If you’re a high school or college student who hasn’t yet bought my bestselling study book, you’ll be interested to know that business entrepreneurs and executives are buying it to enhance and accelerate their careers. The study habits, tips and skills I teach are universal and make a difference regardless where you are in the academic system or in your career. We are all life-long learners and those who learn faster, get ahead and stay ahead. It’s survival of the swiftest – the fastest learners!
Archive for the 'Study Tips' Category
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If you are studying for your SAT, LSAT or GMAT, here is the best advice I can give you.
Step #1: Buy all the preparation material from the original standardized testing service / organisation. They want you to succeed and are going to be straight with you. Read it all and FOLLOW the recommendations. They created and administer the test. They don’t have any tricks up their sleeves. They have to follow strict protocols and procedures.
Step #2: Only buy a prep program that you know from someone who has used it successfully. Too many of these companies prey on your lack of confidence and exploit you accordingly. First with a pre-set programs and THEN individual tutoring often at exorbitant cost. Let’s face it – if you need tutoring for the test, you have bigger problems…
Step #3: This is the important one. SIMULATE the test as often as time permits. All of these tests have TIME RESTRICTIONS and the key to succeeding is going through it over and over and over again, so that by the time you write the test that counts, you’ve got the PROCESS down pat. I did this to rank in the top percentiles of the GMAT and LSAT tests with LESS stress and better results than my classmates. Success is all about preparation and practice. As a minimum, you want to simulate the test 3 times.
Ideally, you go to the exam room (or one like it) to really put you in the mood. Yes, as you would expect, that’s what I did. I did it in the evening when the classrooms were available, uninterrupted. I think I simulated the tests 4 or 5 times (at 3 hours/test, that’s a BIG commitment, but keep reading why the payoff might be BIGGER than you thought!)
When I suggest simulation, I mean doing it LIKE THE REAL THING. Start and stop ON TIME. Grade yourself and gauge where you lost time and what you can improve. You know from my study book how to do this… This is just a SPECIFIC TASK that you want to PERFECT.
The reason is that standardized testing is important – it can mean the difference between getting in to the school you want or not. (When I placed in the top percentiles, I received invitations from top schools to apply… Imagine that – having THEM chase you! If you didn’t know, the top schools get access to the top students and try to woo them…
That’s why this is so important!
A lot of people have asked me what the top 5 best study tips are, here they are, in order.
- Learning your cognitive learning style (Chapter 1 of my study book)
- Speed Reading (click on the hyperlink for my speed reading course)
- MindMapping (click on the hyperlink to access my new program with visual artist Paul Telling)
- Exponential note taking (Chapter 4 of my study book called “How to write down everything the teacher says!)
- Reading before going to class (explained in my speed learning video program)
I would focus on acquiring these skills in this numerical order so that as you start to walk, you’ll be able to run by the time you get to #5.
Getting better grades is not hard, in fact it’s quite easy – when you know what to do and how to do it!
Pre Med Student Tance asks some great questions about how to get better grades while holding down a job.
Hello Dr. Dussault,
As a matter a fact I have read your book twice already. It is truly insightful and I am truly glad I purchased it. The only dilemma I have and I hope you can help me with this – I am currently in college, in premed, and I work a full time schedule and the only shift I can work is the midnight shift. There are many nights I feel exhausted and sometimes can’t concentrate on my studies. I need the job to support me and my wife.
The only good part is my job gives me quite a bit of money to pay for school. But do you have any suggestions as far as how I can study better with this schedule?
Thank you so much.
Tance
This is a common issue students grapple with, combining work and study. In my study book, I explain in chapter 4 a 5-step system to get everything done effortlessly. So the first suggestion is go back to that chapter and re-read the suggestions. Once that’s done, I think your challenge has more to do with stamina and endurance than time management. Continue reading ‘PreMed Student Work-School Balance Tip’
Today’a post is from Setimela in South Africa.
