Guest Post By: Eric DelaBarre

 

It's hard to imagine, but you can actually learn how to study and get amazing results in the process.  Saltwater Taffy's 7 Study Secrets for Tweens will help you today and all the way through college. One of the biggest hurdles for students is the fear of failure.  I don't think anyone wants to fail a test, but if you don't study chances are you will indeed fail.  If you have bad study habits NOW, I can assure you those bad habits will affect you later on in life.  Learning how to study is simply learning how to become disciplined in your life.

STUDY SECRET # 1: REWRITING & OUTLINING YOUR NOTES When you're in class, a great habit to begin is to ALWAYS TAKE NOTES.  If a teacher talks about it in class, you bet your buttons it's going to be on the test so pay attention!  You're in class to learn, so you might as well LISTEN, right?  Don't doodle when the teacher lectures.  Always keep your eyes on the teacher.  Eye contact is essential in learning. Look and listen.  When you get home, rewrite your notes.  By rewriting your notes, you commit the information to memory.  You can't help but remember something you have written down twice.  When it's time to study for the exam, all you have to do is study your re-written notes. If the teacher talks about a certain section in your textbook, then go into the text and ADD that section to your re-written notes.  Again, the more you write something, the easier it is to remember that something.

STUDY SECRET #2: HOW YOU FEEL MATTERS Studies show there is a link between how you feel when you study and how you feel when you take your exam.  If you study when you're tired, you will do better on the exam when you are tired.  On the same token, when you study when you are wide-awake, chances are you will do better on the exam when you are wide awake.

STUDY SECRET #3: NEATNESS DOESN'T COUNT

When you're taking notes, don't worry about neatness just write down as much as you can as fast as you can.  Make sure it's legible so when you get home, you can rewrite them in outline form.

STUDY SECRET #4: MANAGE YOUR TIME When the bell  rings it doesn't mean you're off the hook with learning.  Everyone wants to go out and play, but your schoolwork must come first.  Sit down, do your homework, THEN go outside and play.  When you do this, you won't have to feel the dread of "now I have to go home and do my homework." When you do your homework first, you can play guilt free.

 

STUDY SECRET #5: STUDY THE HARD STUFF FIRST  Get the hard stuff out of the way.  This way you can look forward to the easier subjects like some form of dessert.  Now, math homework is nowhere near a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, but you understand what I mean.  By leaving the hard stuff last, it causes a feeling of dread and that is NOT something you want in your life.  EVER.  Each moment in life is an adventure and it’s how you look at it that matters most.

STUDY SECRET #6: MAKE FLASHCARDS  When you have a list of things to remember, make flashcards and carry them with you at all times.  When you have a second, pull them out and go through them. The more you do this, the easier they are to remember.  You can also transfer them into your phone by taking pictures of them and then crate a folder in your pictures for ease of use.  Don't cram everything into one sitting.  Slow and steady will always win the race when it comes to learning how to study.

STUDY SECRET #7: ASK QUESTIONS

If you don't understand something, do NOT worry about what other people will think of you if you ask a question. Most of the time, the teacher will love the fact you are engaged enough to  ask a question, so PLEASE DO.  The more you talk about something, the more you'll understand that something.

LINK TO SITE: http://www.whatagreatbook.com

BIO:

Eric DelaBarre is an award winning filmmaker, speaker and ghostwriter (Random House/Harmony Books) and author of the “tweenage” adventure novel, Saltwater Taffy.  Eric began his carreer with Dick Wolf and NBC’s mega-hit drama, Law & Order and is a longtime member of the Writers Guild of America. Endorsed by 12 Teachers of the Year, Saltwater Taffy is an adventure novel that not only entertains young readers, but also educates them on their potential in life. Eric is currently writing the screenplay for Saltwater Taffy, which goes into production this summer and will hit theaters July 4, 2013.  Eric lives and works in Santa Monica, California with his wife, Julie DelaBarre and their 8 month-old daughter Emery!