Studying Tips

       Studying is something everyone goes through, I personally don't like it, it's no fun at all. But than again no one probably thinks studying is fun, it's a necessity. First of all I find it hard to concentrate, not only is it my environment that is usually distracting but it's also my sense of focus or more like lack of focus. I'm a person who just can't study no matter now important a test can be, I mean I'll try but the most I ever can get accomplished is just looking over my notes once, which I would not call studying at all. This year though, I think I've gotten slightly better at attempting to study, I think it's because of new techniques I'm trying and so far they're working out. This is what I've been trying:

• I'll admit, last year I took really crappy notes. When I mean I took crappy notes I'm not talking about handwriting, my handwriting is pretty decent. What I mean is I took notes and when I looked at them later on I really didn't understand what I had meant to say, from there it all went downhill. Since I couldn't understand what I meant, that meant more work for me because I would have to refer back to the textbook and I was honestly too lazy to do that so after that I just quit studying. The point is take notes you can understand. It'd be nice to take a look back at your notes and actually understand what's going on. 
• Spanish class, or any foreign language class, U.S history, Language arts, a lot of classes use new vocabulary terms you're meant to know. So when that happens it's always good to use flash cards. I used these for Spanish class in the last few years, I never really used them though but this year that's changing. This year, in U.S history, I started using them for the vocab. terms and they've been really helpful to me. Tests have become a lot more easier because I actually know what I'm talking about!
• Study guides is something most teachers give you, to be honest I don't really think they're that helpful but if you think they are than go ahead and use them. In my U.S history class my teacher doesn't hand out study guides and I'm still doing fine in that class, that's the one class I have the highest grade in right now. So study guides aren't meant for everyone but if that makes it easier for you go ahead and use them, just use them right. See, when I have to do a study guide I end up doing it just because it's worth points not because it helps me in understanding, that's the dangerous thing about study guides. 
• Highlight your notes, condense your notes down to the most basic, most important things you absolutely need to know. 
• Reread the chapter, this is really helpful because it jogs your memory, I usually end up doing this before the test a couple of days before.

       So those are the study tips I've been using so far this year and it's been really helpful, hopefully I helped you out in some way!

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