Dr Marc Dusssault,
I really appreciate the study and speed learning tips you are giving me but I have a problem losing concentration when writing a test and when doing my assignments. This results in me failing the test. This discourages me hence losing confidence. I am currently doing a part-time diploma in occupational health nursing with WITS University in South Africa. I have already written a test and I didn’t do well. Kindly assist me to pull through.
There is the famous saying we’ve all heard “practice makes perfect”, but it’s actually wrong. It should be “Perfect practice makes perfect.”
I have another blog called the Mindset Of A Champion where you’re find several posts that will help you focus for your exams. It covers topics such as Mental Toughness and deliberate practice concepts.
As a student, if you want to ace your next exam, you need to PRACTICE writing exams – literally. That means creating the same time pressure, even going to your exam room when it’s available to actually PRACTICE writing a fake exam. I know it sounds crazy, but if you actually do it, you’ll be amazed at the difference it will make.
When I did my undergraduate degree, about a handful of times, I went into the SAME (or similar) exam room to write exams on my own, when I knew there would be no one there (at night or on weekends). Sometimes I would sit the fake exam for the full 3 hours and often I would just do part of an exam for 1 hour – SAME STRESS.
It takes effort because you have to:
- Come up with fake questions. (Ideally, you ask a friend to write them up for you)
- Find when a room is available.
- Go to (or stay at) school.
- Role play seriously – even if that means panicking because you can’t answer the questions.
- You need to grade yourself honestly after-the-fact.
If this is all too much effort – just keep freaking out during exams.
If you want to get better at anything – perfect practice makes perfect…
Of course there is the alternative which is MASTERING your subject matter – but that is a topic for another day.
If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between reading and speed reading, here’s a quick comparison table for you.
| Average Reader | Speed Reader | |
|---|---|---|
| Words Per Minute | 200-300 | 600-1,200 |
| Comprehension | Needs to re-read the same text several times | Reduced need to re-read, if required with new material, does it FASTER |
| Memory recall | Poor due to lack of focus and attention due to the long time it takes to read | Excellent BECAUSE of laser-like focus for short periods of time |
| Boring and Banal Material | Puts you to sleep | Get it over and done with quickly |
| Theoretical Textbooks | Can’t get to the core issues without losing focus | Get to the central points quickly to understand them better |
| Dyslexic Students | Struggle to read – avoid it as much as possible | Proven to improve reading speed by 200 to 500%. |
| Lazy Students | Read half as much as they should | Read everything they should because they are 2 to 3 times faster |
| Top Students | Read instead of going out with friends | Can still get top grades AND have a social life |
| Mature Students | Get inundated with pre-requisite material they need to read to get the background to the current material – always struggling to keep up | Get through the background material in a fraction of the time to focus on learning the stuff that’s on the exam! |
| Athletes | Usually don’t get good grades because they spend so much time training for their sport | Can get through ALL their reading material WITHOUT compromising their athletic performance |
| Business People | Usually skim and skip their reading material – often missing key principles | Can not only read ALL their course material, but save valuable time so their career doesn’t suffer while their ‘in school’ |
| ‘Bad Students’ | Never quite get the consistent As and Bs | Gain confidence because this makes them ‘smarter’ than their friends! |
| Parents | Don’t know how to help them get better grades | This is a quick and easy skill to learn that is PROVEN to work and improve students’ grades |
Even though there are countless great sites on the Internet, often it’s hard to find them. That’s why, as an Exponential Growth Strategist, I come into contact with thousands of people every year and many of them forward interesting and useful links, sites and blogs that are valuable and worthy of bookmarking. The Khan Academy Site is one such example.
David Pitts, a participant at a recent corporate “Super Session” let me know that.
The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.
The Khan Academy has 1000+ videos on YouTube covering everything from basic arithmetic and algebra to differential equations, physics, chemistry, biology and finance that have been recorded by Salman Khan. Read a recent San Francisco Chronicle article about Salman Khan and the Khan Academy.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Interested, download the Khan Academy fact sheet. You can also read more about the Khan Academy vision in this document.
The Khan Academy and Salman Khan have received a 2009 Tech Award in Education. The Tech Awards is an international awards program that honors innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity.
