Study (or) Read.

7.30.19

Hey! I wanted to make a resource that provided you guys with a guide to studying, the different ways to study and learning how to study as it can be quite difficult to find a way of studying that suits you! 

Different Types of Learners

It’s import to learn what type of learner you are so you can studying in a style that suits that learning type. 

Visual Learners - studying is aided by visual stimulus, like diagrams, images, drawings, mind-maps. Learn better when seeing something being taught to them. Find more on visual learning here!

Auditory Learners - studying is aided by listening, watching videos with sound, reading out loud. Learns better when something is explained to them verbally. Learn more about auditory learning here! 

Kinesthetic Learner - studying is aided by actually doing an activity, writing out notes while in a lecture, doodling while listening, doing experiments or practical work. Learns better when doing experiments and writing things out. Learn more about kinesthetic learning here!

Mixed Learner - when someone is a mix of 2 or more of these learning  styles. They work best by combining the two methods that they are.

I’d recommend trying Multiple Quizzes to Determine Your Learning Type

Education Planner

About.com

How-To-Study

Brain Boxx

There’s a list of Study Methods for the Learning Type here!

Taking Notes

Taking notes is probably the most popular ways of studying but there are several ways to do it and it’s important you find a way that’s best for you and the subjects you’re studying. I have a post full of resources for studying that you can find here. 

Question Based Notes - These are probably the best resources for science based subjects or for exams that require a lot of recalling learner off material.  This form of note-taking is easiest to following using the Cornell Note-Taking System as in the margin made you can write out your question and then write out the answer on the other side. To revise your notes you can cover the answer and test yourself. 

Summary Notes - Works best for English Lit, history and other arts subjects. Summarise main events, with key words and brief explanations. It works well if you use it with Flashcards or Mind-Maps to Revise.

Outline Method - This method consists of main points + details which are then followed by examples. This works well with lots of facts or case studies, for subjects like geography and maths.

 Flashcards - Excellent for summaries, languages, and testing yourself. 

Visual Guide to Flashcards

Guide to Flashcards

How to Take Notes & Use Flashcards

Studying Effectively with Flashcards

How to Use Flashcards

Making History Flashcards

Mind Maps - Work well for revision of topics, connecting ideas and quick notes when studying. Works well with for languages, and Arts subjects.  I have a post all about Mind-Maps here! 

Other Ways to Study

There are few other ways to study, which can help if you struggle with learning from notes. 

Image-word association – This study method associates words with images. It works well for visual learners. Associate unknown concepts with things you already know. 

Acronyms and mnemonic devices – An acronym is a combination of letters that can be used to help you memorize a term or concept. It works really well if you need to learn something in an order and things like chemicals for Sciences.  Mnemonic devices assist the memory, using a system of rhymes, rules, phrases, diagrams that are like the thing you’re trying to remember. 

Analogy – An analogy is the comparison of two or more things. You can use analogies to compare and contrast specific terms or ideas and help you remember them. 

Teach Others - This is proven as one of the best ways to study. Teach others the topics you’re studying, it’ll help you remember the information. 

Scheduling Study

Scheduling your Study Time

Managing a Busy Schedule

Time Management

How to Establish a Good Routine

Other Posts:

Getting Involved in Studyblr

Subject  Resource List

Staying Healthy While Studying

Note-Taking

Organisation Masterpost

Study Tips

Anti-Procrastination Masterpost

Motivation Masterpost

Back to School Necessities

How to Get an Internship

How to Take Notes From a Textbook

as requested by quite a few people - a masterpost of educational podcasts. links go to either the site or the itunes podcast store. an excerpt of the description is included with each.

* indicates a podcast that i listen to regularly

entertainment

*welcome to night vale - twice-monthly updates for the small desert town of night vale

*muggle cast - everything harry potter

general information 

radiolab - investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea

*stuff you should know - about everything from genes to the galapagos

*stuff mom never told you - the business of being women 

tedtalks

good job, brain - part pub quiz show, part offbeat news

news

no one knows anything - the politics podcast from buzzfeed news

wait wait…don’t tell me - weekly current events quiz

college

*college info geek - the strategies and tactics the best students use

*getting in - your college admissions companion

math

math for primates - a couple of monkeys who decided that arguing about mathematics was a better use of their time than throwing poo at one another

math mutation - fun, interesting, or just plain weird corners of mathematics

science

60 second health - latest health and medical news

the naked scientists - interviews with top scientists, hands-on science experiments

