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Learning to Learn

Effective study skills and strategies are the basis of effective learning. They give you an opportunity to approach learning tasks systematically and independently. By always using good study habits—learning to work smarter—you will work like and become a successful student.
Learn To Learn

Learning is a very personal matter. There isn't one study/learning skill or strategy that works for every person in every situation. Therefore, learning to learn strategies are about learning what you know, learning what you don't know, and learning what to do about it. Your repertoire of study/learning strategies will:

enable you to take more responsibility for your own learning
allow you to spend your time effectively and stay on task
help you select the best approach(s) for each assignment or task
provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to begin, follow through, and complete assignments/tasks
present you with access to a variety of content and reference materials
give you the confidence to know when and who to ask for help
Know Yourself
Begin by honestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses in basic college skills—reading, writing, listening, and mathematics—and study/work habits such as as organization, time management, concentration, listening, and note taking.
Next, identify your learning style preferences. Many factors affect learning, but consider whether you learn most effectively by reading, by watching, by listening, or by doing? You must also become familiar with your instructors teaching styles to help you adapt your learning style to the best advantage.

In addition, consider when (Are you a morning person or a night owl?) and where (Do you concentrate best in a bright room with noise or in a cozy, quiet corner?) you are at your best for learning.

Manage Your Time and Life
The first step in learning to manage your time—controlling your own life—is to identify what your goals are and then to establish priorities to help you reach them.
Analyze how you are using your time. If you aren't spending time on your priorities, you must make the necessary adjustments or you won't reach your goals. If school, learning, and good grades are a priority, then you must make and follow a schedule that gives a significant amount of time to go to class and study.

Improve Your Concentration
As a good student, you will not necessarily study more than a poor student, but you will definitely use your study time more effectively.
Learn to keep your attention focused on the task at hand—concentrate. When you are in class or ready to study, give it your full attention.

And remember, how well you learn something, not how fast you learn it, is the critical factor in remembering. You must "get" something before you can "forget" it.

Know What Study Means & How To Do It
Learning takes more than just going to class and doing homework. It is really a four-part cycle:
preview>>class>>review>>study
When you establish a learning-cycle routine you will be able to learn more in less time with less stress.

Develop A Thinker's Vocabulary
English is the richest language with the largest vocabulary on earth. Each of our words is a symbol that represents an idea or object. Your ability to understand the meaning of the words others use and to select the right one(s) to communicate your ideas, information, and feelings is very important to effective learning.
To develop a thinker's vocabulary, you must become sensitive to words and develop strategies for unlocking the meanings of new words and a process for remembering the new words and their meanings.

Become An Active Reader
Did you ever fall asleep while playing tennis or when watching your favorite television show?
Probably not. How about when you're reading?

Probably so. What makes the difference?

If you are actively involved, physically and mentally, you stay interested and committed. When you become passive, you rapidly lose interest and drift away.

To learn from study/reading material, you must be an active, thinking participant in the process, not a passive bystander. Always preview the reading and make sure you have a specific purpose for each assignment. Read actively to fulfill your purpose and answer questions about the material. Keep involved by giving yourself frequent tests over what you've read.

Become An Active Writer
Writing that accurately expresses your ideas demands not only writing skill but focused attention, critical thinking and active involvement. Only if you become actively involved in the writing process will you be able to communicate your ideas clearly.
Your writing must have:

a purpose,
a controlling idea or thesis,
organized development of your idea with major and minor supporting details, and
a logical conclusion.

Build Listening & Note taking Skills
Accurately listening to a lecture and deciding what is important are two skills that must be mastered before you worry about how to write the information in your notes. Again, being an active rather than a passive participant is the key to your success.
Taking good notes demands that you :

prepare for class,
become an active listener,
distinguish major from minor points,
use a note-taking system,
participate in class, and
review often.

Know How To Study For & Take Exams
Exams are your way to show a professor how much you've learned. Preparing for exams will give you a better understanding of the material, lower your anxiety, and improve your scores.
Find out as much as you can about the exam, study and review the material over a period of time (use the night before as a final review not a cram session), pace yourself during the exam, and always go over your graded exam with your professor.

Master Every Course
You can't get something for nothing. You can, however, get nothing for something and that's exactly what you will get from any course if your only investment is money.
True education is not about cramming material into your brain. True education is the process of expanding your capabilities, of bringing yourself into the world.

Professors can merely set the stage for you to create learning through your own action.

Tips For Improving Vocabulary

English is the richest language with the largest vocabulary—over 1,000,000 words—on earth. Yet the average adult has a vocabulary of only 40,000-50,000 words. Imagine what we're missing! Here are some strategies for unlocking the meanings of new words and a process for remembering the new words and their meanings.
Context
You can often get at least part of a word's meaning from the way it's used in the sentence. So, when you come to an unfamiliar word while reading, rather than first looking it up in the dictionary, try to figure out its meaning from the words around it. Often the author provides clues to help you unlock the general meaning.
"Perihelion is the point in the earth's orbit when the distance between the earth and the sun is at its minimum, as opposed to aphelion."
Glossary
If your book has a glossary it will give you the specific definition for this field of study. A glossary, a mini-dictionary in the back of a text, contains only the definition that fits the use in this book.

apheloin The point in the earth's orbit when the distance between the earth and the sun is at its maximum.
Dictionary
To find exactly what a word means and where it comes from look it up in the dictionary. The dictionary is a reliable source of definitions plus correct spellings, pronunciation, parts of speech and derivations. To use this resource book effectively however, you must understand the abbreviations it uses and the variety of information it includes. Since you may find a variety of definitions for a word, always fit the definition back into the original context to be certain it makes sense.

aph·elion n. pl -elia [NL. fr. apo + Gk helios sun—more at solar]: the point of a planet's or comet's orbit most distant from the sun—compare perihelion
Structure
Knowing the parts of words—prefixes, roots, suffixes—helps you understand and unlock the meanings of whole families of words. A prefix is the part that's sometimes attached to the front of a word; there are about 100 common ones. The root is the basic part of a word; most of our root words come from Latin and Greek. A suffix is often attached to the end of a word.

apo prefix from Greek meaning away from
helios comes from Greek meaning the sun
Now, other words with apo or helios start to make sense such as apolune=the point in the path of a body orbiting the moon that is farthest from the center or heliophyte=a plant thriving in full sunlight.
Read, Read
In addition to using these strategies it's important to read a variety of a materials. The more you expose yourself to new words, the more words you will learn.

