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5 Steps to Making a Strong Study Plan

brian7 — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:41:23 +0000

Have you been floating through life? If so, here’s a warning for you: Students can’t float through their classes and do well. You must be organized and disciplined. In short, you must have a plan. The “study plan” has different meanings to different people. At the college level, a study plan is a formal, highly-structured way to not only do well in your individual classes, but to get from your first freshman course to graduation. For others, a study plan is some notes scratched in a notebook about how to survive this week’s tests and papers due. What we’re going to present here is a strong study plan that will work for most typical students in high school, college, or external study situations. It’s an intricate plan that should be committed to writing, and that starts broad and then gets very specific. Our plan has 5 key steps to it. Once you’ve completed this plan, you should live your life by it, consulting it daily to know what you need to do today to stay on track to achieve your academic goals.

Definition

First, if you’re still not clear, a study plan is more than a “to do” list. It is an “I will” list pertaining to your classes. It is a written commitment that today, this week, this month, and this year, you will achieve certain listed goals that directly relate to your classes.

The Good Study Plan Is . . .

What you have your study plan committed to paper, it should meet the following criteria. A good study plan is:

Simple – never complicated
Specific – never dwelling on generalities. It should state exactly what you’re going to do, when, where, and how you’ll do it.
Positive—never negative. That is, don’t state what you’ll stop doing, but what you’ll start doing.
Possible—never impossible. A good study plan details things that you’re capable of doing frequently.
Immediate—not eventual. That means that after you have your study plan in writing, you should be able to start using it the next day.
Written—not dependent on memory or willpower. That’s because you’re more likely to do something that you’ve put down on paper.

The Five Steps

Now that we understand what a study plan is, let’s get started. As mentioned, there are five steps involved.

STEP ONE is the easiest: Assemble your supplies. You need to make this plan a permanent part of your life, so buy a good quality notebook to hold it in. It will be neater and possibly easier to read if you make it and update it on your computer. However, pen and notebook paper is fine, if you find that easier. If you do choose to use the computer, then you’ll obviously need a hole-punch as well.

STEP TWO: Start with your broad education goals. You’ll need to dedicate a couple of pages to this. If you’re in a college or higher-education program, list the courses that you must take to satisfy your degree or diploma requirements. As you progress through one semester after enough, highlight the required courses that you’ll be taking that semester. This will be a constant visual reminder of what else needs to be taken to get your diploma. You can work similarly with high-school courses, since there are also classes that you must take to get your diploma, and other courses you need to get into most colleges. If you’re a high-school student, before doing this portion of the study plan, it’s a good idea to find out what most colleges that you’re considering will require for admission. Include these on your study plan, and again, highlight them as you sign up for each course. Keep in mind, the only courses that you highlight are those which you are required to take. Everything else is “for fun” and not important for your study plan.

STEP THREE: Now we get into passing each individual course. That involves keeping a weekly study schedule that includes all of your courses. A weekly study schedule keeps you aware of how much time you have available each week, and helps you determine how much of that time to allocate to each course. Here are some important points to keep in mind as you develop your weekly study schedule:

When you first start, if you’re in high school, you should devote at least one hour each week to each course you have, in addition to “emergency” studying. Emergency studying is when you have something due the next day, such as a paper or a test. For instance, if you have a biology class that meets everyday, and you also have a biology test on Friday, you should study one hour for biology sometime during the week, in addition to studying for the test on Thursday. In college, the study time is different. It’s common for classes to meet one, two or three times a week. On your study schedule, allocate one hour of study for each hour that the class meets. If your economics class meets twice a week, then you allocate two hours on your study schedule for it.
Schedule regular hours for study. If you don’t set aside specific time for each class and stick with it, then you’ll quickly lose control of your schedule.
Fill out your weekly study schedule in one-hour increments. If you schedule something for less than an hour, you’ll be ready to stop right as yu’re getting warmed up.
When possible, schedule your study times immediately before and after classes. For instance, if your economics class meets on Wednesday afternoons, then when you’re done for the day, go home and immediately study economics for an hour or two. Or alternatively, have your study time for a particular class an hour or two before going to class. During this study time, be sure to look over your notes from the previous class session and from your previous study session, just to keep your memory fresh.
When possible, you should work on the hardest subjects when you’re at your best. Courses that you find fun should be saved for when you’re least motivated, since the course content itself will motivate you to work.
Balance other activities with your weekly schedule. Allow time for extracurricular activities, friends, family, sports, TV, music, etc. Some people prefer to keep several open blocks on the weekend for some of these things.
Reward yourself for those times when you’ve been especially productive in your study time. For instance, maybe after a good period, you could let yourself watch TV for an hour or talk to a friend on the phone. These rewards will make you more likely to use your time effectively. Don’t cheat on the rewards! Otherwise, you defeat the whole purpose.
Remember to keep a very specific format in this section of your study plan. Your pages are divided up into one-hour blocks. Each block will have a statement such as: ”I will spend two hours studying economics. I will read the textbook from pages 110-125. I will review my previous day’s class notes. I will highlight all key points in the textbook that I think might be on the test. I will write these key points on a study guide, to refer to later.”
After you’ve completed each block as planned, highlight it to show that you followed through on your plan. If for some reason, you did not keep the commitment for that time period, leave it as is–with no highlighting.

