Study Skills – Staying Ahead of the Game

Should My Student Use Flashcards?

Evan Weinberger — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 05:00:48 +0000

Unfortunately, most students mock the mere suggestion of using flashcards to study. Seeing this academic staple as some outdated deterrent to progress, these students instead turn to newer technologies (Quizlet, Anki, etc.) or choose another study method. While we sometimes encourage the use of Quizlet and other modern flashcard apps, sometimes the tried and true three-by-five index card is preferable. As we often point out to students, Quizlet is not the improvement of the flashcard; instead, it is a slightly nuanced imitation. Quizlet has its pros and cons, and so do old-fashioned flashcards. However, students often overlook the flashcard’s pros and accentuate its cons.

Flashcards have been around forever for a reason: they promote active recall. As we discussed in a previous post, active recall highlights the need to actively stimulate memory during the learning process. Flashcards often get a bad wrap because they aren’t used properly; they are used inefficiently. For instance, students sometimes use flashcards (and digital flashcards) with complex, convoluted definitions, meaning one of two things occurs: 1) students don’t learn anything, or 2) they only learn the first two or three words of a definition rather than its essence. Don’t blame the idea of the flashcard; blame the person writing the flashcard.

With a few minor tweaks, your student can use flashcards the right way, propelling them to efficient, enjoyable learning. The principles outlined below explain the right way to make and use flashcards.

Writing Flashcards is Studying

Apps like Quizlet and Anki allow students to study flashcards without writing them. While this shortcut is permissible occasionally, more often than not, students should write their own flashcards. Downloading flashcards is ok when time is scarce or the learning material is uniform in nature. However, that is rarely the case, or at least, it shouldn’t be. Writing the flashcards is studying.

The ritualistic nature of writing one’s own flashcards allows for other critical components of the learning process. First, the act of consolidating information into a few essential parts boosts understanding. Second, when a student learns to write definitions or concepts in his or her words, it mimics the technique of teaching to learn, which we discuss at length in our post about elaboration as a study tactic. Third, flashcards allow a blank canvas for a student to engage his or her own learning style. Some students learn biology best through its logical building blocks, drawing inferences, and making syllogisms to build understanding. Others learn biology by drawing out diagrams and flowcharts to understand concepts in relation to one another. Still, others prefer learning in pictures to help them remember. Writing flashcards gives a student the freedom of learning design.

Ultimately, when a student engages in the process and personalizes his or her learning, it creates deeper neural pathways. While downloading pre-made flashcards seems like a time-saver, it is often inefficient in the long run when the information just doesn’t stick.

Flashcards Can Be More Than Words

To whoever started the myth that flashcards have to be just words and definitions, why are you making everyone’s life more difficult? Seriously, why do students think the flashcards they use have to be so bland? If anything, the brain craves novelty, and it thrives off of rhyme, color, pictures, and narrative. Flashcards should try to include as many of these components as possible.

When writing flashcards, students should utilize pictures and words. They should also mix in mnemonics and rhyme schemes where appropriate. Narrative also helps. For instance, if a student has to learn the first ten elements of the periodic table, turning each element into pictures can supercharge learning. Even better, turn each element into a superhero sketch and make up a story about how these characters interact. Drawing little cartoons into flashcards to break up the humdrum definitions makes learning fun and memorable.

But Don’t Overcomplicate the Cards

One of the biggest mistakes with flashcards is complexity. Students try to pack each card full with as much information as possible, thinking that it saves time in the long run, and well, it doesn’t. As we discussed in the first paragraph, when students write a paragraph for each definition, they often only learn the first three words. Instead, opt for simple definitions that capture the necessary idea. It’s perfectly acceptable to break up a definition or idea across a few cards. In fact, the act of breaking the concept into its composite parts boosts learning.

Study Them Correctly

Lastly, students need to study flashcards correctly. Students’ two biggest mistakes when using flashcards are only learning them in one direction and not answering them aloud.

Answering aloud stimulates many areas of the brain in the learning process. Further, it makes a student commit to an answer choice before they flip the card over. Frequently, students subconsciously accept an incorrect subvocalized answer by brushing it off with a quick, “oh yeah, I knew that.” Answering aloud usually solves this problem.

Also, flashcards are meant to be studied in both directions. For example, when students walk into a Spanish test, they should know how to go from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English. The same goes for biology, history, Japanese, geometry, chemistry, and every other subject a student encounters. Mastery of the material necessitates flexibility with the stimulus. Get beyond rote memory by studying the flashcards in both directions.

Flashcards are not the end all be all. In fact, we recommend using a wide variety of study methods. Part of our tried and true executive functioning curriculum teaches students to develop an arsenal of study strategies to succeed far beyond this school year.

