THE FIVE STEPS OF THE WRITING PROCESS

STEP 1: PREWRITING
THINK
· Decide on a topic to write about.
· Consider who will read or listen to your written work.
· Brainstorm ideas about the subject.
· List places where you can research information.
· Do your research.

STEP 2: DRAFTING
WRITE
· Put the information you researched into your own words.
· Write sentences and paragraphs even if they are not perfect.
· Read what you have written and judge if it says what you mean.
· Show it to others and ask for suggestions.

STEP 3: REVISING
MAKE IT BETTER
· Read what you have written again.
· Think about what others said about it.
· Rearrange words or sentences.
· Take out or add parts.
· Replace overused or unclear words.
· Read your writing aloud to be sure it flows smoothly.

STEP 4: PROOFREADING
MAKE IT CORRECT
· Be sure all sentences are complete.
· Correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
· Change words that are not used correctly.
· Have someone check your work.
· Recopy it correctly and neatly.

STEP 5: PUBLISHING
SHARE THE FINISHED PRODUCT
· Read your writing aloud to a group.
· Create a book of your work.
· Send a copy to a friend or relative.
· Put your writing on display.
· Illustrate, perform, or set your creation to music.
· Congratulate yourself on a job well done!

How to Study Effectively – 8 Concentration Strategies

We found a killer list of concentration strategies for students.

This list is perfect for those who want to know the best way to cram for an exam. Check this out:

Eat Frequent Small Meals
Avoid eating a big meal before a study session. Too much food will send your body into a ‘rest’ mode. On the other hand, don’t starve yourself either. Frequent small meals are best.

Study When You’re Sharpest
Study according to your body-clock. Are you sharpest in the morning or at the evening? Schedule your most difficult materials when you are mentally at your best, and schedule the easier ones when you are mentally less efficient.

Drink Water Often
Drink plenty of water during a study session, especially when you feel sluggish. Caffeine may help you to stay awake, but it can increase your anxiety – use it in moderation.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable in Your Chair
Choose a chair that supports your back. It should be comfortable, but not too comfortable. Just like an athlete during a performance, your body should be relaxed, so that all your energy goes to where it matters – your brain.

Clear Your Desk of Everything You Don’t Need
Have everything you need on the desk. Put away what you do not need for the study session. Seeing reminders of other assessments or domestic bills may increase your anxiety and distract you.

Take Breaks Every Hour
It is important to take a break before you feel tired and lose your concentration completely. Regular breaks at least once an hour helps to sustain your concentration. If the work is not going too well and you have difficulties in concentrating, you may need a long break and go back to it later

Stretch During Your Breaks
Know and respect your concentration span which will vary from hour to hour and from day to day. When you sit for long periods, gravity draws the blood to the lower part of your body. When you take a break, take a few deep breaths and get more oxygen to your brain: try walking around and doing some light stretching for a few minutes. It will help to release tension in your body, and help your circulation.

Study at the Same Time, Same Place
Study at the same time and at the same place, devoted to study only. This helps you to associate the time and place with studying and concentrating. You will find that you get into a habit of studying as soon as you sit down.

Why Study Social Studies?

Have you ever considered why we study social studies? There are as many important reasons to study social studies as there are applications for social studies in our daily lives. A lot of students dread social studies and history, thinking it is boring, or that it is just dates, names, times and numbers and will be of no use to them in their lives. However there are many reasons that our young people need to study and understand our country's past. As a people we need to know where we came from and how we were molded into the country we are today, we need to understand past mistakes, and students may even end up using their knowledge of social studies based on their future career choices. But probably the most important reason is that studying social studies can help young people sort out their lives a bit, grasp important ideals and define who they are as people.
We as humanity and as Americans need to know how we became the people we are today. It is not enough to just know the timeline of American history, we need to understand exactly what it is that we were fighting for, put ourselves in the places of our forefathers, and try to understand their ideas and thoughts at the time they were alive. I believe we came to be the unique nation that we are by the direct influences of our forefathers, and learning their history also gives us valuable insights to understanding ourselves.

Learning from past outcomes is also very important, so that we as a society do not make the same mistakes twice. When a mistake is made it is best to learn from it and to study the circumstances and choices that could have been made instead. How a leader handled a traitor, a fight between states, a law that the people are against, a decision that does not resound well with the nation, will help our current and future leaders make better decisions for our country today. When looking at social studies and really studying it, it becomes clear to us that our past is a part of our present and our future. If we know about our great past leaders; what inspired and motivated them, how they came to their methods of creatively solving world challenges then we can use and apply this to our nation today.

