Archive for the 'Better Grades' Category

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Great Study Tips Site

Published on November 21, 2010 in Better Grades, Memory Skills, Note Taking and Study Tips. 3 Comments

Even though there are countless great sites on the Internet, often it’s hard to find them. That’s why, as an Exponential Growth Strategist, I come into contact with thousands of people every year and many of them forward interesting and useful links, sites and blogs that are valuable and worthy of bookmarking. The Khan Academy Site is one such example.

David Pitts, a participant at a recent corporate “Super Session” let me know that.

The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.

http://www.khanacademy.org/

The Khan Academy has 1000+ videos on YouTube covering everything from basic arithmetic and algebra to differential equations, physics, chemistry, biology and finance that have been recorded by Salman Khan. Read a recent San Francisco Chronicle article about Salman Khan and the Khan Academy.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Interested, download the Khan Academy fact sheet. You can also read more about the Khan Academy vision in this document.

The Khan Academy and Salman Khan have received a 2009 Tech Award in Education. The Tech Awards is an international awards program that honors innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity.

Sal has just launched the alpha software version of the old web app. Try it out if you’re interested in practicing some of the concepts in the videos.. It requires a Google account (not the login from the old app). The old, slower version is still available here.

To keep abreast of new videos as they add them, subscribe to the Khan Academy channel on YouTube.

Get Excited About School Again

Published on November 18, 2010 in Better Grades, Study Habits, Study Less, Study Psychology and Study Tips. 2 Comments

Emahuja is lacking a little motivation to get into studying…

HELLO DR. MARC,

EMAHUJA here, I am about to complete my 11th std and will be starting with my 12th std which is very crucial and important for me as a science student. Till 10th I was very much interested in studies. My grades were very good, but now I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t have any intrest in studies and very tense regarding my studies. So, can you please suggest some tips to get my interest back into my studies?

Regards,
EMAHUJA

Everyone gets into a rut from time to time, so if you temporarily lose interest or motivation, don’t panic.

I have a blog called the Mindset Of A Champion that is devoted to high performance athletes who want to improve their results. One of the problems they come across is over training.

In your case you may not be over training, but you may have the same symptoms. Chances are you’re just bored. That simply means you need to mix things up a little. Change a few things you’re doing to make it fresh and new. You might even consider taking a break from studying for 1 or 2 days – just to interrupt your pattern.

Other things you can consider doing include: Continue reading ‘Get Excited About School Again’

It Pays 77% More To Get Better Grades

Published on October 31, 2010 in Better Grades, Positive Mindset, Speed Learning and Study Psychology. 3 Comments Tags: Graduates, Value Of A Degree.

A recent study in the United States revealed that 2007 graduates earned 77% more per hour than those with only a high school diploma. Click on this hyperlink if you want to know the value of a degree.

That’s why a small investment in a study book is a great investment. There, I’ve said it. If you haven’t bought my study book what are you waiting for? It’s comes with an 8-week money-back guarantee, tons of bonuses and has been purchased by thousands of students from all over the world. It’s even been translated into 4 languages, English, French, Romanian and Chinese.

What more proof do you need? Maybe that’s the problem – you need absolute certainty to make a decision.

That’s not going to happen. There is no such thing as “perfect knowledge”. In fact that is one of the many concepts and ideas that I share with you once you buy my study book. Get it now and start improving your study habits.

3 Note Taking Styles: 5 Major Flaws

Published on October 22, 2010 in Better Grades, Exams, MindMapping, Note Taking, Speed Learning and Study Tips. 6 Comments Tags: Mind Mapping, Mind Maps, MindMapping, Radial Thinking, Tony Buzan.

There you are, preparing for your exam… looking back over your notes trying to understand what you’ve written. Trying to remember the words the lecturer said AND put into context the scribbles in your notebook. ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!

It doesn’t have to be this way. There IS a better way to take notes that will help you understand, remember and retain more knowledge, especially at a critical time such as your next exam!

Did you know there are 3 traditional ways we take notes?

1. The sentence narrative note taking style – This is where you simply write out word-for-word what you hear. Writing line-by-line as fast as you can. You’re basically a stenographer – focused on capturing the words on paper.