Use the following strategy to help you remember new words:
Practice:
Remembering New Words

Unless you actively work at reviewing and remembering each of the new words you encounter, you will have to rediscover the meaning each time you see the word.

Write each word to be learned on a 3x5 card.
aphelion

On the back of the card write the definition (the one that most closely fits the way the word was used in your original sentence).
\The point in the earth's orbit when the distance between the earth and the sun is at its maximum

Below the definition write an example sentence using the word.
The point in the earth's orbit when the distance between the earth and the sun is at its maximum.
On January 3 the earth is about 3 million miles closer to the sun than it is during aphelion on July 4.

Use these cards for study, review, and testing yourself.
Look at the word and try to recall the definition on the back.
Look at the definition and sample sentence and try to recall the word on the front.
As you go through the cards, sort them into two stacks: know and don't know. The next time you review, use only the "don't know" stack to concentrate your study.
Periodically, review all the cards. Periodic review of information is critical to remembering.

Textbook Study Strategy

Everyone looks for ways to be more successful. American executives strive to compete with aggressive foreign competitors, teachers seek ways to enrich student learning, and students, like you, search for ways to improve academic performance.
So, how can you, like a company president or a college professor, improve your chances for success? First, realize that whether your goal is to improve performance on a widget production line or a sociology final exam, the basic blueprint can be the same: you plan what you need to do; you implement your plan; you review how well you did.

Then, since goals such as zero defects or, in your case, understanding more of what you read, can't always be met the first time you complete your plan, you view reading as a cycle instead of a one-shot activity.

PLAN: Pre-Reading Strategies

Establish a good physical environment.
Relax and set a positive attitude.
Review instructions.
Review lecture notes.
Set your purpose.
Preview the assignment.
Organize your thoughts.
Determine what you want to know when you finish reading.

DO: Reading Strategies

Be actively involved.
Check your comprehension as you read.
Restate ideas in your own words.
Form mental pictures.
Compare what you are reading to what you know.
Answer the questions you developed during pre-reading.
Fix-up your comprehension when needed.
Define unfamiliar words.
Keep the problem on hold and hope it will clarify itself.
Re-read a portion of the text.
Compare information with notes or another source.
Ask someone for help.

REVIEW: Post-Reading Strategies

Consolidate and integrate information.
Answer questions.
Test yourself.
Participate in a study group.
Space your review over time.
Decide what else you need to know.

Plan:
Prime your brain.

Establish a good environment. Place yourself in surroundings that help your ability to concentrate and encourage good posture, and a ready-to-work attitude.
Relax and set positive mental attitude. Set yourself up to be successful. Do your study-reading when you are at your mental best. Have confidence in yourself; know that you can read successfully and accomplish the goals you set.

Review instructions. Check any comprehension guidelines you have been given such as "read this in preparation for tomorrow's lecture," or "read to see how this author differs from what I've said today," or "review all of the material we covered in preparation for the exam."

Review any lecture notes. Reread any notes you have on this topic looking for topics or ideas you need to clarify, words you need to define, or names and dates you need to fill-in.

Set your purpose. Match the way you read to your purpose. For instance, reading for enjoyment does not require the full understanding that reading to prepare for a psychology lecture requires, and those demands are different from reading for a chemistry exam. Clarify your purpose before you begin to read, and you're more likely to be successful and less likely to waste time.

Preview the assignment. To preview:

read the chapter objectives,
read headings/subheadings,
read introductory and concluding paragraphs,
read boldface and italic words and phrases,
highlight/clarify unfamiliar vocabulary,
examine graphics, and
review end-of-chapter summaries and questions.
Take advantage of anything that will help you understand the organization and core ideas.
Organize your thoughts. Based on the chapter objectives and headings/subheadings, jot down the major topics you are going to be reading about. Then, write a few words about what you know on each of the topics.

Clarify what you want to know when you finish reading. If you don't read to find out something specific, you probably won't. One way to read for something specific is to phrase the chapter's objectives or headings/subheading as questions and then read to answer those questions.

Do:
Be active. Think.
Restate ideas in your own words. At the end of a sentence or paragraph, rephrase the idea in your own words.
Form mental pictures. Stop and build a mental picture of what the author is saying.

Compare what you arc reading to what you know. Ask how does new information fit with what I know? Does it reinforce, contradict, or add new information?

Answer questions. Connect what you are reading to questions you need to answer.

If you don't understand what you are reading, use one of these fix up strategies to get back on track:

Define unfamiliar words. Understand the words the author uses. Check the context, glossary, lecture notes, a dictionary or ask someone.

Use chapter objectives and headings/subheadings. Reread objectives and headings/subheadings for the unclear passage for ideas or concepts that help you to understand.

Review related graphics. Reread any graphic and its explanation to see if it clarifies the text information.

Reread a portion. Try reading the sentence or paragraph again with the specific goal of clarifying your question.

Keep the problem on hold and hope it will clarify itself. If the problem is just one sentence or paragraph, you can mark it and continue reading. It's possible the next sentence or paragraph will help you.

Compare information with notes or another source. find and read about the topic or idea in another book to see if a different approach helps your understanding.

Ask someone. When you've clarified the vocabulary; reread the objectives, headings/subheadings, graphics, and unclear passages; review other information you have and if you still don't understand what you need to, ask someone for help.

Review:
(for perspective & memory)

Reread thoughts you've organized and questions you've answered during reading. Make use of the work you did during your planning and reading.
Answer questions. Write out or talk through the answers to the questions you set out in your plan.

Consolidate and integrate information. Combine your knowledge, what you've gained from reading and your lecture notes to form one coherent picture.

Participate in a study group. Join a group of classmates to talk about what you have read. Try reviewing concepts with one another, sharing notes, and taking practice tests.

Test yourself. Make up a test on the material or have a classmate make one up and test yourself. Make a set of Question-Answer flash cards for a convenient carry-along review tool by writing the question on one side of a 3x5 card and the answer on the reverse side.

