How Can I Improve My Memory

As a student you have probably asked yourself ‘How can I study better for the test?’ The answer to this question is improve your memory.
Remember, what is done to our bodies influences how our mind works. Several outside forces can affect one's memory. As has been established with other functions of the body, diet is linked to memory. Memory is also affected by lack of physical exercise and of course, there are foreign substances we put into our bodies. Drugs, alcohol, and even prescription drugs can have a negative effect. If it affects our bodies it can affect our memory. Injuries, traumatic events, even diseases can affect memories. Inadequate stimulation both mental and spiritual have also been shown to damage our minds, bodies and emotions.

Let us look at the life stressors in connection with memory. If your life is unorganized and over packed with activities, this will impact your memory. Constant turmoil and never allowing yourself adequate care will cause your memory to be negatively affected. You must first take stock of your priorities. Think about how well you care for your mind and body. Maybe you think a quick rush to the gym will do the trick. The main word here is 'rush'.

Rushing around is one area where we cause our mental health to suffer. Rushing is something that can become a bad habit because it causes long-term turmoil that is not beneficial. Some people have become so accustomed to rushing through their day they have to actually be taught how to achieve a smoother, more relaxing routine.

More than one area may have to be changed to obtain memory improvement. Proper blood flow and plenty of oxygen are two factors that must not be overlooked. You can achieve these with exercise and by learning breathing exercises. These activities can help clear your mind and relieve stress. Even if the results are only temporary, they are still an important start on your journey to memory improvement.

Another important stage is eating properly. A well-rounded diet can be beneficial in many ways. The diet can affect the physical health and since the mind depends on the body to work at its best for the mind to work well it only follows, if you aren't in good physical health, how can you be in the best health mentally?

Think about your living environment. A dirty home can affect your memory. Maybe it hard to believe, but it can. A clean home doesn't just look better, it can increase your happiness and sense of peace. If your senses are constantly subjected to anything negative, it will begin to affect your brain health. A clean home will calm you and allow your mind and memory to focus on more productive positive thoughts.
Not only does the sight of your clean home allow improvement in your life, the smell can be uplifting as well. Besides cleaning supplies bring out those candles, potpourri, or room sprays.

What to look for when choosing a how-to book

When you start your search for how to do something you will find there are many resources out there. You have a choice of online courses, seminars and even one-on-one training but sometimes the best way to learn is the old-fashioned way. This way is reading a book.

The marketplace abounds with how-to books on subjects from making money to planting roses and many people new to a subject find them the best way to learn. Books allow people to re-read passages that have a lot of information like math or science as many times as they need to fully grasp the concepts. You can see why a book has an advantage if you imagine asking the speaker at a large seminar to repeat themselves.

The question is, which how-to book should you read? Most any field you choose has its share of pretenders and fakes, so be wary of any book that makes outrageous claims in its title. If you see statements on the cover like ‘Be a pro in an hour!’ or ‘Make millions while you sleep!’ be cautious. If a how-to book promises something that’s too good to be true, it probably is. Be realistic and if the book downplays or neglects inherent risk, you should skip it.

What you want in a how-to book instead is calm, reasonable, practical advice. Flashy language suggests the writer is trying to pull a fast one. If at anytime you wonder ‘If it’s SO EASY to make millions of dollars doing something, why is this guy writing books about it instead of doing it?’ think is this a good source for information. Restrained, logical language suggests the writer knows what their talking about and is simply explaining what they have learned.

Take note also of the book’s presentation. You want a book that’s likely to be reliable and up-front about the pros and cons. Don’t be afraid to question a book riddled with grammar and spelling errors. It is better to trust a book that appears to have been written and edited by professionals, and presented in a straightforward manner.

As a final point, whenever considering any how-to book, it’s worth a few minutes to Google the author’s name and find out the results. Look for reviews beyond those found on the author’s website. See if the author has been mentioned in any news stories. Pay attention to his or her background to see if he or she has any real-world experience, or do they just write books. Remember, you can find a book about almost any subject just choose substance over hype.

Diet Matters

You will be glad to know there is an easy, but often neglected, way to improve and help you achieve success. Whether you work during the day and go to school at night or vice versa, a day of your life should be divided into stages to assure you get the right food for great performances. It doesn’t matter if you work form 9 to 5 or not you can adjust you food for the best results.

Day laborer
If you are a day person, you are on your feet the entire day so the amount of physical effort you are making is great. Your body needs energy from morning till evening. You must keep the sugar level stable with the help of complex hydro-carbonates. You will stay strong if you start your day with cereals and milk, eat soup and vegetables with cheese for lunch and in the evening have some lasagna and salad.

Night worker
If you are a night worker your schedule extends into the morning hours. You need food for feeling ok and fighting depression that can often occur during nights. Vitamin B1 is what you need to keep you satisfied all night. Your ‘day’ should start out with a breakfast of bread and honey. Lunch should consist of pasta and vegetables. End your ‘day’ with a dinner of chicken barbecue and salad.

Mental people
If you are a mental laborer then you are performing intense mental tasks with little physical exertion. Your body needs “intelligent” food, rich in vitamins B and C to give energy to the brain and nerves. For breakfast have bananas and yogurt, at lunch scrambled eggs and toasted bread and for dinner potatoes, fish and vegetables.

No matter what your job is, you should always have enough energy to perform it well. You won’t get fat, but you have to eat as much as you need in order to not feel hungry while at work. Not being hungry will clearly affect your performance positively.