Sal has just launched the alpha software version of the old web app. Try it out if you’re interested in practicing some of the concepts in the videos.. It requires a Google account (not the login from the old app). The old, slower version is still available here.
To keep abreast of new videos as they add them, subscribe to the Khan Academy channel on YouTube.
Emahuja is lacking a little motivation to get into studying…
HELLO DR. MARC,
EMAHUJA here, I am about to complete my 11th std and will be starting with my 12th std which is very crucial and important for me as a science student. Till 10th I was very much interested in studies. My grades were very good, but now I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t have any intrest in studies and very tense regarding my studies. So, can you please suggest some tips to get my interest back into my studies?
Regards,
EMAHUJA
Everyone gets into a rut from time to time, so if you temporarily lose interest or motivation, don’t panic.
I have a blog called the Mindset Of A Champion that is devoted to high performance athletes who want to improve their results. One of the problems they come across is over training.
In your case you may not be over training, but you may have the same symptoms. Chances are you’re just bored. That simply means you need to mix things up a little. Change a few things you’re doing to make it fresh and new. You might even consider taking a break from studying for 1 or 2 days – just to interrupt your pattern.
Other things you can consider doing include: Continue reading ‘Get Excited About School Again’
There you are, preparing for your exam… looking back over your notes trying to understand what you’ve written. Trying to remember the words the lecturer said AND put into context the scribbles in your notebook. ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!
It doesn’t have to be this way. There IS a better way to take notes that will help you understand, remember and retain more knowledge, especially at a critical time such as your next exam!
Did you know there are 3 traditional ways we take notes?
1. The sentence narrative note taking style – This is where you simply write out word-for-word what you hear. Writing line-by-line as fast as you can. You’re basically a stenographer – focused on capturing the words on paper.
2. The list note taking style – this involves taking down the various ideas as they occur usually in a bulleted list, like the one I just created for the traditional note taking styles.
3. Outline note taking style-
Taking notes in a hierarchical sequence using major and
sub categories.
In a waterfall- like structure as shown here
Did you know that these 3 traditional note taking styles have 5 major flaws?
1. Lack of visual cues. As you can tell from the traditional styles above, they all use linear patterns, symbols and text, but use no visual cues, patterns, images or visualization tools. This is a critical flaw because the mind thinks in visual images and pictures and needs these elements to enable selective recall when it counts – on your next exam.
2. Boring. Traditional note taking styles are monotone, meaning your brain gets bored and switches off! Traditional notes all tend to look the same, hiding important key words and subject headings making it incredibly hard for your brain to remember what matters and what doesn’t. This is where confusion and “muddled” memory comes from. The brain knows it’s “in there” somewhere, but like a pile of papers scattered on the floor, it doesn’t know where it is or where it actually belongs.
3. Time consuming. Creating traditional notes is a monumental waste of time – when compared to their more efficient and effective alternative. Because they are boring and lack visual cues, when taking notes “the old fashioned way”, you tend to just keep writing unnecessarily. By writing more, it means your brain has to sift through even more irrelevant stuff to get to the important things that will be on your exam. To increase recall you need to keep reading and re reading your notes over and over and over and over again hoping something will sink in. The problem is that it makes it harder and harder and harder for the important stuff to stand out!
4. Lack of creative stimulation. Traditional note taking fails to stimulate the brain creatively, relying primarily on the logical left brain hemisphere for recall. That’s why it’s so hard. Failing to allow associations and connections to be made between key words and points, the creative right brain remains switched off.
5. False sense of completion. The traditional note taking formats gives you a false sense of completion because of their linear nature. They appear complete even though the complete lack the all-important conceptual connections and inter-relationships between the points.
How do you take notes and do you struggle with any of these issues?
Well by traditional NOTE taking you might as well be NOT taking.
There is an alternative to overcome these problems and limitations – it’s called mind mapping.
Because mind mapping mimics the brain’s thinking format, it uses radial thinking and visual patterning using colours, lines, pictures and (inter) relationships. By giving your brain many visual symbols to connect with, remembering them when it counts – on your next test or exam will be easy.