Continue the Cycle

Occasionally, on small assignments or familiar material, you will achieve your reading comprehension goals at the end of one plan>>do>>review cycle.

On the other hand, when you're reviewing, don't be surprised to discover gaps in your knowledge. When you do, just develop a new plan that will help you fill in the gaps. Reread the portion of the assignment you need to get the information and then review, making sure to integrate the new information with what you already have.

Managing Your Time Effectively

Spending time, like spending money, is a very personal matter. Unlike money, however, you can't get a "time raise" or "save some hours" for a busy day. We all have to live on 168 hours each week. Successful students, like other successful people, must budget time according to their priorities to ensure that they spend it effectively.
Identify Your Goals and Priorities:

The first step in learning to manage your time—controlling your life—is to identify what your goals and priorities are. You must decide what you want out of school and life and what you must do to get it.

Is learning—getting an education—high on your priority list? How about your current job, your family? What is most important to you?

Analyze How You're Spending Your Time Now

Next, analyze exactly how you spend your time. For the next week, keep a detailed log of everything you do. Account for all activities: class attendance, study, work, eating, commuting, recreation, exercise, sleep, etc. Also note when (during what hours) you do these activities.

How much time each week do you spend...

in classes?
studying for classes?
working?
meeting the needs of others?
exercising?
relaxing?
sleeping?
_________?
_________?

Match How You're Using Time With Your Priorities
Now you can evaluate your use of time. No one can judge your use of time as efficient or inefficient—not even you— unless you do it in relation to your priorities.

In addition to looking at how much time you spend on each activity, consider if you are spending quality time on your priorities. For example, if learning is high on your priority list, do you study during your prime energy hours or only after everything else is done for the day?

Develop A Plan To Spend Quality Time On Your Priorities

If you found some time blocks that are not in line with what you want to be doing to reach your goals, you can begin to systematically change your life by taking control of your time.

Start by building a realistic time schedule or time budget that gives time to the activities that fit with your priorities and will help you reach your goals.

If learning and getting good grades are high on your priority list, then you will have to budget time for attending classes regularly, for preparing, studying, and reviewing, plus additional time for papers, reports and other special assignments.

Finally, you must stick to your time schedule. Some flexibility is necessary, of course, to take care of unexpected demands, but if you spend too much time on nonpriority tasks you will not meet your goals.

Use the time management strategies below to help you take control of your time.

Live Smart

Time Management Tips

Keep a "Things To Do" list and keep the items in priority order most people tend to do low–ranking, little things first and never get around to the important tasks.

Break major tasks down into small chunks-We often avoid big projects because we have limited time or we don't know where to begin. Break major projects into small pieces and tackle them one at a time.

Eliminate tasks-Carefully evaluate each task and, when possible, don't do time consuming routine tasks like rewashing the car weekly or dusting.

Delegate or negotiate tasks-Ask yourself "Who else can do this task?" (maybe not as well as you would do it, but acceptably). Ask "What tasks can I trade or share with someone?" Learn to ask for help.

Consolidate tasks-Whenever possible do more than one thing at a time, except thinking! If you're going to the library to prepare your biology report, also work on your research paper and look up that reference you need for literature.

Evaluate your habits-Why do you do routine tasks in a certain way? Are your routines the most efficient? Could you save time by changing your routine actions? Could getting up 15 minutes earlier be helpful?

Know and wisely use your prime working times-There really are "morning people" and "night owls"—find out when you're at your best and use those hours wisely.

Be prepared to lower your standards-Given the heavy demands on your time, it is doubtful that everything you do can be perfect. Based on your priorities, decide what you want to be "A" quality and what things can be "B" quality.

Learn to say "No"-There is never time to do everything we want to do, so we must learn to do those things that move us toward our goals and say "no" to those that do not.

Be flexible but remain in control-Expect interruptions, as they are bound to occur. If you are doing things in priority order—not leaving big things to the last—you and your schedule will easily survive.
Study Smart

Time Management Tips

Make a study schedule and stick to it-The best way to ensure that you will have enough study time to meet your goals in each course is to plan for it. Daily, weekly, and monthly planners are available in the L.A.C.

Understand assignments and write them down-Keep all assignments in one place to avoid forgetting something.

Develop an understanding of your best concentration times-Arrange your schedule so that you have study time during your peak hours.

Remember that "study" includes many different tasks-When instructors talk about the need to study, they mean you should read review material in preparation for class, complete all homework, and review class notes, text assignments and supplementary material on a regular schedule.

Realize that different subjects require different types of preparation-Lecture classes require that you review your notes right after class and preview the new topic just before class; recitation classes, like languages and math, demand more specific study just prior to class.

Schedule study learning sessions to fit your attention span-Try studying for 45 minutes and then taking a ten minute exercise break.

Begin each study session with goal setting-Predict specifically what you want to accomplish and then work to meet your goals.

Study difficult and/or complex material first-Leave routine and more mechanical tasks for last.

Vary subjects and type of study for maximum efficiency-Within a study session do some reading, writing, recitation, etc. to stay interested and alert.

Schedule periodic review sessions-To remember material over a long period of time, you must review the information often.

Use all of your available time-Even small bits of time, like waiting for the dentist, can be put to use-don't be caught without something to read or study.

Effective study methods for economics students

Working with your class notes
Rewrite your class notes. Do this on a regular basis, for instance, once per week or better yet, within eight hours following each lecture. While recopying, fill in any parts that may be incomplete. Also, if you have the time, it is VERY useful to cross-reference your text while recopying the notes: for each topic in your class notes, see what the text has to say about it. If the text adds anything useful, make a note of it in your new, recopied notes. Recopying your notes will give leave you with a very readable and complete set of notes to review when you are getting ready for the exams. But more importantly, studies on learning behavior show that the process of recopying your notes helps cement the material into your long-term memory, so you will benefit even if you never look at your recopied notes again.

If you simply don't have time to recopy your class notes on a regular basis, then try this:

Within 8 hours of the lecture, spend 15 minutes going over your notes. Studies on learning behavior show that most students' retention of lecture material is high for eight hours, then rapidly falls off. If you go over your notes during the first 8 hours, it will help reinforce the material. Also, if your notes are incomplete in some way (maybe the professor was going too fast, or maybe you were not able to simultaneously write down what he was saying AND what he was writing on the board), then it will be easiest to "fill in the blanks" during these first 8 hours. Instead, if you never look at your class notes until you are ready to begin reviewing for the exam, then it is much more likely that you won't understand them.

