Maria Elena Buenaventura

Chapter 1: Introduction to education. Merriam-Webster defined education as: “the action or process of teaching someone especially in a school, college, or university; the knowledge, skill, and understanding that you get from attending a school, college, or university; a field of study that deals with the methods and problems of teaching.” Education is a basic human necessity. It is also one of the fundamental distinctions between the human form of life and the animal form of life. Humans have the ability to ask, inquire, question or probe deeper into something. Humans not only learn how to do things. Humans ask why, and have the capability to improve what was taught to him. Humans have the intelligence to decide and choose as well. Education has developed and progressed through time. During the pre-historic times, education means guiding the young to survive and adapt. Learning is based on empathy, identification, and imitation. In the earliest civilization, reading and writing are evident, as seen on the hieroglyphics found along the Mesopotamia, which is now modern-day Iraq, Kuwait. Now, formal education occurs in a school or any structured environment, whose sole purpose is for teaching and learning. The first formal education a child will receive is the preschool also known as early childhood education. After that, the child will receive primary school education, also known as elementary education, followed by secondary education, also known as high school. And then comes higher education, also known as tertiary education, or most commonly known as college. In order to survive and graduate, a student will have to develop a study habit, and be able to recognize the easiest or the most effective way for him to learn. As learning is a continuous process of gaining knowledge or developing a new skill, studying effectively is the most important tool all students should be aware of. Chapter 2: Studying versus studying effectively Studying is an activity or process of learning. Studying may mean reading extensively, researching, discussion with peers, and memorizing. Learning approach should also be considered when studying. In order to study effectively, a student should know his comfort zones, areas for improvement and areas for excellence. Studying effectively not only involves books, research papers, or discussions. It should involve the physical, emotional and psychological aspect of a student. For example, a student comes in for a group study. This particular student is infatuated with someone who is in the group too. This may lead the student to either pay careful attention to the discussion, or, be self-conscious about him being in the same room as his “crush.” Another situation is when a student lacks sleep and is feeling fatigued. Studying like this may lead to poor memory retention. In conclusion, in order to study effectively, the student must condition his mind and body, and focus on learning. Effective studying should have an action plan, a goal, or a destination. A strategy for addressing conflicts should be planned. Lack of an organized plan or strategy for approaching a problem may lead to ineffective studying. Chapter 3: The Brain: The central part of learning How it works The brain controls thinking and function. The brain is divided into two hemispheres: the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere. Studies have shown that the right-brain/left-brain theory is a myth. Professor Stephen Wilson of University College London states that “Brain asymmetry is essential for proper brain function. It allows the two sides of the brain to become specialized, increasing its processing capacity and avoiding situations of conflict where both sides of the brain try to take charge.” Understanding strengths and weaknesses in certain areas can help students develop better ways to improve, learn and study. For example, students with problems following verbal instructions might benefit from taking down notes and writing down directions, as well as improve organization skills. Studying effectively takes determination, effort, organization and practice. Having a healthy mind AND brain is one of the optimal condition for learning. The brain should be well-rested with enough sleep, hydrated as water helps with the electrical connections of the brain, unstressed so that the brain can focus on a goal, and stimulated. BRAIN FOOD Research has shown that adding certain food in the diet increases the chance of maintaining a healthy brain, and improves brain function. In addition, there is nothing to lose and more to gain when these “super Food” are implemented and added in the daily eating regimen. Changing eating habits while studying may increase memory retention, too. Wild salmon. Deep-water fish, such as salmon, are loaded with omega-3 essential fatty acids. This is important for brain function. Other fish rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids includes sardines and herring. Blueberries. Studies have shown that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Diets loaded with blueberries may remarkably improve both the learning capacity and motor skills. Avocados. Avocados promote healthy blood flow. A healthy blood flow to the brain means better function. Nuts and seeds. Walnuts, pistachios, and other Nuts and seeds are good sources of vitamin E. Vitamin E has been linked to cognitive function. Whole grains. Whole grains including oatmeal, whole-grain breads, and brown rice promoted healthy blood flow and can reduce the risk for heart disease. Beans. Beans help stabilize glucose levels. The brain is dependent on glucose supply. Pomegranate. Pomegranate offers potent antioxidant benefits. Tea. Tea can increase brain power by enhancing memory, focus, and mood. Tea also has strong antioxidants, particularly the class known as catechines, which promotes healthy blood flow. Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has potent antioxidant properties, with several natural stimulants, including caffeine, that enhance focus and concentration, as well as stimulates the production of endorphins, thereby helps improve mood. Eggs. Egg yolks are rich in choline. The brain uses choline to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that may be important for maintaining memory and communication among brain cells. Wine and Champagne. Drinking wine and champagne in moderation may be good for the mind. Researchers has found that the antioxidant EGCG which are found in red wine and green tea, has helped stop beta-amyloid proteins from harming brain cells. Kale and Other Cruciferous Veggies. These leafy greens (and purple) contain powerful antioxidants that can protect your brain from toxic free radicals. Tomatoes. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells. Blackcurrant boost. Vitamin C has the power to increase mental agility. One of the best sources of vitamin c are blackcurrants. Pumpkin seed. Pumpkin seeds is loaded with zinc, which isvital for enhancing memory and thinking skill. Brocolli. Brocolli is a great source of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower. Sage. Sage has a reputation for improving memory. Although most studies focus on sage as an essential oil, it could be worth adding fresh sage to your diet too. Chapter 4: General effective study habits to develop Studying is a task. This task requires focus, full attention, and concentration. However, it should not be an “unwanted” task. Studying should be enjoyable, agreeable and gratifying in order to be effective. Study habits start to develop during the pre-school years, as this is the foundation of education. Study habits change as a student grows and develops, adapting to new challenges and expectations. Study habits also differ from each student. However, studying effectively is universal. It does not have to be too time-consuming, or too strict to be effective. One only needs to know the best way to learn and study according to his capacity, strengths and weakness. General learning habits everyone needs to develop: 1. Taking responsibility for a failure or a success. Whether you study effectively or not depends on you. Do not depend your learning on others. It is you who would benefit from it. Your success is the outcome of all the hard work and studying you have done. If you fail, learn from it. Failure can be the greatest teachers. Success comes when mistakes are fixed rather than getting things right first time. As Thomas Edison stated, “I have not failed. I've just found 10000 ways that won't work”. 2. Studying should be focused around your values and principles. Since it is you who are doing the studying, your decision and method, not others, should be utilized. You will need help and support, but the studying and discipline should depend on you. 3. Set priorities, take action, and do not let others distract you from your goal. Be responsible in setting priorities. Have a goal, plan on it, and then act on it. As the saying goes, “Wishing and hoping is only half the job. Working hard will get you there.” 4. Use the available resources and incorporate this into studying. Be resourceful. Be ingenious and practical when studying. You do not have to buy expensive study materials. Use what is available around you. This way, you also learn to adapt to learning. 5. Focus on the problem at hand. Tomorrow’s problem can wait until tomorrow. Focusing on what is important is crucial. As mentioned earlier, learn your priorities, make a list of what-to-do’s, starting with the basics and the most important topics. 6. Contribute and share your knowledge for others to benefit as well. As mentioned all throughout this book, learning is a process. What you learned may benefit others in many ways. Researchers, scientists, and developers are the usual people who have this attitude towards learning. 7. Listen carefully. Pay attention to details. It is not enough to hear; you have to listen to understand. 8. Read and comprehend. Reading and comprehension comes hand in hand. In order to comprehend what you are reading, pay attention to details, and make your reading worthwhile with taking down important notes, book-marking, and such. 9. Always challenge yourself and work hard to attain your goal. Achieving something through hard work will encourage you to perform better and harder the next time. If you have succeeded with your goal through hard work, chances are you will perform better on your next goal, and you will continually challenge yourself to achieve success. 