Mind maps are colourful and creative by nature with key points, ideas and concepts literally jumping off the page enabling your brain to quickly and effectively search and FIND the information you need, within the proper context.
Creating relationships and linkages are natural to the brain’s memory storing function. One of the best things about mind maps is that they’re less time consuming to create than traditional notes and take a lot less room. Usually, you can fit several pages or even whole chapters on one page mind map. That gives you QUICK ACCESS and also gives you the overall “picture” that traditional note taking lacks.
Mind mapping is really the polar opposite of traditional note taking. Instead of working against the brain mindmapping works with the brain, matching it to increase your memory, retention and comprehension to give you confidence when writing tests and exams.
Keep this in mind: Many highly successful business people admit to using mind mapping as a competitive tool in their businesses. If it works for them, there must be something to it!
CLICK HERE -> To get your hands on the “How To MindMap To Get Better Grades Video Program”.
Psst! Take a look at this blog post and COMPARE it to the mind mapping program description page – which one do you prefer? That’s the whole point!!!
When we first learn something, information is processed by the brain to form a neural trace which first enters your sensory memory and then, if you’re paying attention, enters your Short Term Memory (STM). If you keep working to process the information and adapt it correctly, it then moves to your Long Term Memory (LTM).
The information which is processed into your LTM is more or less permanent and with occasional reviewing, you will not forget it.
The trick is to adapt the information that you really need into LTM as quickly as possible.
The ability to retain needed information in working memory is important to learning and exam taking performance. Drawings help to improve memory retention, comprehension and understanding. Continue reading ‘Use Colours To Improve Memory Retention, Comprehension And Understanding’
Today’s blog post contribution is from Paul Telling, a professional artist and MindMapping expert. I asked him to share his insights and ideas about MindMapping to help you get better grades in school. This is the first in a series we’ll be publishing on this blog it’s in support of a new program we just launched called How To MindMap To Get Better Grades. You can click on the hyperlink to access the program information page.
Hi, Paul Telling here – I thought I would share with you my story of how I caught onto MindMapping along my educational journey.
I have always been interested in school and learning. Although at school it can be hard when you think you have all the answers and the teachers are slowing you down. Or the reverse might be true – you struggle to learn as you just don’t get what the teacher’s on about.
Well I had both happen during my high school years. I was interested in art, computing studies and maths while I struggled in English and physics. I managed to get into university doing a degree in Industrial Design.
Studying at university was where I learned to doodle in my sketchbook – all day long. Of course during design classes but also in classes that I was meant to be taking notes. If I found the lectures boring, I would draw a caricature of the lecturer and this got a lot of laughs from my classmates.
Some of my classmates just thought I was weird because I tended to spend more time drawing things than taking linear notes verbatim. My pages of notes were eighty percent pictures and less than twenty percent text.
Little did I know that this was MindMapping!
We all have a tendency to doodle while on the phone, during lectures especially in maths or science class! Doodling is the sub conscious working in its own visual language to learn the content you’re grappling with to help you remember stuff more easily. Doodles are visual elements trying to get linked up in your brain.
The amazing thins is that I can still remember many of ,my lecture notes from when I was a design student. I can still picture most of them in my mind’s eye even though that was more than 6 years ago.
Back then I didn’t know what I was doing. Over time, I have learned the different skills required to MindMap more effectively. I value this skill as something that helps me learn quickly the first time, every time.
Luckily, I now have the chance to teach you this wonderful skill of MindMapping through the video course I created with Dr Marc Dussault.
When you take the How To MindMap To Get Better Grades Video Program, you will turn, in two hours, learn to turn your doodles into cool, colourful MindMaps that will help you remember and recall more than ever before. Your classmates will think you’re a genius.
I hope you get your hands on the course sooner rather than later so you can start to improve your grades as of the very next test, quiz or exam that’s coming up.
I look forward to sharing more insights with you in future blog posts.
Visually yours,
Here’s an astounding fact – readers make more money – a lot more! Even in tough economic times. According to a number of recent studies, business people who read at least seven business books a year earn over 2.3 times more than those who read only one book per year.
