Work and Play.

"study hard. play harder"


Girls are doing better than guys in school. We knew this was going to happen thats why we tried to stop them from getting an education in the first place. Now, i know us boys just love to have fun as well let it be friends, partying, booze, sports, or video games that's why i'm sharing with you the things i learned over the course of my education that helped me learn a bit better as well as start to improve my grades. The guys got to step it out because we're losing out in terms of academics. Remember there are more female graduates than males.

The following tips encompass the best solutions for last minute studying and strategies for doing better in class. It is in no way suggested that you should do things at the last minute just because you can.

Tip 1:Syllabus
Read the syllabus. Know where the points are and where they can be scored at. Out of 1000 points see where you can score the best. Some grades are made up largely of project work and some are made up largely of the mid-term and final. Make sure you pay extra attention to the areas that will score you the most points. Just like if you were playing a sport. Learned this one from an older more senior slacker than me. He's still working on graduation. Some people don't take their own advice.

Tip 2:Highlight
I discovered this from observing many female students. Chicks do better in school than us guys and i found out their secret. Highlight, Highlight, Highlight. If you take a look at the notes girls take down it's full of different colored pens and highlights. The textbooks they have used always look like it got gang raped by different highlighters.

Step 3: Mind Maps
Mind maps. After reading the assigned chapters draw a chronological mind map. Mind maps are the sole reason i have made it this far. Something i learned from an ex-girlfriend after living together with her for a year. She would slack off even more than me and i would always do worse than her in school. I realized before the exams she would draw out elaborate mind maps on printer paper and use that to learn and refresh her memory before a test. The stuff you highlight in the textbooks should be the stuff that goes in the mind maps. If you don't know what it is make sure you google what a mind map is.

Step 4: Know when to play truant.
Be smart about skipping class. Don't skip class the last 2 weeks before a mid term or final. Usually the professor will discuss whats coming out in the exam giving you a smaller scope of what to study and where to focus your last minute efforts. If your teacher doesn't discuss whats coming out make sure you send him/her a nice e-mail just asking what you should focus on. Your teachers want to help you pass the class and do well not only because it makes them feel good about that sense of accomplishment in their profession but also because they don't want you to have to repeat their class again and have to deal with you for another 5 months. You irritating prick.

Step 5: The Library.
Use the library to read and work. You'd be surprised how many people still don't even know where it is. I can't study at home because i have too many distractions like the t.v, facebook, the beach, tobacco paraphernalia, the bed, and so on. You get the idea. I'm reminded of a joke. A sleazebag walks into the library and asks the pretty librarian what the library card could be used for. She said you can check out books with it for about 28 days. The sleazebag asks coyly if he can check out the librarian with the card. The librarian blushes but replies "We are strictly reference only". All jokes aside, there are also hot nerd chicks in the libraries. They might look innocent but....

Tip 6: A friend in need is a friend in deed.
Make friends in class. Don't be quiet and sit in a corner. If you miss something someone in class is always there to remind you. The more friends you make, the more reminders you get. I can't tell you how many times i've been saved by that kid that barely spoke english but knows when every assignment is due. I'm pretty absent minded so it's good. Also remember to return the favor to them. Sometimes i end up reminding people. The stuff you missed other would pick up and the stuff they missed you would pick up(hopefully). Making friends also makes it easier for you to ask them stuff if you don't understand something or need direction or help with a project. Not understanding things is also a great way to get girls to come over and "study".

Tip 7: The Class
Show up for class. Really most of the shit i learn i pick up better when i'm in class rather than reading the book. I'm not saying i show up all the time but when i do i'm paying attention at least. Earn cookie points with the professor by helping them out with participation. A teachers worst nightmare is when they ask a question and nobody wants to answer anything. Throw them a bone once in a while. The class is just as agonizing for them as it is for you. Picking the class is also important if you have a list of heavy classes. Check out www.ratemyprofessor.com to find out which teachers give a lighter workload and are easier going. The website is a review site for professors by students who have taken the class. The red pepper by the name means that they are hot. Remember to put a pepper for Prof. Britos when someone decides to open a page for him.

Tip 8:"I dropped the ball"
Learn from your mistakes. If you played too hard and didn't get the grade you wanted don't beat yourself up too hard(Chris Wilson likes to use the term "dropped the ball". Usage in a sentence: "I dropped the ball last semester. Gotta pick it up on the next"). Mistakes are only worth making if we learn from them. Know what the mistakes you made were i.e too much drinking, late nights, beach,procrastination etc. Make sure you try a little harder the next semester.

Tip 9: Teachers Pet.
Be in the teachers good books. I learned this when i saw this kid walk in late to class cool as a cucumber. He just gave some bullshit excuse and the teacher let him go. Why i'm pissed is he walks in 15 minutes later than me and i got my ass chewed out. I thought my excuse was awesome for being late though when being compared to "i had car trouble". It entailed me fighting a dragon, rescuing a princess and finding she would turn to a mushroom every time(super mario reference). Being in the teachers good books grants you leniency when marking your stuff and helping you out when you need. Make their lives easy, they'll make yours easy. Also wearing skimpy clothing seems to grant the girls that same leniency.

Tip 10: Study smart not study hard.
There is a difference between understanding and memorizing. It's a lot harder for me to memorize something than understand it. When you read the text books you don't have to know the definitions verbatim but rather if you understand the concepts you'll be able to understand it more. For instance instead of memorizing what the answers to 1+1, 1+2, 1+3 it's easier to understand the concept of addition. Remember understanding is just as important as memorizing. Use additional resources such as the internet to help you better understand something because the textbooks can be a little long winded sometimes.


There you have it young grasshoppers. Remember that these are shortcuts and should be used sparingly. Having a good balance between work and play is important. This guide is to be used when you sometimes fall off the wagon. It easy to take these shortcuts but remember every time you take a shortcut you lose out on the scenery. Try not to miss out too much on this learning experience. My journey is over. It's been a long and tiring one. I'm ready to face unemployment like every other post graduate out there.

i hope this will help make your education route a little easier.


peace,
b o o
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