For more study strategies, please check out our other blog articles. If your child could benefit from one-on-one academic coaching and tutoring, reach out today!

A Productive Tool for Busy Students

Evan Weinberger — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 08:00:20 +0000

A dean at a highly competitive Houston high school once told me, “students should expect three to four hours per night, including studying for tests and quizzes.” My students often disagree with this estimate, claiming that the average study time ebbs and flows throughout the school year. The average student studies for thirty minutes one day and three hours the next, but that is more a matter of system than workload.

Students who want to get ahead and stay ahead should avoid allocating study week by week based on the workload. Instead, they should plan study blocks to keep control over their workload. Rather than living at the mercy of the school portal, students can make consistent progress each day, maintaining momentum and banishing procrastination.

For a real-world example, let’s examine the famous race to the south pole by explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen. In 1911, these two men raced to reach one of the most remote spots on the planet, battling sub-zero conditions and powerful arctic storms. Although both men were celebrated explorers, they took very different approaches in the arctic. Robert Falcon Scott’s strategy was to examine the weather each morning and decide how far his team would trek toward the south pole. If the conditions were good, they would conquer ten to fifteen miles each day. But if the weather was harsh and the temperature dropped, they stayed in their tents to wait it out. Roald Amundsen, conversely, set a unique expectation for his team from the beginning: five miles every day. No matter the weather, they met this goal each day, no more and no less. Amundsen knew that slow and steady would win the race, choosing his own destiny instead of taking orders from the erratic arctic weather patterns.

In the end, Amundsen arrived at the south pole a full thirty-three days before Scott, winning glory for himself and his homeland. He received personal telegrams from U.S President Theodore Roosevelt and King George V of England and is lauded as one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century. Scott tragically died on his journey back from the south pole after he and his team ran out of supplies but received post-humous honors from the King of England.

We recommend Amundsen’s approach for both studying and exploration. Slow and steady wins the race because consistent progress is better than sporadic productivity. Enter time blocking.

Time blocking is an often overlooked time management tactic for busy students. In addition to tracking assignments in planners, time blocking allows students to block off chunks of time in their calendars to actually get the work done. In other words, planners tell you what to do, and calendars help you find time to do it. However, students must apply the Amundsen strategy to maximize this skill by setting a specific study goal every day to ensure consistent progress.

For example, if a busy student sets aside two hours to study each day, he or she is more likely to weather the storms of the school year. The Amundsen approach ensures that students get ahead and stay ahead because it ignores the ebbs and flows of assignments. Instead, students work ahead on lighter days, so two hours is always sufficient to keep them on track. Combining time blocking with other study techniques like the Pomodoro technique or active textbook reading can yield incredible results in a stress-free way.

This tactic is especially potent for student-athletes and other busy teens. Typically, busy students attempt to fit studying into their plans rather than plan around their studying. Unfortunately, this leads to hectic nights because it can be challenging to estimate how long a task will actually take. By installing a non-negotiable study block in the calendar a la Roald Amundsen, students can take control of their workload rather than adjust as they go.

For more ideas on time management and other dimensions of executive functioning skills, please see our other blogs. If your student can benefit from one-on-one academic coaching and tutoring, please reach out today.

Helping Students Conquer the ‘Blank Page’

Evan Weinberger — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

“If you write well, you think well”, my high school English teacher belted from the front of the classroom. It was 8 am on a Monday the first time I heard those words. I don’t think I fully grasped them. As a student sitting in front of blank Microsoft word document, I was frozen, the blinking cursor taunting me. If I had so many ideas, why was I unable to write a single word? Everyone always told me I talked too much. How could I be speechless? I was dumbfounded, and so began my battle with the blank page.

Writer’s block is one of the most common frustrations for the modern student. Math problems, textbook reading, and science projects follow a relatively predictable timeline, but writing is erratic. Students oftentimes feel like they have no control. They want to grind the paper out, but it is never that simple. Writing is a different beast, and students are rarely taught how to tame it. So, how can teachers, parents, and educators help students suffering from writer’s block?

5 Proven Methods to Conquer the ‘Blank Page’

1) Remember Newton’s First Law of Motion

Newton says, “an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force”. Yes, this is useful for physics, but it is also applicable to writing. Most students can write well and write quickly once they start moving. As soon as they get over the inertia of starting the paper, an endless stream of thoughtful sentences usually follows. I encourage students who struggle with writing procrastination or writer’s block to develop a few methods to get themselves “in motion”. For example, I ask students to finish the scaffolding of their paper first, meaning produce a paragraph by paragraph outline to keep you moving. This way, if the student struggles with one paragraph, he or she can skip it and come back without disrupting the writing flow. Another method that students can use is playing “essay mad libs”. Similar to a technique from the movie Finding Forrester, essay mad libs allow a student to just finish a sentence rather than start one from scratch. The rhythm of typing helps a student get back in the swing of things. All parents and educators need to do is provide a subject and a verb for the next sentence. The student can finish the rest.