How Are You Investing Your Time

Time is the most precious commodity we have because it is the greatest equalizer of human beings. We will lose if we don’t admit this and treat time with respect. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, healthy or sick you only have 24 hours a day.
Most of the time, we waste our time and energy worrying and thinking about trivial things. When we do this we usually forget about important things. A wise man will tell you “You can always make more money, but you can never buy more time”.
How often have you looked at the ways you invest your time? The word “investment” is very accurate because the way you choose to spend your time is a true investment in yourself and your life. People usually spend hours in front of the TV, or they spent a lot of time browsing the internet with no purpose. Some of us even try to trade time at the cost of sleep hours that could benefit our health. If you wake up earlier in the morning just to smoke a few cigarettes and fill up with coffee so you won’t feel sleepy it doesn’t mean you won any quality time. Also, inefficient work or spending more hours at work that you have to is equal to allowing someone else to have a loan of your life.
People sometimes say things like: “I’m just counting the hours to go home” or “I wish it were Friday”. These are signs that they usually waste their time. If you organize your time efficiently and if you choose to do only activities that motivate you somehow, then you will find yourselves able to work everyday without feeling tired or sleepy.

At any moment that you just let time pass by think about what the Roman people used to say ‘Carpe Diem’. Loosely translated ‘Live the day’. Make time to analyze the way you invest or waste your time. And never forget that you can’t see tomorrow so “Carpe Diem!”

STRIVE TO LEARN MORE

People sometimes find it hard to keep up and learn everything they are supposed to. This is especially true when they are learning about things that they have no interest in. Here are some tips to take you out of the they category. First, you need to not give up and use various methods to learn more.
Get a mentor/tutor
Whenever you see you can’t handle an assignment or you can’t get any further with it, you should consider getting a mentor/tutor. Many environments are meant for all and the group cannot wait for a few to catch up. The structure just does not allow it even if the individual falling behind is gifted but just slower.
Do not get mad
You are probably already upset if you have failed. To keep yourself from losing all interest in learning don’t get mad but sad. This change of emotion to a positive one is a step in the right direction. Focus on making yourself and others happy by improving your performance not dwelling on past failure.
Reward good performance
This has a good and a bad side. A good one where you gain interest partly because you realize it gives you and others pleasure and a bad side where you will become motivated in all things because of material rewards. You need it be careful when rewarding yourself so it does not become your only motivation.
Live a healthy life
A healthy life is good for us all. If you get enough sleep, eat right and are emotionally balanced the chances are that you will perform better.

People by nature. desire and need competition and, learning is a competition. You are not up against someone else as much as you are competing against yourself.

Methods of Home Schooling

The controversy of home schooling vs. traditional classes might never be resolved. Similarly the correct method of home schooling might not find a definitive solution but the more we know the better it will be to make an informed decision. Maybe if look at them with an open mind we might able to apply a little of these methods to ourselves.

Many people believe home schooling is two or three children sitting at a table, writing in their workbooks, while mom or dad stands nearby. The truth is there are different methods of home schooling that differ greatly from this notion. Below are some of the most influential and popular home schooling methods.

The Charlotte Mason method:
Known as the founder of the home schooling movement Charlotte Mason was a home schooler herself. Her passion was to lay out the foundations for an effective home schooling program. A need to be both fun and educational at the same time was essential. This method encourages a passionate awareness of literature, so beginning at the age of six the child is read to daily from a variety of classical literature. After this, the child is asked to narrate what they have heard. Then by ten the child is expected to write their narrations in a book. Mason believed that development of good character and behavior was essential to the complete development of the child's personality. With this in mind she advocated the use of 'Nature Diaries'. After each lesson the child is asked to go to nature and draw observations. This way the child gains a sense of respect for the environment.

The Eclectic Home schooling method:
A mixture of various home schooling techniques where the innovative parents trust their own judgment. Curriculums are improvised in most Eclectic home schooling Parents pick out the topics that make the best curriculum for their child. These parents are constantly looking for the best products to meet the needs of their home schoolers. The basic curriculum is ready-made but parents make changes to accommodate the individual needs and interests of their children. The child's gifts, temperament, learning style and interests are all considered when deciding the curriculum. Eclectic programs include visits to the museum, libraries and factories.

Unschooling method:
The most unstructured of the various home schooling techniques this method is a hands-on approach to learning. John Holt, a Boston public educator, believed that children learned best when they are free to learn at their own pace, guided by their own interests. His message was the beginnings of the unschooling method. The parent takes cues from the children with no definite curriculum, schedules or materials.

The Montessori method:
Starting in Italy, it was observed that children have acute sensitive periods, during which they undergo periods of intense concentration. During these periods, a child will repeat an activity till he gains a measure of self-satisfaction. This method depends on a prepared setting to encourage learning. All the materials used in the Montessori method are designed with the goal to satisfy the inner desire for spiritual development of the child. The materials used range from simple to complex, and are rather expensive.

No matter what method is used, the underlying factor is flexibility and a keen interest in the desires of the student. In any stage of our life we can adapt these methods not only for others but ourselves. The desire for knowledge should be the guide to further education.

TIPS TO HELP SAVE YOUR TIME

Managing your time is important to all aspects of life from studying to leisure. The next time you think ‘There are not enough hours in the day’ try these tips.

1. Some things can be done fewer times
Think about everything you do often and decide what can be done less often. Some things can be done once instead of twice. Identifying those things and acting upon them will help save a lot of time.
If you haven’t already, make a schedule to inform yourself of ongoing projects. Look at it daily but try to update it twice a month instead of every week.
Repetitive things like cleaning the house once every ten days instead of every 7 days may not seem like much but every little bit helps. The house won’t get dirty in those three extra days.
Another example is if you make a work report. Do it every six weeks instead of every four weeks if possible.
The list of things that can be done fewer times can go on forever.
2. Make yourself your competition
Be aware of the clock and resolve to finish an activity by a certain time. Focus on the present task. You can work more efficiently if you get rid of anything that could distract you so.
3. Strive to get more out of 15 minutes
Look for just 15 minutes a day that you could use more efficiently. Ask yourself ‘Is there lost time in my activities?’ Or see if there is a less important activity you can give up. If you manage to save 15 minutes every day, you will win 91 hours every year!
4. Complete little activities first
We naturally want to deal with the important problems first but this ma not be for the best. If we force ourselves when we feel tired, stressed, in a bad mood it is harder to concentrate and easy to lose time. Doing simple activities first will help you finalize something and push up your productivity. And obviously it is always better to know you did something, even if it is small, than to realize you haven’t even started anything.
5. Set a limit on the amount of time you spend on a project
Rather than to try and finish an activity all at once, it is better to tell yourself: “I will work on this for 15 minutes and see how much I can get done during this time”. Focus and try to do all you can during those 15 minutes. Too much time can be as bad as not enough. It can lead to over-thinking and doing the project twice just in different ways. This advice can be used solve problems or projects you have avoided lately.