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How to read your textbook
Read actively, not passively. "Passive" means you're just a spectator, an onlooker, a bystander. Passive reading is how you would read a popular novel: you just read page after page to find out what happens next. If you read textbooks this way, your rate of retention will be very low, according to studies on learning behavior. "Active" means getting involved with the material, processing it in some way. You are a participant, not a spectator. Below you will find several ideas on how to read actively. If you force yourself to develop the habit of active reading now, while you are in college, it will profit you throughout the rest of your life.

Before reading a chapter. First, read the chapter's introduction. Many texts list the chapter's learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter -- read them. Then, read the heading or title of each section and subsection in the chapter; this will take only about two to five minutes (unless the chapter is horribly long!). Then read the chapter's conclusion or summary. Doing all of this takes maybe 10 minutes, or even less. If you do this first, then read the chapter from start to finish, you will derive several benefits: you'll know what the chapter is about, what are the main issues it addresses, and you'll know in advance where the chapter is going. As you're reading the chapter from start to finish, you'll understand the details better since you'll have a sense of how and where they fit in. This technique also makes it easier to read the chapter, and often makes the reading go a little more quickly. And it alerts you in advance to the important things that you need to get out of the chapter.

If something comes up and you just don't have time to read the whole chapter when it is assigned, it is far better than nothing to take 10 minutes to do what I just described: read the intro, read the chapter's section headings, then read the summary and conclusion. This is a very efficient way of getting a quick feel for the material, or at least an outline of it. Also, doing this (rather than not reading the chapter at all) makes you much less likely to feel lost in class when your professor covers this material or subsequent material that builds on it.

Write in the margins. Most introductory econ texts (and many other texts) have nice wide margins. Use them. Write notes in the margins. For instance, when you really start to understand the logic behind something and can explain it in your own words, write down your explanation in the margin. (If you want to sell your book back at the semester's end, the book buy-back people probably won't notice your marginal notes, and the student who buys your book next year will benefit!)

Read with pencil and paper. As you read through the chapter, every time a new term or concept or definition is introduced, copy down the term and its definition. Then leave some space in your notes. Then as you read more about this term later in the chapter, you can add a few sentences about the importance or relevance of this term, or other related concepts.

Economics uses lots of models, which are usually represented with a graph. Every time your text introduces you to a new model, write in your notes the following things:

The name of the model.
The purpose of the model (for example, the supply and demand model shows us how the market price and quantity are determined).
Draw a copy of the graph or diagram that goes with the model. Carefully label the axes and the curve(s).
For each of the curves, write down what that curve shows and explain why it has a positive, negative, horizontal, or vertical slope. For example, the demand curve shows the relationship between consumer demand for an item and the price of that item. It has a negative slope because, other things being equal, an increase in the price of an item makes that item less attractive or affordable to consumers, causing a decrease in the quantity that consumers demand.
For each curve, write down a list of things that will shift the curve, and briefly explain how each of these things shifts the curve. For instance, the demand curve for most goods will shift to the right in response to an increase in consumer income. Reason: at any given price, consumers are willing and able to buy more of the item.
It's also a good idea to go through these steps when models are introduced in your lecture notes. It's a thorough system for studying models, and will prepare you for a variety of test questions on the model.
Throw your highlighter away. Believe it or not, highlighting the important parts in your book is a passive activity: all you are doing is pushing a marker over the page. If you think something in your book is important, then write it down in your notes! If you just highlight it, then you'll forget what it means or why it is important five weeks later when you are reviewing for the exam. Also, if many different things are important, you'll soon find that the color of the page has changed from white to yellow, and how does that help you? Not much. And finally, studies show that for many students, highlighting is actually worse than doing nothing: it gives a false sense of security and accomplishment, but all students have really done is pushed a colored marker across the page.

Make bulleted lists. Most textbooks, especially principles books, give you various clues that something is important. For instance, they typically put important terms in boldface or color, put definitions or key ideas in the margin, and highlight the importance of an equation by centering it on its own line, with space above and below the equation.

What happens when you come to a section in your text that has none of these features, just paragraph after paragraph of plain old words? Does this mean the section is unimportant?

Probably not. It means that you have to find the clues yourself: you have to figure out what's important. This is not hard to learn to do, and it is an incredibly valuable skill.

Here's a good way to do it: Read the section. Figure out what is the section's main point, and write it down in your notes. Then write a bulleted list of the supporting points or related informational points.

Here's an example from Principles of Macroeconomics, a textbook by N. Gregory Mankiw that's widely used at UNLV and elsewhere. If you happen to have this book, take a look at the section of chapter 10 entitled "GDP and Economic Well-Being", which starts at the bottom of p.210. If you don't have the book, all you need to know is that chapter 10 is about the definition and meaning of GDP; you'll pick up the rest from the following discussion.

This section of chapter 10 has no bells or whistles, no terms in boldface, no definitions in the margin, etc. It just has two and a half pages of words and words and words. One of my students read this section and came up with the following bulleted list of the section's important points:

GDP AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING (pp210-212)
This section discusses whether GDP is a good measure of a nation's well-being.

eloquent Kennedy quote criticizes GDP for not directly measuring quality of life, non-material well-being, etc
GDP excludes the value of leisure: if people take more time off work to spend with family, GDP goes down but well-being may go up
GDP excludes the quality of the environment: w/o regulations, firms might be able to produce more (which raises GDP) while worsening the environment.
GDP excludes the value of non-market activities, even though these activities are productive and important. Examples: child-rearing, volunteer work.
However, bigger GDP makes it easier to afford the kinds of things (education, good health care) that improve non-material well-being
Case study (p212) shows that countries with higher GDP per person tend to have higher life expectancy and literacy rates (which are two non-material indicators of well-being)
bottom line: GDP is not a perfect or comprehensive measure of a nation's well-being, but it's still pretty good.
When studying for your exam, which you do think would be easier to remember: a bulleted list such as the above, or the textbook's two and a half pages of paragraph after paragraph of plain old words? I rest my case.
As you continue through college, and on into your professional career, there will be countless occasions on which you must read various materials and determine the most important points. For example, in your junior and senior years in college, you will probably have to write research papers using newspaper articles as sources. The last time I checked, the Wall Street Journal did not put important items in boldface or provide any of the other clues that are often found in textbooks. So what do you do? Make a bulleted list about each article.