STEP FOUR: Keep a daily “to do” list in your notebook. Most successful people make a habit of keeping a daily “to do” list. They consider it a necessary step for making the best use of their time. It’s also one of the best habits that you can incorporate into your study plan. However, it does not replace your detailed weekly schedule. It supplements it. The study plan’s “to do” page is for those items that somehow didn’t make it onto your weekly study schedule. Keep in mind that you’ll make up the weekly schedule at least a week in advance (Maybe even a month in advance). In the meantime, however, things come up. Maybe you missed a goal of studying on one day, and it needs to be made up sometime during the week. Then put it on the “to do” list for another day during the week. Maybe you have a Tuesday and Thursday biology class, and you’ve done your studying for the week on Tuesday morning, but then the instructor assigns something that’s due on Thursday. Put that on your “to do” list for Wednesday. As early as possible, before you’ve completely worn yourself out, tackle the items on your list. This should NOT, however, be done when you have other studying on your schedule. Do the “to do” items in between the other study time-blocks.

STEP FIVE: Evaluate. This is one situation where “last” is certainly not “least.” Your study plan needs to have several evaluation pages in it. There should be an evaluation page following each day’s page, and an evaluation page following the Broad Plan that tracks the courses you’ve taken.

At the end of each day, before you retire for the night, you should go through your study plan. Look at your blocks for that day. Did you complete everything that you had on your agenda? If not, you need to write down where you fell short of your study goals for the day. Using the “I will” format again, you need to write down how you will make it up. For instance, “Since I did not study my economics textbook for two hours two, I will allocate two hours for it on Sunday, between 2 and 4 p.m.”

Finally,at the bottom of the page, you need to give an action plan for how to avoid missing this goal in the future: “Next time, if someone asks me to run an errand during my economics study time, I will try to schedule it for later in the evening.”

You need a similar evaluation section for your Course Tracking section, where you’re tracking your progress toward getting your diploma or degree. In this case, though, at the end of the semester, jot down a note as to whether you passed each course or not. If you failed one, you need an action statement as to when you can take that course in the future. If you didn’t take enough courses for the semester, then you need to mention how you’ll make up the credits in the future. For instance, if your degree requires 128 credits, that means you need a minimum of 16 credits per semester. If you only managed 14 this semester, note that in the evaluation section, and then tell how and when you’ll make up those two credits.

Finally, all of these action steps should now be penned into your goals, so that you’ll remember that these are two more courses that you’ll need to take. The same holds true of your weekly schedule and evaluation. When you’ve noted that you fell short of your study goals for the week, then you should pen in that extra time needed, either over the next couple of days or during the following week.

SOUND COMPLICATED? Does it seem like this is a rather involved way of approaching your schooling? Maybe it is. But it’s systematic and those who use an approach like this almost always stay on top of their course load, rather than getting overwhelmed by it. In short, the time invested in this study plan inevitably pays off in the way of better grades and a higher GPA.

How to Turn Good Study Skills Into Great Study Skills

brian7 — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:30:37 +0000

To be honest, even if you’re a good study-er, you’ve probably not really taken time to think about what it is that makes your study skills so much better than your friends’. It’s just one of those things where some students seem to naturally grasp what’s needed to study effectively, without even thinking about what they’re doing differently. However, when an outsider looks at the person with excellent study skills and compares him or her to others, there are certain common elements. Here is a look at the traits that can change you from being a good study-er to being a great one.