2. The list note taking style – this involves taking down the various ideas as they occur usually in a bulleted list, like the one I just created for the traditional note taking styles.

3. Outline note taking style-

Taking notes in a hierarchical sequence using major and

sub categories.

In a waterfall- like structure as shown here

Did you know that these 3 traditional note taking styles have 5 major flaws?

1. Lack of visual cues. As you can tell from the traditional styles above, they all use linear patterns, symbols and text, but use no visual cues, patterns, images or visualization tools. This is a critical flaw because the mind thinks in visual images and pictures and needs these elements to enable selective recall when it counts – on your next exam.

2. Boring. Traditional note taking styles are monotone, meaning your brain gets bored and switches off! Traditional notes all tend to look the same, hiding important key words and subject headings making it incredibly hard for your brain to remember what matters and what doesn’t. This is where confusion and “muddled” memory comes from. The brain knows it’s “in there” somewhere, but like a pile of papers scattered on the floor, it doesn’t know where it is or where it actually belongs.

3. Time consuming. Creating traditional notes is a monumental waste of time – when compared to their more efficient and effective alternative. Because they are boring and lack visual cues, when taking notes “the old fashioned way”, you tend to just keep writing unnecessarily. By writing more, it means your brain has to sift through even more irrelevant stuff to get to the important things that will be on your exam. To increase recall you need to keep reading and re reading your notes over and over and over and over again hoping something will sink in. The problem is that it makes it harder and harder and harder for the important stuff to stand out!

4. Lack of creative stimulation. Traditional note taking fails to stimulate the brain creatively, relying primarily on the logical left brain hemisphere for recall. That’s why it’s so hard. Failing to allow associations and connections to be made between key words and points, the creative right brain remains switched off.

5. False sense of completion. The traditional note taking formats gives you a false sense of completion because of their linear nature. They appear complete even though the complete lack the all-important conceptual connections and inter-relationships between the points.

How do you take notes and do you struggle with any of these issues?

Well by traditional NOTE taking you might as well be NOT taking.

There is an alternative to overcome these problems and limitations – it’s called mind mapping.

Because mind mapping mimics the brain’s thinking format, it uses radial thinking and visual patterning using colours, lines, pictures and (inter) relationships. By giving your brain many visual symbols to connect with, remembering them when it counts – on your next test or exam will be easy.

Mind maps are colourful and creative by nature with key points, ideas and concepts literally jumping off the page enabling your brain to quickly and effectively search and FIND the information you need, within the proper context.

Creating relationships and linkages are natural to the brain’s memory storing function. One of the best things about mind maps is that they’re less time consuming to create than traditional notes and take a lot less room. Usually, you can fit several pages or even whole chapters on one page mind map. That gives you QUICK ACCESS and also gives you the overall “picture” that traditional note taking lacks.

Mind mapping is really the polar opposite of traditional note taking. Instead of working against the brain mindmapping works with the brain, matching it to increase your memory, retention and comprehension to give you confidence when writing tests and exams.

Keep this in mind: Many highly successful business people admit to using mind mapping as a competitive tool in their businesses. If it works for them, there must be something to it!

CLICK HERE -> To get your hands on the “How To MindMap To Get Better Grades Video Program”.

Psst! Take a look at this blog post and COMPARE it to the mind mapping program description page – which one do you prefer? That’s the whole point!!!

Use Colours To Improve Memory Retention, Comprehension And Understanding

Published on October 21, 2010 in Better Grades, Exams, Memory Skills, MindMapping, Note Taking, Study Habits, Study Less and Study Tips. 1 Comment

When we first learn something, information is processed by the brain to form a neural trace which first enters your sensory memory and then, if you’re paying attention, enters your Short Term Memory (STM). If you keep working to process the information and adapt it correctly, it then moves to your Long Term Memory (LTM).

The information which is processed into your LTM is more or less permanent and with occasional reviewing, you will not forget it.

The trick is to adapt the information that you really need into LTM as quickly as possible.