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Practice with end-of-chapter problems
In my years of teaching economics, I've made an important observation. Students enjoy the class more, learn more, and get better grades when they are required to do weekly homeworks. Maybe you think this sounds insane--why would anyone be happier when they are forced to do more work? Well, it's not that students are particularly thrilled about having to do homework all the time. But these homework assignments force them to keep up, to practice, to work actively with the material. As a result, they come to class with a deeper understanding of the material, which makes class more interesting and makes it easier to understand new material as it's introduced. After the semester is over, student feedback is always more favorable if I required homeworks than if I didn't.

Here's why homeworks are so beneficial: The homework problems actively engage you with the material. Virtually every expert on teaching and learning techniques will shout at the top of his or her lungs that the best way to learn is to actively engage yourself with the material. (See the section how to read your textbook effectively for more on active learning.)

If your instructor is already assigning regular homeworks, great! But if regular homework assignments are not part of your course grade, then try to carve out two hours a week (or however much time you can afford) to work on the questions and exercises at the end of each chapter as it's covered in your course. I know it's not easy to find the time to do this, especially when you have tons of other work and important non-school demands on your time. But if you really want to get more out of the class (and improve your grades), you have to be willing to make a commitment to work toward this goal. Practicing with those end-of-chapter problems will be time well spent. (Besides, some professors use those end-of-chapter problems to get ideas for exam questions.)

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Studying with classmates
Consider forming a study group with one or a couple of your classmates. Depending on the difficulty and workload of your class, your group might meet regularly or maybe just once before each of the exams. In any case, there are great benefits from studying with others.

Most students don't understand everything perfectly. But chances are, someone in your group will understand some of the things you don't, and vice versa, giving rise to "gains from trade." When a study partner makes you understand something that you previously just couldn't get, then the benefit to you is obvious. But you benefit even if you are the one doing the explaining: In order for you to explain a concept to a classmate, you have to first process the material in your mind and formulate a coherent verbal explanation. Studies show that this helps lock the material in to your memory.

There are other benefits from studying in small groups, which you can probably imagine. It imposes discipline (it's harder to allow yourself to be distracted by the television or telephone when you're studying with others). And it is a social activity (I don't mean a party, I mean an activity involving other humans): it's good to see that you are not the only student that finds the material difficult. And it's a great feeling when you can help someone understand something.

SUN

Stay at home..

Movie time..

How short my hair?
Can see that my hair cut shorter by one inch.
The hairdresser share with me some tips to take care of my hair.
Hair is very important in our lives, it is part of our body.
Beautiful & shiny hair has to maintain it.

Tip 1: Wash our hair twice a day, one in the morning & night

Tip 2: Do not use finger nails to scratch our head, cause damage to our hair

Tip 3: Do not tie our hair too often or too tightly

Tip 4: Do hair treatment every 3 months & cut away those spilt hair ends

Tip 5: Apply hair oil & sebum after hair wash

Tip 6: Can do hair mask using warm towel once a week for 15min

Tip 7: Use cold water to wash hair to keep it soft, too hot will damage hair ends

Now I learn to be a woman. Starts to learn how to maintain my hair, skin, etc.
Although is troublesome, is part and parcel in woman life. HahaHa.. =)

Whore cam at home with my new hairstyle + close up my face.

Finally can rest at home for a DAY.

So tired have to work and wake up early everyday.

Here comes my pic..

Haha ^^

I had a hair cut yesterday.
Yep with liyan..@ CCK

Hahaha..this is the current game I am playing now..

I want to watch 翻滚吧！蛋炒饭 later or maybe tonight.

My feelings is just like the picture above, trap inside the glass. I am trap in the office for months from morning till evening. Everyday is so routine, somehow I starts to hate it. Yah.. they going to extend me for another month till end of July. The agency have not approach me to sign another contract yet so I still have time to decide whether or not to continue the job. My job is flexible, not like my past job as a cashier work whole day stand whole day and complete no rest for me except lunch break. I finished my show tokyo juliet drama. Nowadays, watching Hong Kong drama 野蛮奶奶大战戈师奶 to relax my mind and chatting with liyan in msn. I know how to bind notes in office le. That's what I 've learnt in office. Trying out with all the machines and learn to entertain myself, occupy myself with games and drama at home. I must start my revision soon, got Maths and Statistic, both Calculations. Also my POA, 2 writing ones are Principle of Banking and Finance, Introduction to Economics. Starts school on 5th Aug lol. I am sooo glad I am a student once again. Hahaa...
I am going to learn maHjong, new skill, Hahahahh, yup playing virtual game in my emulator. My pals download a lot of games to play with emulators. Felt in love with the "Puzzle Fighter", "KOF", etc. I have not watch this week "D-grayman".

to be continue....

Outing organise by jia jun and yu kun.

Went to eat at seoul garden + movie + fireworks @ NDP...

Nothing better to do in the office so I took a photo of myself. I just have to wait for instructions by Team Leader.

Thursday 12 June 08

Take this BUS 105 on my way to DOVER change bus. The bus has new design with so many steps, getting higher and higher. I sat at the center of the highest level in the bus.

Delicious salmond vege rice at new restuarant outside FAR EAST. ITs automatic insert notes or coins for ordering of foods and drinks. KAWAII!!!

My new bag for coming YEAR of studies.. >>>

That's my salad prepare by my lovely MUM!!
Chicken salad..

This week, I have been eating SALAD. Change my eating habit, more vege, more fruits,less meat, and drink more water. I want to improve my skin condition and dare not eat chilli, peanuts, milk, etc. What I eat will reflect on my skin, now I watch what I put into my mouth. Seldom eat candies and potato chips, all the junk food contain preservatives , flavouring, colouring also bad for my skin. My supportive MUM make me salad and put in the fridge, easy to eat and I love raw vegetables, cruchy and more health as more vitamin. I also bought health supplement, one bottle of Evening Primrose + Olive oil. A lot of rest is needed for me too. Maintain happy everyday, with happy gO lucky mindset.

