Making flashcards

I want to try something new in my learning style. I want to use FlashCards.

Only I don't know anything about it, how you use it and how it works. I guess it is something with questions and answers, on the other side..

So, what I found, quickly on the internet is:

'Flashcards remain one of the best tools for memorizing information. The most common way to create flashcards is to use index cards. Students can simply write the question on one side and the answer on the opposite side and test themselves repeatedly. However, there are several ways to modify this process to enhance the learning experience.' Source

And how to make them:

• I'm going to print the questions. And I will write the answers on it with hand. With that, I already have seen the answer, and learned it in a different way
• I found a program called 'make bootable flashcards' on my computer, I will check it if it is usuable, or just some wacko microsoft thing again ;)

Where I'm going to use it for:

• Biology, the same class as where I tested iPod Studying on. Because here I do have some questions and answers, which are hard to memorize!
• Maybe sociology, because this is one of the classes with a lot of questions!

Maybe you have any tips for me with flashcards, because I'm just going to test it, do you use it, how do you use it? Let me know!

Keep in touch for the rest of the experiment!

8 things that has to be in every student bag

What should be in every senior's schoolbag?

Which things can't be missed in your bag?

There are a couple of things which are variable in my backpack. Like my books and my lunch.

But there are a couple of consistant things in my bag, what should be always in every student bag!

1. Your map with notes. I keep all my notes (and small assignments) in one map, all my notes from every class. And I will always carry that map. So I got always my notes I took in class with me, so if I have nothing to do, I can always look at that!
2. A pencil, or so you can underline your notes, or things in your books, which your hopefully carrying with you.
3. Agenda/diary, to set all your deadlines, know what you have to do and when you have to do it. You can also put something like your grades in it, or adresses, random notes/quotes. I actually don't use it. But it is in my backpack, all the time.
4. A pen, of course, you can use the pencil for everything. But I prefer the colour blue above grey. And it writes easier, and clearer.
5. Bottle of water, or just an empty bottle, which you can fill. But keep yourself hydrated, and you can concentrate better in class.
6. In this time of the year (winter on the northern hemisphere), some kind of lipsalve. Else you get bursted lips, what nobody wants!
7. Your earphones, for your iPod or telephone, so IF you recorded some notes you can always listen to it. Or just listen to some normal music, if you don't want to do something all the time.
8. A notebook. I just got an A4 notebook, where I write all my ideas in. If you are having a creative moment, capture it and put it down, so you won't forget. What I also do is taking a paper from it, and make some small cards from it. That is where I write my todo's on. This notebook can't be missed from my bag.

So, now you know the content of my bag, what about yours? Share it in the comments!

iPod Studying #2

A couple of weeks ago I posted something about iPod Studying with the promise that I would test it.

Well, I did.

I found some pro's and cons.

Pro:

• You can relisten it whenever you want. Like me, I listen to it when I am on the bycicle.
• You check your notes again. When there is something which doesn't make sense, you see it immediatly, cause you have to record it. If you read it, you wouldn't notice.
• You practice speaking. I talk to fast some times, and don't articulate good enough. Now I hear it myself.

Con:

• I takes a lot of time. It does, if you are not normal to make summary's, that will take a lot of time (well, that is a good thing actually ;)). And recording take also much time.
• You can not rely on it. When you listen to it on the road, you can be distracted. So studying on your iPod is not enough.
• I am a visual learner. So I can't just listen to it. But because I already looked at it, understood it, it is more like a repeatition of what I already know.

Conclusion

Yes, it is a good way of studying. But you can not study just on your iPod. You have to see it first, and repeat everything you learned in your ears.

I would recommend it!

How are your experiences with studying with your iPod?

I will try it more, and come up with more problems, or ways to use it better! Stay tuned!

School Hacks: 7 things to do in an intermediate hour

In the list of school hacks, here are some tips to use your time between your lessons good.

I got 6 of them in a week. Scheduled.

6 hours between my classes. Plus the hours I get when a teacher is ill.

So during this year, and last year when I had 7, I learned some things to do during that hour.

• Make homework. The one who will be praised by the teachers. "But you will have so much extra time, you can do so much homework!" It is true. It is good spending of that time.
• Going to the market and buy chips. Just great. Say to your classmates "Let's go to the supermarket" and they will join. Buy chips, eat it outside and feel good the rest of the day.
• Making your callings. If you know you have an intermediate hour, and you know you have to do some phonecalls. Schedule them then.
• Read your reader. This is where I put most of my time in. Read the items on my reader. Read all those blogs!
• Write a blog! I don't do it, but I do write ideas and work them out. But if you have acces to a computer, you can do it.
• Driving lessons. I want to do it in a couple of weeks. I just turned 18 (the age when you may start lessons) so I will try to plan lessons in my intermediate hours.
• Assemble with some persons in whatever kinda project. If all the other projectmembers also have an intermediate hour, it's the perfect time!

So you can use your time usefull in intermediate hours. I think it is a important thing to use your time on school usefull, it is a good way to getting things done!

What do you do in intermediate hours? Share it in the comments!

iPod Studying

I have read something about recording the stuff you need to learn.

Call it mini-lectures.

After I have read that, I started to think. How can I use this, and how to apply.

I am actually a more visual student, I think. But I will definitly try it.

I have to cycle to the swimming training, every week. Then I have to cycle for a half an hour. So that is the perfect moment to relisten some mini-lectures. The perfect studying.

I will start the recording this evening. Just like the girl in the article did, I will start with biology. Things like math is hard to record, and to understand without any visual support.

How I will do it:

• Make a summary of the text. I will do this for biology. It contains over 90 pages, which I can reduce to less than 20. So that will be a good start.
• Add your notes to the summary. I will add the notes I took during class to it. So it will be complete.
• Record it. Record it in pieces. So you can choose the subject you want to listen, later. I will record it with my mobile phone, that is good enough.
• Play it, and learn. Cause I recorded it on my mobile phone, I will also play it on my phone. That will work. I will play it when I am on my bicycle, cause that is the time I am looking for something to do (without falling).

So, starting this evening! I am curious if it will work.

If it does work, I will defenitly use it with other classes also!

I will write another blog about it, next week I guess, when I have tried it!

I have tried it, and wrote something about it! Here are some pro's and cons