As they grow older, many teenagers of recent and present generations may choose a career which incorporates the travel industry, military or politics. They may choose to become archaeologists, anthropologists, curators of museums, public relations professionals or even ambassadors. They may even find that history and social studies is their passion and go on to teach it to young people in the coming generations. In any and all of these career paths it is vital that a person know about our country's history, and having that knowledge will help them advance within their careers. These are just a few of the many examples of social studies and it's use in daily life. Social studies is not just for those who choose these kinds of career paths though, social studies is important for every citizen to study, and as a person understands our country's history they can truly understand what America is, what makes us the great nation that we are today. Social studies is equally as important as math, science or English, not only to a person but to help them understand daily life, their country and better serve as a citizen of the world.

How to Use Learning Styles to Study for Exams

Study Strategies 
If you have a strong preference for learning by aural methods, you should 
use some or all of the following: 

INTAKE
To gain information: 
• attend classes 
• attend discussions and tutorials 
• discuss topics with others 
• discuss topics with your teachers 
• explain new ideas to other people 
• use a tape recorder 
• remember the interesting examples, stories, jokes... 
• describe the overheads, pictures and other visuals to somebody who 
was not there 
• leave spaces in your notes for later recall and 'filling' 

Study Better
To make a learnable package: 

Convert your notes into a learnable package by reducing them (3:1) 

Your notes may be poor because you prefer to listen. You will need 
to expand your notes by talking with others and collecting notes 
from the textbook. 

Put your summarized notes onto tapes and listen to them. 

Ask others to 'hear' your understanding of a topic. 

Read your summarized notes aloud. 

Explain your notes to another 'aural' person. 

OUTPUT
To perform well in any test, assignment or examination: 

Imagine talking with the examiner 

Listen to your voices and write them down. 

Spend time in quiet places recalling the ideas. 

Practice writing answers to old exam questions. 

Speak your answers aloud or inside your head.

How to pass an exam: effective technique before, during & after

Love them or hate them, it’s hard to get away from exams. All that preparation before the big day, a race against the clock as you sit at the desk, and the aftermath that sometimes feels as stressful as the exam itself.

Effective technique goes beyond the exam hall. You’ll never be stress-free from the examination process, but you can limit it greatly by following these tips:

Before the exam – Preparation

Link relevant concepts together. You need to see the bigger picture, not isolated facts. Immersion in the subject itself is better than remembering individual facts.

Don’t fuss about rewriting your notes again and again. Simply copying your notes out won’t help you revise effectively. Rewriting does help some people take in key concepts, so restrict it to writing the main point as an anchor rather than regurgitating everything.

Use all your senses. Don’t just read; write out brief points that you want to solidify. Don’t just use your eyes; discuss key topics with other people on your course.

Revise in different locations to vary your intake. It also helps you recall later, because you’ll store different information at the different places. In the exam, you could recall more by picturing the different places you were and remembering what you studied in each place.

Use pictures and diagrams in places you’d usually rely on words alone. If nothing creative is forthcoming, at least try setting out your ideas in a mindmap of some sort.

Don’t go to heavy on the memorising. Some detail does need to be in your head clearly and correctly, but much of what you study is about arguing and analysing a subject, as opposed to exact recall of specific points and quotations.

Read (and attempt) past exam papers. This advice is often dished out, but many either don’t bother, or don’t take it seriously enough. When you do read through the papers, see how the questions are worded and try to grasp what is being asked of you. Look for any recurring themes across past papers so you have an idea of the kind of topics that crop up again and again.

Time yourself at writing answers to essay topics. You may be confident that you’ve got the knowledge, but it’s no use when you know it’ll take four hours to write that knowledge in a two hour exam! Learn to gauge the time you have and get the important factors written out first.

If you can’t access past papers, set your own questions or ask tutors if they’d suggest sample questions for you. If tutors are willing, don’t automatically expect these to be the questions you’re going to get! Tutors may have alternative ways of helping you revise, so hear them out.

Refer back to past lectures to get an idea of what the lecturers wanted you to focus on.

Understand the layout of the exam. Understand the logistics so you’re prepared on the day. I’m amazed at how infrequently this is done. I’ve known module handbooks handed out at the beginning of the year with the exam layout explained…yet some students haven’t bothered reading it. 

Guess what, they’re less prepared than everyone else!
Focus on what you *don’t* know. You don’t need to waste time on what’s already firmly planted in your head. I’m sure you feel good going over that stuff, but it’s not actual revision!

Practise writing basic notes on topics you think may crop up. This will help your initial preparation when in the exam. As soon as you start working on a question, you’ll have learned to list main points to cover. That way, forgetfulness won’t be an issue halfway through your. You can simply refer back to your brief list that took you a minute or two of your time. Yay!

