For the past few months, Tutoring For Success has been hard at work revamping its Facebook page, and we wanted to make sure that you were in on the action! If you haven’t already “liked” our page, you can do so by clicking this link: https://www.facebook.comforsuccessinc.

Brain teasers, trivia, tips, and motivational tools are just a few of the fun updates we post on our page. Last month we featured regular suggestions on how to improve your study and homework habits. Here’s the full list, in case you missed out:

• Tip #1: Do homework in a quiet place that is free from distractions, and focus for a solid hour with just a break or two. This takes discipline, but you will get so much more done in a shorter amount of time, with extra free time at the end!
• Tip #2: Use mnemonic techniques to study for those pesky quizzes and tests. For example: The order of taxonomy (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species), or “Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach.”
• Tip #3: Use a calendar to help organize and prioritize your homework time. When a long-term assignment is given, write the due date on the calendar, then space out the work to be done over the number of days that you have to do it. Be sure to factor in other homework, extracurricular activities, and free time! Using a calendar will help safeguard against procrastination and last-minute cram sessions.
• Tip #4: Here is a link to a list of 5 apps for smartphones that can help students keep track of their homework: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44077249/#.UoJ5Bvmsj1o. Technology doesn’t have to be a constant distraction!
• Tip #5: Form a study group with friends and / or classmates. Don’t underestimate the power of a group, especially when it comes to working through a difficult math problem, or discussing an essay topic. Instructing a peer who doesn’t fully understand the material can also help to strengthen your overall comprehension. You might even make some new friends!
• Tip #6: Break down material. All of us procrastinate with things we don’t want to do, or that are overwhelming. For me, it was cleaning my closet and going through clothes. My husband and I used the breaking down strategy with great success. This principle can be used successfully for school projects. Use a calendar to divide the different parts of the project and spread out the tasks over many days. Any big assignment does not have to (and should not!) be done all at once. Remember: Time spent procrastinating is not really free time; it’s stressful time.
• Tip #7 (for Thanksgiving week, but can be applied to all holiday breaks / vacations): You may not want to do homework, but Thanksgiving is a good time to: Organize notebooks, binders, and other materials; Organize your clothes, so that in December you can save morning time by easily grabbing an outfit; Work on long-term projects to save time later on.   

If you’ve enjoyed reading these study tips and would like to see more from Tutoring For Success, check us out here on Facebook and “like” our page! We will be offering motivational tools and tips all December long, so don’t miss out!