60 second science - the most interesting developments in the world of science

startalk - astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe

nasa science cast - science behind discoveries on earth, the solar system, and beyond

history

*myths and legends - myths, legends, and folklore that have shaped cultures

stuff you missed in history class - the greatest and strangest stuff you missed

the podcast history of our world - from the big bang to the modern age! …eventually

witness - the story of our times told by the people who were there

the history chicks - two women. half the population. several thousands years of history.

entrepreneurship & finances

practical money matters - better managing their finances

the internet business mastery - learn how to create an internet based business

social triggers insider - the fields of psychology and human behavior

listen money matters - honest and uncensored, this is not your father’s boring finance show

writing & literature

professional book nerds - it’s our job to discuss books all day long

a way with words - words, language, and how we use them

grammar girl - short, friendly tips to improve your writing

classic poetry aloud - recordings of the greats poems of the past

language

esl (english) - improve english speaking and listening skills

language pod

coffee break

search in your podcast app for specific languages!

art

99% invisible - exploration of the process and power of design

tips and tricks photography 

the arts roundtable

hobbies & other

stash & burn (knitting)

practical defense - staying safe in our increasingly dangerous urban environments

zen and the art of triathlon - a triathlete’s view on living the multisport life

the art of charm - make you a better networker, connecter, and thinker

the indoor kids - isn’t just about video games, isn’t not about video games

rationally speaking - explore the borderlands between reason and nonsense

the dice tower - board games, card games, and the people who design and play them

motivational & inspirational

back to work - productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more

personal growth podcast - classic and contemporary self development audio

what it takes - conversations with towering figures in almost every field

here be monsters - exploring the dark corners of the human mind

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “Do you have any tips on how to write a book review?” and honestly I’m flattered because I feel like my reviews are awful but then again I guess all writers feel that way.  In this post I’m going to share a few tips that have helped me over the past few years. I am also going to include some things you may want to incorporate into a review. Now I’m not an expert reviewer so please don’t feel like you have to conform to my style or do everything that I do. You do you.  Anyway, here are some pointers!

Develop a rating scale. Do you want to use stars? Letter grades? Whatever method of rating you decide on you have to take into consideration what it means to you. What makes a five star book? What makes a one star book? Once you’ve thought over this you should make a note of it and put it somewhere on your blog so your readers know what type of rating you’re using.

The review post itself should include the following: Cover, Title, Author, Number of Pages, the Publisher (this part is up to you but it is helpful), the Synopsis, and a Rating. Some people also like to include the dates that they read the book as well where readers can purchase the book.

If this book is an arc (Advanced Readers Copy) or from the author don’t forget to thank them for the book in your review!

Now comes the hard part. What on Earth are you going to talk about?

First of all, you want to hook your reader with an opening line (sometimes I use a gif, sometimes a quote from the book) that will get them interested.

You may want to talk about how you came across the book. Maybe a friend let you borrow it. Maybe the cover enticed you. Sharing what attracted you to a certain book can be helpful to whoever is reading your review.

Since you’ve already given a synopsis of the book it would be repetitive to rehash what the book is about. Granted if you do decide to summarize the book again, keep it brief.

Talk about what you liked and what you didn’t like. You can create a list of pros and cons if it is easiest for you. Sometimes I like to do a pro, a con, and then a pro again because I hate ending a review on a bad note. That’s just me though.

You may want to discuss the following things in your review: characters, character development, world building, plots, and the writing.

Conclude your review. Wrap up your review by stating if you enjoyed the book or not. What did you give it the rating that you did? You may want to include if you’d recommend it to a friend (who would enjoy this type of book?) or read the next book if it’s a part of a series.

At the end of a review some people include links to the book on goodreads or where to purchase it. This is just an option.

Sometimes it helps to take notes while reading or highlight key things that you want to include in your review.

Let’s talk about the tone or your voice while writing your review. Do you want your review to be professional and business like? Or maybe you want your review to have a relaxed vibe like you’re talking to a friend. Whatever you decide on be consistent.

Be courteous to the author and others. Sometimes it’s hard. You read a book and it’s so awful and you want to rip it to shreds and point out all the awful flaws. You can still do that without being rude or nasty. Also NEVER, EVER, EVER berate an author. You are here to critic their book, not them. I can’t stress that enough.

Be honest. If you’re not going to be honest with your review it’s not fair to those reading your review.

Have fun and write for you! Unless you’re getting paid to write reviews, don’t take it too seriously.

So there you go! That’s how you write a book review. Hopefully some of these tips will be useful to you when you are writing your on review!  Good luck and happy blogging!!