Pack the stuff you need to take in advance. Don’t leave it until the last minute.

Make sure you know where you’re going. When I assisted in setting up exam halls, a surprising number of students came rushing along at the last minute and were clueless about where they needed to be. One or two were in the wrong place entirely and had to run to the other side of campus. Not a good way to ease into an exam!

If you’re allowed to take textbooks, notes, specialist equipment, or calculator in to the exam, remember to bring them along!



On the day and during the exam

Give plenty time for getting to the exam. Even if it’s just a one minute walk away, get there with time to spare.

Don’t revise as you’re walking into the exam! If it’s not in now, it won’t go in with seconds to spare…

Read the question properly. The difference between taking five seconds to read the question and half a minute is not that big. The difference in your answer will be huge…

Wasting time on less important points is pointless when you’re against the clock. Stick with the big issues. Mention minor detail in passing and move on.

Try to retain your focus on the bigger picture. C. A. Mace wrote about the psychology of study in 1932. Now it’s 2010 and the information is just as relevant:
“The failure to recall what is well known may be in large measure due to a type of over-concentration of attention and consequent restriction to the free play of the mind over the total field of relevant information.”
In short, try not to panic and close your mind off to the many possibilities. It’s similar to reading the same two or three words again and again as if you’re not taking them in. Let go and feel the flow!

Spend the right amount of time on each question. If marks are equally weighted on questions, give them roughly the same amount of time. If one question is worth 10% and another is worth 90%, it’s pointless spending half the exam worrying solely about the 10%.

Explain each point as clearly as possible. It’s no use burying the important stuff halfway through a paragraph. Markers are only human. If they don’t understand the point you’re making, or if they miss exactly how vital your point is, you’ll miss out on marks unnecessarily.

Set aside time for notes before you tackle the question. Before you get writing, spend a few moments preparing your answer with brief notes and key features you want to mention.

Read over the answers when you’re done. Give yourself a few minutes before the exam ends to make sure you’re happy with what you’ve written. Even if you don’t change anything, you’ll feel better having checked. And if you do change something, you’ll be happy you spotted it. Either way, you win.

Present your work neatly. Don’t rush your writing so it can’t be read by the markers! And if you need to make additions or changes, make sure it’s clearly set out.

If you have selection of questions to choose from, take them in carefully. Don’t rush into a choice. When you think you’ve made your choice, carefully read the question again to make sure you didn’t just pick up on a key word. Be absolutely sure you’re happy to answer that question.

Answer the questions in the order you want to. It’s often best to start working on the question you’re most comfortable and confident with. Many exams don’t force you to answer in number order. For instance, question 2 before question 1 should be fine. If in doubt, ask!

Don’t bash the point home too much. This isn’t a lengthy essay or dissertation effort. Make the point, justify and show working, then move on.

Keep a basic sense of order, but don’t worry about a beautifully planned work of art. Timed essay answers still need to have some flow, but you’ll be forgiven the occasional stumble. You writing doesn’t need to be as tight as in your coursework.

Don’t panic! If you can’t think straight, stop trying to concentrate for a few seconds. Take a few deep breaths and start again. If you’ve calmed down slightly, make some basic notes to help get back on track. If you still feel a mess and it’s getting worse, have a toilet break or ask to be escorted out the room for a breather. Walking away from the exam may sound like wasted time, but a massive panic is likely to waste even more time!

When short on time, do a mind dump. Briefly list the points you would have made and give short examples if you can. Expand on is as you can until the exam’s over. You may not have produced a fully formed answer, but that list should gain you some extra credit.


After the exam – Letting go

Give yourself a break. When it’s all over, some students act like they’re still in the exam and think up more points they could have made. It’s like they can’t switch off. But there’s not point in stressing further. You’re through it, so breathe a sigh of relief.

Don’t beat yourself up. No matter how you did, it’s time to let go. You did what you could and you have to draw a line under it. Look to the future, not the past.

Students around you will be comparing notes and how they fared. You don’t have to join in. What other students wrote in the exam is irrelevant and only serves to worry you and make you second guess your own effort.

Keep your performance in isolation. If you have more exams to go, it doesn’t matter how well or badly you think you did in this exam. Each one is different.

Take a break. Stop for a moment, even if you’ve got another exam that day. Always leave a gap. Due to crazy timetable issues, I’ve seen some people (fortunately not me!) who’ve had three exams in a day. Can anyone beat that!? Have a breather, even if it’s for a mere 5 or 10 minutes. Your brain deserves a rest!

