Well on Finals How to Make Sure you are In the Right Class (signing up for next semester) Websites and Tips for Exam Studying Nontraditional Students - 11 More Tips for Success - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html#.VcJwRbdUx3k

Clobber your Test Anxiety Midterms and Grades - How to Improve Them 10 Tips for Doing Well on Finals How to Make Sure you are In the Right Class (signing up for next semester) Websites and Tips for Exam Studying Nontraditional Students - 11 More Tips for Success - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html#.VcJwRbdUx3k

Good luck with your studying!!!

My last posting: Fall Enrollment, the Pocket App, more.

Get connected with more Nontrad links:

The Nontrad website

 Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

and Nontrads on Twitter 

-Betsyanne

Springtime.... the end of the semester is in sight, final projects, summer classes, tips for now, plus handy article links

The end of Spring Semester is in sight. 

Sailing into the future. Photo credit: htemske on Flickr.

Now is the time to work on Final Projects, study for tests and exams, and plan for next year.

Some nontraditional students are thinking about taking the summer off. Others want to get some more classes in this summer.

Pros and Cons of Summer Classes
When I took summer classes, it was not planned. I found out I needed some more credits (the CLEP didn't take!)

I liked the fact that I COULD take them and not have to take a whole semester more just for two classes (PRO)

But I didn't like the weather that summer (really hot) and the condensed nature of the classes made them more of a chore than a pleasure.

Here is a short list of things to think about for now, Summer and next year:

1. Have you gotten in touch with your advisor? Not doing this could make a (bad) difference later on.

2.  Are you taking the summer off? If not, are you going to get a job and put it towards your school expenses? Or maybe you just want to take a breather.

3. Are you keeping a calendar for those important papers and projects (due soon...)? It can really help.

4. Have you made a decision on a major or course of study? Those who have may have less stress.

5. Are you already registered for next Fall? (if applicable)

6. If you are graduating, did you already contact somebody about the ceremony, get your robe (if needed) etc.?

What important things did I leave out?

Leave a comment, nontraditional student friends. And those who help them.

-Betsyanne
Former Nontrad: Education
BA, English, Minor in Art, WKU

And here are some related postings you may like:

Five Calendar Tips for Nontraditional Students

10 Study Tips for Nontraditional Students

Get Organized for Finals

Study Groups for Nontraditional Students

More about Study Groups

My Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog, Join Nontrads on Facebook, Nontrads on Yahoo,
and  Nontrads on Twitter

Some Study and Final Project Tips

Tips for Final Projects and Studying...

Do you have some Final Projects and Test Studying coming up? If you are in school right now, chances are you do, especially if you are an Education student or an Art student. I was most recently an Education student. These tips will help nontraditional students with Spring semester studies and projects.

Education Students
I found that completing projects early, if possible, helped me a lot. I could then fix any problems OR go to the teacher or professor for his or her advice before the project was due. I got some very constructive and useful criticism that way. Of course, there is no time for this if you are doing your assignments the last minute, which I also used to do.

Art Students
My projects took ALL my time, it seemed, when I had studio classes. One way around that dilemma could have been to start earlier on them. I always UNDERestimated the time my projects would take. Weaving students: (this is funny, but true for me...) use THICKER yarn. I used very thin yarn, and my final handweaving project took forever. It was pretty big, so that was also part of it. On the good side, I did get it on an Art Department slide!

All Students
Writing down my OWN deadlines and using them in a calendar or planner helped me a lot. I split up my assignments and had "due dates" for each part of them. What a change from my first time in school! That time, I would simply wait until the last week, and do my best to write reports in a limited time. I'm sure the quality of my writing suffered a lot. Plus, I was not able to change anything, because I barely got them done by the deadline.

