Quizlet

What is Quizlet? A free online note card generator. You can use it to help you study in various ways!

How to use Quizlet? Go to https://quizlet.com/  You can sign up with your Facebook, Gmail, or a separate e-mail account.

Why use a note card generator? Effective studying requires action! Studying through the use of note cards is a great way to remember information for an upcoming quiz or exam!

Okay, but why use Quizlet? Quizlet makes it easier where you can type your terms, definitions, things to know, etc. without needing any physical paper because it’s all online.

Additional Benefits of Quizlet:

• Easy to use and free
• Has multiple methods of learning in addition to standard note cards such as typing your answers in learning mode, quizzing yourself in test mode, and you can even play an interactive game called ‘Gravity’ to learn your vocab better!
• It tells you what note cards you miss often, haven’t looked over yet, etc.
• Quizlet also has an app so you can study on the go!

Still have Questions? No problem! Visit https://quizlet.com/help/2444083/what-is-quizlet for more information on how Quizlet works or speak to your Academic Counselor about it.

Reducing Final Exam Stress

With final exams fast approaching, stress usually starts rising. However, to cope with stress we must first understand stress. Here is the biological occurrence of stress step-by-step:

Alarms go off! Our senses recognize the threat and nerve signals send that message to the brain. That message next reaches the amygdala, which is the decision-making center and emotion regulator of the brain. It in turn sends the signal to the hypothalamus. Your hypothalamus, which is in charge of hormone production, initiates a sequence to produce cortisol. At the same time your nervous system releases adrenaline, which you very noticeably feel. The cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline) reach the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. The cortisol then binds with these proteins called glucocorticoid receptors. Finally, the cortisol then boosts blood sugar. The epinephrine makes the heart beat faster and increases the oxygen flow to your muscles. This means you are ready to either “fight or flight”.

Now that we biologically understand the chain reaction that occurs when we encounter stress, the next question is how do we reduce stress? There are a few ways to reduce your stress, including:

1.) Utilize meditation and breathing exercises. It may sound cliché, but meditating and doing deep breathing really does lower stress. If meditation isn’t your cup of tea, then try doing introspective tasks such as gardening, walking, or riding your bike.

2.) Socialize with others. Being social is a great way to reduce your stress. By socializing with your family and friends, you in turn are distracting yourself from your stressor, thus relieving yourself of a stressful situation.

3.) Exercise. Exercising is a great task to heal your body in many different ways. Exercising is naturally good for the body and the same is true with alleviating stress. Whether it is aerobic or nonaerobic exercises, your body and mind will thank you for it!

4.) Stress inoculation. Not all stress is bad. Also, the more you encounter stress, the more likely you know how to deal with it. Being resilient against stress is something that must be built up over time, but by developing calm reactions and utilizing that meditation, you greatly increase your resiliency to stress in the long run.

5.) Walk away. Sometimes the stuff that stresses you out, just simply isn’t worth it. You must evaluate your stressors and decide whether or not they are important enough to be stressed over them. Sometimes just thinking through problems in this way is a great way to bring your stress down to manageable levels.

6.) Medications. Although we do not advocate getting medicine every time you get stressed, sometimes severe forms of ongoing stress require a little kick to reduce it.

(Adapted from: “The Science of Stress”, Popular Science Magazine, March 2015)

 

Ending the Procrastination

Procrastination is the enemy during finals week. Try utilizing some of these tips to help you stay on track this May:

• Remind yourself that there’s always more to be done than can be done. Then ask yourself if you’re getting the right things done.
• Make a smart to-do list by including only the items that you’re avoiding, not the ones you know you’ll do anyway. Then set deadlines.
• Break the task down to lessen the sense of being overwhelmed. Once you start to enjoy a small accomplishment or two, you’re more likely to finish.
• Eliminate temptation to do something else
• Bargain with yourself. If you finish the business plan now, you can go to the movies later.
• Focus on the success you will achieve and the joy you will feel.
• Come up with a consequence that will deter you from avoiding the task. (If you don’t exercise two times a week, you have to give up talking on the phone with your friends.)
• Ask someone to help you complete the task
• Make your intentions public. This will add pressure, but for some of us, avoiding embarrassment is the mightiest motivator.