The ability to retain needed information in working memory is important to learning and exam taking performance. Drawings help to improve memory retention, comprehension and understanding. Continue reading ‘Use Colours To Improve Memory Retention, Comprehension And Understanding’

From Doodling To MindMapping

Published on October 17, 2010 in Better Grades, Memory Skills, MindMapping, Note Taking, Speed Learning and Study Tips. 2 Comments Tags: Class Notes, Doodling, Exam, Memory, Mind Mapping, MindMapping, Note Taking, Paul Telling, Recall, Remember, Taking Notes, Test.

Today’s blog post contribution is from Paul Telling, a professional artist and MindMapping expert. I asked him to share his insights and ideas about MindMapping to help you get better grades in school. This is the first in a series we’ll be publishing on this blog it’s in support of a new program we just launched called How To MindMap To Get Better Grades. You can click on the hyperlink to access the program information page.

Hi, Paul Telling here – I thought I would share with you my story of how I caught onto MindMapping along my educational journey.

I have always been interested in school and learning. Although at school it can be hard when you think you have all the answers and the teachers are slowing you down. Or the reverse might be true – you struggle to learn as you just don’t get what the teacher’s on about.

Well I had both happen during my high school years. I was interested in art, computing studies and maths while I struggled in English and physics. I managed to get into university doing a degree in Industrial Design.

Studying at university was where I learned to doodle in my sketchbook – all day long. Of course during design classes but also in classes that I was meant to be taking notes. If I found the lectures boring, I would draw a caricature of the lecturer and this got a lot of laughs from my classmates.

Some of my classmates just thought I was weird because I tended to spend more time drawing things than taking linear notes verbatim. My pages of notes were eighty percent pictures and less than twenty percent text.

Little did I know that this was MindMapping!

We all have a tendency to doodle while on the phone, during lectures especially in maths or science class! Doodling is the sub conscious working in its own visual language to learn the content you’re grappling with to help you remember stuff more easily. Doodles are visual elements trying to get linked up in your brain.

The amazing thins is that I can still remember many of ,my lecture notes from when I was a design student. I can still picture most of them in my mind’s eye even though that was more than 6 years ago.

Back then I didn’t know what I was doing. Over time, I have learned the different skills required to MindMap more effectively. I value this skill as something that helps me learn quickly the first time, every time.

Luckily, I now have the chance to teach you this wonderful skill of MindMapping through the video course I created with Dr Marc Dussault.

When you take the How To MindMap To Get Better Grades Video Program, you will turn, in two hours, learn to turn your doodles into cool, colourful MindMaps that will help you remember and recall more than ever before. Your classmates will think you’re a genius.

I hope you get your hands on the course sooner rather than later so you can start to improve your grades as of the very next test, quiz or exam that’s coming up.

I look forward to sharing more insights with you in future blog posts.

Visually yours,

Paul Telling

Get Better Grades Success Story

Published on October 9, 2010 in Better Grades, Exams, Positive Mindset, Study Mistakes To Avoid and Study Psychology. 1 Comment

Today’s post is a testimonial from one of my clients who bought my study book, his name is Abel.

Hi, Dr Dussault.

All I can say is wow. I’m studying ACCA (online) but my main problem was lack of motivation to study. Like you explain in your study book, what was holding me back was my comfort zone of past success with my studies. What bother me most was the fact that my constant thought was to study but in reality I wasn’t studying! The more I thought about it, the more I ended up sleeping without even reading for a minute! In a nutshell, your study program made me realize that I will never change my life until I change something I’m doing (or not doing) daily.

Now slowly but surely I’m following through. With my study to do list, I know if I follow it I’ll get better grades otherwise… I don’t even want to think about it anymore!

I hear myself now saying… “Abel bear in mind that you never plan to fail your exam but merely fail to plan to pass!”

That’s my best shot.
Regards,
Abel

MasterMind Your Way To Better Grades!

Published on September 26, 2010 in Better Grades, Speed Learning, Study Groups and Study Less. 5 Comments Tags: MasterMind Groups, Study Groups, Study In Groups.

If you’ve read my book “Get The Best Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort“… You know that it’s the simplest, easiest and most elegant strategies that make all the difference. One of the most useful and practical ways to get better grades is to leverage what’s called a Study MasterMind Group – not a traditional study group, something much, much more effective.

In fact it’s so effective that all great fortunes and humankind’s greatest achievements are a result of MasterMind Groups.

But guess what?