2) Don’t Let the Perfect Get in the Way of the Good

Remind students that writing has two components: drafting and editing. Neither of these steps can be skipped or combined. When students try to combine these steps, their progress comes to a grinding halt. Without both steps, students usually get bogged down in solving problems that don’t exist. They are trying to produce a perfect sentence on the first try. When this happens, ask them if it makes sense to add seasoning to food before they taste it. When students edit in their heads, it takes significantly longer to finish the paper. Instead, students should write an imperfect sentence, pinpoint the awkward word or phrase, and edit it. In other words, don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good. Editing is helpful and necessary but getting words on the page is always the first step. It is always easier to fix an actual problem with a sentence instead of fixing a theoretical problem.

3) Take a Brain Break

Yes, momentum is important, but rest can also help. The average student can only give 100% focus for one minute per year of age. Taking a brain break, can reset this “focus meter” and lead to productive writing. Of course, this requires a student to plan enough time to write the paper. Students often forget the benefits of starting a paper early. Firstly, it allows for breaks, which can help with focus and allow the subconscious to think about the paper when the student is not sitting in front of a laptop. Secondly, students can receive teacher feedback BEFORE the paper is officially submitted. Thirdly, Students spend less time writing overall and produce a better product compared to cramming.

4) When in Doubt, Ask WHY

Inevitably, a student runs out of ideas. For one reason or another, the next sentence does not come. In these moments, it is important to keep a brief pause from turning into a long delay. Writer’s block is often a product of overreacting and impatience. To defeat this, students should utilize two tried and true methods for re-discovering rhythm: ask why and ask so what. Good writers write clearly. Great writers answer their reader’s subconscious questions from the previous sentence. For example, a student writes “Harper Lee utilizes Scout’s curiosity and innocence to highlight major social issues of her time”. This is a good sentence. It makes an interesting point and identifies a clear argument. But then, the student hears a dog barking outside, completely interrupting the effortless writing flow that produced the last sentence. The student panics, looking to you for support. There’s an easy fix. Read the previous sentence aloud and ask ‘why’ or ‘So what’ or even ‘why is that important’. The student suddenly has thousands of ideas for the next sentence. He or she wants to relate Scout to other moral compasses in literature. He or she proposes that children are oftentimes the most just members of society. On and on, the deluge of ideas is endless. Powerful questions unlock the brilliance in your student’s brain. Just give them a system.

5) Find a Better Typist

Sometimes, students need to get out of their own way. They have great ideas, but perfectionist tendencies cloud their judgment. They agonize over every sentence. Without small victories, they can never develop a rhythm and the writing seems choppy and forced. Just like tip #2, the solution is to write first and edit later, but that isn’t always as easy as it sounds. In the scenarios, parents and educators should collaborate with their students and come up with creative ways to get words on the page. I have a few favorites. First, type for them. Ask them what they want to say and type every single word. Don’t let them stop to edit or agonize over word choice. Get the words out of their head and onto the paper. Editing can happen later. Another method is dictation. Whether the student uses Siri or google translate, dictation software forces brevity and progress. The student has to finish their thought before the little microphone icon times out. Sometimes this method of timed progress helps break the cycle of frustration. Try this with the perfectionist in your life.

At the end of the day, writing is difficult. Avoid using verbiage that downplays your students struggle with the blank page, it never helps. Instead, get down in the trenches and provide them with the systems to help themselves. Happy writing!

How Memory Works

Evan Weinberger — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 19:16:14 +0000

“I have a bad memory.” This is one of my least favorite phrases in the English language. I have to remind students every day that they do not have a bad memory. They just are not using the right system to lock information into long-term memory.

The brain is like a computer. In fact, it is the most powerful, intricate, amazing computer in the universe. This giant mess of dendritic pathways requires more energy than anything else in the body. And it is capable of learning almost anything under the sun. That’s why I laugh when students say they have a bad memory. With the right system, students can memorize anything.

So, what is the “right” system? The answer, as usual, depends on the application. For example, students might benefit from using mnemonics with history vocabulary but prefer the Loci method for learning the elements of the periodic table. However, it is extremely important for students to recognize that good systems for memorizing information share certain principles. Application changes, but principles remain the same. First, let’s take a look at how memory works.

Memory occurs in three basic stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval (recall).