<^^>

Baby minru is so cute, that's my MUM & DAD first child. Hahaha.. Throw away all the unhappiness and live happily everyday now. Nothing matters as "PAST is a HISTORY", "TOMORROW is a MYSTERY", "TODAY is a gift". The time will not turn back neither do the dates or day reverse or turn back. What took place in my life or what I have gone through is already in the past. I shall take care of myself and enjoy every bit and every min in my life. I think it is not so easy to be able to reborn as a human. So everyone should treasure life. Change our mindset to "HAPPY GO LUCKY" instead of "DIE DIE must do it".

I read newspaper about those NS man die during training or in army. They have pushed themselves too hard in the training. There is two part, physically and mentally. Their mentally are strong but what about physically? Of course, body will break down if overwork or over exercise it. The body is a system that operate our movements, everything. Why would we want to harm our body with all those alcohol, smoking, drugs, junk food, etc.

Yesterday bought a new PORTABLE HARD DISK @ $129.99 original price @ $179.99 !!!

250GB...

Prepare for my coming school days.

Save files, exam papers, study material, etc.

My new term will starts on 4 AUG!!
Here are my modules:
1 02 Introduction to Economics

2 04a Statistics 1 (half unit) and
05a Mathematics 1 (half unit)

3 24 Principles of Banking and Finance

4 25 Principles of Accounting

5 One unit (or two half units) from selection group F(i) or F(ii)

for the fifth module is an elective, so i can chose between F(i) or F(ii) modules..
I have decided to take up "Elements of the LAW contract" . Pretty hard to me since I am not a LAW student neither am I a Business student. Totally brand new to me for all the core modules. I got so excited about my modules, went to download the mock paper to take a look at it. Seems difficult to me, I was told that exam for econs will be writing essay + short ans + long ans for 3 whole hours. I never write 1000 words in 3 hours before. It will be quite hard for me to get used to it at first, hope my English will improve as time goes by.

PLay this while I waiting for my turn..
training ltr bout the program..
Did 7 files in less than one hours.
Song bo!!!!!

Part of a necklace, discovered in a necropolis on the outskirts of Rome, is shown in a photo released July 17, 2007. Archaeologist have discovered a nearly 2000-year-old intact necropolis on the outskirts of Rome that gives a rare insight into the lives of poor labourers in the Roman era, they said on June 9, 2008. REUTERS/Archaeology Superintendent of Rome/Handout (ITALY). FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

This is an amazing discover by the archaeologist!!!!

I encounter this really cute game online...

Ways to achieve a Smooth Skin

1. Mash the bananas along with milk and then apply on your face. Wash it off after 20 minutes. This makes the skin smooth and supple.
2. Blend the egg white and honey well and then apply on the face. This makes your skin smooth and helps to reduce wrinkles.

3. Blend turmeric powder with milk and apply on the face. It removes the tan and helps to reduce the facial hair. Scrub it off with a good face scrub and then wash with cold water. You can also keep it overnight.

4. Mix oatmeal along with curds and tomato juice and apply on the face. Keep it on for 20 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. It helps to remove the tan and lightens the skin.

5. Apply raw sliced potato on the face. Reduces blemishes and other scars.

6. Cucumber juice is an excellent astringent. Applying cucumber juice on the face tightens the pores. Wash it off after 15 minutes.

7. Applying turmeric powder along with limejuice removes the tan. Limejuice is a natural bleach.

8. Dried orange peels mixed with curds help reduce blemishes and scars. Wash it off after 15 minutes with cold water.

9. Honey makes the skin glow. It makes the skin soft and smooth. Helps reduce wrinkles.

10. Citrus face packs and sandalwood face packs are excellent for oily skin.

11. Rubbing ice cubes on the face tightens the pores and increases blood circulation.

Moisturizers 101: The basics of softer skin

Find out what moisturizers can and can't do for your skin and how to select a moisturizer that suits your needs.
Moisturizers prevent and treat dry skin, but that's not all they do. They can protect sensitive skin, improve skin tone and texture, and mask imperfections. In fact, you can probably find a moisturizer that claims to address whatever concerns you, from dull skin to clogged pores. But can a simple bottle of moisturizer meet these high expectations?

About moisturizer ingredients

On the most basic level, moisturizers hold water in the outermost layer of skin. They also act as a temporary barrier, allowing damaged surface cells time to repair themselves. Many moisturizers contain some combination of humectants and emollients, as well as other ingredients.

Humectants (urea, glycerin, alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid, others). These are substances that absorb water from the air and hold the moisture in the skin. Humectants need very high humidity levels to be effective. Humectants are also useful in softening thickened or scaly skin.

Emollients (butyl stearate, glycerin, lanolin, mineral oil, petrolatum, others). These ingredients fill in the spaces between the cells in the skin, helping replace lipids and thus smoothing and lubricating rough skin. Emollients are either oil based, which means that a small amount of water is dissolved in oil, or water based, which means they are primarily water and have a light, nongreasy feel. Oil-based creams leave a slight residue on the skin and have more staying power than water-based creams do. Water-based creams are easier to apply and don't leave much of a residue, but they don't have as much staying power. Most creams and lotions on the market are water based (for example, Vanicream and Cetaphil). Eucerin is an example of an oil-based cream.

Fragrances. Most moisturizers include fragrances, which give the product a fresh, pleasing odor and cover up the smell of other ingredients. Fragrances in skin-care products are the most likely cause of skin irritations or contact allergies. Fragrances that tend to cause skin reactions include cinnamic alcohol, hydroxycitronella and isoeugenol.

Preservatives. Any product that includes water and oil must contain one or more preservatives to help prevent bacterial contamination after the product is opened. These ingredients can sometimes cause skin reactions. Preservatives that seem to cause problems for many people include quaternium-15 and imidazolidinyl urea.
Moisturizers may include other ingredients as well, such as vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, sunscreens and sunless tanners. Some also contain ingredients that claim to boost your body's production of collagen and elastin, diminish stretch marks, smooth out wrinkles, paralyze muscles, unblock pores, and exfoliate dead skin cells. Many of these claims are unproved.

