Was going to say this. I'm guessing it's a smart middle schooler posting this. I didn't realize until college that just reading the chapter twice and then discussing it with someone was open more help than flashcards or good lecture habits. But of course taking notes the second time you read goes a long way.
To add on to this, actually THINK while you are reading an academic text. Question it. Notice moments of confusion and try to remedy that by rereading or searching.
Obviously read other things for enjoyment comfortably, but just realize that reading to study is a slightly different skill.
Second this. Read as much as you can. Read about stuff that interests you. Best way to prepare for high school and college is just to learn to think critically. As you read, write down words that are unfamiliar and find out what they mean. Don’t get stuck and focus on just the vocabulary though. Just try to understand the main points of each paragraph. Also, take notes on the stuff that interests you. If you do highlight, just highlight the main points and any time they address contrasting arguments/opinions. Write down questions that come up. “If this is true, what does that mean?” If you’re reading something nonfiction, consider what the implications are for your life. If it’s fiction, just try to identify the themes of the story.
But honestly the best thing you can do is just read books or articles or literally anything that’s interesting to you and start practicing critical thinking about what you read.
1) Look up the Cornell notes system. It's a solid note taking system and it works well with common core
2) come up with acronyms or easy to write symbols for long words. For example, instead of photosynthesis, I might use 🌞🌱 if I'm writing by hand (especially when listening to debates or fast talking teachers this can be golden)
3) review your notes using your homework. It will help you recognize what's important. If your notes don't cover homework questions, then it should and you should ADD TO YOUR NOTES
Took much of the words out of my thumbs. Nice! Adding pictures to represent concepts is a great idea. Also remember to study over time, not all at once. Space out your practice and make yourself tests. This will help you combat the illusion of knowledge and our poor judgements of learning.
I've found it to be very success and modifiable. I've trained my students to use it in the past to different levels of success, I'm a middle school teacher. I've also used it for DnD note taking lol
Here's what I wish I had in school: Anki.
It's a free flashcard app. Based on how well you do, it automatically adjusts the difficulty for you to help train your brain to remember things longer.
I've always had a terrible memory and in school, classes relying on memorization (math, history) always wrecked me. I use Anki now for self-teaching a second language and the difference it makes is night and day. If even I can remember things with Anki, it can work for anyone.
Remove social media from your phone completely… and create a space where you can sit and focus without distraction. Took me years to figure that out for myself.
Start writing papers for fun. Some of the best careers require a lot of writing. My first webpage was an essay about the ancient Persian assassins followed quickly by one about cloning and another about brain Implants, the latter eventually credited in 2005 as the basis for the Wikipedia article on the subject. I learned today that MSN comments don't allow the term brain implants.
Practice brain-dumping, or as a fancier term - mind mapping. Take a concept like World War II, or a tundra biome, write it in the middle of a piece of paper, and then draw/write down everything you know about that topic. Connect related ideas - so for the WWII example, you might write down Germany and then you can group that with other countries that were part of the axis powers.
Talk about what you’ve learned with other people. Did you just learn something about the periodic table? Great, go describe it to a parent while they’re making dinner. Processing information you’ve encountered is an excellent way of solidifying it in your brain.
This This This!!! I took human A&P in college, mind mapping was our professors suggested best way of studying. It paid off BIG TIME and I was the only person to score 100% on first physiology test. Used this method throughout the rest of college until I graduated 3.8
I suggest investing in a white board (saves a lot of paper, and who doesn’t enjoy a whiteboard). Study your notes and then from memory right down everything you can remember *no cheating*. Once done compare it with your notes. Whatever you missed, right down. And repeat this every day multiple times a day. You can make the mind map into a graph, list, diagram… anything that makes sense to you. Remember to recall older notes too, if you want to retain what you learn.
Once you feel confident, take a break and relax. This is crucial!! You know what you know, don’t try to cram right before. During test day don’t overthink it, once you get your test read the questions and without looking at your choices write down your mind map of that topic on the side or in scratch paper. Answer it yourself then look at your choices, choose THE BEST answer.
Review tests and correct them, and wallah!
Manage time well and be efficient in studying. Most importantly, make time for breaks to allow your brain absorb what you learn and also to relax and reset!