This is not the only list of tips to manage your time but it is a start. Try these few ideas for a while and see how many things easily fit in a day. It may be more than you think.

10 Tips For Efficient Learning

Learning is a lifelong skill. From birth and throughout life, a person goes on a journey of acquiring knowledge. How this knowledge is gained varies from one individual to another because each one is created unique. There are some people who make little or no effort to learn and yet they do well in school. Others spend endless hours over their books but do not excel at all. Genes may have something to do with this, but more than the hereditary factor, it is the attitude towards learning that increases one’s ability to perform well. How one efficiently studies makes a capable learner. Here are a few tips to make the most out of learning:
1. Take care of your health
People, like machines, also need downtimes. Stress and fatigue due to studying for long periods of time render the brain less effective to absorb data. Hence, adequate rest should be taken. A healthy mind needs a healthy body - see to it that proper nutrition and regular exercise is always maintained.
2. Develop a passion for learning
One should have a thirst for knowledge in order for learning to take place. Attending classes every day, reading and studying for hours, and accomplishing assignments do not guarantee positive results if you do not have that craving or focus to learn. Self-esteem somehow triggers this passion. The higher your self-confidence is, the more challenged you will become to learn faster.
3. Find a study environment that is conducive
Elements in the environment play an important role in one’s quest for learning. A specific study area with ample lighting, privacy, and complete supplies and reference materials are but some essentials for a smooth and stress-free study time. A set routine should also be imposed. Assign a specific time during the day for study. Don’t just "fit it in" your schedule or else you’ll have no time at all.
4. Set goals and targets
In order for each learning experience to be realistic, it is wise to set goals for yourself - goals that are measurable, achievable, time-bound, and flexible. Prepare weekly schedules, taking note of deadlines. For example, to get high grades, extra effort must be taken in studying and preparing for exams.
5. Take breaks in between study sessions
The brain needs to be recharged once in a while as this is when it absorbs all data obtained from studying. Overexertion causes it to repel information and makes studying futile. Do not go on a study marathon. Instead, study in short but frequent sessions and take breathers in between.
6. Engage in study groups
Two heads are better than one – so goes the cliché. Learning with a group is synergetic. You get to share your opinions, ideas, and views, and at the same time it is a venue for clarifying mind-boggling matters. It is also more interesting and challenging because you gain different perspectives or outlooks.
7. Understand concepts instead of memorizing details
Most of the time, students pass exams and quizzes with flying colors. But after a while, their knowledge of the subject matter would already slip their minds. This is mainly due to a wrong approach to learning – that of memorization. Memorization is only short-term "disguised learning". If one develops the habit of understanding concepts rather than focusing on details, the learning process will flow smoothly and will have a long-term impact.
8. Use shortcuts
Applying shortcuts to your study habits maximize your learning skills. You accomplish more when you abbreviate in note-taking, when you focus your notes around ideas instead of taking them down verbatim, and when you put everything straight into your computer. In this day and age, we need to pack a lot of information into a very limited timeframe.
9. Manage your time wisely
Learning is an ongoing skill. Hand in hand with your goal-setting is allotting and managing your time for things to be done – projects to work on, homework to finish, and term papers and theses to submit. Time properly managed is time well spent. Even your time for socializing should be taken into consideration. Remember – all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!
10. Reward yourself
It is important to make the learning experience enjoyable whenever possible. Try out things that may spark that craving within you to learn – listening to music, perhaps, or engaging in a delightful snack – whatever may inspire you. Continuous hours of studying will not only make you weary but also make you lose interest. The above tips show that devoting long hours to study does not necessarily yield productive results. Studying efficiently and effectively are the key factors to learning better. ------------------------------------------------ This is an excerpt from Mark Patterson's award-winning book "Secrets of LazySmart Students" - every student's guide to getting better marks by working smarter instead of harder. Mark's book will give you incredible tips for time management, self-motivation, will teach you how to kick the procrastination habit and doing great in any exam or written assignment. For more detailed information on what you have read, check out his book now at: https://paydotcom.com/r/9770/BTS50/1062923/

Mind Building

All exercise for the mind does not need to be boring. Going away from the how to lists we find many times hobbies can help us improve. One of the more productive hobbies is mind puzzles. Mind puzzles can be fun to solve but also rewarding. Often times they encourage and challenge you to look for new ways to solve problems.