Keep in mind that there's no guarantee that any moisturizer will live up to all of its claims or even contain its advertised ingredients. Moisturizers are considered cosmetics, so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates them in a different manner than it does drugs. This means that products don't need to undergo rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness before going to market.

Which moisturizer is best for you?

The moisturizer that's best for you depends on many factors, including your skin type, your age and whether you have specific conditions, such as acne. For general guidelines, consider the following:

Normal skin. Normal skin is neither too dry nor too oily. To maintain this natural moisture balance, use a water-based moisturizer that has a light, nongreasy feel. These moisturizers often contain lightweight oils, such as cetyl alcohol, or silicone-derived ingredients, such as cyclomethicone.

Dry skin. To restore moisture to dry skin, choose a heavier, oil-based moisturizer that contains urea or propylene glycol — chemicals that help keep your skin moist. For very dry, cracked skin, oils are preferable. They have more staying power than creams do and are more effective at preventing water from evaporating from your skin.

Oily skin. Oily skin is prone to acne and breakouts. Though oily, such skin still needs moisture, especially after using skin-care products that remove oils and dry out the skin. In addition, a light moisturizer can help protect your skin after washing. Be sure to pick an oil-free, water-based product and look for products labeled "noncomedogenic," which means it won't clog pores.

Sensitive skin. Sensitive skin is susceptible to skin irritations, redness, itching or rashes. Use a moisturizer that doesn't contain potential allergens, such as fragrances or dyes, and is specifically designed for sensitive skin.

Mature skin. As you age, your skin tends to become drier because your oil-producing glands become less active. To keep your skin soft and well hydrated, choose an oil-based moisturizer that contains petrolatum as the base, along with lactic acid or alpha hydroxy acids. These ingredients help hold in moisture and prevent flaky, scaly skin.

Getting the most out of your moisturizer

To make the most of your moisturizing routine:

Find a moisturizer that fits your skin type and makes your skin look and feel soft. You may need to try several brands with differing ingredients before you find one you like.

Keep in mind that cost has no definite relationship to effectiveness. Just because a moisturizer is expensive, doesn't mean it's more effective than a cheaper product.
Apply moisturizers immediately after bathing. Pat or blot your skin until it's just barely dry, then apply moisturizer immediately to help trap water in the surface cells.

Apply moisturizer to your hands and body as needed. Apply after bathing, showering, before exercising outdoors in cold weather, and every time you wash your hands. Although often ignored, your hands are more exposed to the elements, especially soaps and chemicals, than is any other part of your body.
Don't use any heavy creams on your face unless you have excessive dryness. You can use heavy, oil-based creams on your legs, hands and feet because those areas tend to be drier.

If a moisturizer doesn't improve the condition of your skin or you notice skin problems after using a moisturizer, see your doctor or dermatologist. He or she can help you create a personalized skin-care plan by assessing your skin type, evaluating your skin's condition and recommending moisturizers likely to be effective.

taken from:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/moisturizers/SN00042

trailer

Today went for my appointment with my doctor at Orchard building. Had a nice chat with the doctor and taught me the difference in those tubes of creams. U can't imagine I had a dozen of different types of cream, applying different areas on my skin. Also my status now, working, studying in SIM soon. Hope that my skin will return to before, smooth and normal. Sometimes, I just emo about my skin problem. Keep thinking that why I got this in my life, also wish to be like other girls who have normal skin. Everyone will meet their bad times. That's my life, I got to accept it in order to change myself for a better. Come to this, my doctor told me to organise my time and my stuff. This is a skill in life, organise everything properly. Plan what to do, what is important in life. Not necessary to spend time to everything. Consider matters in their priority, those insignificant matters no need to bother or waste time on it. I got to structure my life again to cater to myself. I lead my own life, my life is in my hands!! Due to laziness, did not stimulate my brain cells, make full use of it or to the fullest last few years. It's a let down if I lead a simple life, Haha. An ignorant girl like me will not outlast in uni.
I am a complicated person, rather challenge myself with tough problem. Simple life is free from all additions or embellishment.
My next big dream is to earn more money for my parents. When they retire, they can gO holiday, or have more entertainment at home. Now, for the next 3 years got to endure all the hardship, study & maybe work at the same time. So now I will start to take care myself well. =)

Make Big Dreams & Take one Step at A time..
Believe in what U believe..

Just so tired this week, not sure whether is not enough sleep or something wrong with my body system ? So not really sure what's wrong with me. Next week going to uni enrolment, Hahaha...also another tired day. Everyday seems to wake up so early. Damn it! Wao lao! Yup, learn many new vulgar in office. A change of me becoming a bad and crazy woman soon. Time flies, I already work 5 months here. Maybe due to lack of hibernation, I become so "CUI". -_-!!!

Yesterday, I stay back to do OT, help yu kun out with the work. So many arrows are shooting around. What they say, we are target board in the office. If kana a lot of work, means kana bomb. Anytime it will explode, so interesting life at NCS. Many people leaving this project. Will there be more new comers? Just wait and see...

Can't tan han anymore, going to lie on table and sleep for awhile man!
Oh gosh!

Count Down for myself still have 25 DAYS left!!!!

Everyday got to walk to office..Is a tiring task!!!

But but I know many good friends in the office and they change my life.

Not only they concern me, also help me a lot of stuffs in office.

I enjoy KBox with them. . .dinner too!!

will DEFINITELY miss them very much after my work ends.

What is stress?

We are all familiar with the word "stress". Stress is when you are worried about getting laid off your job or your studies .A major source of stress is overdriving yourself. Sooner or later, the energy drain on your system will cause the body to fall behind in its repair work. There will not be enough time or energy for the body to fix broken cells, or replace used up brain neurotransmitters. CHANGES will occur in your body's internal environment. You will "hit the wall," "run out of gas". If you continue, permanent damage may be done. The body's fight to stay healthy in the face of the increased energy that you are expending is major stress.

Causes of stress.