 

How To: Achieve Your Goals

Everyone should have goals in life. However, having a goal and achieving your goal are two completely different things. To be able to achieve your goal, you must be:

You can say that you have a goal, but you must also be willing to put in the time and effort to achieve that goal. Here are just a few ways to be SMART about your goals:

1.) Write them down! Only 3 out of 10 people write down their goals, but on average those 3 achieve more than the other 7 people combined! It also feels good mentally to be able to physically mark something off your to-do list when achieving your goals. It actually reinforces your progress and will make you more apt to continue on through your list.

2.) In addition to writing down your goals, break those goals down into manageable steps. For example, imagine one of your goals is to become a college professor. To achieve that goal, there are literally hundreds of smaller steps, like obtaining your degrees and doing internships that you need to tackle before achieving that one major goal. Make sure those things are on your to-do list so that you don’t skip any steps or miss good opportunities along the way!

3.) Measure your success every day. Let’s say your goal is to finish your semester research paper a week early. To be able to achieve that, you will need to be working on it every day. To make sure you are still on the right path, you need to be evaluating yourself on that goal every day. Make sure those daily steps are manageable, and make sure you cross those daily steps off at the end of your day. It will make reaching that bigger goal feel that much better.

4.) Finally, aim high! Why aim under what you are capable of? If you work with the first three points in this article, you will greatly increase your ability to reach the higher goals. Plus, if you aim high and still miss, there is a very good chance you will still land higher than you expected. By aiming high, you are committing yourself to achieving something bigger than yourself, which makes it all the more precious when you do achieve your goals. So aim high and utilize the SMART tips!

Information adapted from: (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/420031102721305266/)

 

How To: Memorization

There are many different techniques and tricks that can be used to memorize important information. If you are studying for an exam or need to remember where you parked your car, these techniques can be used effectively!

1.) Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. This is a great way to remember information. People on average can only remember 5-9 pieces of information in their short term memory at a time. However by using repetition to remember information, you can increase that number. Try making flashcards, or re-reading material out loud.

2.) Acronyms. Try making an acronym out of the information you need to remember. Remember how your elementary school teachers would use ROY G. BIV for the colors? It worked well didn’t it? You can do the same thing with other information; get creative!

3.) Rhythm, melody, or rhyme. This is a tougher memorization skill to master, but it can still be helpful if you’re creative with it! An example of this technique would be “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. A lot of children learn their alphabet this way.

There are plenty more techniques that you can use for memorization, but these can definitely give you a good start. Not all techniques work for all people, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

(Adapted from:  http://www.nmu.edu/sites/DrupalACAC/files/UserFiles/Files/Pre-Drupal/SiteSections/Advising/SkillDevelopment/Effective_Memorization_Techniques.pptx).

 

Guest Column: Becky Birdsell, Associate Financial Aid Director

Financial Aid is a topic that concerns most students and their parents. We understand that the financial aid process can be confusing and at times complex. When you have questions about financial aid, you will find the answers in the Office of Financial Aid. Our staff wants to assist you and your family in any way possible. We want to make the process of applying for and receiving financial aid as simple and as seamless as possible.

Be sure to attend our FAFSA Completion Workshop on Wednesday, January 21 at 4:00 pm or Thursday, January 22 at 8:00 pm, in Baxter 100. We will help you complete and submit your 2015-16 FAFSA online. Can’t attend the workshop? Schedule a personal appointment to come to our office and we will help you complete the FAFSA.

Contact our office if you have any financial aid questions or need help completing your FAFSA. You can reach us by phone: 217.245.3035, email: finaid@ic.edu or in person: Tanner Hall, 2^nd floor.

How To: Making a Final Exams Plan

With the end of the semester fast approaching, we all know what comes next: final exams. However, there is no need to dread them if you prepare accordingly. Here are a few tips to help you successfully complete your finals and finish the semester strong!

– Schedule your study time. Don’t just tell yourself you are going to study, schedule your study time! Sit down with your weekly schedule and block off an hour here and there to sit down and legitimately study.