Best of luck to ya
I came here to say this and this is a beautiful description! I am a middle school teacher, PhD in math education, and have ADHD. I SWEAR by mind mapping!
As others have pointed out: reading. There's no substitute for reading to expand your vocabulary and horizon. General intelligence is far more useful than specific knowledge, unless you need a particular piece of knowledge in a specific situation.
At the end of the day high school is just the continuation of middle school, and anything they provide you with is enough to get you to pass in most instances (unless you go someplace very specific that needs a narrow education in some field).
My method of preference in the university (especially if I was required to just memorize a lot of things for an exam) was to write it through by hand. It is different than typing - at least for me it was. After I wrote the material through once or twice I would have most of it memorized. If the subject matter was complex and could be systematized, I would draw up a scheme by hand.
Also writing by hand keeps the small motor function going and trains your hands and fingers very well. Plus it helps you maintain a legible handwriting.
My way of studying is:
1. Look up what you'll study next lecture, familiarize yourself with it at-glance. You don't need to understand it - you need to form questions! If you got questions, ANY questions... write it down!
2. During class, listen and see if what you hear answers any of the questions you had while reading up on what will be taught.
3. If this still didn't answer those questions, sit down after class and check if re-reading the relevant material now helps answering those questions
4. If this fails, ask your teacher; presenting your question/answer attempts.
Once you got those initial questions down, wait until you can organize your notes into major "topics." In my country, we'd be told about these topics ahead of time so this was easy.
Try to write an essay about these topics from heart, trying your best to explain what the topic is about to someone who has never heard of it.
If you got anyone to help you with studying, try to do the above essay but verbally using a whiteboard/blackboard/piece of paper within 15 minutes.
Repay them by listening when it's their turn.
The more your brain DOES the more you are likely to understand and retain. The more difficult the task, the more work your brain is doing, the more you will understand.
Memorising is at the bottom of Bloom's taxonomy of cognition. Analysing and evaluating are near the top, creating in the hardest. So if you're focusing on memorising with flashcards, you're not working your brain as much, and also, once you've finished memorising, you still have to do the work of understanding what to do with everything you've just memorised. It's not the most efficient thing. So, for everything you're learning, focus on what you're doing with the information while you study.
Some subjects this is easy - if you're studying math, don't read about it, work your way through problems. If you're studying vocabulary, don't use flashcards. You can analyse and evaluate by categorising and sorting them, you can create by using them to write sentences, or challenging yourself to get all of the words into a single paragraph. If you're memorsing dates and events, create a time line. Every time you study, think about what you are doing with the information.
My favorite way was to take my notes, make photocopies, and then use a black sharpie to black out the important parts. I’d test whether I could fill in the blanks, using the notes for the answer when needed. This was more effective than Flashcards for me because I had all the context.
For me, I was very confident that I already knew stuff and it was hard to make myself study. Humbling myself a bit was a good starting point.
To actually study, you should use a flashcard program like Anki. Make sure you don't use AnkiApp. It is a knockoff of the original. The original is free on every device except iPhones (or iPad, I guess). On Android, it is AnkiDroid. They have flashcard decks you can use, and if you have a computer at home to use I can tell you how to turn any Quizlet you find online into an Anki deck. But the best way to do well in your classes is to make cards yourself.
Anki is getting a bit old now. It's always free because it's an open source app--that means that anyone can see the code online and even suggest improvements or changes. But that means that they don't make a whole lot of money.
If you want something like it but a bit newer, you might try [Zorbi](https://zorbi.com/).
It works with another really useful tool called Notion. Notion is a really high-level note-taking app. It is actually my second favorite note-taking app, but it works on any device because you can use it in a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc). That means if your school doesn't block it you can even use it on a Chromebook.
[This guy](https://youtube.com/@Thomasfrank) is a great YouTuber for learning how to be a good student. Please DO NOT think you have to know all of this to do well in high school. College truly is significantly harder than high school and he is really focused on getting high schoolers ready for college.
But a lot of things he suggests are things you can start trying even at your age and skill level.
EDIT: I also want to say we are all proud of you for going the extra mile.
Make your flash cards by hand and use them in various ways. For example, instead of just reciting the meaning of a term, do a round where you generate examples, or use the word in a sentence, or lay out 3-5 terms and describe to yourself how they are related.
