How to Focus More in Class

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Slacking off during class isn't only a bad habit, but it's also very detrimental to your grade! Read-on below, for a few helpful tips, to help you focus more in class.

Steps

1. Get a good night's sleep. Students are required to get at least eight hours of sleep each night. However, it's hard to maintain those good sleep habits. Set a bedtime routine, and go to bed at the same hour each night. Your mind will not be able to concentrate if it's not rested...it needs a break!
   
2. Eat a healthy breakfast. Although this may seem irrelevant to focusing during class, eating a nutritious meal in the morning gives you fresh energy for the day. Remember: a healthy breakfast does not just mean a big breakfast. Two simple slices of toast, fresh orange juice (with pulp, if possible) and a nice serving of hard boiled egg is an example of a good breakfast. If you consume a meal such as this, you'll feel more energized and less groggy throughout the day- paying attention will be efficiently easier.
   
3. Avoid sitting with friends. Although the urge to sit with your buddies may be awfully appealing, try your best to avoid the temptation. Chatting with friends is not going to give you the focus you need to stay on top of the class. This cannot only get you trouble, but lower your concentration rate for the class altogether. If you feel the urge to speak with a fellow classmate, yet are seated in an assigned location, talk to your teacher about getting your seat moved. However, let the friend know (outside of class!) that this is not meant to insult them- you just need to focus.
   
4. Rid yourself of any other distractions. Some of us get distracted very easily- and that's perfectly OK. The problem evolves when distractions keep us from learning. Is that water bottle catching all your attention? Imediately remove it from your desk. How about that gum you're chewing? Throw it out and start taking notes. Eliminate these distractions (even if you don't want to) and you'll soon find your attention immediately going to the teacher each class.
   
5. Look at the teacher, and make eye contact. Your teacher is not just standing up there babbling- they're obviously trying to give you an acceptable education. Show them that they have your full attention, by looking them in the eye, and observing their movements. Try your best to look alert. If you feel your eyes averting to something else in the room, catch yourself and focus back on your teacher. This person should have your full attention at all times during class. Your eyes should not be drifting elsewhere.
   
6. Know your objective. Most teachers tell you the subject of the class, in the begining. If possible, write down this objective the minute you hear it. What is it that needs to be done today? What will you be learning about? How can you remain alert and focused during this time? Set goals for yourself, and remind yourself of the objective throughout class. This way, you know exactly what you have to do.
   
7. Take notes. By taking accurate notes, you'll be able to "get into" the lesson. Recgonize key points as your teacher speaks, and listen for key phrases such as, "This is important," "This is the main idea," "This will be on the test," etc. This can help you listen more intently; you'll have something to do and focus on.
   
8. Get involved in class discussions. This is a wonderful way to become a more focused, successful student. When a teacher asks a question, offer to answer it. If she/he asks for an opinion, share your own. This shows that the teacher that you're listening intently during the class, and that you know your stuff. This can also help you avoid those embarressing moments, when you get called on and you happen to not be paying attention.
   
9. Ask a question. If you don't understand something, NEVER be afraid to ask. This really shows your teacher that you want to be better, and can recgonize the things you're having difficulty with. Chances are, someone else in the class has the same question (and was too afraid to ask!). They'll be relieved- and so will you.
   
10. Do your best. When you walk into that classroom, put a smile on your face and some confidence in your pocket. Be the best that you can be at all times, and show your true potential!
    

Tips

• Get a notebook to record all your notes. That way, you can keep them organized and readable for the next class.
  
• Be prepared for tests, projects, and class in general! This will help you feel more confident.
  
• If you feel like falling asleep, ask to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom and splash your face with cold water a couple of times. This will keep you awake for the next fifteen minutes. However, don't ask to get up twenty million times a day- or your teacher will assume that you're ditching her class!
  
• When you leave class, review what you've learned. See if you can recall the major points of that days's lesson, and if you understand all of the concepts. This will give you an idea of whether or not you did your job that day.
  

Warnings

• If the teacher starts looking at you weird, that means your doing something wrong.
  
• Avoid your more talkative friends. They can often distract you from your work.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Pay Attention in a Dull Class
  
• How to Improve Your Grades
  
• How to Get Better Grades This Year Than You Did Last Year
  
• How to Avoid Thoughts Hampering Your Daily Activities
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Focus More in Class. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Make a Physics Project

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Most if not all Physics classes demand at least one project be created and they base the final grade on the quality of the project. The best projects are usually the ones that are thought about carefully and those that you are truly interested in making. So when the project date is assigned, do not waste a minute thinking up the subject of the project that you would like to make.

Steps

1. Wait until you are assigned to create a class project in your Physics class.
   
2. Give thought to a variety of project ideas that might interest you.
   
3. Do not stop at the first idea that pops into your mind. Wait until you feel excited at the thought of a particular project and then go for it.
   
4. Research your project subject. Find out all you can about it, how it works, and how it can be duplicated.
   
5. Write down the items that you need to get or buy in order to create this particular project.
   
6. Learn how to scale it down, if your project subject is large. Figure out how to present it. Discuss it with family or friends, to see how they feel about it.
   
