Study Prof

ETS, makers of the GRE test, has a new, updated web portal with information about the test, practice materials, and a place to register. Check it out.

I know what you’re thinking, “Should I really question everything?” You’re such a smart-aleck, but the answer is, “yes!” at least if you want to hoover the knowledge-nuggets right out of whatever you’re studying and make yourself into the uber-scholar you always new you could be.

Posing kick-ask questions–and thinking carefully through how you might answer them–is a well-researched method of deepening comprehension and increasing recall (not to mention totally amping up your cred with the prof). But what constitutes a good question? And how can one learn how to ask them with all the speed and tenacity of an espresso-filled four-year old?

Good questions are questions that require (more…)

Procrastination Killer Number Five - Mr. Pot o’ Gold AKA Pollyanna

Know what the big difference between morning people and most-definitely-NOT-morning people is? It’s what they think about when they first wake up.

Most-definitely-NOT-morning people start off dreading the long commute to work, mentally moaning about the big project they are supposed to be churning out, indulging in angst over their four-mile run they have to do after class. Grrr.

Little Ms. Morning Glory, on the other hand, starts her day by thinking how great it will be to see her friends at work, dreaming of how good it will feel to get the big project done, imagining how nice it will be to finally fit in that size 4 dress because she’s been so diligent about her exercise. Can’t wait to get started! Rainbows! Unicorns! (more…)

Procrastination Killer Number Four – Mr. Loud Mouth

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Procrastination Killer Number Three - Mr. Carrotstick AKA Mo Flies

You know the old saw; motivate the donkey by whacking it with a stick on its namesake while dangling a carrot in front of the pointy end. Bad news. You’re the donkey in this scenario. Nevertheless, give some thought to stick and carrot.

How will you whack yourself? With what cheap and ready annoyance can you persecute your mulish self should you dally? (more…)

Procrastination Killer Number Two – Mr. Slice-n-dice

Little strokes fell great oaks. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The journey of a thousand miles begins with …. Don’t make me pull out my beeg aphorisms.

Whatever terrible task is your current bitter procrastination pill, realize you don’t have to do it all right now. You just need to take the next step. Yes, I know every self-help guru worthy of his (more…)

Pain. Punish. Pustule. Proctology. Procrastinate. See how it just fits right in? It’s the cement shoes on your academic career. It’s the shooter on the grassy knoll as your presidential parade putters by. Well someone needs to take procrastination out, blind fold him in front of a brick wall, hand him his last cigarette, and yell, “Fire!” Here’s some stone cold killers who will pull the trigger. (more…)

If you’ve been following my posts on StudyProf.com you can still do so, but I also have a Facebook page.

You should immediately go there and “like” me.

Ten people who did this achieved everlasting fuzzy happiness (rainbows, unicorns, etc.).

Ten people who didn’t visit my Facebook page and click on the big “LIKE” button at the top within ten minutes of reading this turned blue, started wearing pointy hats, and developed unsightly addictions to Smurf memorabilia.

So you prolly oughta’ play it safe and go “like” it before it’s too late.

The college library at Harvard (pronounced Hahhhh-vuhd) gives a simple, sweet summary on how best to digest your college reading. Get some ivy-league  insight on…

1. Previewing
2. Annotating
3. Outlining, Summarizing, Analyzing
4. Looking for Patterns
5. Contextualizing
6. Comparing and Contrasting

If these sound suspiciously like the advice I’ve been giving in my posts and in my Secrets Smart Students Know ebook on reading it’s because it is! “Great minds” and all that…

Working on reading comprehension for the GRE and SAT essays? Obviously, you won’t have time to do all six steps above. However, getting in the habit of reading deeply and thinking about college level texts will definitely amp up your baseline reading comprehension skills. Bottom line? Increased essay scores on the GRE and SAT.

Interrogating Texts: 6 Reading Habits to Develop in Your First Year at Harvard

Fourteen-year-old Milo Beckman did some great research to determine that longer SAT essays get higher scores. His finding are backed up by an MIT researcher who has found that length accurately predicts score 90% of the time. BONUS: Milo considered causality. He determined that length is actually what’s causing the higher score. It’s not just that better writers write more! Go Milo!

P.S. Since the GRE is a close cousin to the SAT and the essays are graded in a similar manner, it wouldn’t hurt to write more on the GRE essays as well!