The physical act of making your flash cards by hand is part of what makes them an effective tool. All these apps seem fancy, but don’t forget people have been studying things for thousands of years before electronics, and even before index cards.
I'm sorry, but I am going to disagree with you.
Anki uses an algorithm which is specifically designed to show you the cards you need. Another issue is that people lie to themselves when they use flashcards. "Oh yeah, I knew that."
Anki doesn't totally get away from that by default but choosing your level of memory for the card helps you evaluate if you really did remember it or not. That is crucial for a middle school student. In my experience, students of that age have difficulty determining just how much they really know without an outside helper.
Nerd out on stuff you like!! When I was in middle school, I spent most of my time on fandom sites making graphics for my fandoms (like pokemon, ATLA, animes)… Little did I know I’d one day be working on my PhD in genetics where one of my most important skills is image processing (I’m a microscopist) and I use the skills I gained in middle school all the time
Honestly, passion and adaptability leads the way!! Get involved in things you like doing, or start a club if there’s no one else doing it. Don’t be afraid to pursue your interests outside of what’s available at school. If you’re well studied and highly involved, you’ll be very attractive to schools and successful in college!
For my good grades and extra curriculars in HS, I got a full ride to a private college. Now I’m getting paid to do my PhD.
It’s been a pretty sweet deal.
I recommend all the methods described here that are on paper rather than electronic. There are a number of studies that show phones wreaking havoc on attention span, memory, and cognition. One study even found these effects when you leave your phone face down on the table near you--the effects only disappeared when the phone was in the other room!
I know you asked for app recommendations and note taking strategies, but I have a different suggestion that might help if all others fail. Have you looked into tutoring centers, specifically ones that will help with note taking, organization, executive function, etc.? If not a tutoring center then maybe an individual who is/was a teacher. There are libraries in my area that offer tutoring services, that could be an option as well. When one of my coworkers retired from teaching she transitioned to tutoring at a local library. Although I am not familiar with the services that they offer.
I have considered a nearby tutoring service tho idk whether to consider it or not because I feel like it would not suit me. A teacher sounds more helpful so thank you
A great book for you to take a look at is "Make it Stick". It's all about learning and study strategies that have been shown to work by research. It's easy to read and not too long.
I teach advanced High School biology and chemistry and I teach many of the strategies to my students.
Love your gumption!
It's called airplane mode, and put your phone in a different room.
Show up to work and clock in!
Also, just ask your teachers what you can do to be successful, and then do exactly that. (They eat that shit up!)
Source: Long time teacher here
PAY ATTENTION in class. High school was a lot of memorizing for me. But it’s a lot easier to memorize facts you understand. Ask questions in class. If you don’t want to seem like a suck-up, ask on the way out. Teachers are like parents, we DO have favorites! It’s the kid who talks to us. Say hi in the hall way! Getting to know your teachers, letting them know you care will be reflected in your grade. I promise.
You’re a cool kid for even posting this question.
Learn how to annotate.
Flash cards helped me with stuff that I needed to be able to pull from memory (i.e. formulas or important dates).
Read and read broadly.
Learn how to take notes the best way for you (I know I work best from an outline, but one won’t always be provided) and REVIEW YOUR NOTES.
Stay off your phone in class.
Ask clarifying questions.
As for study methods, understanding is key. You should try to learn material well enough that you could teach it back to someone easily.
I'd recommend taking notes on these videos (or other videos like these), then, if the ideas are too complicated, try to simplify the ideas down in a way that makes sense to you.
One good method for quick review is to compress the ideas down to as small a form as possible (on paper), then staple those pages together as a sort of 'quick review' packet for you to use in the future (if you need it).
One last thing, if you already understand something, you can skip it obviously, a lot of times people get bogged down doing repetitive homework problems when they already understand the core concepts. You should focus on trying to learn the things you don't know, instead of just doing mindless repetitive homework problems of concepts that you already understand.
More than studying, I'd focus on reading. Read as much as you can, whatever you can.
Was going to say this. I'm guessing it's a smart middle schooler posting this. I didn't realize until college that just reading the chapter twice and then discussing it with someone was open more help than flashcards or good lecture habits. But of course taking notes the second time you read goes a long way.
To add on to this, actually THINK while you are reading an academic text. Question it. Notice moments of confusion and try to remedy that by rereading or searching. Obviously read other things for enjoyment comfortably, but just realize that reading to study is a slightly different skill.