Listing the causes of stress is tricky. There can be innumerable stress factors since different individuals react differently to the same stress conditions. Extreme stress situations for an individual may prove to be mild for another, for yet another person the situations might not qualify as stress symptoms at all. Stress is often termed as a twentieth century syndrome, born out of man's race towards modern progress and its ensuing complexities. For that matter, causes such as a simple flight delay to managing a teenage child at home can put you under stress. A stress condition can be real or perceived. Yet, our brain reacts the same way to both causes of stress by releasing stress hormones equal to the degree of stress felt. The brain doesn't differentiate between real and imagined stress. It could happen while watching a horror movie or when one is apprehensive of some imminent danger.

Why is there more stress today?

Numerous surveys confirm that adult perceive they are under much more stress than a decade or two ago. Stress levels have escalated in children, teenagers, college students and the elderly for other reasons, including: increased crime, violence and other threats to personal safety; pernicious peer pressures that lead to substance abuse and other unhealthy life style habits; social isolation and loneliness; the erosion of family and religious values and ties; the loss of other strong sources of social support that are powerful stress busters. As you can see stress nowadays causes Hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, ulcers, neck or low back pain and other "Diseases of Civilization".

How can stress cause so many diseases?

Many of these effects are due to increased sympathetic nervous system activity and an outpouring of adrenaline and other stress-related hormones.
Certain types of chronic and more insidious stress due to loneliness, poverty, bereavement, depression and frustration due to discrimination are associated with impaired immune system resistance to viral linked disorders. Research in these areas may help to explain how stress can contribute to depression, anxiety and its diverse effects on the gastrointestinal tract, skin and other organs.

Ways to reduce stress

Firstly work on your attitude by changing the way you think, viewing a difficult assignment at work and discomfort to a life of challenging and excitement. Secondly, think positive by thinking about a success or a past achievement. Take a mental vacation.
Thirdly, count to ten by making a habit of pausing and relaxing just for a few seconds before responding to your daily routine. Take a deep breath. Belly breathing is what some people call it. It’s an useful trick for defeating anxiety and nervousness. The correct way to breathe? Abdominally feeling the stomachs expand as you inhale and collapse as you exhale. Try to yell or cry. Screaming or crying can provide a release for the emotions generating the stress you’re feeling. Tune in the music. Music soothes as perhaps nothing else does. You can use it in two basic ways to relax or to inspire.

Taken from: http://babykangaroo120.blogspot.com/

I hope to become a Brainy girl one day!!!! Can my wish really come true??

Today just rot at home, msn, sleeping all the way. This blog totally recorded my lifestyle, feelings, thoughts, my happening, all about mememememme!! Haahhaa!!
Ever since I graduated from SP, feels like all my burden is let go for once just a crazy ger in the house. Roaming my files in my lappy, many files are lecture ppt, etc stuffs. Soon it will be deleted from my lappy, leaving the place forever into the new Recycle bin. I just started reading my new BK "Principle of Accounting" which was purchased a few days ago.

Yup, I read the first chapter about accounting background and the role of accounting in our lives. We do count our salary, count how much money we pay the cashier when we buy food, etc. Oh, I am starting class in coming Aug. Really excited about it and this time round I've got to chiong all the way. Poly is my past now, it will be in my history. Hahhaa! I have a non-stop learning life ba..

Accounting I am coming.............................................!!!!

I really can see my li Yan in school everyday, crazy with her. She is taking economics and finance.

=D Guess I am lucky learn many things in my life.
Hmm..I've learn the following lists of things:

Primary School->

1. chinese calligraphy

2. computer

3. singing(choir)

4. swimming

5. cycling

6. skipping

7. badminton

8. tennis

9. maths

10. english

11. science

12. chinese

14. AVA (laminating poster, OHP)

15. Art

Secondary School ->

1. AVA (PA System, projector,etc)

2. dancing (modern dance)

3. English

4. Maths

5. Additional Maths

6. Pure Biology

7. Pure Physics

8. Pure Chemistry

9. Elective Geography

10. History

11. Art

12. Chinese

13. cleaning (sch always have spring cleaning)

14. project work

15. combined humantities

16. Life science (tuition centre teach)

Poly->

1. technopreneurship

2. networks & protocols

3. network security system

4. ITP (software auditing)

5. communication skills for sales and marketing

6. mobile applications development

7. report writing and presentation

8. quality management

9. maths

10. network and server management

11. multimedia development

12. network marketing

13. maths

14. discovering music

15. database management system

16. internet client developement

17. server side development

18. human diseases

19. network essentials

20. fundamental electronics

21. critical reasoning skills

22. maths

23. innovation, design & enterprise in action

24. object-oriented programming

25. computer hardware & system operation

26. data communication system

27. oral communication

28. maths

29. character developement

30. Driving theory

31. pool

32. violin (haven manage to play a song)

33. arcade games

34. bowling

35. a lot of project works

36. PHP

37. cooking (from my dad)

38. time management

39. stress management

40. success pointers (attitude, knowledge, skills)

Intended to learn in 2008 ++ ->

1. Law

2. animation making (fren teaching)

3. computer engineer/computer sci

4. Driving practical

5. accounting / business courses

6. bible studies (maybe)

7. piano (maybe)

8. guitar

Wow..I will not stop learning in my life. Everyday, I am learning something new and I want to thank god for giving me chances to learn so many wonderful knowledge and skills.

smiles ^^

Min Ru♥

" She’s a lil girl,
living in her perfect world
Until the perfect guy come,
and bring everything together.."

5 in the morning.
I still can't sleep
" Play my NDS, after this 1 hours, I thought, it's better for me to sleep now.."
I'm born.
03031988,,
Gratz.
My life is a messed
It ended a me
my heartbeat
my world.
I'm holding back the tears..
I don't want myself to look so dumb, so lamentable..
& now, there's nth i want to do now.

Talk
Time for a Msg

Sweet ones.
Genie Zhou

Jeanette

Felicia Chen Jing Xuan

Ann shu xian

Xue Sha Sha

shopaholic

Naomi

Amanda

Julia

Andrew

Yvonne

Eileen

Jie Min

Liyan

Amy

Paul

Karen

Eug

Florence

Joel

Jackie

Phebe

Sze Rong

Zhi Xiang

XinYi

Ariel

Gladys

January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 November 2010 March 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 January 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 March 2013 October 2013 June 2014

imeem .
1 song Playing ♥

I kissed a GIRL

Designer : Chili.
x o x o