Test Taking Tips for Students

There are a number of test taking tips for parents, providing information about how to make the experience easier for your child, but there are also some test taking tips specifically for students. If you've done all you can do to prepare your child for a big test, share these tips with him to make the actual taking of the test less stressful.

10 Test Taking Tips

Tip #1: Read the directions as carefully as the question. Sometimes you will be asked for the statement that doesn't fit or the answer that is least likely. If you are looking for the right answer because you missed the directions, then you aren't showing that you actually do know the material.

Tip #2: Use complete sentences during writing tests and essay questions. It helps to begin by re-stating the question. For example, "Why do you like armadillos?" could be started by saying "I like armadillos because..."

Tip #3: Read all of the answers before choosing one. That way you can eliminate all the answers you know aren't correct and have a smaller number of possible right answers.

Tip #4: Keep your eye out for key words like always, never, every, no, not and all. If these words show up in the answer, they are often a signal that this is not the correct answer. Those types of key words tend to rule out any flexibility and, for the most part, answers tend not to be absolute.

Tip #5: Skip a question if you're completely stuck on it. Wrestling to come up with an answer can not only cause you anxiety that may affect your performance on the rest of the test, but can also use up a lot of your testing time. You might be surprised how easy it is to answer the question when you come back to it.

Tip #6: Look for the best answer, not the absolutely right answer. Some achievement tests are testing your reasoning skills as well as your knowledge. That means that in some situations there are some answers that are better than others, but not one that is "the" answer.

Tip #7: Read the questions before the paragraph on a reading test. If you know what is being asked ahead of time it will help to focus your reading so that you can get the most important information the first time around.

Tip #8: Guess if you have to. Just make sure you've eliminated other possibilities first. This is particularly important on a standardized test (one with a bubble sheet). Many students who try to leave an answer blank end up misaligning their other answers, that is, filling in the bubbles on the wrong line, which can mess up the entire test.

Tip #9: Check over your answers if you have time at the end of the test. it gives you a chance to fill in ones you skipped and make sure you didn't miss any questions by mistake. Don't change an answer unless you're completely certain it's wrong. Usually, your first instinct is correct.

Tip #10: Don't stress out over the test, especially once it's done. If you've given it your best effort, that's all you can do. Worrying won't change the outcome and this one test isn't the most important thing in the world.

Exam fear!

Everyday is a test. Life is a continuous examination of your competence to live in this very challenging world. It is a series of struggles that makes you a better person. Either you pass or fail, you still gain something - the chance to become a better person.

Exams are one of the biggest fears of every person, be it a school exam, laboratory exam, or a medical exam. Whenever one hears the word "exam", he might experience a little anxiety, or even tremble with such a thought.


Being a person in this test-filled world, I have encountered a lot of examinations. Being a student has subjected me to a lot of tests which challenged my knowledge about certain things. Being a human has subjected me to a lot of medical examinations to test my state of well-being. And being God's child, I have been subjected to a lot of life's examinations, to ensure my proper functioning as God's creation.

My life has been a lot of tests.

One of the examinations that made me tremble that much is the Nursing Licensure Examinations. As soon as I entered the degree (BSN), and became a Nursing Student, I have already feared and have prepared for it. Four years in the making. Years have passed, and one major examination I need to take is fast approaching. A lot of stress, a lot of worries, and a lot of fear combined is equals to a very overwhelming feeling - a feeling of giving up. Those things gave me some sleepless nights.

The exams came up. I took it. As it ends, I released a very long sigh of relief. And to know that I passed, it's priceless.

And now, one of you, may take one of these exams in a few months. Some, still years in waiting, especially the licensure examinations. My question is... Are you ready?

There are several tips in taking these examinations. Those giving you things like "Study very hard.", or "Keep your notes, and read them regularly." These tips usually give you an idea that "oh, I need to sleep late and review.", but hey, that's not good. The brain also becomes tired after working so hard.

My dear readers, I have things to tell you if you're taking major examinations.

1. Start from the start. Taking a major examination three months from now, or even four years from now doesn't mean you will review the day or months before the examinations. Start from the start. From the first day of class, study very well. Don't take small quizzes for granted. These are very small preparations for something "BIG". Take them seriously, that way, you won't cram that much when it comes to the real thing.

2. Don't overwork yourself. Yes, we need to study very very hard, but that does not mean we need to compromise ourselves. Sleeping late just to study does not guarantee you having a high score, for your brain is very tired from that very hectic night. One thing I did, and will always do - if I'm tired from studying and nothing is entering my system already, I stop and rest. Nothing will enter anyway. That's why I am telling you that you need to start from the start, for reviewing is just "repeat-viewing", not "just-now-viewing."