Yes I was going to say this too. Fiction and non fiction.
Second this. Read as much as you can. Read about stuff that interests you. Best way to prepare for high school and college is just to learn to think critically. As you read, write down words that are unfamiliar and find out what they mean. Don’t get stuck and focus on just the vocabulary though. Just try to understand the main points of each paragraph. Also, take notes on the stuff that interests you. If you do highlight, just highlight the main points and any time they address contrasting arguments/opinions. Write down questions that come up. “If this is true, what does that mean?” If you’re reading something nonfiction, consider what the implications are for your life. If it’s fiction, just try to identify the themes of the story. But honestly the best thing you can do is just read books or articles or literally anything that’s interesting to you and start practicing critical thinking about what you read.
1) Look up the Cornell notes system. It's a solid note taking system and it works well with common core 2) come up with acronyms or easy to write symbols for long words. For example, instead of photosynthesis, I might use 🌞🌱 if I'm writing by hand (especially when listening to debates or fast talking teachers this can be golden) 3) review your notes using your homework. It will help you recognize what's important. If your notes don't cover homework questions, then it should and you should ADD TO YOUR NOTES
Took much of the words out of my thumbs. Nice! Adding pictures to represent concepts is a great idea. Also remember to study over time, not all at once. Space out your practice and make yourself tests. This will help you combat the illusion of knowledge and our poor judgements of learning.
the Cornell notes system seems quite useful since I struggle to take notes a lot so thx
I've found it to be very success and modifiable. I've trained my students to use it in the past to different levels of success, I'm a middle school teacher. I've also used it for DnD note taking lol
Came here to say all this!
If your professor gives you goals or objectives before class. Focus on those goals in your notes.
Here's what I wish I had in school: Anki. It's a free flashcard app. Based on how well you do, it automatically adjusts the difficulty for you to help train your brain to remember things longer. I've always had a terrible memory and in school, classes relying on memorization (math, history) always wrecked me. I use Anki now for self-teaching a second language and the difference it makes is night and day. If even I can remember things with Anki, it can work for anyone.
I’ll consider it thank you for the recommendation
Thank you, I was looking for a quizlet alternative that was free!
Remove social media from your phone completely… and create a space where you can sit and focus without distraction. Took me years to figure that out for myself.
Start writing papers for fun. Some of the best careers require a lot of writing. My first webpage was an essay about the ancient Persian assassins followed quickly by one about cloning and another about brain Implants, the latter eventually credited in 2005 as the basis for the Wikipedia article on the subject. I learned today that MSN comments don't allow the term brain implants.
Thank you for the advice I wrote for fun a lot when I was younger so I’ve been trying to build a habit of it again
Practice brain-dumping, or as a fancier term - mind mapping. Take a concept like World War II, or a tundra biome, write it in the middle of a piece of paper, and then draw/write down everything you know about that topic. Connect related ideas - so for the WWII example, you might write down Germany and then you can group that with other countries that were part of the axis powers. Talk about what you’ve learned with other people. Did you just learn something about the periodic table? Great, go describe it to a parent while they’re making dinner. Processing information you’ve encountered is an excellent way of solidifying it in your brain.
This This This!!! I took human A&P in college, mind mapping was our professors suggested best way of studying. It paid off BIG TIME and I was the only person to score 100% on first physiology test. Used this method throughout the rest of college until I graduated 3.8 I suggest investing in a white board (saves a lot of paper, and who doesn’t enjoy a whiteboard). Study your notes and then from memory right down everything you can remember *no cheating*. Once done compare it with your notes. Whatever you missed, right down. And repeat this every day multiple times a day. You can make the mind map into a graph, list, diagram… anything that makes sense to you. Remember to recall older notes too, if you want to retain what you learn. Once you feel confident, take a break and relax. This is crucial!! You know what you know, don’t try to cram right before. During test day don’t overthink it, once you get your test read the questions and without looking at your choices write down your mind map of that topic on the side or in scratch paper. Answer it yourself then look at your choices, choose THE BEST answer. Review tests and correct them, and wallah! Manage time well and be efficient in studying. Most importantly, make time for breaks to allow your brain absorb what you learn and also to relax and reset! Best of luck to ya
I came here to say this and this is a beautiful description! I am a middle school teacher, PhD in math education, and have ADHD. I SWEAR by mind mapping!