10. Ask questions. Be inquisitive. Asking questions does not mean you do not know anything. It only means you want to know more. 11. Try a different approach in studying when you feel like the one you are using is ineffective. As mentioned, learning is a process. If you are not improving with your current study habits, there are still more room for improvement. What works for others may not work for you, and vice versa. You can always create ways or new study habits where you know you will improve and will have the results you are aiming for. If there are effective study habits, there are also those that are ineffective, considered as bad study habits. However, each and everyone have a different study habit, and may react differently to each technique. It is important to find a specific way to study which is effective for you. Like others may hate music and consider it as noise, while others love it and utilize it while studying. The following list is an overview of all problems that students have come across while studying. Some may be appropriate for you, while others may not. Anyway, there is always a way to address the problem. Here are a few examples of the most usual and common bad study habits: 1. Last Minute Cramming. Cramming may be helpful during pop quizzes, but it does not help AT ALL with retaining memory long term. 2. Group study with Friends. Although this may work on some students, most often than not that this “studying” will lead to socializing. If ever you decide to have a group study, remember to stay in focus. It is also best if you study with the group of students that have the same goal as you. 3. Poor study ambience. A poor study ambience can mess up your study time. Make sure that you are comfortable, and that the room has proper air ventilation. Test out different places until you find the best place for you to study. It may be the library, your room, a garden, the attic, or wherever it is that you are susceptible to learning. Find out what works best for you and be consistent with it. 1. Eating. Eating light snacks while studying is healthy, but make sure that you do not eat too much. Eating a large meal while studying can disrupt your train of thought, and it takes the focus away from studying. It is also best if you eat “brain food,” which has been discussed in Chapter 3. Address your hunger by keeping a small bag of snack beside you. 2. Drinking alcohol. Of course it is bad to drink alcohol while studying. Not only will it leave you dehydrated, it will also cloud your judgment, leading you to make wrong decisions. 3. Drinking too much caffeine. Drinking too much caffeine may sometimes lead to adrenaline crash, which will make you feel drained and dehydrated, as well as experience symptoms such as severe headache and palpitations. Drinks that have caffeine in them include coffee and power drinks. Although drinking these may perk you up and temporarily jolt you into action, you may find that drinking these is addictive, and may leave you taking in more than necessary. Caffeine may stay in your system longer than expected, making it harder for you to fall asleep, and leaving you exhausted in the morning. 4. Studying during a commute. Studying while riding a car, bus or train is good for light reading, but not for deep concentration reading. Sometimes, reading in a moving vehicle may also make you feel dizzy. 5. Studying in your bed. Yes, it is comfortable, but it may make you too comfortable and may make you fall asleep. Instead, try working on a table desk beside the bed. 6. Multi-Tasking. Multi-tasking is a great skill, however, when you are multi-tasking with your studies, your focus is divided into the things you are doing. When studying and doing other things aside from studying, it is disruptive, and may lead to poor memory retention. An example would be reading a book while watching a movie. Another example is writing an essay and listening to the radio. 7. Stressed-out studying. Stress is an everyday part of life. You may feel compelled to study when you are stressed-out about your grades. However, research has shown that increased level of anxiety will have decreased brain functional capacity. Therefore, studying is not advised when you are in a state of heightened anxiety. The best advice we can give you is to find a place where only you knows and which is conducive in learning and a place of peace, enough that will allow you even a few hours to focus on writing, studying, reviewing. 8. Too much Music. Too much music or too loud is not music anymore. It is noise. Noise can interfere with the brain's ability to retain new information. It is also a distraction, making it harder for you to focus on the current subjects. However, as discussed further in this book, background music can be a big help with concentration. Studies have shown that a certain type of music, which is classical, helps the brain to function more. Chapter 5: Home studying versus School studying Studying in a classroom is different than studying at home. In a school environment, as a student, you are compelled to listen to those in authority, like teachers, professors or anyone who leads the discussion. You are also a part of a learning group. You participate in anything that the class does. However, home studying requires diligence, perseverance, and most of all, discipline. There is no one to assist you and watch you study except you. Parents or guardians usually just remind you to study, not watch and help you with studying. So you need different techniques and approach to learning when studying in school and at home. Here are some great tips and techniques on how to study more effectively in a classroom setting: Be prepared. Do not forget to bring books, pens and notes to class. Bring extra pens just in case. Post-its usually help with studying later at home. Learn to listen to discussion. It is not enough to be just present in your class. You have to listen carefully when others are speaking, and listen not only with your ears but with your mind. Stock knowledge is usually learned from this kind of behavior in a class. Take down notes. Write down whatever you think matters and what are important. This way, you will be able to review details during class discussion. The smallest details and ideas from your teacher or someone in your class may be significant. Participate in class discussions. This way, you