There are various types of puzzles including some of them to help you build your vocabulary. Vocabulary puzzles can be built in several ways but remember as you start a puzzle, your mind will naturally start to look at all angles of a problem to find solutions. The puzzle should be used to break away from preconceptions that stop us.
Using the same grid of letters we’ll start with a simple puzzle and move onto a more difficult aspect of the same puzzle. Look at the puzzle below and create a list of words. Notice that the first set of letters is the English alphabet. You will probably be able to find words like, wet – much – honk – me – take – we – can – make – go – time – by – fine – your – Tim – and – the - pie, easily enough.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Z Y O R V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H O B C
C K F A W Y C K A E I O U C K R W E T P I O
H O F N T O E O M U C H C T O U C H C O E F
H ON K C H M E I O U I M U T O T A K E A E F
W E C AN M A K E G O U D T I M E B Y F I N E
T A K E Y O U R T I M A N D S O L V T H E P I E

Now to make it slightly more interesting the words you are looking for make the sentence ‘She drank too much coffee’
You should have found at least one of the words already. Expand your thinking so you are not only looking for the letters to be on the same line. After you find the complete sentence in the puzzle, keep building your vocabulary by searching through the puzzle. Now continue farther by trying to find some longer words. Searching at all angles until you feel that you have found enough words.

Vocabulary building puzzles encourage you to solve mysteries, finish stories, or build a list of words. Regardless of the type of puzzle you participate in, they will bring you rewards. They help you to have the ability to solve problems effectively. When you participate in mind puzzles often your memory, IQ and other abilities will be enhanced. Do not expect to do a puzzle and then wait a month to do another. Mind puzzles will help you develop healthy skills only if you use them frequently.

The Key is Concentration

A skill that will be used for the rest of your life is learning to concentrate. It is a skill you use while studying and can be applied to any kind of work. The key to concentration is focusing on the task at hand to eliminate any possible distractions. It is common to read through material and discover you have no idea what you have just read or, attend presentations and have difficulty paying attention to what is being said. To help you stay focused here are some suggestions.

When scheduling, try to stick to a consistent and efficient routine. If possible avoid studying at different times. Studying one day late at night and the next day in the afternoon is counter-productive. Once decided, avoid conflicts, by marking down these times in a scheduler or on a calendar.

Where you study needs to be quiet. Find a designated study spot free of distractions. This is so necessary that if you live in a noisy house or dormitory you may even have to go to a study room like the library outside your residence.

You need to remember to take study breaks. Take about a 10 minute break for every hour. Make it anything different in a different location. Get up and walk into another room and listen to music, grab a snack, or play a game. This brief rest is needed to refresh the mind so it does not wander.

Day dreaming can easily become a struggle while studying. Thinking about plans for the night or tomorrow’s events is not uncommon. Avoid daydreaming by asking yourself questions about the material as you study it. This will keep your mind focused.

A separate but related subject is presentations. If you have trouble focusing during presentations look over the notes of any related talks. Also read the material pertaining to the presentation beforehand so you can anticipate the main ideas that will be covered. Make yourself show outward interest. Having an attentive expression and posture will self-motivate internal interest. Just as it is important to resist distractions with study it is equally important during presentations. By sitting in front of the room you are away from disruptive occurrences and people. This move will allow you to focus on the presenter.

You will find that by learning this skill you have increased the control you have over some of the factors that govern your life. Only a few minor adjustments in your studying habits can go a long way in improving your concentration.

Every Learning Process Has a Beginning and an End

Are you not sure what to take notes on? Does it stress you out to look over your notes? Do you get stressed when you prepare for tests? If the answer is yes to any of the previous questions here are some suggestions to take you through the studying process.
Before going to any lecture, read the assignments. This builds a background for the information that will be presented. It will give you some familiarity with vocabulary and concepts, which can be especially helpful if the subject matter is unfamiliar. Try to make time to actively read. As you go over the material, underline and highlight important information. If you don’t have time to read the entire assignment, skim the material. This way you at least have some advance knowledge of the important points.
It may seem so rudimentary that it does not need to be said but I have to say it anyway. You need to go to the lecture and take notes. Most presenters will emphasize points of importance. Be ready, be attentive and write during the entire class. Don’t stop taking notes until the lecturer is done. Since many presenters will cram any information that they missed into the end of the lecture you will need to pay attention until they are finished. When you take notes use abbreviations. Whether you use a standard shorthand or your own private system, get as much detail as you can.
As soon as possible after the lecture look over the notes and make any additions or corrections while the material is still fresh in your mind. Pay special attention to any parts you didn’t understand or missed. Ask someone else who was there for help so you can fill in the missing information.
Try to boost self-confidence by passing all your first quizzes. Make up a list of study questions and definitions and practice saying this information aloud. You can do this by yourself or with another person. Study for short periods over several days instead of waiting and trying to cram everything in in the last minute. Finish with a review the night before.
When exam day arrives use the following strategies to make all your hard work pay off. It is important not to be hasty. Take the time, before you begin, to read directions carefully and look over the test. Start by answering all the questions you know first. Getting the questions that you are certain of out of the way will not only get you sure points but also help build confidence. Now start over at the beginning and be careful not to leave any blanks. At least try to answer even if you are not sure. It is better to have an answer that might be correct instead of leaving the space blank and certainly incorrect. Be aware of the time and manage it. Don’t rush, but don’t go too slow. Finally, after you have completed the exam, take a few minutes to it look over to be sure you have answered all questions and that your answers make sense.
By investing a small amount of effort in the process from the beginning you will enjoy the rewards at the end.

Develop The Skill of Skimming

Remember the last time you looked something up in the phone book. You looked for the name and didn’t read any more than was necessary. You might even have used your finger to guide your eyes. We call this type of reading scanning. We do it everyday with book indexes, dictionaries, etc. Another type of reading is skimming. It uses the same type of skill mechanically as scanning but a different skill mentally. The difference is with scanning you know what you are looking for and, with skimming you don’t.

Because of everything we have to read, learning to skim material is getting more important all the time. There always seems to be a never ending supply of material like manuals, proposals, and news stories but less and less time to read them.

Since you don’t know exactly what you are looking for, first read the title, source, author, and look at any pictures.
Then ask yourself four questions.
1) Who is this piece likely to be focused on?
2) What is this piece likely to be focused on?
3) When is this piece likely to have taken place?
4) Where is this piece likely to have taken place?
Next; with these questions in mind, direct your eyes down the column of print. Clues to who and what can be found by looking for names of people, places, things, ideas, numbers. Clues to how and why are gotten from words like therefore, whenever, until, because, and instead.