7. Start working on it, or building it, as soon as you get everything you need for it.
   

Tips

• 1. Depending on what your project entails, make sure that what you need to buy does not go over what the amount you set aside to spend.
     
  2. Try to make whatever you can by yourself instead of buying it.
     
  
  

Warnings

• 1. Do not wait until a week before the due date to start to think about a project.
     
  
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Calculate the Center of Gravity of a Prism
  
• How to Quickly Convert Temperature from Fahrenheit to Centigrade
  
• How to Measure Thermal Energy Released from a Flame
  
• How to Compute an Earth Moon Spacecraft Trajectory
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Physics Project. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Use the Scientific Method

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The scientific method is the backbone of nearly all rigorous scientific inquiry. A set of techniques and principles designed to advance scientific inquiry and further the accumulation of knowledge, the scientific method has been gradually developed and honed by everyone from the philosophers of ancient Greece to the scientists of today. While there are some variations on the method and disagreement over how it should be used, the basic steps are easy to understand and invaluable not only to scientific research but also to solving everyday problems.

Steps

1. Observe. It is curiosity that breeds new knowledge. The process of observation, sometimes called "defining the question," is simple. You observe something that you can't readily explain with your existing knowledge, or you observe some phenomenon that is explained by existing knowledge but which may have another explanation. The question, then, is how do you explain that phenomenon--what causes it to occur?
   
2. Research the existing knowledge about the question. Suppose you observe that your car won't start. Your question is, why won't it start? You may have some knowledge about cars, so you'll tap into that to try to figure it out. You may also consult your owners manual or look online for information about the problem. If you were a scientist trying to figure out some strange phenomenon, you could consult scientific journals, which publish research that other scientists have already done. You'd want to read as much about your question as possible, because the question may have already been answered, or you may find information that will help you form your hypothesis.
   
3. Form your hypothesis. An hypothesis is a possible explanation for the phenomenon you observed. It is more than a guess, though, because it is based upon a thorough review of the existing knowledge of the subject. The hypothesis should posit a cause-effect relationship. For example, "My car won't start because I am out of gas." It should suggest one possible cause for the effect, and it should be something that you can test and which you can use to make predictions. You can put gas in your car to test the "out of gas" hypothesis, and you can predict that if the hypothesis is correct, the car will start once you add gas.
   
4. Test your hypothesis. Design an experiment that will either confirm or fail to confirm the hypothesis. The experiment should be designed to try to isolate the phenomenon and the proposed cause. In other words, it should be "controlled." Going back to our simple car question, we can test our hypothesis by putting gas in the car, but if we put gas in the car and change the fuel filter, we can't know for sure whether the lack of gas or the filter was the problem. For complex questions, there may be hundreds or thousands of potential causes, and it can be difficult or impossible to isolate them in any single experiment.
   
   • Keep impeccable records. Experiments must be reproducible. That is, other people must be able to set up a test in the same way that you did and get the same result. It's important, therefore, to keep accurate records of everything you do in your test, and it's essential that you keep all your data. Today there are archives set up which store the raw data gathered in the process of scientific research. If other scientists need to find out about your experiment they can consult these archives or ask you for your data. It's critical that you be able to provide all the details.
     
   
   
5. Analyze your results and draw conclusions. Hypothesis testing is simply a way to collect data that will help you either confirm or fail to confirm your hypothesis. If your car starts when you add gas, your analysis is pretty simple--your hypothesis was confirmed. In more complicated tests, however, you may not be able to figure out whether your hypothesis is confirmed without first spending considerable time looking at the data you gathered in your hypothesis testing. Furthermore, whether the data confirms or fails to confirm the hypothesis, you must always be on the lookout for other things, so-called "lurking" or "exogenous" variables, that may have influenced the results. Suppose that your car starts when you add gas, but at the same time the weather changed and the temperature increased from below freezing to well above freezing. Can you be sure the gas, and not the change in temperature, caused the car to start? You may also find that your test is inconclusive. Perhaps the car runs for a few seconds when you add gas, but then dies again.
   
6. Report your findings. Scientists generally report the results of their research in scientific journals or in papers at conferences. They report not only the results but also their methodology and any problems or questions that arose during their hypothesis testing. Reporting your findings enables others to build upon them.
   
7. Conduct further research. If the data failed to confirm your initial hypothesis, it's time to come up with a new hypothesis and test it. The good news is, your first experiment may have provided you with valuable information to help you form a new hypothesis. Even if an hypothesis is confirmed, further research is necessary to ensure that the results are reproducible and not just a one-time coincidence. This research is often performed by other scientists, but you may also wish to further investigate the phenomenon yourself.
   

Tips

• Note that you do not prove or disprove an hypothesis, but rather confirm or fail to confirm it. If the question is why your car won't start, confirming the hypothesis (you're out of gas) and proving it are pretty much the same thing, but for more complex questions that may have many possible explanations, one or two experiments cannot prove or disprove an hypothesis.
  