3. Take your comfort food the moment you take your exam. These comfort foods will help you become relaxed as you take your exams. As you are filled of a lot of stress, these foods will surely alleviate your anxiety. Don't think about your diet, it's just on the day of the exam by the way.

4. Eat peanuts. Peanuts are known to have manganese, an element which enhances brain activity, thus making your brain active while you take an examination. Those stored in your unconscious might (MIGHT!) come out and be used as you take the test. Don't worry about the acne, it's just this day, by the way.




5. The morning before the examinations, take a bath with cold water. Though not proven, there are articles in the internet telling us that if you take a bath with cold water, 10% more of your brain will work throughout the day. This will add to the functioning neurons that our brain has. You won't lose something if you will try, right?

6. Don't worry that much. It is known that mild to moderate anxiety can increase concentration and hasten thinking, but severe anxiety will make your mind cloudy. You cannot concentrate in your work, and will eventually make you very anxious and tired. Don't worry that much. You pass, you pass. You fail, you still have the chance to pass.

7. Pray. It does not hurt to pray. Seek for guidance and help. Whether it's done months before the examinations or just right before the examinations, He will surely hear your woes and help you.

There are still things that might help you take these mind-boggling examinations. There are several strategies that you can use in order to pass them all. I used these things actually, as I was taking the licensure examinations.

You may pass these exams. But remember, it's still not the end. Always remember that..
"Everyday is a test."

Study tips for kids

There are some things that parents can do to encourage effective study:

1. Group Work
Encourage your children to study in small groups (usually groups of 3-5). They can enjoy one another’s company, but also focus on the subject of interest. By quizzing one another on appropriate subject-matter, students can teach one another. Encourage your children to attend the group with questions and answers already prepared. As they ask one another their questions, they will usually cover most of the content in great depth, sharing answers and adding insight.
2. Goal Setting
Ask your child what he or she would like to achieve in a certain subject. By setting a goal and creating a pathway to obtain that goal, your child is far more likely to perform well. Goal setting is one of the most powerful ways to obtain positive outcomes in any area of life, including school.
3. Redefine success
By making success about effort rather than results, children will feel good for working hard. They are more likely to feel that they have been successful, regardless of the result, if their time is used productively in study. This is counter-intuitive in some ways, but emphasising results increases pressure and can lead to poor outcomes. Emphasising effort reduces pressure, often promotes MORE effort, and ultimately may bring about better results!
4. Removing Distractions
Internet, phones, games, television, and any number of other distractions can be harmful to study! Get them away from ANYONE who should be studying – until the study is over.
5. Just do it
Ultimately, study is really only going to be successful if your child will sit down, be dedicated, and put in the time that is required to learn the material.
The more a parent forces a child to study, the less effective the study will be and the less motivated the child will be. But the more the parent encourages the child to manage his or her own studies, work with other students on appropriate tasks, set goals, and minimise distractions, the more the child will study and be motivated to focus on worthwhile pursuits.

Best Way For Writing Scholarship Essay

If you are looking for ways to write an effective scholarship essay, your search ends here. All you need to do is make a resolution that you will be truthful while writing it. This is not a tip that you will get on “How-to” articles and tips for being organized. This is a different dimension for approaching the same problem of writing the best scholarship essay.

The reason why I am insisting on being truthful is because a scholarship Essay is written by you and for you. It’s not about a third person or thing. If you are a worthy candidate for a scholarship, you have to be honest, at least with yourself.

You are not the only person who is applying for that scholarship. There are plenty of others and all of them are trying to manipulate the scholarship judges in their best capabilities. Not that, they are lying but they are still not all that truthful. By being truthful, you step aside from the rest of the mob. You will now put more efforts in writing the same essay because you are not allowed to brag. Those efforts will reflect in the quality of your essay and to be honest, the quality of the writing is the first thing that the scholarship judges look for in an essay. There are more ways in which it will affect the results. Your mind will be forced to be more innovative and concerned while writing the scholarship essay and this will clearly reflect in your writing.

Think honestly why you need that scholarship and why you deserve that scholarship. After that, truthfully put your thoughts on to the paper. This is all that is expected from you. If you can truthfully convince yourself as well as the judges about these two questions, there is nothing more to be achieved from that essay. Frankly speaking, you do not even need to search Google for writing an effective scholarship essay. You will have to rely on your own capabilities if you want to really win that scholarship.

Lastly, if you feel that it is worth the efforts, you can write 2 different essays and get them reviewed by somebody you know. You will be surprised to see that the essay that contains the truth is much likely to win the competition. With that said, let me end this article. All the best for your pursuit of a good scholarship. You can also try this service if you are looking for professional help on writing scholarship essay.