When you first learn skimming you may only pay attention to the words in bold type, italics, digits, or capitalized words. This is natural but, you will soon come to see new or unusual vocabulary, so that as you become an efficient skimmer your span of perception will develop and your ability to make connections will increase.

Make skimming a step you always take before you read any article of factual or practical material. Skim everything you intend to read before you make a final decision whether to read, discard, or study the material. You will soon be able to detect the most important facts, strange vocabulary, and words that are clues to important relationships.

It's a good idea to skim everything in mass media. This keeps your skimming ability sharp and also keeps the necessary skills from deteriorating. Aside from practice, you may even find after going over the title and first paragraph, you have gotten all the information you need or want.

Finally, develop a read-skim pattern to use for rapid review. Reviewing frequently and rapidly is the best way to remember information from notes or long text materials. Skimming is a very useful tool for studying, so learn it and use it!

Keep Supplies in a Homework Kit

It’s time to do homework. You scour the house looking for a pencil but then you need a pencil sharpener. Ten minutes later you find one and finally sit down to start your work, but then where’s the calculator? You find it, only to discover that it is low on batteries. There have to be some in the house, but where? If you find your typical study session unfolding like this, then here are a few suggestions to help make finishing your homework easier.

Don’t waste a lot of time looking for homework supplies and making sure they are ready to be used when you are ready to study. Instead you can use a homework box or supply kit of some kind to keep it all together so when it comes time to do homework, everything is in place for you. You will enjoy no running around, no scouring the house and no wasted time.

Any kind of box will do. You can use a storage tote, an old shoebox, or even a drawer. The key is to keep everything you need in one place, ready to go. Make sure the tote or box is placed conveniently and it should not move from the spot you give it.

Make sure everyone knows that these supplies are for studying, and not for other activities. These supplies should stay there, and only be used for homework. You may even want to label this supply so there is no confusion as to its purpose.

Pencils and crayons should be sharp, calculators fully equipped with fresh batteries, markers with lids tightly attached. When it comes to studying, there are few people that want any more struggle or stress than is necessary. Keeping all materials and supplies handy and ready to go will make your studying not only go smoother, but possibly quicker. And who wouldn’t want to shorten the time they need for studying?

Creative Notions

People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently give out great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will very much atrophy into inexistence. But keep working and this skill can come to anyone.

So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning you can find. Read everything available (good and bad), and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into your life.

Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort. Even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out; to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting somewhere." So why don't you try it: practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day, bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy, or keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another idea is to write describing something you have experienced with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and "delicious." Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises. You might actually take to liking those things you do everyday.

Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations enable you to be more resourceful and discipline you to work within your means. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you've never been before. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's been a while, I tell you, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could've added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why don't you try bungee jumping today? Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.

Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself into the mental ward. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting." Exactly! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other "normal" people at one time or another. Luckily, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by them. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines people to think... well, normally. Withink limits. Creativity is essentially breaking through barriers. Yes, this includes the bizzarre and the downright strange. I'm not saying that you yourself should develop a creative personality. That might go haywire. An example of a creative personality would be George Washington, who often rode into battle naked, or James Joyce, who wrote "Dubliners" with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be "archnemesis.") It's important that your creativity doesn't get you detached from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits." If you follow these steps pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new zest for living life.

Speed Reading Basics

by: Jonathan Mayheart

Speed reading is vital in today’s business and academic world, with the vast information that the internet offers, and the huge amounts of reading tasks an average manager or student faces, there is really no choice but to try and increase the intake of information.

In the last forty years there has a been an explosion of information, we are living the information revolution and that requires a lot of young professionals a great deal of effort in digesting this information and making good use of it.

Most of the people who attend speed reading courses and classes have some kind of problem, or believe they have some kind of problem, with their reading, here are a few of these potential problems.

Lack of concentration or partial/impaired concentration is an obvious problem for speed reading, the effects of the environment on ones reading rhythm and the general tendency of some people to be able of acceptable reading rate only in ideal situations. This problem is one of the basic speed reading problems and is usually dealt with in most courses.

Poor eye movement may cause some readers to shift their eyes to other directions and than go back to the book or paper to relocated the last point read. This problem also correlates with poor mechanical skills, which can be a real problem in speed reading.

Short attention span is a clear problem, almost everyone knows this problem, you start strong and begin to slow down as you read on. This kind of problem typically creates a situation of going back to re-read some lines over and over again, or a need to read the same sentence a couple of times for lack of understanding or loosing the line of thought altogether.

Reading by heart, when a person reads to himself (muttering the words or even reading out load) is an obvious problem since speed reading is much faster than talking, the reading out load inhibited the ability to read fast and also regulates a slow input of information into the cognitive.

Delayed reaction to information and material – This delay often comes from inattention, reading ahead or distraction. Desire to remember every word – This is loosely related to the tendency to re-read or slow down.

So what can you do to increase your reading skills? Do you really need to try speed reading you should you consider just eliminating some of these problems. The answer is most likely dependent of what you need, no matter what you problem is, you need to address the problem.

To try and read faster, here are a few tips that would get you going. Think of reading as a ‘pick and choose’ activity, where you can choose to read the words and phrases that are critical to comprehension, and skip over the connective tissue.

One major key in speed reading is filtering out all the words that has nothing to do with the subject and naturally, there a lot of them. All the connecting words, basically words that are there to connect one word with the other to make a sentence (TO make A sentence) the “and” “it’s” and “and’s” have got to go, just make yourself blind to them, go over these words and do not dwell on reading or noticing them.