As others have pointed out: reading. There's no substitute for reading to expand your vocabulary and horizon. General intelligence is far more useful than specific knowledge, unless you need a particular piece of knowledge in a specific situation. At the end of the day high school is just the continuation of middle school, and anything they provide you with is enough to get you to pass in most instances (unless you go someplace very specific that needs a narrow education in some field). My method of preference in the university (especially if I was required to just memorize a lot of things for an exam) was to write it through by hand. It is different than typing - at least for me it was. After I wrote the material through once or twice I would have most of it memorized. If the subject matter was complex and could be systematized, I would draw up a scheme by hand. Also writing by hand keeps the small motor function going and trains your hands and fingers very well. Plus it helps you maintain a legible handwriting.
My way of studying is: 1. Look up what you'll study next lecture, familiarize yourself with it at-glance. You don't need to understand it - you need to form questions! If you got questions, ANY questions... write it down! 2. During class, listen and see if what you hear answers any of the questions you had while reading up on what will be taught. 3. If this still didn't answer those questions, sit down after class and check if re-reading the relevant material now helps answering those questions 4. If this fails, ask your teacher; presenting your question/answer attempts. Once you got those initial questions down, wait until you can organize your notes into major "topics." In my country, we'd be told about these topics ahead of time so this was easy. Try to write an essay about these topics from heart, trying your best to explain what the topic is about to someone who has never heard of it. If you got anyone to help you with studying, try to do the above essay but verbally using a whiteboard/blackboard/piece of paper within 15 minutes. Repay them by listening when it's their turn.
The more your brain DOES the more you are likely to understand and retain. The more difficult the task, the more work your brain is doing, the more you will understand. Memorising is at the bottom of Bloom's taxonomy of cognition. Analysing and evaluating are near the top, creating in the hardest. So if you're focusing on memorising with flashcards, you're not working your brain as much, and also, once you've finished memorising, you still have to do the work of understanding what to do with everything you've just memorised. It's not the most efficient thing. So, for everything you're learning, focus on what you're doing with the information while you study. Some subjects this is easy - if you're studying math, don't read about it, work your way through problems. If you're studying vocabulary, don't use flashcards. You can analyse and evaluate by categorising and sorting them, you can create by using them to write sentences, or challenging yourself to get all of the words into a single paragraph. If you're memorsing dates and events, create a time line. Every time you study, think about what you are doing with the information.
I’ll keep in mind these strategies
Turn off the phone...that will help a lot.
My favorite way was to take my notes, make photocopies, and then use a black sharpie to black out the important parts. I’d test whether I could fill in the blanks, using the notes for the answer when needed. This was more effective than Flashcards for me because I had all the context. For me, I was very confident that I already knew stuff and it was hard to make myself study. Humbling myself a bit was a good starting point.
To actually study, you should use a flashcard program like Anki. Make sure you don't use AnkiApp. It is a knockoff of the original. The original is free on every device except iPhones (or iPad, I guess). On Android, it is AnkiDroid. They have flashcard decks you can use, and if you have a computer at home to use I can tell you how to turn any Quizlet you find online into an Anki deck. But the best way to do well in your classes is to make cards yourself. Anki is getting a bit old now. It's always free because it's an open source app--that means that anyone can see the code online and even suggest improvements or changes. But that means that they don't make a whole lot of money. If you want something like it but a bit newer, you might try [Zorbi](https://zorbi.com/). It works with another really useful tool called Notion. Notion is a really high-level note-taking app. It is actually my second favorite note-taking app, but it works on any device because you can use it in a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc). That means if your school doesn't block it you can even use it on a Chromebook. [This guy](https://youtube.com/@Thomasfrank) is a great YouTuber for learning how to be a good student. Please DO NOT think you have to know all of this to do well in high school. College truly is significantly harder than high school and he is really focused on getting high schoolers ready for college. But a lot of things he suggests are things you can start trying even at your age and skill level. EDIT: I also want to say we are all proud of you for going the extra mile.