First, remember that great study skills start with having the right attitude. You’ve got to realize that it takes time to read and grasp information and to remember what you’ve read. The great study-er knows that 15 or 20 minutes after school won’t lead to real success in your classes. Here are seven specific skills you need to put into action.

When you read your textbook material or re-read your class notes, jot down notes about the important points. Important points are usually those that the instructor emphasized.
Don’t depend on just reading the text or notes over and over again in order to remember it. Instead, make flash cards to commit important facts to memory. A pack of 3 x 5 index cards at the star costs less than a dollar and is a great investment in your studies.
In addition to the flash cards, create other study skills that are entertaining, challenging and productive. Use these activities each week. For instance, you might have an evening when you write down key facts on a sheet of paper strictly from memory.
Look up “lesson plans” on the Internet and notice how teachers create course lesson plans. Now develop your own lesson plan for each subject. On this plan, include the important points that you would be covering if you were the instructor, as well as test-taking ideas that students should use for the class. After you’re done being the “teacher,” be the “student” and study using those test-taking ideas.
Fight test-anxiety like it’s the plague. You can decrease your anxiety by spending plenty of time preparing for each class and each test.
If there’s one resource available to students that is under-used, it is their own teacher. Don’t be so proud that you’re afraid to go to her and ask for her help and / or study suggestions. If needed, get a tutor who can help you even more.
Got a test coming up? As part of a week-long study process, write down a “Test Day Review Sheet.” On this sheet are the facts that you think are key that you’ve been struggling with. On the morning of the test, before you head to class, review this sheet a few times.

Study skills should not be considered an annoying thing that you get done as fast as possible. Instead, look at them as the main reason you’re in school in the first place. They’re an important part of learning the material. As long as you believe that and act accordingly, you’ll be on your way to mastering great study skills.

Equipped for Studying: What You Must Have

brian7 — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:36:35 +0000

It’s 6 p.m. and you’re behind in your studies. Tests and papers are coming up, so that means it’s not to hit the books and study, study, study. But then you hit a few roadblocks. You look around the house and can’t find a pen. Then you need some scratch paper, and can’t find it. Fifteen minutes later you find some and sit down to begin. Now where’s that calculator? Is it in the other room? Did your roommate or brother take it? After you find it, you notice that the batteries are dead. Now it’s time to find extra batteries. And on and on it goes.

You can waste a good hour just looking for all the supplies you need to study and do your homework. The good student, though, doesn’t take this chance. He’s prepared by always making sure that he has everything he needs for his study sessions. This means having a good place for study and a “kit” full of all of the things he’ll need. Here’s what the successful student should make sure he has:

1) A good place to study. This is important because obviously, this is where you’re going to keep all of your other supplies. That means it needs to be a place where you can conveniently store all of your study supplies. I should also have a comfortable chair and good lighting. Preferably, it is turned away from things that will distract you, like windows or open doorways.

2) Computer and printer. We don’t need to say much about this, except that many of the school-related tasks that once required a trip to the library can now be accomplished on the Internet. Also, many assignments must be typed. That’s why you also will need a printer.

3) Get a box or holder to store other supplies in. You could use a drawer in the desk, a storage tote, or even an old shoe box. The most important consideration is that it needs to be easy to access. You should keep all of your study-related items in there, ready to go. This storage container should never move from your desk area. Make sure that family members or roommates know that these supplies are important and that they should not be used without your permission. They’re to be used only in that area. You might even place a label on them to avoid any confusion.

4) Inside this box should be kept the following items (Some variation is allowed, depending on what classes you’re taking): pencils, pens, erasers, calculator with appropriate batteries, markers (Make sure lids are tightly attached), highlighters. You’ll also need printer paper, but it will be kept at your printer. Your books will stay with you in your backpack. Everything else can go in this “study kit.”

Now, with your handy kit, you should be prepared the next time you’re ready to study–and you won’t be stymied by not being able to find the right supplies.

More about a good study environment

30 Days to Better Study Skills

brian7 — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:00:07 +0000

The study “strategy” for most students is the same: Wait until the night before an assignment is due or before a test to hit the books and study. Unfortunately, for most of us, that strategy eventually catches up and hits our grades—hard.

Good news: There’s a better way! Here’s a systematic approach that in 30 days can turn you into a master student. We’ll start with week 1.