Until now, no one had brought this back to the classroom to help prevent students from wasting valuable time studying in groups.

That’s why I’ve come up with a brand new program – “How to Create a Fun, Effective and Powerful Study MasterMind Group to Catapult Your Grades Sky High!”

I’ve personally achieved a several goals by the time I was 40 that most people will never achieve in their lifetime. I don’t say that to be arrogant of self-righteous, but to make a point.

I’m not the smartest person I know, yet I out-perform people that I know are way smarter than me – BECAUSE I HAVE TOOLS AND STRATEGIES that are better, more efficient.

One of those strategies is leveraging Study MasterMind Groups.

The program I’ve put together is comprehensive and includes a lot of hidden bonuses that are delivered over time – just like I’ve done with my study book.

Parents – Help Your Kids Get Better Grades

Published on September 12, 2010 in Better Grades, Parents Of Students and Special Students. 1 Comment Tags: Costs Of A Degree, Help Kids Study, Kids In School, Parents, Value Of A Degree.

This blog is all about helping students get better grades. As you will notice, more pages are being added to the blog portion of this study skills site to give you the information and advice you need.

I recently added a new section aimed at parents. It covers what parents can do to help their kids get better grades from primary school to university. Also included are pages on the costs of university degrees and the value of a degree with a special page just for Australian degrees.

It’s important that parents remind their kids that an education is an investment that pays off for a lifetime. All the statistics reflect the need to learn skills that are marketable and valuable to employers or lead to self-employment.

I see it everyday – business people and entrepreneurs who struggle with basic writing skills or are challenged with high school level math problems. It’s painful to see because even though it’s never too late to learn, it’s been shown it’s a lot harder to learn as you get older.

Learn as much as you can, as soon as you can – you’ll not only get the benefit for a longer period of time, it will be easier and faster than any other alternative. No one can go back in time, but we can all think ahead and act accordingly.

Keep an eye on these pages – they will be updated and expanded on an on-going basis.

Study Book Review

Published on August 28, 2010 in Better Grades and General. 3 Comments

John Hall reviewed my study book. You might want to click on the hyperlink and have a read of his impressions. If you’re considering buying my study book, it might help you to know that it’s been sold to thousands of students from around the world, in more than 29 countries and is now available as an English Study Book, French Study Book, Romanian Study Book and a Chinese Study Book.

Have a quick read of John’s review and then make the decision to get better grades faster and easier!

Parents Help Your Kids Get Better Grades

Published on August 21, 2010 in Better Grades, Special Students, Speed Learning, Study Psychology and Study Tips. 7 Comments Tags: Bad Report Cards, Parents Helping Students, Poor Grades.

As you know from my study book, I am a big supporter of identifying a student’s learning style so you learn HOW to learn. If you don’t know what learning styles are, just answer these questions:

  • Are you frustrated with your child’s low grades or lack of motivation?
  • Is your home life stressful due to homework hassles and poor report cards?
  • Have you tried absolutely everything to help your child get higher grades?
  • Do you have a bright child who seems to know information, then forgets it during the test?
  • Are you truly serious about doing something different to help your child succeed?

If You Answered “YES!” then keep reading to find out how you can help raise your child’s grades just in time for the very next report card…

I promise your situation is not unique. What you also need to know is that your child’s situation is NOT hopeless.

The problem is that children who suffer from learning challenges have been mis-lead with the 4 biggest myths by well-meaning teachers, other parents and even some learning authorities.

Here are the 4 biggest myths about learning that will never get you the results you want:

  1. The first is that you must teach TO your child’s preferred learning style, because schools who teach TO every child’s learning style produce better results. (This statement is so misleading that a recent article in the Washington Post said the theory of teaching to multiple intelligences was just that – a theory, and not working in the real world at all). More about this later…
  2. The second is that kids with low grades are lazy and unmotivated and simply do not take tests well.
  3. The third is kids who cannot sit still and pay attention are most likely to have attention deficit disorders of some kind.  ADD or ADHD can very often be something else in disguise.
  4. The fourth is that some kids who struggle in school simply don’t like to read, or spell, or do math, etc. (This is one of the worst.  It’s only when children constantly experience failure that they don’t want to read or do their schoolwork).