learn how to reason, interact, and make your own opinion known in class. You will never go wrong if you employ these habits in your daily school routine, especially during pop quizzes, surprise tests, and unannounced graded recitations. Here are some great study habits on home studying: DO NOT CRAM. Cramming is very popular with students. Almost all students have crammed one time or another during examinations. Although this is sometimes effective with a pop quiz, this is a BAD study habit, and is not very effective with long term memory storing. To be a consistent good student, you need to develop good study habits and follow it. Schedule your study time. A scheduled study time works with consistency. Create a consistent, daily study routine, when you are most adaptive to learning and when it is most comfortable for you and others around you. When you study consistently at the same time all throughout the week, this will soon become a significant part of your daily life. Students who typically study once in a while do not perform as well as students who have a set study schedule. Students who have a consistent study schedule are more mentally and emotionally ready for class. Have a good study spot. Setting a good study ambience, where you will be more focused, without distractions around, and where you can be most productive. Have a specific goal or topic when studying. You need to know exactly what you need to complete during each study session. Before you start studying set a study session purpose that supports your overall academic goal. Do not procrastinate. As mentioned, it is best if you stick with a scheduled study plan. Procrastination will make you cram when you realize that you do not have enough time to study everything that is needed for an exam. Start with the most difficult topic first. Starting with the most difficult topic will condition your mind to think. Once you've completed the most difficult assignment, it will be much easier to complete the rest of your assignments. Always review your school notes before starting an assignment. Your notes are there for a reason: to be reviewed and read. Make sure you are not distracted while you are studying. It is best to schedule your study time when no one is around to distract you while you are studying. Studying in a quiet environment will make you more focused. When you are distracted while you are studying, you lose your train of thought which will lead to very ineffective studying. This is why you need to set the time as well as the place for studying. Use study groups effectively. Study groups are effective when you are dealing with a subject that you are not familiar with. Discussing this topic with others may help you understand more of this subject. Studying in groups enables you to get help from other students when you do not understand a concept, complete assignments and projets more quickly, and sharing what you now to others. Remember, “two heads are better than one.” Music Research has shown that the right kind of music can help you relax your mind and enable you to concentrate better. The most popular music is called the “Mozart effect,” which indicates that listening to Mozart’s music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of specific mental tasks known as “spatial-temporal reasoning” which is the ability to retain long-term memory, and apply a more abstract solution to logical problems that arise. Tips and techniques in studying: 1. Practice testing. Have a few practice tests before taking the real exam. This will provide you with an idea of how to take the tests and the sort of questions which may appear in the examination. You may find practice tests at the end of a chapter or book. 2. Using flashcards to recall important details of information. Remember when you put down notes in class? There is always a seemingly unimportant detail in your notes where it turns out to be a major part of a topic. 3. Always ask why, when, how, where and what. 4. Highlighting and underlining. Use of post its and/or book marks. 5. Mental imagery involves thinking of pictures in order to make it easier to remember details. 6. Using mnemonics. Example of mnemonics in taxonomy is Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach, which means Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. 7. Chunking is a technique or strategy that works on the idea that our short term memory can only hold an average of 7 things. The amount of things is therefore decreased by increasing their size. 8. In order to retain what you have learned effectively, it is important to make sense of the information. Meaning, you must be able to comprehend and recognize the connections between new information and what was already stored. 9. Using memory tricks, by using Acronyms, acrostics and rhymes will help you remember key concepts and/or formula. This is more like using mnemonics. 10. Memorization is better done if you understand and comprehend what you are memorizing. Epilogue There is always room for improvement when studying. Ask yourself first with this question: Which study habits can I improve? Before you can improve your study habits, you have to first identify the strengths and weaknesses in your current study habits. Indicate where you stand for each study habit, whether be it beneficial or not. And then you decide if you will continue with this habit or cease using it altogether. Remember, your study habits depend on your needs, values, belief, and style. You cannot have other people develop study habit for you. Your discipline, along with your determination to reach your goal, are the factors to stay focused.