DAYS 1-7: Take some learning assessments. It’s a fact that professional educators have known for generations: Everybody learns differently. Fortunately, there are tests available now (Many on the Internet) that tell you what kind of learner you are. Once you know how you learn, you can base your study strategy on these facts rather than on speculation about what might help you. Do a google search on “learning style” or “learning assessment.”

DAYS 8-15: Meet with a career counselor. Often the career counselor can give you the assessment we discussed above. Even if you take the assessment online, though, it’s still helpful to meet with her. There are career counselors at high schools, colleges, and even employment centers. Ask the counselor for information on learning strategies based on your own particular needs. Alternatively, you can again do a Google search on “study strategies.” There are scores of good articles available. Print them all out and compile them in a notebook and spend several days doing nothing but reading through these strategies.

DAYS 16-20: Begin implementing at least one of the strategies in your notebook that you believe meshes with your learning style. Usually you should implement only one strategy at a time so that you can determine which one works for you and which one you can discard. Having said that, it’s possible that different classes will be helped by different strategies, so don’t forever limit yourself to just one strategy. And again, remember: All strategies that you try should match with what you have determined is your learning style. For instance, maybe you’ve decided that you’re a visual learning. Then use the strategy that is heavy on visual aids.

DAYS 21 -30: Spend time assessing your progress. It’s pointless to stick with a strategy if it’s not improving your study time and your grades. During these 10 days, therefor, you examine your current strategy and see how well it’s been working for you. If it’s going well, keep it up. If not, move on to another strategy on your list.

These last two steps are key. Any time you determine that a strategy has not helped you in real, detectable ways (Your grades improve and you’re able to learn the material better and faster), no matter how much you like that strategy, discard it. There should be plenty more ideas on your list, so find something else and try it for a week or 10 days. Then assess again. Eventually you’ll latch onto something that works, and your grades will eventually start reflecting your new, better study habits.

What Kind of Learner Are You?

brian7 — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:56:45 +0000

If you’re struggling in one of your classes, or even many of them, that’s no reflection on your intelligence level. It doesn’t even mean that you’re not working hard and trying to study for your classes. It might just mean that you’re learning style is different from how the instructor teaches.

Every person is different. We all have our different tastes, opinions, and viewpoints. Likewise, every person learns in slightly different ways from others. As a result, study techniques that work great for your friend Joe might not work for your other friend, Annie. And neither of their study methods might work for you.

So how do you solve this dilemma? It’s essential that you learn what your own individual learning style is. This is the only sure way of maximizing your understanding of the course material. Otherwise, no matter how bright you are, you’ll probably get discouraged and you might even lose the motivation to succeed in your classes.

Educators have determined that there are four distinct learning styles. A few students will fit neatly into just one of these categories. Most, however, overlap between two or more of these styles. However, everyone is primarily in one of the four categories.

1) The Visual – Verbal Style. If you fall into this learning style, then you learn when the material is presented in a visual way as well as in a written-language form. You do pretty well with instructors who use an overhead projector, blackboard, or other visual presentation to outline and emphasize their lessons. You probably also greatly benefit with class notes and textbooks. If this sounds like you, then the best way for you to study will be in a quiet room, alone, so that you can visualize the course material and information in your “mind’s eye.”

2) The Visual – Nonverbal Style. If this is your learning style, you learn well when information is presented in a visual format, using design and pictures. You find it beneficial when the instructor uses visual aids such as maps, charts, film, video, and diagrams. You probably find it helpful to refer to diagrams and pictures in textbooks. If this sounds like you, then you should study alone in a quiet room so that you can visualize important visual aids in your head.

3) The Tactile – Kinesthetic Style. If this is your learning style, then you find that you learn best when you must participate actively in the lesson. On material that you just can’t grasp, when you take part in “hands on” learning, it suddenly becomes clear to you. Student learning experiences, field work, workshop activities, and more are helpful for you. If this sounds like you, then you should try to find some “hands-on” activity that will help you grasp the material. For instance, making flash cards will be as helpful to you as studying them. Saying vocabulary words out loud, along with their definitions is another tactic that you’ll find beneficial.

4) The Auditory – Verbal Style. If this is your learning style, then you learn best when you hear the information. Oral lectures, tapes, and group discussions help you to truly grasp the information. If this sounds like you, then try listening to listen to audio tapes of the material as a key part of your study time (You can even record your own tapes with class notes on them). Also, group study sessions, where you listen to other students recite the information, will be helpful to you.

