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  • High School

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    Practice Test Questions – How to Prepare for a test – How to Answer Multiple Choice – How to Study – How to Study — What Students Say

    High School Equivalency

    CHSPE      Canadian GED     HiSET     TASC

    Study Practice APPs

    CHSPE — PERT — Canadian GED — Nelson Denny

    Catholic and Private School Entrance Tests

    HSPT      ISEE        SHSAT     COOP      TACHS

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    ACT — SAT

    The complete guide to multiple choice!

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    Learn More >>>

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    • Miller Analogies (MAT)
  • Math

    How to Take a Test

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    Most Popular

    HESI   GED   CHSPE

    College Math – Practice and Workbooks

    ACCUPLACER      College Placement      COMPASS     CUNY

    High School Math Workbooks

    ACT — HiSET — HSPT  —   PERT —  SHSAT — TABE

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    HESI     NLN PAX      PSB HOAE      TEAS

    More

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    The complete guide to multiple choice!

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    Learn More >>>
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      • Algebraic Equations and Word Problems
      • How to Solve Inequalities
      • Linear Equations with 1 variable
      • Quadratic
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    • College Level
      • Congruence
      • Geometric Transformations
      • Graphs of Polynomials
      • Inverse Functions
      • Linear Equations with 2 Variables
      • Logarithms
      • Number Sequence
      • Prime Factors
      • Trigonometry
    • Listening Comprehension
    • Logic & IQ
    • Mechanical Comprehension
    • Reading Comprehension
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How to Study

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  • How Long Should I Study For?

How Long Should I Study For?

  • Posted by Brian Stocker MA
  • Date January 24, 2011
  • Comments 3 comments

Is Longer Better?

Let’s consider two typical college students.  Mary feels passionate about getting an “A” on the next economics test.  So for one week solid, she studies in three hour increments.  She scarcely takes a break during these marathon study sessions. Yet, to her exasperation, she still only manages to get a C+.

Rodney is in the same economics class.  He has spent the past four weeks studying class material, about 45 minutes a day, in 20 minute chunks, separated by a five minute break.  To some people’s amazement, he gets A-Pluses regularly, and he did so on the economics test.

So what made the difference?  Shouldn’t that A-Plus belong to Mary?  Not at all.  Because Rodney learned to master his study time better than Mary did. He learned that: a) Effective time management (studying over a long period of time instead of just a night or two before the test) is better than cramming; and b) the brain is not as effective in retaining knowledge after a certain amount of time–usually 20 to 50 minutes at a time.  With all of that said, here are four time management tips that will make you a more effective and efficient studier.

Audio Version of this Post

https://www.test-preparation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/How-Long-STudy.mp3

Tips for Managing your Time and Study Sessions

Start by understanding how much you should be studying each week.

If you’re in junior high or high school, or studying for a high school entrance exam like the HSPT, there’s a good rule thumb that goes like this:  Study the same number of hours per week as your current grade level. Seventh-graders study seven hours a week; 10th graders study 10 hours, and so on.  Once you know this, you can divide these hours by the number of days you plan to study. If you’re a 10th grader and you only want to study five days a week, that means you should plan two hours of study each day.

If you’re in college, the rule of thumb is a bit different.

The traditional rule says that you should study two hours for every hour that your class meets. In reality, every student has easy courses that require much less study time.  Still, for the difficult classes, the two-for-one ratio is a good idea.

Study in 20 to 50 minute periods

The brain has to take time to form new memories, and if you keep studying flat out, you actually hinder this memorization process.  Between every 20 to 50 minute>; study period, take a five or 10 minute break. If possible, during this time, do something physical, in order to start the blood pumping again and make your brain more alert.  You might do some jumping jacks, jog once around the house, play with your dog or cat–anything that gets you moving! Don’t wear yourself out, though, or you’re just defeating your purpose.

Finally, don’t get so involved in extended study sessions that you neglect sleep time.

It’s important for your health and for your grades that you get ample sleep time.  If you don’t believe it, consider this:  If you sleep just four to five hours, you’ll probably have to double your amount of study time to be as effective as if you’d slept seven to nine hours. That’s right:  You’ll get better grades if you sleep more and study a little less.  And if, despite your best intentions, you’re still a bit sleep deprived, try taking a short 20 minute nap before you study. You’ll be amazed at how effective a quick “power nap” is at restoring your alertness!

Remember

It’s not always how much you study, but how well you manage your study time.

Written by: Brian Stocker MA, Complete Test Preparation Inc.
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Brian Stocker MA

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Pros and Cons of Studying with a Computer
February 8, 2011

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    3 Comments

  1. Brian
    June 9, 2011
    Reply

    The best advice is to start small and build up. Even if you start off with a 15 min. session, where you do nothing else but study. That is a great start.

    Then build up to 20 minutes, then 30 and then 45 minutes.

    If you can study for 45 minutes without thinking about other things and without being interrupted that is major.

    Focused studying for 45 minutes is way better than hours of un-focused studying with interruptions. If you can teach yourself to focus and then extend the time, you will be able to study for less time AND get better marks.

  2. Ranessa
    June 30, 2011
    Reply

    Wonderful explanation of facts aivalable here.

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Study Skills



Effective Study Skills
The Complete Guide

Get Serious
Get Organized
Get Better Marks!



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Memorization

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your Notes


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Study Techniques

Memory Palace

Mindfulness

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