Why?
One reason is they have a constant flow of new ideas and strategies they can use to help their careers, their teams and their companies.
A study by Bersin & Associates found that while 74.9% of all managers understand that reading more would give them a competitive advantage, they simply think they don’t have the time to read more books.
The problem … who has time to do all that reading?
The solution… Learn how to do speed reading! It’s easy and guaranteed!
As you know from my study book, I am a big supporter of identifying a student’s learning style so you learn HOW to learn. If you don’t know what learning styles are, just answer these questions:
- Are you frustrated with your child’s low grades or lack of motivation?
- Is your home life stressful due to homework hassles and poor report cards?
- Have you tried absolutely everything to help your child get higher grades?
- Do you have a bright child who seems to know information, then forgets it during the test?
- Are you truly serious about doing something different to help your child succeed?
If You Answered “YES!” then keep reading to find out how you can help raise your child’s grades just in time for the very next report card…
I promise your situation is not unique. What you also need to know is that your child’s situation is NOT hopeless.
The problem is that children who suffer from learning challenges have been mis-lead with the 4 biggest myths by well-meaning teachers, other parents and even some learning authorities.
Here are the 4 biggest myths about learning that will never get you the results you want:
- The first is that you must teach TO your child’s preferred learning style, because schools who teach TO every child’s learning style produce better results. (This statement is so misleading that a recent article in the Washington Post said the theory of teaching to multiple intelligences was just that – a theory, and not working in the real world at all). More about this later…
- The second is that kids with low grades are lazy and unmotivated and simply do not take tests well.
- The third is kids who cannot sit still and pay attention are most likely to have attention deficit disorders of some kind. ADD or ADHD can very often be something else in disguise.
- The fourth is that some kids who struggle in school simply don’t like to read, or spell, or do math, etc. (This is one of the worst. It’s only when children constantly experience failure that they don’t want to read or do their schoolwork).
The plain truth is, kids love to learn when they are successful.
But sometimes, they just don’t know how to “win the school game” because no one has taken the time to show them “HOW TO LEARN”.
Think about it. Every day, your child is given assignments and told what to learn. This is like a baseball coach giving a player a written test to see if he or she can make the team. No one is showing your child “how to learn”. You can’t just tell a child, “learn this for the test” and then if they don’t do well, blame them.
Wouldn’t you agree that it’s crazy to think you’ll get different results if you keep doing the same thing over and over again?
That’s why you need to do something different… That’s where this learning toolkit comes in.
Click on the hyperlink -> to help your child get better grades in school.
Here is another installment of top 10 lists to help you study smarter, study for exams or just develop better study skills. These lists are designed to give you direct access to valuable quick learning tip that you can pick and choose to use at your leisure.
Top 10 Ways To Ace Your Next Exam Or Test
- Upcoming tests can definitely be nerve-wracking. Learning how to study for a test properly can direct your attention positively towards improved study habits with decreased anxiety levels.
- Exams generally count for the highest percentage of your overall grade making knowing how to study for exams extremely crucial in your academic endeavors.
- Studying in a makeshift manner may only get you so far! Knowing exactly how to study for a final by following a set of guidelines may just be what will make the difference in your most important exams.
- Because your study skills memory is the most significant aspect required for testing, coming up with techniques and styles that work best for you can help to remember the right answers to those tricky questions.
- Starting college means learning to adapt to a whole new environment where teachers demand you to work independently with a much higher work load and yes, much more complex exams! Understanding how to study in college for exams can help lessen those all-nighters to achieve successful results.
- Time and energy spent on trying to study for an exam does not have to be wasted. Putting better study skills to use can show you how to manage your time and prepare well, all while still keeping a social life.
- Poor planning produces poor results! Go through these study skills test taking procedures and start producing great results, every time!
- Quick learning tips will save you from cramming the night before your test by learning how to use different techniques to remember your class work more efficiently.
- You can study in vain for countless hours without getting anywhere! Knowing how to study effectively for exams will make all the difference in the world when it comes to passing or failing!