The plain truth is, kids love to learn when they are successful.

But sometimes, they just don’t know how to “win the school game” because no one has taken the time to show them “HOW TO LEARN”.

Think about it. Every day, your child is given assignments and told what to learn. This is like a baseball coach giving a player a written test to see if he or she can make the team. No one is showing your child “how to learn”. You can’t just tell a child, “learn this for the test” and then if they don’t do well, blame them.

Wouldn’t you agree that it’s crazy to think you’ll get different results if you keep doing the same thing over and over again?

That’s why you need to do something different… That’s where this learning toolkit comes in.

Click on the hyperlink -> to help your child get better grades in school.

Top 10 Ways To Ace Your Next Exam Or Test

Published on August 14, 2010 in Better Grades, Exams, Note Taking, Speed Learning and Study Tips. 0 Comments Tags: how to study for a final, how to study for a test, how to study for exams.

Here is another installment of top 10 lists to help you study smarter, study for exams or just develop better study skills. These lists are designed to give you direct access to valuable quick learning tip  that you can pick and choose to use at your leisure.

Top 10 Ways To Ace Your Next Exam Or Test

  1. Upcoming tests can definitely be nerve-wracking. Learning how to study for a test properly can direct your attention positively towards improved study habits with decreased anxiety levels.
  2. Exams generally count for the highest percentage of your overall grade making knowing how to study for exams extremely crucial in your academic endeavors.
  3. Studying in a makeshift manner may only get you so far! Knowing exactly how to study for a final by following a set of guidelines may just be what will make the difference in your most important exams.
  4. Because your study skills memory is the most significant aspect required for testing, coming up with techniques and styles that work best for you can help to remember the right answers to those tricky questions.
  5. Starting college means learning to adapt to a whole new environment where teachers demand you to work independently with a much higher work load and yes, much more complex exams! Understanding how to study in college for exams can help lessen those all-nighters to achieve successful results.
  6. Time and energy spent on trying to study for an exam does not have to be wasted. Putting better study skills to use can show you how to manage your time and prepare well, all while still keeping a social life.
  7. Poor planning produces poor results! Go through these study skills test taking procedures and start producing great results, every time!
  8. Quick learning tips will save you from cramming the night before your test by learning how to use different techniques to remember your class work more efficiently.
  9. You can study in vain for countless hours without getting anywhere! Knowing how to study effectively for exams will make all the difference in the world when it comes to passing or failing!
  10. Taking tests and exams are based on the lessons taught and the information your memory has stored away. Remembering that information is not always easy. A remedy for that problem is finding study skills games that can help students focus better and remember odds and ends while making studying fun.

Top 10 Best Study Skills

Published on August 7, 2010 in Better Grades, Exams, Speed Learning and Study Tips. 3 Comments Tags: How To Study Better, How to Study Smarter, study skills resources.

Whether you are a student struggling to learn or a teacher trying to help prepare your students, knowing HOW to develop good study skills by using the right study skills material will help you achieve your targets with outstanding outcomes. The following top 10 best study skills are hyperlinked to valuable resources that will help you get better grades faster.

  1. Having the best study skills improves memory habits making it easier to get the most out of your studying efforts by remembering important information.
  2. Students who know how to study efficiently will manage their time better using less energy and more brain power resulting in academic success!
  3. Finding an effective study skill that works for you will develop the correct way to absorb information and is a great skill to maintain for making life choices.
  4. Studying is tedious and sometimes overwhelming. Using a study skills guide shows useful tricks such as helpful ways to research, how to prepare for a test and writing tips so that you can stay organized and focused.
  5. Instead of getting frustrated and spending countless hours making mistakes and then correcting them, use one of the many study skills resources available to know the tricks of the trade and get better results.
  6. Studying, like any other task in life, requires a few key elements to make the information retainable. Learn how to study better so that you get the results you want.
  7. Studying itself can be a daunting task, leaving no time for you to strategize your life as a student. Learning different methods by implementing proper study skills and strategies can go a long way in helping students to make order from the chaos!
  8. Knowing how to study smarter and not harder lets students learn more effectively with healthier regimens and higher achievements.
  9. Online study skills can be a student’s best friend with limitless amounts of information. Be sure to always use legitimate sources and don’t forget to reference those sites!
  10. Whether you are a student struggling to learn or a teacher trying to help prepare your students, knowing HOW to develop good study skills by using the right study skills material will help you achieve your targets with outstanding outcomes.

