Each student has a different set of conditions under which he performs his best.  Each of us needs to be a scientist, making and testing hypotheses about our ideal study conditions.  Spend a number of weeks experimenting and finding out the answers to the questions below.  Remember what works the best for you is not necessarily what feels the best or most comfortable. The ultimate goal is finding what makes you most effective.

• What room in your apartment is best for homework and studying?

Do you have a dedicated area where you can go when you need to do work?  Are there some types of assignments that you can do in a more public place, like the living room, while some require more seclusion?  If you live in a “zoo,” consider the library.

• What position is best?

Sitting at a desk?  In a comfortable chair?  Lying on the floor?  Do you have access to everything you need?  Do you benefit from getting up and moving around periodically?  Does it vary based on the type of assignment?

• What kinds of noise are distracting?

Music?  Parents talking?  Siblings playing?  All of the above?  Are there places in the apartment/house where you can get away and have comparative silence?  Again, if a Yankee-Red Sox game seems like a quiet retreat, consider finding a place outside your home. (more…)

1) Consume Less “Junk Food” – TV, video games, phone calls, texting, IMing, Facebooking, Twittering, web surfing, et al.  Decide on a daily/weekly maximum.  The total of all these media should not exceed more than a couple of hours a day.  As academic fitness increases greater leeway in this area can be granted.

2) Do Your Reps – The brain is a muscle like any other.  Make sure it remains active.  As with exercise, you can’t make up for 4 months of inactivity in one all-night cramming session.  Make “contact” with difficult material and large projects daily or weekly. (more…)

Now that the new school year has settled into place, we want to remind your entire family about a crucial component of success.  As your children sort through the details that will support their survival through this year (Where’s my locker, again?  Are white shoes totally out this year?), don’t forget to give time and attention to getting enough sleep.  You’ve got to relax; this early in the school year there are comparatively few responsibilities.

In times of stress, we tend to stay up later to “get things done,” we sleep fitfully when we do get to bed, and then we wake up prematurely with that cool burning sense of worry over getting things handled.  It may feel restful to spend time in the simulated unconsciousness of chatting online or staring at the television until late hours, but maximizing your actual sleep hours is critical.  It seems a small thing, but inadequate sleep only adds to one’s level of anxiety and diminishes performance across the board.  Especially with a book-bag full of new syllabi weighing heavily on their shoulders, students need extra rest to handle the stress and stay well both physically and academically.

So, get to bed!

During the fall, it seems every week we encounter a new ISEE, SAT or ACT registration deadline or administration date.  Most of the major standardized tests fall into certain periods of concentration.  This is true for state and independent school exams, like the ISEE, SSAT, and the SHSAT, to college admissions exams like the SAT and ACT, as well as graduate school entrance exams like the GRE, GMAT and LSAT.  We are about to enter a period of such clustering from mid-October through mid-December.  There is also a concentration in the spring from mid-April through mid-June.

It is important to realize that test preparation cannot merely begin at the registration deadline, which is usually less than a month prior to the test date.  To ensure a confident, level-headed approach on test day, the material must be examined and taken seriously well in advance.  Standardized tests are not measures of any innate intelligence or ability; in a sense, performance on these exams is just an indicator of how well you perform on these exams. (more…)