Practicing time reading is also good, set up a timer and see how much you read in one minute, and in five minutes. Try and honestly estimate how much did you get from the text (make sure this is something you read for the first time), and try to beat yourself at this over and over again, until you start to feel that you have moved up one level. Experiment with different texts, and try to find books with text that has some questions about what you just read so you can apprise your understanding. Evaluate your situation every time you do this, reading faster sometimes mean that you will make more mistakes on understanding the subject, you should start making “mental notes” while reading so you will not fail answering the questions.

Train yourself to read more quickly by forced timing. If you are a runner, training for a race, you go out and run every day and you try to improve your time or your distance.

Set a timer and run a reading race every day for two to four weeks. You do not have to spend more than five minutes on this exercise. You may become frustrated, at first, by the fact that you cannot read as fast or remember as much as you would like.

Practice makes perfect, and this is the most basic thing you can do to increase your reading speed, in two weeks you should see some improvement, and you should work on the weaker aspects of your reading skills. This is the start of speed reading, and once you master the basics you will be on your way to becoming a speed reader.

About The Author Jonathan Mayheart has been writing speed reading tips and advice for internet sites in the last few years. Jonathan currently writes Speed Reading http://speedreading.zupatips.com articles for the tips and advice website ZupaTips.com.

Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/

The Five Proven Ways to Combine Job and Studies

by: Linda Correli

On any course there is always at least one student who manages to succeed with studies, while others are doomed to fail. My friend Sally was like that. With an agenda of tasks to accomplish at work and a younger brother to look after, she always had good marks at university and even got her First-Class Degree with no troubles at all!

After my astonishment was dispelled, I started wondering how it came that Sally could successfully combine her job, studies and private life. And since I was about to start my own career being yet a university student, I kept a close eye on my friend trying to figure out her success formula. Step by step, I learned her tricks and adopted her studying methods, which were a good start in life.

1. Understand What You Need to Succeed at

The first thing Sally taught me is that getting a degree is not just about learning biology, history, English or whatever. It is all about understanding what you want to succeed – what, in fact, the university wants from you and what you will get in return.

Thus, Sally explained me that if you want to save plenty of time for the things you care about rather than doing unnecessary paper work for the university, you need to have a feel for the education market and sell your inspirations. Consequently, it is important to understand what the lecturer wants from you or what the essay marketer is searching for.

In this respect, Sally saw all lecturers as customers that fall in two broad categories. The first category includes teachers who consider lecturing as an unwelcome interruption to their research work. With them, Sally simply pitched her essays so that her opinions appeared more as evidence that she had read and understood the key contributions to the debate, rather as an attempt to pull down the monuments.

However, it was completely different with other teachers, i.e. the second category of teachers who enjoy teaching and discussing new ideas. To make a favourable impression on them, Sally would present her arguments to show that she had done her reading and understood the key concepts. Moreover, she would try to add something more to the issue rather than rake over familiar ground.

Pretty soon I understood that studying is all about working out what is wanted and then delivering it. This tactic never let me down!

2. Delegate Some Job to Others

Sally was a master of shortcuts. “Why should I bother myself with dull research paper topic I’m not interested in when someone else can do 200 times better than me and for me?” That’s what she told me two days before the research paper deadline, when everyone was suffering over their research papers and Sally wasn’t even bothered to have a look at it. The very same day Sally ordered her research paper at one of online custom writing services, received it a day later, skim read it, handed it in and got the desired “pass.” I couldn’t believe it!

Surely, in the course of time I understood how unwise it is to spend so much time on a single research paper just for a tick in a register. Ever since then ordering my university papers became a usual practice for my university years. I simply ordered a research in one of the respectable and proven custom writing services and spared myself of boring and time-consuming research.

With custom writing services, I learned to get both: free time and professionally written, plagiarism-free papers that were tailored to my specific needs.

3. Seek Shortcuts

In all university years there was always a long list of humble books that were to be read. Surely, every book on the reading list was out on long loan from the university library within 5 seconds of the list being issued with no way of getting it. Sally found the way out even here.

Collections of selected readings or journal articles could work miracles; for they are excellent sources that often save the bother of reading the original texts. To get the gist of a novel, we would flick through the book, read the introduction, note any summaries, look at diagrams, skim the index and read any conclusions. This way we plucked out what was needed and made our escape.

4. Condense Your Knowledge

So as Sally’s hectic lifestyle didn’t slow down even during an examination session, she worked out the proven way to pass any exam with flying colours even when you don’t have much time on your hands.

First, Sally was revising by discarding subject areas she could not face revising. The option was to compile notes and then condense them onto one or two sheets for each subject area, so that to concentrate on them before the exam. Thus, leading up to the exam, she would concentrate on the condensed notes and rely on the memory to drag out the details behind them when the time came.

Second, no matter how serious and difficult the exam was, Sally never practised writing exams questions, although it was recommended by the teachers. She always stressed the importance of being spontaneous and open-minded. Although, it all seemed a little bit crazy, I tried it once, twice, then one more time, and once again … and to the end of my studies at university.

5. Let Your Hair Down

No matter how difficult it was Sally would never miss a party, or some do. She would always hangout with her friends and share regular shop tours. Her studies or job would never outweigh a date with her boyfriend. Sally would never miss a training session in a gym.

In other words, Sally knew how to relax, let her hair down and get filled with energy, positive thinking and never-ending optimism that would drive her further on.

To cut a long story short, my friend Sally is the example number one of how to strike the right balance between working, studying and enjoying yourself. Simply, be a happy student, take what you do seriously and do your best. And, no matter what you do, don’t forget to appreciate every day of your university studies, for it is one of the greatest periods of your life.

About The Author Linda Correli is a staff writer for http://www.go2essay.com She specializes in writing History, Literature and English essays and book reports, as well as admission essays, personal statements and letters of recommendation.

Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/

Sleep More To Help You Study

by: Malcolm Moorhouse

For those of you that are studying, here are a few ideas to help you succeed with your studies.

Do you use your car for getting to school? You had better use your seat belt and buckle up considering many car crashes today are caused by lack of sleep. Chances are you are not getting the right amount of sleep at night. Sleep depravation doesn't just cause physical tiredness; it can affect the function of your brain too. This article looks at how lack of sleep can affect your learning potential.

Figures given by the national sleep foundation indicate that 85% of students do not get enough sleep. What constitutes as enough sleep? While definitions can vary, it seems the average is about 8.5 hours of sleep per night according to the foundation. If the calculation is correct and 85% of students are suffering from sleep loss, then you could gain an edge on them just from lying in bed, relaxing, and getting more sleep.

Sleep depravation can damage ones ability to stay focused, abstract thinking, creative ability, communication, and more. If these symptoms seem familiar, they are also symptoms of ADHD, the attention deficit disorder many people experience. It as been shown that these symptoms lead to poor performance in the classroom.

The route people should take in order to get more sleep is to make sleeping a larger priority in there lives. Many people have a sleep schedule that has a very low priority in there busy lives. Investing in a new set of soft sheets or a better mattress and bed could give people the incentive to making sleep a greater priority in there lives. Even some sleep inducing music, such as sounds of the sea can help a person fall asleep.

Once a student finds a way of getting more sleep positive results should be instant. Grades will go up because of better quality work. There will be a large increase in energy which could be converted into more productive working time.

It has been noted that getting more sleep can have other fringe benefits besides helping you learn better. When the body gets at least eight hour sleep you wake up with more energy which will lead to a more full filling life style. Also having more sleep will contribute to feeling relaxed and happier.

About The Author Malcolm Moorhouse. Web: http://www.sleepok.com Email: info@sleepok.com Copyright Malcolm Moorhouse 2006 Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/

Foreign Language Memory Technique

by: James Dunn

Learning a foreign language takes a lot of time and effort. Even so, most people spend countless hours memorizing vocabulary lists, when there is a better way. The Dunn memory technique is a faster, easier, and more enjoyable way to learn a foreign language.

In order to understand how the Dunn technique works, a little knowledge of memory is necessary. You have several levels of memory retention. Here are the levels of memory from worst to best.

1. You are able to relearn the material faster and more easily than new material.

2. You are able to recognize it in a group or list.

3. You are able to remember it if you are given a hint. (e.g. It starts with the letter H)

4. You can recall it without any help.

The Dunn technique makes two assumptions. One is that when you study new words, some of them will naturally fall into the deeper levels of memory than others. The other assumption is that it is more effective to have many words at a lower level of memory than to be able to perfectly recall a few words.

If you are able to recognize many words, even at a low memory level, then you are able to talk to native speakers, watch a foreign TV show, or listen to music in the language you are trying to learn. Since these activities are more enjoyable than staring at a vocabulary list for hours on end, you will probably do them more often. Every time you listen to that song or watch that movie you are actually practicing your vocabulary and moving your retention of those words to deeper levels.

Memorizing words this way is also more natural, and you will learn words in order of their importance. The importance of knowing a word is the frequency it is used in the language. Therefore the more important a word is, the more often you will hear it on TV and in music, the better you will remember it.

To learn a list of vocabulary words with the Dunn technique, you look at each word with its definition, and memorize it using whatever technique is most effective for you (e.g. form a mnemonic, picture it in your mind, repeat it a dozen times, etc). You need to memorize it well enough to have total recall for the entire list without looking at it. Once you can do that, forget about the list for a while. Review it every once and a while, but not too often. Don’t worry about forgetting a word or two. It is easier to put more new words into the lower levels of memory, than to try to forcefully pound those difficult words into the higher levels of memory.

If you keep a list with you everywhere you go, and continually review list over and over again, you are training your brain to memorize words that way. Then every time you want to learn a new word, you’ll have to go through that whole process again. It is better to memorize the word once, and let it fall back to the recognition level of memory, because then when you hear that word on a TV show or a song, your brain will realize that word was important, and it should memorize those words better.

It is also better for pronunciation to memorize a word from hearing native speakers say it than to memorize it from a list, since it’s your own voice in your head, and you have an accent. Your brain also prioritizes words more highly if you hear them in a real situation. Then your brain realizes why you needed to know that word, instead of just being another word on the list.

By focusing on quantity instead of quality, you are able to better learn from real life situations, just like you learned your first language. You will be able to learn words better, and more enjoyably by talking to native speakers and watching foreign movies than from memorizing lists. The Dunn technique doesn’t work for everyone. You have to know how good your own memory is, and adjust the method to fit your learning style. However, once you know how you memorize, you will be able to memorize words faster, more easily and more enjoyably with the Dunn memory technique.

About The Author James Dunn is the owner and operator of eLanguageSchool.net http://www.elanguageschool.net

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Long Term Benefits of Positive Reinforcement vs Negative Reinforcement

by: Sensei J. Richaard Kirkham B.Sc.

Long Term Benefits of Positive Reinforcement vs Negative Reinforcement by J. Richard Kirkham

Over the years of tutoring students with behavior challenges, I've noticed a pattern of negative reinforcement by both parents and teachers in an attempt to diminish or stop such behaviors.

Let's review some basic behavioral reactions from all human beings. This includes both adults and children since these are basic behaviors.

Children and adults avoid negative stimuli.

This includes but is not inclusive to spankings, getting yelled at by the boss, or even disapproving looks.

Children and adults attempt to receive positive stimuli

This includes but is not inclusive to hugs, getting complemented by the boss, or even approving looks.

In the absence of any stimuli children and adults will attempt to create situation wherein responses by authority figures or peers is motivated.