What Do Teachers make?

Published on May 30, 2010 in Better Grades, Positive Mindset, Study Psychology and YouTube Videos. 0 Comments Tags: Inspiration, Motivation, Vision.

This 3 minute YouTube video is from a teacher with a special approach that will inspire you to get better grades by doing your best. It’s a source of inspiration and motivation that you can come back to whenever you need a little motivation. Even though it’s about a teacher, after all, it’s all about YOU!

Student Procrastinator

Published on May 16, 2010 in Better Grades, Positive Mindset, Study Mistakes To Avoid, Study Psychology, Study Tips and YouTube Videos. 2 Comments Tags: Avoid Procrastination, Procrastination.

Recently, Ann, a First Year University Student posted this comment on this blog…

Dear Marc Dussault:
I recently purchased your book. It has now been a week and while I agree with a lot of the suggestions in your book, I have yet to start implementing them yet.

I was a procrastinator in high school. Somehow though I managed to succeed enough to well and still get into the Engineering degree of my choice.
However the same methods don’t work anymore in university. University is so different from high school!

Yet for almost the past 5-6 years this is all I have done in order to complete my studies. I understand everything your book says and I appreciate the e-mail tips; I do the exercises and I try to eat well as well as sleep, but still… I just can’t seem to start.

What’s wrong with me? I’ve researched on the net, and apparently there are not only procrastinators but also chronic procrastinators as well. I think I may be one for sure, for I’ve been procrastinating so long I don’t really know what the meaning of “study” is anymore…

I make lists and lists of what I want to achieve. Each time changing and changing the detail or format, and hoping that I will implement it (I tried to start with this technique from your book first). But somehow I just become tired by the large amount of uni work covered in the day or even if I’m not tired I just would rather have fun things to do.

I really want to succeed and do well… that should be enough motivation… but I still can’t keep it up. I did the 8-minute technique and it seemed to work well, that I actually kept going. But the next day, I looked at the same piece of math homework and I could not bring myself to continue doing it. I literally was having a mental argument inside my head for the pros and cons of not doing the homework, that I physically felt like I was actually getting stressed.

Where do I start? And why can’t I stay motivated?

In saying all of this, I have a mathematics exam this Friday…

Sincerely requiring help………….!

Ann

First of all, Ann, you’re “owning” the label of procrastinator just a little too seriously – what that means is that you SEE YOURSELF and THINK YOU’RE a procrastinator, which means you’re going to continue to procrastinate. Let’s face it – the label of regular every day LOSER is not enough, you need an even WORSE label… “Chronic Procrastinator!” which is a TOTAL LOSER!

How does that make you feel? Because it’s true – procrastinators, especially chronic ones never achieve anything because they never get anything finished – many don’t even start – LIKE YOU!

How do you feel about being branded a LOSER?

Procrastinator sounds better doesn’t it?!?!

You’re still a LOSER…

UNLESS you are just “doing procrastination”… That means you just slipped and got into a bad habit and are in fact a winner who just slipped up…

Is that it? Are you really a WINNER who just had a lapse of judgment and discipline?

Or are you really a LOSER? If you are a LOSER, good riddance, I have no time for you – seriously.

If however you are a WINNER who just lost her way – watch this YouTube video for the cure to procrastination – it works even better for CHRONIC PROCRASTINATION!

Now seriously, how do you “Stop It!” ???

Continue reading ‘Student Procrastinator’

Get Better Grades

Published on April 25, 2010 in Better Grades, Exams, Note Taking, Study Mistakes To Avoid, Study Tips and YouTube Videos. 3 Comments Tags: Get Better Grades, how to study for exams, Study Tips.

Today’s post is a YouTube video that answers the most popular questions people ask me about my study book.

Get Better Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort

Scholar Ladies

Published on April 11, 2010 in Better Grades, Positive Mindset, Study Fun And Humour and YouTube Videos. 4 Comments

As a student who wants to get the best grades with the least amount of effort, you need to find inspiration and motivation from somewhere. This YouTube video is so cute, I am sure you’ll agree that not only is it original, but the message is positive and uplifting. Enjoy!

