How to Study and Succeed on a Final Exam

Getting prepared for examinations and avoiding distractions is the greatest challenge that a student can face. It’s amazing how the best events and the most distracting friends come knocking on your door when you’re trying to study. I always tell students that their first mistake is opening the door to let their friend into their room. To succeed on your final exam you need to set all types of limits on your distractions. Organize a study group. Set limits on the number of students or your study group can become a distraction too. Some students may come to your study group unprepared and it is up to the group to make changes. To have success on your final examination you must maintain your focus.

Time management is an essential when you are preparing for final examinations. Use the beginning of the month to outline how you will use your time. You will need additional time to study and to get organized. If you wait to until the last minute you will be studying all night on certain examinations. When you have more time you will be able to add additional study groups if necessary. It is important to count each day as an opportunity to prove all that you have learned. Too many students feel pressured during final examinations because they decided to manage their time too late. You can change your test anxiety just by effectively managing your time.

So how do you bring together all of the new knowledge that you have obtained over the past few months. You’ve read chapter after chapter and it seems like a massive amount of information. It is important to get organized and develop a study plan that you will follow. For example develop an outline of your chapters and write it down on paper. It’s time to maximize your study skills. Your study skills are an essential part of your success when you review your notes and think about how to apply that information on the test.

It’s important to have the right attitude about your final examinations. It is essential that you expect to have success on every test. You’ve overcome many challenges to get this far in your course. Find time to read a motivational poem, CD or book for a few minutes. Call someone who frequently has given you words of encouragement when you have faced challenged. Success on your final examinations is the result of positive thinking and hard work.

Responding accurately to any final examination requires attention to details. Think about the kind of questions that will occur on a test. Develop some of your own questions and practice with another student who is in your class. You can practice responding and thinking about the right answers to potential test questions. If you have questions that need clarification, don’t be afraid to meet with your instructor. You want to expand the number of questions that you are prepared to answer on any test. You will have the ability to feel successful because you’ve prepared prior to each test.

In conclusion, you can position yourself for success on any final examination. Clearly define all of your distractions and eliminate them early. Make each course a daily part of your discussions. Don’t forget to find a quite place to study where you can concentrate on your subject. It’s time to be confident that you will have success on each final examination. Stay focused on your goal to graduate and it will inspire you to excel on every examination.

Dr. Stephen Jones is a keynote speaker, educator and author of three books the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent's Ultimate Education Guide, and the Ultimate college Guide. He has helped thousands of students to graduate from K12 schools and college. Visit him at http://www.studyskills2u.com.

When Education Was King

Have you ever lost something? Just when you were about to give up you uncovered it in the first place that you looked. It was there all the time but you overlooked the one place that it should be. It seems that we’ve lost our drive for education. I remember when education was king all across America. The adults all over the country were talking about education and the importance of going to college all of the time. Lately it seems that the thirst for education has been lost to entertainment. Entertainment is viewed as a quick way to fame and fortune. I think America needs to rekindle an enthusiasm for education.

Americans need to revive the thirst for knowledge. It seems like education is on life support and fading fast. We cannot afford to continue to drift back word. Billions of dollars are spent on education every year and we need to renew the level of excitement of students and parents. Too often a good portion of the money that is spent on education fails to make an impact on communities. Education is one way that we can invest in creating a prosperous community

There are some creative ways to reignite the fire that once made education an important aspect of every conversation. How about asking everyone you know to turn over their unused books to students all across America. Their are visit to many homes where there are no books. Why not make them readily available and use social networks to discuss the values of these books. Parents need to spend more time reading too. When children see their parents reading all kinds of conversations can arise.

Why not promote science technology, engineering and math in every school. This is one of the best ways to enable students to be better prepared for the green jobs that are on the rise. These jobs will require future employees to have strong math and science background. We have an obligation to promote education in everyway that we can. How about sending out text messages with scientific facts and make it a fun contest. Let’s use this year as an opportunity to get back on course. There is a lot that we can do to make education a priority.

The local school is not the only place for education to occur. Parents play a key role in promoting education in each student’s home. Also relatives who are working in companies can encourage their nieces and nephews. This strategy really works. I communicate with all of my nieces and nephews while they are in college. It is important to keep them motivated when their education seems challenging. Adults must consistently promote education.

Why not use each day as an opportunity to restore the position that education held when it was king. There a millions of young people who need guidance and motivation to pursue their career dreams. They are asking what’s in it for me. The students want to know that their investment in studying and in learning new subjects will help them to land a job. Today it seems that a college degree is a standard for employment today. It is not clear that everyone realizes how much employment opportunities have shifted. Know is the time to take back the education that was tossed aside and to pursue new dreams of a brighter future.