Some of my other Study and Final Project tips:
1. Cut down on TV watching if you are studying at the same time by yourself. I personally don't (sometimes) mind TV on, but other times I get more done at a library setting. Or you can set a home study place up if you have room.
2. Make flash cards for must-know facts.
3. Consider making a study group for last-minute or weeks-before studying.
4. Ask your teacher or professor questions about what will be on the test or quiz - sometimes this helped me.
5. If in doubt of a due date, ask a fellow classmate.
6. Use a highlighter to highlight important facts on your notes. I used to type my notes up, which added another layer of understanding for me.
7. Reward yourself for getting things done. This doesn't have to be a food reward, but maybe buying a little something for yourself might be fun and break up the study monotony.
8. Stay organized - - looking for an assignment sheet instead of having the extra time later can be counterproductive.
9. Practice calming techniques before a test, including telling yourself you CAN do it, and deep breathing.
10. Keep a positive attitude. This helps me with stress, which can sideline me if I keep thinking about stressful things. Keep your energy for your studies.

These other postings (below) will also help you with tests, studying, and projects. Please list your tips as comments too.

I would appreciate that, and will try to use them here or in future postings to help other nontraditional students.

More resources from the Nontraditional Student blog:
Clobber your Test Anxiety
Midterms and Grades - How to Improve Them
10 Tips for Doing Well on Finals
How to Make Sure you are In the Right Class (signing up for next semester)
Websites and Tips for Exam Studying
Nontraditional Students - 11 More Tips for Success

-Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student, teacher, bookseller, author, and artist

Some more Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on Yahoo Nontrads on Twitter

Nontraditional Students: Ten New Year's Resolutions

The New Year 2011 - and Nontraditional Students' Resolutions

I wonder what nontraditional students currently in school are having for their New Year's resolutions.

I can guess some of them:

#1. I will sign up for my classes much sooner, so I get the ones I want.

#2. I will cut back on my procrastination, and will divide my studies throughout the time of the course to make it easier to finish projects.

#3. I will make a determined effort to introduce myself in class and to be friendly to other students.

#4. I will still ask questions in class but just not so many, so as to let other class members have some questions time.

#5. I will make sure I am taking classes that will lead to something that I will enjoy, not just something that is expedient or takes less time.

#6. I will listen to my inner "still, small voice" and realize that sometimes my intuition is right on.

#7. Although it could be scary, I will consider going on and getting that other degree or course.

#8. I will make a study area just for myself at my home, or find a good study spot to use someplace else. I will carve out time just for myself for both studying and relaxation.

#9. I will apply for scholarships and grants in my spare time.

#10. I will count my blessings as much as possible.

 I know there are more great resolutions that would be of help to nontraditional students. Can you think of some more? What are YOUR New Year's resolutions?

Nontraditionally yours,
Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on Yahoo Nontrads on Twitter 

This blog is for nontraditional students, who are going back to school after a break. Continuing education comes in many forms, from GED studies to post-graduate college studies. This blog's goals are to help all nontraditional students with hints, links, helpful sites, and support.


The photo at the top of this blog is from swimparallel on Flickr.

YOUR best study tips...

Study Tips for Nontraditional Students - what are YOUR tips?

 I can list some of MY best study tips. And I will today. But I also would like to know yours. What helps you from day to day? What things have you learned since you started back to school?

I know that organization was key when I went back to school. Keeping everything in its place saved countless hours for me, especially when it was time to study for a quiz or test.

I no longer put every subject in the same folder. I used to think this would save time for me, because I would just grab one folder and always had paper in it no matter what.

But what would happen is that the notes from the different classes would get mixed up. And I would have to spend time moving them around too much.

Some other things that helped me as a nontraditional student were forming study groups, keeping a calendar that I carried with me all the time, sitting in the front of the class where I could hear the teacher better, getting phone numbers and names from other class members just in case, and using a highlighter on my notes.

I also used a new note-taking method, where I left a space at the left of my notes (and drew a vertical line down each page) so that I could jot down notes, add arrows, and note what the instructor said would possibly be on tests.

I also made sure I had extra pencils and pens, plus extra paper so I didn't run out. Some other students knew this and would borrow from me. I didn't mind that. I think it made me more popular!

What are some of YOUR tips and hints for studying better and smarter?
I would love to know them.

Thanks ahead of time!


-Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on Yahoo Nontrads on Twitter

10 Study Tips for nontraditional students

You have your book open. 
You also have the TV on. Can you study or not?