Scholar Ladies

Reducing Exam Anxiety

Published on April 4, 2010 in Better Grades, Exams, Speed Reading and Study Tips. 1 Comment Tags: Cramming For An Exam, Exam Anxiety, Speed Reading, Stress.

Today’s blog post is based on a comment from Ad Poi, he’s a little stressed because he has an exam in about 3 weeks. I recently filmed a video called “5 Minutes To Go From Panic To Passing Tomorrow’s Exam” which is now included as a bonus to my study book Get The Best Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort. In the video, I explain 5 strategies you can use to cram for an exam if you’ve run out of time and are stuck at the last minute with too much to study and not enough time to get it done.

The other suggestion I have for Ad is to get my Speed Reading Video Program. Rapid Reader is FANTASTIC for WORD, PDF and Website reading, but when it comes to reading your textbooks, you need to know how to speed read.

Hi Dr Dussault,

I came to know about your book and your strategies recently.Your strategies, you say, help get the best grades with the least amount of effort, but I wonder if they are going to help me since , I have 3 and a half weeks until my exam and I feel not quite prepared.

What I need are strategies to get the most done with the least amount of time, not the least effort. I am willing to give in a great deal of effort , but I am anxious and afraid that I won’t be able to complete all the courses to my satisfaction (especially chemistry, which I hate and have neglected greatly until now).

So, I ask whether your book will help me get the best grades with the least amount of TIME?

I have managed to get a copy of the rapid reader software yesterday, and am trying to increase my onscreen as well as off-screen reading speed.

My greatest drawback though is that I get quite nervous during exams and my efficiency is more than halved. As a result, my grades are compromised even though I worked hard. So I ask whether your book can help me getting rid of this anxiety and increase my concentration.

Thank You.
Ad

Getting Better Grades Is A System

Published on February 27, 2010 in Better Grades, Note Taking, Speed Learning, Speed Reading, Study Less and Study Tips. 2 Comments Tags: Best Study Skills, How To Speed Read, How To Study Better, Study Tips.

If you’ve been subscribed to my blog for a while, you’ve come to realise that my study book is a system that teaches how to think like an A student without having to spend hours and hours studying, becoming a nerd or a geek. The best way to explain what I do for students is to hear from them directly, like David Fisher below:

Hello Marc

I have been reading your study ebook and have only once listened to your speed reading video once.

The extra emails you send after I bought your study book are great as they keep me on track, otherwise I would wonder a bit.

I am working on a better format for my notes with more drawings and mindmaps as this is a better form of learning for me and audio tapes. (Now that I know
this thanks to your book!)

Exams start end of the month so the next stage is to compile my class notes into A3 mindmap layouts (any extra tips on this technique) would be good and then
the exams.

I am now in a study room not the office which had too many distractions and getting into the mind zone more quickly – it’s the little suggestions like this that make all the difference.

I don’t cold read my study guide and text anymore so I pre-read first to get a general understanding then highlight and compose the notes and now I
comprehend and remember a lot more. I can afford to do this because I can do speed reading, even though I still need to improve and increase my reading speed.

My assignment grades have increased from about 60-80% to the last one which I got 88%!!! This was my highest grade. :-)

My studies are extramural so no lecturers only Webct, study guide and textbooks.

I am practicing my speed reading and using on my first read but need to work on this more. When you speed read a page when do you highlight the text? I read the paragraph then go back and highlight?

So lots more to learn!

Thanking you very much for you help.

David Fisher

Stay tuned for the answers to David’s questions about MindMapping and highlighting while or after Speed Reading…


Want Better Grades? Think Like A Champion

Published on January 30, 2010 in Better Grades, General, Speed Learning and Speed Reading. 0 Comments Tags: Mindset Of A Champion.

You might not know that I have several blogs. One blog that I want to highlight today is the one called the Mindset Of A Champion. I simply want to ask you to go and check it out because there are a lot of parallels between learning and mastering a sport and getting better grades. Bookmark it or better yet, subscribe to it so you don’t miss any of the posts, you just don’t know which one will be the one that will have the breakthrough idea that will make all the difference.