Not sure which learning style (or combination of styles) best fits you? Then do a Google search on “learning style assessment.” You should be able to find an assessment that will help you figure it out. Or try a learning style quiz here.

Mind Maps Maximize Study Effectiveness

Robert — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:45:53 +0000

As a student, you have to take notes for many, if not all, of your classes. You then use these to study for tests and semester exams. But there are problems with this method. For instance, many of us have incomplete notes, and many more take those notes and never again look at them.

Fortunately, there’s a better way. And it’s called mind mapping.

One of the main problems with traditional note taking is that it’s essentially a passive process. As a result, your brain doesn’t really interact much with the material. Conversely, the more your brain is involved in organized the material, the better it will recall it as you get closer to test time.

This is where mind mapping comes in. This process is especially good for visual learners. To do a good mind map, you’ll need paper (the bigger, the better) and one or more pens (More colors helps with the visual impact).

As you do your mind map, keep in mind that they tend to grow quite big, so write small. That probably means you should use pens with a fine point.

Decide what the central theme of the class session was or what the main concept of the chapter in the textbook is. Write down this main topic in the middle of your paper and draw a circle around it. You could also highlight this main topic.

Now keep listening or reading until you come to what you consider the first major sub-topic. Jot down a key phrase that summarizes this sub topic. Now draw a line connecting it to the main topic, indicating a relationship between the main topic and the sub-topic.

Every time you come to a new sub-topic, repeat this process. Soon it will start looking like a bicycle wheel with spokes, with many sub-topics surrounding one major topic.

As we hinted earlier, you might find it helpful to use different colors of pen…perhaps one color pertaining to each sub-topic or maybe you can change up colors per chapter or day.

As you continue through the book or class, you’ll come to a point that will support a sub0topic. When this happens, draw a smaller circle with a few key words in it, and connect it to the sub-topic. Now when you’re studying your mind map and you see the topic or a sub-topic, it will be easier to recall the points related to each.

How to Study for Math Classes

Robert — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:35:35 +0000

Most of us know how to study for a science or language or social studies / civics course. You simply learn the historical or scientific facts, and you should be good to go. But how do you study for a calculus or trigonometry course? Is it even possible to study for a math exam?

It is–if you know what you’re doing. Here are the rules to keep in mind.

1) It’s not enough to know the basics you must master them. There are lots of rules in higher level mathematics, but rest assured that being able to recite that rule will not help you much come exam time. You must know at a gut level how to work that rule. So the way you study is by practicing the rule with one problem after another until it becomes second nature to you.

2) Stay focused. Math is an abstract an analytical subject. It requires sustained focus. You must concentrate when you study it. You’ll learn faster if your mind stays on the problem at hand.

3) If you’re the kind who thinks math seems like a foreign language–then treat it like one. Strive to learn the vocabulary and the “grammar” (how the numbers go together). You might get a boost by learning to “speak in math.”

4) Incorporate your own learning style as you study. If you’re a visual learner, you need to learn to develop visual aids for the new principles you’re learning. Maybe you work better with groups; then find a math study group. If you prefer privacy, then make sure you get alone when you study.

5) Always try to relate what you’re learning to real-world situations. We remember what is important to us, so if you can think of actual situations where you might use the new math concept, you’re more likely to be able to remember it.

6) Have patience with yourself. Math, perhaps more than any other subject, requires skills that you can only learn after much practice and mastery. Your patience is an absolute necessity.

7) Be sure to motivate yourself with periodic rewards after you achieve certain milestones. Maybe you get a movie after you’ve mastered those five formulas, or you get to take the weekend off once you have a firm grasp on that new chapter. And why not? Mastering math is an important thing–and well worth celebrating.

Time Management for Students

brian7 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:09:56 +0000

One of the hardest lessons a student will ever need to learn is time management. Millions of dollars are spent on books, software programs, and equipment designed to help students manage their time. However, most times the students start to become overwhelmed with projects, assignments, and the administrative of their time management system. Time management styles are as complex and individual as the person. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another. Student’s can not use the same time management strategies that are used in the corporate world so how do you teach time management for students?

Stop trying to teach your students to be controlled by a calendar and time schedule in a similar manner that is followed by most corporate executives. While, Students do need to be at certain places at certain times it is unproductive to lay out a calendar that schedules “school” every day. Any corporate executive will tell you that it is easy to fall behind in their schedules and they often feel overwhelmed, why train students to be the same way? Instead students should map out their assignments and study time into a to-do list.

