Sometimes, it is just not fun to have to study, especially when you see other people out and about, doing fun things. But when you study with a friend, you know that you are not suffering alone, and that makes it somewhat more tolerable. Also, you have someone to help explain concepts or problems you don’t understand, and vice versa.

My main problem when I try to study with my friends is that we end up talking more about Desperate Housewives than the class we are supposed to be studying. I have a feeling I’m not alone in this habit.

So is there any way you can get the benefits of studying with a friend without getting sidetracked? I attended a seminar about the benefits of group learning and how to make it the most efficient use of your study time.

Here are some study tips that can help you and your study partner out.

1. Set an agenda. If you know what you have to study during your study session, you can make a list and check off each thing as you learn it. Put something rewarding at the end of your list, like a trip to the ice-cream shop, to motivate both you and your partner to stay on task.

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There really is not enough time in the day. We are supposed to sleep eight hours, attend classes, eat meals, maybe go to the gym, study and for some students, work a part-time job. The list seems endless.

Some days I wake up at six o’clock in the morning, go to classes and my job, and don’t get home until eleven at night. On these crazy days, I have no time to sit down with my textbooks and notes to study. What is a college gal with a hectic schedule to do about finding time to study?

She just has to get creative.

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I try to be a self-regulated learner. Self-regulated learners often do better on tests and assignments. They learn better and retain what they have learned longer. But what is a self-regulated learner?

A self-regulated learner is someone who takes charge of their own learning. A good example of a self-regulated learner is when a baby learns to sit up on his own. Nobody is sitting there, encouraging the baby and quizzing him on how to sit; he just does it himself. He is self-motivated and teaches himself how to do it. Another example is making a mock-exam before a test and quizzing yourself. Nobody told you to do that, but if you do, you will probably learn more from it and remember the material better than if you just went to a review session. Read the rest of this entry »

Scoring an "F" on a paper might be a thing of the past, thanks to new public education practices.

Nobody likes spending an entire semester struggling to understand a difficult course, only to get an “F” and have to retake the class. Well, that is now illegal in some states, including California, Massachusetts, and Texas.

Many middle and high schools around the nation have done away with failing grades. Some schools now give students an “H” grade, which means grades are being held until the student does some sort of make-up work to improve his/her grade. A policy known as “ZAP” (Zeros Aren’t Permitted) is also being used to give students extra time to finish a late assignment.

Is this practice going to improve the education that students receive? Nobody knows yet. Students like this policy because it gives them a chance to continue trying to understand a subject until they grasp it, without the chance of failing a grade and falling behind in their education. However, several case studies have shown that only 16% of students who received an “H” grade passed the class during their second semester. Read the rest of this entry »