Encoding. Encoding is the process through which information is learned. In other words, this is how information is learned. Better encoding equals better storage. It’s kind of like packing for a long trip. The more efficient you are with space, and the better you fold your clothes, the better prepared you are for the trip. If you don’t pack correctly, you end up with less supplies and wrinkled clothes. Similarly, the better you grasp a concept during class, the easier it is to store it in long-term memory. Information can be encoded in four different ways: (1) Visual (how something looks); (2) acoustic (how something sounds); (3) semantic (what something means); and (4) tactile encoding (how something feels). How you learn information affects how it is encoded. Better encoding improves both storage and recall, as we’ll discuss in the following paragraphs.

Storage. Storage refers to how, where, and how long information is retained. There are two types of memory: short-term and long-term memory. According to a study by Roediger and McDermott done in 1995, information is first stored in short-term memory. Then, if the brain sees a need for it, the information is moved to long-term memory. Most scientists agree that short-term memory only lasts between 15 and 30 seconds and is limited to seven (plus or minus two) units of information. Yes, you read that correctly. Short-term memory only lasts 30 seconds and can only handle up to nine units of information. Long-term memory, on the other hand, has outstanding storage capacity. When information is in long-term storage, and can last forever. Semantic memory has the best shot of making it to long-term storage, but studies show that visually encoded information often makes it to long-term storage as well.

Recall. Retrieval or recall is the process through which individuals access stored information. This is the most crucial aspect of memory for students. Better recall often means better grades. Information in short-term storage and information in long-term storage are recalled using different methods. Just like your favorite t-shirt is easier to get to in your closet than your heavy winter coat, information that is recalled more often is easier to reach. The truth is all stored memories are accessible, but students need the right key to access the right information. Short-term memory is recalled in the chronological order in which it was stored. For example, if you try to memorize a fifteen-digit list of random numbers, it will be easier to recall the first four or five because they were encoded before the last ten. Long-term memory, on the other hand, needs to be retrieved through an association. An association is simply a link between new information and information you already know. This is the key to perfect (or near-perfect) recall: to learn new information, you must relate it to something you already know.

Contrary to popular belief, memory does not work like a filing cabinet. Instead, it works like a gatekeeper. Information comes in, the brain encodes, and searches for similar information in its storage system. If it finds a match, then that information is stored successfully with another associated piece of previous information. If the brain cannot find a match, then the information gets tossed out. This is the foundation of what is called “Hebb’s law”. Neurons that fire together wire together. When new information comes in, you must activate the neurons that store something you already know. Thus, the tricky business of recall depends on the strength of one’s associations.

There are many ways to create better associations for long-term memory storage, but most of them boil down to three essential components: place, emotion, and imagery. The best associations include one of these three tools. Students should use place, emotion, and imagery to lock essential concepts in their long-term memory. For example, the standard units for pressure are essential to succeeding in a high school chemistry class. Here is the equation that students need to memorize:

1 atm= 760 mm Hg = 760 torr = 101.3 Kpa

Some students simply re-write this formula until they have it down. While this works, it is an extremely inefficient and unreliable way of memorizing. Instead, students should use place, emotion, and imagery to put this information in long-term storage. Here’s how we do it:

Break the information up into manageable chunks. For this example, separate the numbers from the units. Also, use hyphens to create divisions between the numbers.

Set 1: 17-60-7-60-10-1.3

Set 2: ATM-mmHg-Torr-Kpa

Build associations using place, imagery, and emotion, creating a link between this new information and information you already know. Numbers can easily be turned into pictures. For example, 17 equals Zac Efron because of his movie 17 Again. 60 equals Dallas Keuchel because the bearded former Astro wore this jersey number. Students should create pictures for each of the items above and then arrange them in a sequential order, like a story. Try to make the story funny and centered around a location you know well. Here’s an example for the information above:

Set 1: Zac Efron (17) and Dallas Keuchel (60) are playing slot machines (7), which are shaped like Dallas Keuchel (60) bobbleheads in the middle of Minute Maid Park. After playing for ten hours straight (10), they finally hit the jackpot of 1.3 million dollars (1.3)

Set 2: You stopped at the ATM (ATM) so you could get money out to buy millions and millions of mercury thermometers (mm=millions and millions, Hg= symbol for mercury). On your walk back home, the bag tore open (torr), but Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol (Kpa) helped you pick them up.

Employ the testing and spacing effect. Testing forces you to recall the information, which strengthens the neural pathways for recall. Spacing out the testing sessions eliminates the “repetition effect”, which is when you do something ten times in a row once and think you have mastered it. Long-term memory requires long-term recall. Just like going to the gym once a month for four hours is not as effective as going for thirty minutes twice a week for the entire month, spaced testing creates better results than one-hit wonders. Once again, cramming does not work. Good things take time.

Remember (pun intended), that the key to a good memory is a good system. By understanding how memory works, students can conquer their exams with ease. Does your student need help improving your academic systems for studying, organization, and time management? Our academic coaches can help. Visit our services page to apply.