10 Education Tips for 2010

We are about to end another decade and its time to pursue education at its highest level. For centuries education has been the foundation for the growth of a successful society. So what is your education plan for 2010. Sitting on the sideline will not bring you the education that you need. Today you can take online courses or sit in on a class. Opportunities abound in corporate offices all across the country. For example Peirce College sends an instructor to a corporate facility to teach. You can prevail over the situations that have limited you in the past. Just go to a college and meet with an admissions officer. There are 10 education tips that we must follow:


1. Get up and get started on your goal every day

2. Make a commitment to end your procrastination

3. Organize your schedule so that you can easily fit classes onto the schedule

4. Talk to a new person every week about their profession

5. Ask one of your teachers to serve as a mentor who keeps you on track

6. Take a computer class to enhance your technology k skills

7. Become a part of a social network such as Linkedin and join various education groups

8. Identify a friend who will encourage you as you pursue your education dream

9. Attend educational seminars on a college campus.

10. Download educational MP3 recording and listen to them on your computer or IPOD.

What are your education goals for 2010? If you believe that you will succeed you are on your way to achieving you goal. You can make 2010 your education year just by following through on your commitments. Too many students start with a goal that is too big. Try to select a course or training program that you will enjoy for your first class. Your instructor will see your enthusiasm for their course and they will find it easy to devote their time to helping you. You can use 2010 to discover how the world all around you is full of opportunities to create your future. Dr Stephen Jones is author of the “Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide,” and the Ultimate Scholarship guide at www.studyskills2u.com.

Should Students be Paid to Attend School

Every day in many large cities 25 percent or more of the students in middle and high school do not show up for school. They have lost faith in the school system where they are consistently three to four years behind their grade level. Students are hanging out whenever they can just to avoid school. Some expose themselves to harm or abuse from their peers and adults just to miss a day of school. This student absence problem is not going away it is growing. It is progressing as parents become more detached from their students education or they are working two jobs to keep food on the table.

The attendance crisis is also a clear indication that young people do not know the value of education. They are not aware of the career opportunity that are slipping through there fingers. They do not see that their school attendance is preparation for the world of work. Who will tell them that they get paid for showing up for work? Prisons are full of students who have dropped out of school or rarely attend school. This further complicates their ability to develop the work ethics that should be instilled at an early age

In order to resolve these issues school administrators should meet with parents and students to brainstorm possible solutions. Each community can set up a unique system that works. The parents who are at various schools can share ideas that work. For example in the computer industry they hire hackers to test how well a company is protected from hackers and viruses. Involving students in the conversation will give school administrators an opportunity to hear their issues.

In light of the attendance crisis schools need a radical solution. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Pay students who go to after school programs to receive tutoring.

2. Track students study skills so that they will know how to improve their grades.

3. Allow students to earn a one day pass from their school where they can volunteer in the community.

4. Let students work part time during the day and take classes at night.

5. Students can earn points toward the purchase of some electronic item based on their attendance.

6. Solicit companies throughout the region to adopt a school where there are high attendance problems. Also get this company to provide mentors
for these students.




7. Get the students involved in clubs so that they can feel a sense of commitment to the schools.

8. If the student improves their attendance they become eligible to interview for internship opportunities

9. Allow the students to attend a cyber school two days out of the week.

10. Students who attend school faithfully during the 9th, 10th and 11th grade can achieve an opportunity to work part time during their senior year.

The partners who should be involved in resolving the attendance issues include parents, schools and corporations. Parents should not turn their eyes away from this critical community issue. Complex student attendance issues require innovative thinking. Sometimes students need to be saved from themselves. They often do not have the ability to see how their actions are leading them astray. Their minds may also be clouded or confused by peer pressure. It’s time to engage parents and students in a conversation that influences how schools inspire attendance. Students are constantly asking what’s the benefit of education. The message must be clear that student attendance is an integral part of their life as a students and a future employee.
Dr Stephen Jones is an education coach and author of Seven Secrets of How to Study, Parent's Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide information at www.studyskills2u.com

Prisons vs. Education: What’s Wrong with this Picture

The other day I picked up my local Philadelphia newspaper and I read an article which stated that Pennsylvania intends to build four new prisons for 800 million dollars. Did you know that it also takes $50,000 a year to house a prisoner? When I read this I was upset that it was so easy to build four new prisons. I knew that Governor Rendell had spent 3 months trying to get the state budget passed because he refused to put education on the chopping block. The State of Pennsylvania could educate 5 children rather than put one man or women in prison. It seems like our country’s priorities are all twisted. Other countries are investing in education and they are experiencing expansion while America is in a state of decline.

