Category Archives: Studying Skills

Grades, Homework, Procrastination, Students, Studying Skills

3rd Quarter blues: beware procrastination payback time

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Third quarter is break-down time

It just is. Lost in the middle of a long year, things get tough.  You just got through midterms and the end of the 2nd quarter, you had a nice winter break, then, bam! School is back, and hard.

In Q3 teachers are off their game, too. They’re either panicked for having gotten off track from their pacing and lesson plans, overwhelmed from grading and making new plans, or distressed that students aren’t where they should be. Worse, administrators are having their own panic and are throwing meetings and putting  more demands on teachers, worsening the load for everyone. Continue reading →

Procrastination, Student Success Podcast, Students, Studying Skills

Unpuzzling Procrastination: student Interview with Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl

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ProcrastinationPuzzle_3bProcrastination: Interview with high school students and Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl

Student Success Podcast No. 15
Jan. 30,  2014, recorded Jan 28, 2014

Today’s Guest: Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D., and Sean, Sena, and Matthew, high school students

Dr. Pychyl, whom we agree to call Tim now, discusses the personal experiences with and possible solutions for three high school students, Sean, Sena, and Matthew. These students bravely discuss their struggles with workflow problems and strategies they could use to overcome it.

In this interview, Tim shows his deep compassion for students and concern for their success. The students engage his ideas thoughtfully, and we look forward to hearing back from them soon on how they are progressing.

Please see more from Dr. Pychyl at the Resources links below. Continue reading →

Homework, Learning Skills, Procrastination, Students, Studying Skills, Teachers

Why homework matters: top five (5) reasons you probably should do your homework

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Sorry, but homework really does matter.

Annoying, yes. Boring, usually. Important for your academic success? Very much so.

See below for some important reasons why you probably should be doing your homework. Continue reading →

Exams, Learning Skills, Studying Skills

Three Simple Ways to Make Memorization Easier from The A+ Club

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While it is best to retain information through a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter at hand,

sometimes that’s asking too much.

Particularly for young students who cannot yet choose their field of study, passing a test might call for some rigorous and effective memorization. The A+ Club from School4Schools.com LLC helps students learn the executive function skills many lack through our online tutoring and mentoring programs in a variety of subjects. Expert educators also offer advice and strategies, such as the following memorization tips, to help students help themselves.

Check out some of The A+ Club’s tips for retaining information: Continue reading →

Articulation, Procrastination, Student Success Podcast, Studying Skills

Real solutions for procrastination from Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, part 2

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ProcrastinationPuzzle_3Real solutions for procrastination from Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, part 2

Student Success Podcast No. 14, Jan. 22, 2014, recorded Jan 15, 2014

Today’s Guest: Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D.

Dr. Pychyl shares his incredible knowledge, experience, research, and insight into the nature of procrastination and how to overcome it. Dedicated to bettering people’s lives, he uniquely applies academic concepts in a way we can all understand and appreciate.

This is part 2 of 2 segments we are publishing on the Student Success Podcast. Tim has also published his own version of the interview on his “iProcrastinate” podcast. Continue reading →

Articulation, Procrastination, Student Success Podcast, Studying Skills

Real solutions for procrastination from Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, part 1

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ProcrastinationPuzzle_3Real solutions for Procrastination from Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, part 1

Student Success Podcast No. 13, Jan. 15, 2014

Today’s Guest: Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D.

Dr. Pychyl shares his incredible knowledge, experience, research, and insight into the nature of procrastination and how to overcome it. Dedicated to bettering people’s lives, he uniquely applies academic concepts in a way we can all understand and appreciate.

This is part 1 of 2 segments we are publishing on the Student Success Podcast. Tim has also published his own version of the interview on his “iProcrastinate” podcast. Continue reading →

Homework, Procrastination, Students, Studying Skills

Feeling like it: how to get your homework done even when you don’t feel like it

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late-and-overwhelmed__msclipartSo if you don’t feel like it now, when will you?

Here’s the problem: your mood won’t match your work, and the less work you do, the less your mood will guide you towards doing your work. The only way you’ll get to it now is through Procrastinator’s Panic, which isn’t the best thing.

Research proves that last minute work is less effective, less thorough, and more stressful than work completed on time and with consistent effort. It comes down to control: if you rely on the “cram” or the last-minute surge, you’re letting the work control you, not the other way around. Continue reading →

Homework, Procrastination, Students, Studying Skills

How to stop procrastination: Ten (10) tips for getting your work done

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How to avoid procrastination: building self-awareness & specific steps to avoid procrastination.

You really can do something about procrastination.

If you think you “work best under pressure,” or if you think that “getting it done in the last minute” are good strategies, we beg you to think again.  By definition, procrastination is any delay that causes harm. Last-minute work almost always could have been better with planning and earlier start.

These strategies will help: Continue reading →

Assignment Reporting & Teacher Feedback, Education Policy, Students, Studying Skills, Teachers, Technology

Agenda books and schools: making good little secretaries

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agenda-book_msclipartWhy are we teaching kids to use 1970s technology?

Ever hear of Day Timer? Yes, the personal agenda book still exists, but only for a few old school types. Except in schools, where the kids are supposed to use agenda books, and it’s all their damned fault if they don’t.

Seriously. At the A+ Club, we hear from teachers all the time that Johnny “just needs to do what all the other students do and write down the assignments in his agenda book.”

If it were up to me, every kid would have exchange email and  Outlook working seamlessly on their computers, tablets, and phones, and everything they need to do would be posted there automatically. Continue reading →

Procrastination, Studying Skills

How to avoid procrastination: getting the urge (and not relying on it)

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urgent_msclipart_C900434758[1]Is it urgent enough yet?

A student of ours mentioned that he couldn’t bring himself to getting some work done over the break, but the night before classes start again, he finally “got the urge” to finish it.

This got me thinking about that word, “urgent.” I never before associated it with an “urge,” which we normally think of as being a kind of desire, as opposed to something of necessity, or of immediate concern, you know, an “urgency.” Continue reading →