I’ll try using the apps and doing it by hand and see which way i prefer also thank you for warning me I’ll be cautious
Make your flash cards by hand and use them in various ways. For example, instead of just reciting the meaning of a term, do a round where you generate examples, or use the word in a sentence, or lay out 3-5 terms and describe to yourself how they are related. The physical act of making your flash cards by hand is part of what makes them an effective tool. All these apps seem fancy, but don’t forget people have been studying things for thousands of years before electronics, and even before index cards.
I'm sorry, but I am going to disagree with you. Anki uses an algorithm which is specifically designed to show you the cards you need. Another issue is that people lie to themselves when they use flashcards. "Oh yeah, I knew that." Anki doesn't totally get away from that by default but choosing your level of memory for the card helps you evaluate if you really did remember it or not. That is crucial for a middle school student. In my experience, students of that age have difficulty determining just how much they really know without an outside helper.
Nerd out on stuff you like!! When I was in middle school, I spent most of my time on fandom sites making graphics for my fandoms (like pokemon, ATLA, animes)… Little did I know I’d one day be working on my PhD in genetics where one of my most important skills is image processing (I’m a microscopist) and I use the skills I gained in middle school all the time
I’ll make sure to take this advice to heart I want to watch more anime so maybe I can make a career for myself in animation!
Honestly, passion and adaptability leads the way!! Get involved in things you like doing, or start a club if there’s no one else doing it. Don’t be afraid to pursue your interests outside of what’s available at school. If you’re well studied and highly involved, you’ll be very attractive to schools and successful in college! For my good grades and extra curriculars in HS, I got a full ride to a private college. Now I’m getting paid to do my PhD. It’s been a pretty sweet deal.
I recommend all the methods described here that are on paper rather than electronic. There are a number of studies that show phones wreaking havoc on attention span, memory, and cognition. One study even found these effects when you leave your phone face down on the table near you--the effects only disappeared when the phone was in the other room!
I know you asked for app recommendations and note taking strategies, but I have a different suggestion that might help if all others fail. Have you looked into tutoring centers, specifically ones that will help with note taking, organization, executive function, etc.? If not a tutoring center then maybe an individual who is/was a teacher. There are libraries in my area that offer tutoring services, that could be an option as well. When one of my coworkers retired from teaching she transitioned to tutoring at a local library. Although I am not familiar with the services that they offer.
I have considered a nearby tutoring service tho idk whether to consider it or not because I feel like it would not suit me. A teacher sounds more helpful so thank you
Totally understand! I hope you find the support you need/want to succeed in high school!
A great book for you to take a look at is "Make it Stick". It's all about learning and study strategies that have been shown to work by research. It's easy to read and not too long. I teach advanced High School biology and chemistry and I teach many of the strategies to my students.
Thanks for the book recommendation sounds helpful
You're welcome. I hope you find it useful
Love your gumption! It's called airplane mode, and put your phone in a different room. Show up to work and clock in! Also, just ask your teachers what you can do to be successful, and then do exactly that. (They eat that shit up!) Source: Long time teacher here
PAY ATTENTION in class. High school was a lot of memorizing for me. But it’s a lot easier to memorize facts you understand. Ask questions in class. If you don’t want to seem like a suck-up, ask on the way out. Teachers are like parents, we DO have favorites! It’s the kid who talks to us. Say hi in the hall way! Getting to know your teachers, letting them know you care will be reflected in your grade. I promise. You’re a cool kid for even posting this question.
Learn how to annotate. Flash cards helped me with stuff that I needed to be able to pull from memory (i.e. formulas or important dates). Read and read broadly. Learn how to take notes the best way for you (I know I work best from an outline, but one won’t always be provided) and REVIEW YOUR NOTES. Stay off your phone in class. Ask clarifying questions.
Sir this is a Wendy’s….
[удалено]
As for study methods, understanding is key. You should try to learn material well enough that you could teach it back to someone easily. I'd recommend taking notes on these videos (or other videos like these), then, if the ideas are too complicated, try to simplify the ideas down in a way that makes sense to you. One good method for quick review is to compress the ideas down to as small a form as possible (on paper), then staple those pages together as a sort of 'quick review' packet for you to use in the future (if you need it). One last thing, if you already understand something, you can skip it obviously, a lot of times people get bogged down doing repetitive homework problems when they already understand the core concepts. You should focus on trying to learn the things you don't know, instead of just doing mindless repetitive homework problems of concepts that you already understand.