Pennsylvania was not the only state to assess its commitment to education. Students in California and other states are experiencing overcrowded classes and bus services have been cut. Students don’t vote so they are an easy target for budget cuts. The majority of children in the United States need a better education than they are experiencing right know. Filling prisons is not the solution to our problem. Too many prisoners are high school drop out. In fact they need an education if they are to change their circumstances and not return to prison after they are released.

When is this country going to face the reality that a major solution to our economic crisis is right in our own communities? There are children who need access to better instruction and they need parents who are not in a prison cell. Too many grandparents are raising children because they have no choice. It is difficult for grandparents to provide the resources and guidance that growing teenagers need. Parents need to play an active role in their child’s education at all K12 levels.

Expanding prisons is not the solution to the economic crisis. A prison my generate jobs but it does not compare to what a well educated entrepreneur can do. We need to choose business development and job creation in areas where jobs have been depleted. Why not build new schools with modern technology that will lead to more sophisticated instruction and students who are prepared to succeed in college. Many of the schools in Philadelphia are over 50 years old and the maintenance expenses are unreasonable. These old buildings are not the best places for students to learn.

It’s time to make education a priority in every state. If we continue to fill our prisons with perfectly healthy young men and women we are becoming our own worst enemy. There is a tremendous amount of talent that is sitting in a cell and wasting away. Changing a young person’s potential to end up in prison starts at birth. Children need to develop an early passion for reading and learning. Parents can be a major part of the solution. The future is within our grasp and we need to say no to prisons and yes to education. Dr Stephen Jones is an education coach and author of Seven Secrets of How to Study, Parent's Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide available at www.studyskills2u.com

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Back to School Cell Phone Craze is Booming

When students and parents start their shopping list for the new school year one item on the top of their list is a cell phone. How times have changed. The idea of searching for paper and pencils is taking a back seat to modern technology. The cell phone companies have caught on and they are releasing so many new cell phones each month that it is hard for anyone to catch up. Cell phones have reached epidemic proportions throughout American society. You cannot go to a city or countryside road without finding someone who is using a cell phone.

A growing phenomenon among parents and students is text messaging. The ringing of the phone has been silenced by the tapping of alphabetic keys. Messages between cell phones can be transferred instantaneously. Students are using text messaging to respond to each other and to communicate with their parents. Abbreviations are often used when text messages are sent. It represents a form of communication that has broad implications for society. Text messaging can take up time that a student would normally spend studying. At the same time students can send a reminder that a homework assignment is due. It has become a two edged sword that allows parents to pick up a child from football practice or to plan a trip to a movie.

Communicating fast has become an even faster way of keeping parents in touch with their student. Parents realize that when their son/daughter goes back to school putting down the cell phone to focus will require real discipline. Students are too easily disrupted by the buzz of their cell phones. The speed at which a student communicates can cause a chain reaction of positive or negative results for a student who has a test on the next day. Peer pressure can even occur when one student yields to the temptation to respond to a cell phone call rather than study.

Communication by way of the cell phone is here to stay. School districts are forced to come up with strong statements about when the cell phone may be used during the school day. Students try to find creative ways to ignore the rules. Parents are frustrated when they must go to school to retrieve their son/daughters cell phone. Learning by way of the cell phone has been a challenge for most schools. Cell phone use is not easily incorporated into class instruction like an actual computer. Some professionals have found ways to download papers to the cell phone and read them while they are traveling but this is not a priority for students.

Some students are using their cell phones to discuss assignments and presentations they are giving. Students can save some of the major points of their presentation on their cell phone. Students can send a reminder that a quiz is occurring tomorrow to a friend. Messages like it’s time to get prepared. Some students put reminders in their cell phone and the phone makes a funny noise to remind them to start preparation for a major test. The calendar can also be used as a way to manage time.

During the twenty first century technology will continue to influence the back to school journey. Schools that use laptop computers to educate students are already springing up all over the country. Cell phones do offer news, television and the internet but most students do not have access to these services. Moving forward bringing the cost down and increasing the services will make the versatility of the cell phone a total learning experience. It is apparent that going back to school will never be the same. Dr. Stephen Jones is author of a new book the Ultimate scholarship, Seven Secrets of How to Study and the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide” and the “Ultimate Scholarship Guide.” Dr. Jones can be contacted at 610-842-3843.