– Provide yourself with incentives when you study. After studying for an hour, give yourself  a 5-10 minute break. Or if that doesn’t work, chocolate, chocolate solves everything.

– Make an agenda for each study period. When you are marking up your calendar, scheduling times to study, also write down what it is you plan to study. By already having this information down, there is less of a chance that you will stray from what you need to get accomplished.

– When studying, get out of your dorm room! Your dorm room is full of stuff that can distract you, like a TV, stereo, gaming system, among other things. It is best to just remove yourself from the temptation of turning all of that stuff on. Find an environment that you study well in. This can be a certain corner of the library, the Parker Rotunda, or maybe a lobby in your dorm.

– Study during the daytime. You are one and a half times as productive during day light hours than you are at night. Studies have shown that for every hour you spend studying during the daytime, it takes you an hour and a half to do the same work at night.

* Information adapted from: Walther Pauk’s “How to Study in College”, Second Edition, 1989. Adapted from the December 12, 2013 issue of the TRiO Tribune.*

How To: Effective Reading

Before you start reading, make sure to survey the reading. This tip will set you on the right path and help to ensure you are not lost when it comes to difficult texts.

Step 1: Read the title! The best first step is to prepare yourself for the upcoming subject.

Step 2: Read the introduction/summary. Take one step further into the text at hand and get an overview of what you are about to read.

Step 3: Notice headings and subheadings. Organization in a book helps when you have to read and remember key information. The book is organizing the information for you; utilize it!

These last two steps are utilized when you begin reading the book word for word. These tips will help you capture the information that you need.

Step 4: Notice graphics. This would include figures, maps, diagrams, etc. These help to make a point and give a visual representation to the text around it.

Step 5: Notice reading aids. These include italics, bolding, and end of chapter questions. These spell out

exactly what you should be learning from the text! Utilize them!

Now get out there and read!

(Adapted from the SQ3R Reading Method, http://www.studygs.net/texred2.htm)

How To: Effective Note Taking

One of the most frequently asked question from students is: pen & paper or laptop? Researchers have found that “typing notes hinders students’ academic performance compared with writing notes on paper with a pen or pencil.”  (http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/taking-notes-by-hand-benefits-recall-researchers-find/51411). No matter which one you decide to use, here are some general tips to maximizing your note taking:

Learn your professor. Pay attention to cues your professor gives. Does he/she use PowerPoint for literally everything he/she says? If this is so, ask if you can get a copy of the power point slides. A lot of professors will use the PowerPoint as a guideline, and then say the most important stuff out loud. That is the stuff you really want to write down! If you can get a copy of the power point slides, and then also mark on them in class, you will be set! Some professors will only give you the slides after class, so as to minimize students skipping class. If that is the case and you know this, copy down what he/she says, get the slides after class, and then combine them!

Highlight! Whether you are taking notes on a laptop or in your notebook, there is an option to highlight (this is easiest in a notebook!), and you should take advantage of this technique. If a professor says something  twice, or goes into more detail on the topic, highlight it! If you do not have a highlighter handy, put an asterisk in the margin by the topic, so that you know to come back to it.

Review your notes. Preferably within 24 hours of originally taking them, and before and after class (however, we realize you may have a busy schedule and this isn’t always possible). Just do your best to interact with your notes in some way! Do not just write them down or type them out and never use them again! Utilize them in some way to spur your memory. Review, clarify, and synthesize!

Follow these steps and come and see us for extra help!

TRiO Tip of the Month: Start Networking Now!

One of the most important thing you can do now (other than doing your best academically) is to build relationships with your professors. After graduating from college, those who have a network of professionals are more likely to secure a job more quickly. By building relationships with faculty, you are more likely to get internships or research opportunities in your field, which can enhance your resume. You will also have a group of scholars who are able to write an excellent letter of recommendation in order to help secure that job placement or graduate school position!

The great thing about this tip is you can start your very first semester here in college. The earlier you start, the better relationships you can build in the long-run. Today’s world is built off of connections and networking. Those who are most successful usually have a great set of connections. So start connecting now!