- Taking tests and exams are based on the lessons taught and the information your memory has stored away. Remembering that information is not always easy. A remedy for that problem is finding study skills games that can help students focus better and remember odds and ends while making studying fun.
Whether you are a student struggling to learn or a teacher trying to help prepare your students, knowing HOW to develop good study skills by using the right study skills material will help you achieve your targets with outstanding outcomes. The following top 10 best study skills are hyperlinked to valuable resources that will help you get better grades faster.
- Having the best study skills improves memory habits making it easier to get the most out of your studying efforts by remembering important information.
- Students who know how to study efficiently will manage their time better using less energy and more brain power resulting in academic success!
- Finding an effective study skill that works for you will develop the correct way to absorb information and is a great skill to maintain for making life choices.
- Studying is tedious and sometimes overwhelming. Using a study skills guide shows useful tricks such as helpful ways to research, how to prepare for a test and writing tips so that you can stay organized and focused.
- Instead of getting frustrated and spending countless hours making mistakes and then correcting them, use one of the many study skills resources available to know the tricks of the trade and get better results.
- Studying, like any other task in life, requires a few key elements to make the information retainable. Learn how to study better so that you get the results you want.
- Studying itself can be a daunting task, leaving no time for you to strategize your life as a student. Learning different methods by implementing proper study skills and strategies can go a long way in helping students to make order from the chaos!
- Knowing how to study smarter and not harder lets students learn more effectively with healthier regimens and higher achievements.
- Online study skills can be a student’s best friend with limitless amounts of information. Be sure to always use legitimate sources and don’t forget to reference those sites!
- Whether you are a student struggling to learn or a teacher trying to help prepare your students, knowing HOW to develop good study skills by using the right study skills material will help you achieve your targets with outstanding outcomes.
Recently, Ann, a First Year University Student posted this comment on this blog…
Dear Marc Dussault:
I recently purchased your book. It has now been a week and while I agree with a lot of the suggestions in your book, I have yet to start implementing them yet.
I was a procrastinator in high school. Somehow though I managed to succeed enough to well and still get into the Engineering degree of my choice.
However the same methods don’t work anymore in university. University is so different from high school!
Yet for almost the past 5-6 years this is all I have done in order to complete my studies. I understand everything your book says and I appreciate the e-mail tips; I do the exercises and I try to eat well as well as sleep, but still… I just can’t seem to start.
What’s wrong with me? I’ve researched on the net, and apparently there are not only procrastinators but also chronic procrastinators as well. I think I may be one for sure, for I’ve been procrastinating so long I don’t really know what the meaning of “study” is anymore…
I make lists and lists of what I want to achieve. Each time changing and changing the detail or format, and hoping that I will implement it (I tried to start with this technique from your book first). But somehow I just become tired by the large amount of uni work covered in the day or even if I’m not tired I just would rather have fun things to do.
I really want to succeed and do well… that should be enough motivation… but I still can’t keep it up. I did the 8-minute technique and it seemed to work well, that I actually kept going. But the next day, I looked at the same piece of math homework and I could not bring myself to continue doing it. I literally was having a mental argument inside my head for the pros and cons of not doing the homework, that I physically felt like I was actually getting stressed.
Where do I start? And why can’t I stay motivated?
In saying all of this, I have a mathematics exam this Friday…
Sincerely requiring help………….!
Ann
First of all, Ann, you’re “owning” the label of procrastinator just a little too seriously – what that means is that you SEE YOURSELF and THINK YOU’RE a procrastinator, which means you’re going to continue to procrastinate. Let’s face it – the label of regular every day LOSER is not enough, you need an even WORSE label… “Chronic Procrastinator!” which is a TOTAL LOSER!
How does that make you feel? Because it’s true – procrastinators, especially chronic ones never achieve anything because they never get anything finished – many don’t even start – LIKE YOU!
How do you feel about being branded a LOSER?
Procrastinator sounds better doesn’t it?!?!
You’re still a LOSER…
UNLESS you are just “doing procrastination”… That means you just slipped and got into a bad habit and are in fact a winner who just slipped up…
Is that it? Are you really a WINNER who just had a lapse of judgment and discipline?