In most cases I've witnessed in both children and adults the activity to promote this stimuli tends to be in the form of a negative behavior issue. Again, this applies to both children and adults from throwing paper airplanes to antics at the water cooler at the office.

Why are these behaviors primarily negative?

Let's consider the way we were raised.

I've actually had successful, intelligent parents tell me and I quote one person

"My wife and I don't believe in rewarding expected behavior."

What do you believe my former student will do when he/she feels a need for attention? Do well on a test? No, that's expected. As is behaving in class, in public and basically acting in an appropriate manner in all situations.

I've seen the same attitude in over 75% of the parents who hired me to consult with them over email or tutor their child and it's not the parents fault. Most parents don't have a background in teaching, counseling or psychology They raise their children, in most cases, the way they were raised. Getting the occasional tip from another parent or television. If the technique the parent uses even temporarily hinders a behavior. They feel successful.

For the most part, if the child has no extreme behaviors, the parents techniques raise a socially acceptable child with average goals in life, but at what loss of potential?

Let's look inside the mind of a child through adulthood.

Let's presume he/she has average self-trained parents who understand the benefits of positive reinforcement, but are, for the most part unsure how to execute it and therefore is sporadic at best.

Here's a scenario;

John gets an A on his test. Parents praise him.

The next class John tries hard though he gets a D. Parents admonish him.

John gets another D in the same class. Parents ground him

John gets yet another D parents take away his hand held gamer

John stops trying in the class

John resorts to acting out for attention in that class

As his peers grow accustom to his behaviors John escalates them in order to receive the same amount of attention.

The parents finally have a meeting with the teacher of that class to find out why John gets into trouble in that class.

This can escalate further but generally doesn't. Do you now understand, however, why we act out in a negative manner in order to get attention. We keep the traits in us which are reinforced whether this reinforcement consists of negative or positive stimuli.

Let's now examine some parents who, through classes study or perhaps even buying my book (were they the one's) understand the importance of consistent positive reinforcement.

John gets a D on his test

A compliment is followed by constructive questions

John changes his study habits

John still gets a D

The parents hit a heavy bag, power-walk and release their stress in constructive ways.

A compliment is followed by constructive questions

The parents have a meeting with John's teacher for the class.

The teacher works with John.

John probably does better on the next test.

Regardless of the results John still has his support group and is not alone. Which means I probably won't get the “you're my last hope” call.

Let's carry both these scenarios into adulthood

Primarily Negative Stimuli

John graduated high school with B's and C's He's working at a grocery store. He bags groceries and is a hard worker. He does what he's told at work because he doesn't want to get into trouble. He shows up to work regularly and has had a few raises.

Scenario with primarily positive reinforcement

John graduated high school with A's and B's. He started out bagging groceries. John knew he could do better than that. He worked hard utilizing the same positive reinforcement techniques his parents had utilized with him to improve his self-confidence. The customers, coworkers, and management appreciated his positive attitude and hard work. John asked questions and was not afraid to try or suggest new ways of performing daily tasks at work.

He's now the manager of the grocery store with a very busy schedule as he is taking college courses in the evening.

Conclusion

Though John's character is fictional, the results are not. Self-confidence and a lack of fear to attempt to achieve tasks without negative reprisals due to temporary lack of achievement is a must for the building blocks for both leadership and innovation. Without consistent positive reinforcement the child's chances of realizing this self-confidence to perserveer and to develop and initiate new ideas and methodology is greatly restricted.

Let me conclude with a quote from my book

“Do you want your child to want to do the right thing or be afraid to do the wrong thing?

About The Author J. Richard Kirkham is a dual certified teacher and martial arts instructor. He has expertise in alternative teaching methods and positive reinforcement methodology. He's written several books in the printable electronic format and has made downloadable videos and DVDs. One of his books he put his heart and soul into is “Tutoring and Positive Reinforcement Techniques and Methodology for all Parents and Teachers” formerly titled “Raising Your Child to be More Positive and More Confident” Feel free to visit Mr. Kirkham's website at http://KirkhamsEbooks.com or you may email him at help@kirkhamsebooks.com

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Speed Learning With SQR3

by: Michael Tony Jones

SQ3R is a reading/study system preferred by many educators.

It can add 10 to 15% more time to a study session. However, it can produce a 70% improvement in retention according to some researchers.

The SQ3R acronym stands for:

S = Survey
Q = Question
R = Read
R = Recite
R = Review

SURVEY:

Take five minutes to get an overview of the material paying special attention to organization and content.

Look out for diagrams, maps, pictures, charts. Take note of headings, boldface type, italicized words.

QUESTION:

Create interest in the material by asking the leading questions - What, Who, Where, When, How.

Keeping the mind focused on these questions as we read maintains interest in the material.

Ask yourself, "What is likely to be the most challenging part of this material for me to understand or remember?"

READ:

Look for answers to your questions from the previous stage. This means active reading. Summarize the main points in your own words, perhaps putting notes in the margin.

Read the whole paragraph first, then go back and underline key words or phrases.

Caution on underlining: Don't overdo it or nothing will stand out.

RECITE:

Without looking at your material recite the main points. Answer the questions you raised in step 2 (Question) in your own words.

If you can't explain it in your own words, you don't understand it - even if you think you do!

Verify your answer by checking the text.

REVIEW:

After applying the previous four stages to your material section by section, review the whole lesson at the end.

Note the parts that did not come to mind so easily and check the material again.

Re-read your margin notes and underlined words and phrases. Verbalize the sequence of main points.

Do this frequently within a two day period.

That's SQ3R in a nutshell. Sounds like hard work? Yes. But apply yourself and see your retention ability skyrocket!

About The Author Michael Tony Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. Learn the ‘new definition’ of speed reading on Michael’s goal setting site: http://www.about-goal-setting.com/speed-reading.html Top of Form Bottom of Form

Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/