Many times students are seen as having poor time management because they simply have no idea where to start with their assignments and day. A to-do list can help students manage their workload on a day-by-day basis. Instead of being confronted with an entire text book to read and feeling overwhelmed by the assignment, the to-do list can break the project down into manageable sections that need to be completed each day. Large projects can be overwhelming for many people but once you start to break down the project and plan what you need to work on each day, your students will soon begin to progress through their assignments and complete everything on time.

Study Tips for High School Students
Study Tips for College Students

Improve your study skills

Creating a Strategy For Textbook Studies

brian7 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:06:37 +0000

The reading of textbooks is an integral part of your college education. Although in the classroom a teacher may cover much of the content of the subject matter, many of the details of the topic will be fleshed out from your textbook. Unfortunately much of the material can be dry and staying focused is essential to your success in the class.

In order to glean the essential information needed from your textbook it is important to follow a systematic process. This will help you retain more of what you read and make it easier to study for the next test.

Begin by reviewing the title and headers of the chapter you are reading. This is called Suveying. Surveying gives you an overview of what you are about to delve into. Surveying allows you to prepare an outline or flow of the materials you are about to cover in your reading. It allows your mind to organize and prepare for the subject matter.

In the next step of the process you will convert the chapter headings into questions. Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why or how. Write these questions down. This allows you to focus in on what you are reading and gives you purpose. When you find the answers during you reading, write them next to the questions on your paper and highlight them in the textbook.

As you are reading, make sure to note any additional subheadings on your paper along with the question these subheadings present. After you’ve finished reading the chapter, go back to your paper and make sure all of your written questions have been answered in a complete manner. Make sure there are no other questions that come to mind that need answering.

Finally, review the summary of the chapter and complete the questions at the end of the chapter. Use your notes to complete the answers and write down any questions you didn’t find in your own notes. Then you back through the chapter under the proper heading to locate these unanswered questions and write them on your paper along with the question.

Keeping a written question and answer format of your textbook reading will help you when you are involved in classroom discussion. It will allow you to probe your teacher for any answers that weren’t clear to you during you reading and will make studying for your test much easier.

Don’t forget to pay attention to any tables, charts, and photographs that are mentioned in the textbook. There is often additional information set aside in boxes on the pages that add to what is written in the body of the text. Take care to note or highlight this information as well.

More College Study Skills
More High School Study Skills

Study Strategies for Reading Novels

brian7 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:03:36 +0000

Reading novels teaches us about different worlds, eras and people. For this reason, they are an integral part of getting educated. It’s important not to be intimidated by the language and issues in novels; instead, practice strategies that help you navigate the text.

Pre-reading:

A little research – Research can be simple, like a keyword search that gives some information about the genre you are reading; the author; the time period in which the novel is set; or the subject matter of the book. These key words can generally be found on the back or inside cover of the book and will give the reader outside information to help understand the story. Research can also be more complex, like checking out a book from the library that has essays written about the novel.

Predict – Flip through the first section of the book and look for a short piece of dialogue or text. Predict what has happened. Revisit your thoughts when you get to that piece.

While reading:

New words – Keep a graph of the new words you encounter. This graph should include a box for the word, its definition, how it’s used in the book and the final box for your interpretation.

Visualize - Turn on the movie projector in your head. Take a minute during the action to visualize what is happening and what the characters look like.

Conflict – All novels have conflict. Make a graph that has the six main conflicts (character vs. character, society, technology, self, supernatural and nature) at the top with space underneath. Write the conflict at the top and then pictures or stick figures demonstrating what’s happening in the text. If you like to journal, write about it instead of drawing a picture.

Compare - Don’t be afraid to compare the characters with yourself. What would you do in that situation? How might the story have turned out differently had the main or secondary character been you?

Post-reading:

Gossip about it - Get a group together of other students who are reading the same book. By discussing the book you’ll get a deeper understanding of what happened and what there is to learn from it. Keep a list of questions you had while you read and bring them to the group. If the conversation stops, have a ‘gossip session’ discussing the characters; what’s wrong with them and what they should have done differently.

Reread – go through and reread any section or part of the novel that didn’t turn out as you expected. Check the text for something you may have missed that made the ending unclear or confusing.

The most important part of reading a novel is to enjoy the process and the story. Always look for who and what you like about a story and keep a great attitude!

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