Or are you really a LOSER? If you are a LOSER, good riddance, I have no time for you – seriously.
If however you are a WINNER who just lost her way – watch this YouTube video for the cure to procrastination – it works even better for CHRONIC PROCRASTINATION!
Now seriously, how do you “Stop It!” ???
I recently filmed a bonus video for people who buy my study book. It’s called “5 Minutes To Go From Panic To Passing Tomorrow’s Exam”. In fact, the introduction video is included at the end of this blog post. In the video, I explain strategies that make the most of the little bit of time you have when cramming for an exam at the last minute.
That’s when the two little guys below came to mind…
Ace Your Next Exam With Troll Power!
Here’s the thing that’s really important, as I explain in my video…
Today’s post is a YouTube video that answers the most popular questions people ask me about my study book.
Get Better Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort
Studying is always stressful and filled with pressure – it’s even more daunting when you’re a mature student, who has been out of school for 10, 20 or even 30 years… Like Sue Wickliffe of Omaha, Nebraska. In today’s post, I have a few recommendations for someone who’s going back to school after a long absence…
Hi, Dr. Dussault.
I found your website by accident. I belong to IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals) and I have been an admin/executive assistant for 35+ years.
Here I am… I’m going to be 60 in April and the IAAP Chapter that I belong to here in Omaha, Nebraska talked me into becoming certified. I’m currently thinking … “What did I get myself into.” There are four large books I will be studying:
1) Office Systems and Technology
2) Office Administration
3) Management
4) Advanced Management
I have an electronic version of these books (which is better than the books themselves). The actual books are too wordy. Loses the reader. On the electronic version there was a link to “Ask Jeeves” and I typed in How to study. Voila!!! There was your website. I purchased your book “Get The Best Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort” as well as your Speed Reading Video Program.
Right now I’m feeling overwhelmed and haven’t studied since high school. I’m hoping your materials will help me. I plan to apply them. The big 6-hour test will take place this November and the other two hour test (for the last book) will take place in May 2011.
The Good Lord gave me a brain and people like you to bring it to fruition.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
ONWARD AND UPWARD!!!
Sue Wickliffe (I hope to have CPS and CAP initials after my name soon)
Study Tips For A Mature Student Going Back To School.
One of our affiliate referral sites, www.mature-student-tips.com has quite a bit of useful content for a mature student going back to school.
Go there and have a look. I’m sure you’ll find some great ideas. We like to support people who endorse our products and programs!
Today’s blog post is based on a comment from Ad Poi, he’s a little stressed because he has an exam in about 3 weeks. I recently filmed a video called “5 Minutes To Go From Panic To Passing Tomorrow’s Exam” which is now included as a bonus to my study book Get The Best Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort. In the video, I explain 5 strategies you can use to cram for an exam if you’ve run out of time and are stuck at the last minute with too much to study and not enough time to get it done.
The other suggestion I have for Ad is to get my Speed Reading Video Program. Rapid Reader is FANTASTIC for WORD, PDF and Website reading, but when it comes to reading your textbooks, you need to know how to speed read.
Hi Dr Dussault,
I came to know about your book and your strategies recently.Your strategies, you say, help get the best grades with the least amount of effort, but I wonder if they are going to help me since , I have 3 and a half weeks until my exam and I feel not quite prepared.
What I need are strategies to get the most done with the least amount of time, not the least effort. I am willing to give in a great deal of effort , but I am anxious and afraid that I won’t be able to complete all the courses to my satisfaction (especially chemistry, which I hate and have neglected greatly until now).
So, I ask whether your book will help me get the best grades with the least amount of TIME?
I have managed to get a copy of the rapid reader software yesterday, and am trying to increase my onscreen as well as off-screen reading speed.
My greatest drawback though is that I get quite nervous during exams and my efficiency is more than halved. As a result, my grades are compromised even though I worked hard. So I ask whether your book can help me getting rid of this anxiety and increase my concentration.
Thank You.
Ad