Some people say yes, that they CAN study with the television on. I personally CAN study with the TV on, but writing papers is another thing altogether. I must concentrate on the paper and not have ANY distractions in order to do a good job on that.

10 Study Tips 

There are some great Rules of the Road for studying that have really helped me as a nontraditional student. Here they are:

1. Make studying easy. This can mean getting to a quiet place, like a spare room, a library, the computer desk, or your favorite comfy chair. Have a good light for reading and writing if you need it. Make sure that you have plenty of healthy food and drink so you don’t have distractions. (maybe?) Turn off the T.V. if it is distracting. Spread out your study time so that you get used to a daily schedule of studying for each class you are taking.

2. Stop distractions. If you can turn off your cell phone, do it. Soft background music might help put you in a good mood for studying. OR it could take your mind off your work. You know yourself best. Make sure you are NOT distracted by people, your kids, (if possible), pets, noise, or interruptions. If you have to, tell your family or significant other that this is your study time, and you need to concentrate and not be interrupted. Then mean it, and stand your ground.

3. Make sure your study space is organized, and that you have all the materials you need. Have a pen and pencil handy, plenty of notepaper and your notebook, your books, and anything else you need to study with organized and ready. Why waste time looking for what you need? Having everything you need at your fingertips will also reduce stress, along with saving time.

4. Have a list of great web links handy to help you with whatever you need when you study. If you are studying during library hours, have the library number handy if you need information. Many libraries will help you research for free. Bookmark this article or blog too just in case, because there are some VERY helpful websites listed at the end of it.

5. Get a lot of rest, and take breaks. If you are studying for a test, make sure you STOP studying and get the rest you need for the next day. You will find that you will do a lot better on the test than if you stinted on sleep. Take a break when you need it during studying too. You can go for a short walk, or even do some exercises during your break. You will be refreshed and able to study even more when you are finished and your break is over.

6. Be organized. Write down every assignment, and even use a tape recorder if you want, to record your teacher’s lesson for the day. Review your notes and due dates you have in a calendar that you always have with you. Forget your room number? Don’t be late. Just look it up in your notebook or calendar. Then look at your calendar AND your notebook every day at the same time, so you never miss an assignment or any homework.

7. Redo your notes. Type them if you have handwritten them, underline, and use highlighter to emphasize the important parts of your notes. Studying for quizzes or tests will be a LOT easier then, because all you will need to do is glance at your notes, not read them all over completely. Also, put a small column at the left of all your notes so you can point at important things later.

8. Stay in touch with your classmates. If you are or are not in a study group, you still need to have at least three phone numbers and email for people in your class, hopefully the smartest ones in the class. If you can’t find where you wrote down an assignment, or just need an answer for the next day, you will be able to get in touch and find out just what you need.

9. Find out your learning style and use it to your advantage. Are you a verbal learner, a kinesthetic learner, or maybe an audio learner? It can make a difference to you, and you can personalize your studying so it works for YOU personally. One good site to find out your learning style at  the Diablo College site: http://www.metamath.com/multiple/multiple_choice_questions.html.

10. Break your studying into chunks of time. For example, if a large assignment is due in three weeks, you can break this assignment into parts. Get the first part done by____(and write this date on your calendar), the second part done by ____ (and also write this date down) and finish it AHEAD of time to allow yourself to do some last-minute fine tuning. You’ll cut way down on the stress your fellow students may be feeling the last week of assignments.

Got another favorite study tip? List it here as a comment, and thanks ahead of time!

Study tips websites:

Study Skills Links from the Nontrads site
http://www.nontradstudents.com/studyskills.html

Study Guides and Strategies from the Joe Landsberger Site
http://www.studygs.net/

Study Strategies from the University of Minnesota at Duluth
http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat/study_strat_enr.html


Bucks County Concepts of Learning
http://www.bucks.edu/~specpop/concepts.htm

Study Tips from the StudyTips.org site:
http://www.studytips.org/ 

Some of my links!

The Nontrad site and blog
The Betsyanne page and blog
My Squidoo Pages and referral