• There are many ways to test hypotheses, and the type of experiment described above is just one simple variety. Hypothesis testing can also take the form of double-blind studies, statistical data collection, or other methods. The unifying factor is that all methods collect data or information that can be used to test the hypothesis.
  
• Understand the difference between a correlation and a causal relationship. If you confirm your hypothesis, you have found a correlation (a relationship between two variables). If others also confirm the hypothesis, the correlation is stronger. But just because there is a correlation does not necessarily mean that one variable caused the other.
  

Warnings

• Always let the data speak for itself. Scientists must always be careful that their biases, mistakes, and egos do not lead to misleading results. Always report your experiments truthfully and in detail.
  
• Beware exogenous variables. Even in the simplest experiments, environmental factors can creep in and influence your results.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Conduct Scientific Research
  
• How to Write a Hypothesis
  
• How to Conduct a True Experiment
  
• How to Conduct a Simulation Analysis
  
• How to Understand Classical Physics
  
• How to Get Kids Interested in Science by Crushing a Can With Air Pressure
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Use the Scientific Method. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Answer a Tricky Interview Question

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The interview can be the most dreaded part of the application process, whether it be for a job, or a school, or anything else. But instead of looking at it as impending doom, look at it as an opportunity to show how you perform under pressure. Preparing yourself before the interview even starts can help when you're in the middle of a really difficult question.

Steps

1. Calm down. Before you even enter the room, make sure you are focused and relaxed. If you're already calm, great! Stay that way. Make sure you drink enough water, but don't spill any on yourself. This will keep your brain working at its best, and will also reduce the possibility of your mouth going dry.
   
2. Make a good entrance. Come in the door smiling and confident, and make sure not to trip on anything. Your interviewer will probably shake your hand; grip firmly, but just barely gentle enough to not hurt anybody. Remember that confidence is important, but so is humility.
   
3. Think. Not just on the tricky questions, but on all of them: don't open your mouth until you know exactly what you're going to say. The human mouth has an amazing ability to say something incredibly stupid at the worst possible time. Don't let this tendency take advantage of you.
   
4. Don't let your interviewer shake you. Keep in mind that one of the purposes of the tricky questions is to make you uncomfortable. Keep your cool at all costs; you'll need it for the rest of the interview. Besides, don't forget, your performance under pressure is being tested here.
   

Tips

• Don't worry about anything. Put all your worries out of your mind, or they will interrupt your focus in the middle of your interview.
  
• Make sure you look professional. Give yourself some time to make sure you look perfect. Looks are an important part of making a good first impression; perhaps more important than they should be, but use this to your advantage.
  
• Don't skip breakfast. Your brain will need all the help it can get.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Go to an Interview
  
• How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview
  
• How to Open an Interview
  
• How to Perform Well in a Group Interview
  
• How to Ace a Panel Interview for a Professional Position
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Answer a Tricky Interview Question. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Write an Electron Configuration for an Atom of Any Element

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Being able to write electron configurations of an atom is necessary to ace a chemistry class, but writing them can seem hard, but they are actually easy, if you know the basics.

Steps

1. Find out how many electrons the atom has. On the periodic table, the atomic number is the number of protons of the atom, and thus equals the number of electrons in an atom with zero charge.
   
2. Refer to the image at the right for a list of orbitals that will hold the electrons.
   
   • The S orbital set (any number followed by an "S") contains a single orbital, and by Pauli's Exclusion Principle, a single orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons, so each S orbital set can hold two electrons.
     
   • The P orbital set contains three orbitals, and thus can hold a total of six elections.
     
   • The D orbital set contains five orbitals, so it can hold ten electrons.
     
   • The F orbital set contains seven orbitals, so it can hold fourteen electrons.
     
   
   
3. Put one electron into the lowest energy orbital available, starting with 1S (holds a maximum of two electrons). Be careful! Do not fill the orbitals in the order shown in the chart! Fill the orbitals in this order (the number following the orbital set is the maximum number of electrons it can hold):
   
   • 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p6 7s2 5f14 6d10.
     
   • Note: Energy level changes as you go up. For example, when you are about to go up to the 4th energy level, it becomes 4s first, then 3d. After that it follows the order once again. This only happens after the 3rd energy level!
     
   
   
4. Once you've put every electron into an orbital (according to the order), write the configuration as shown at the end of step 3, except, write the number of electrons that are in the orbital set instead of the numbers shown (they are shown as completely filled). So, an uncharged antimony atom's electron configuration would be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p3. Notice that the number following 5p isn't 6, but three. That's because only three electrons are in the orbital set, so the orbital set is not completely occupied (it lacks three more electrons).
   
5. Be sure to read the "Tips" section for information on how to write the electron configuration of an ion or how to promote an electron in special cases.
   

Tips

• The number following the letter is actually a superscript, so don't make that mistake on a test.
  
• To find the atomic number of the atom when it is in electron configuration form, just add up all of the numbers that follow the letters (S, P, D, and F).
  
• You can also figure out the electron configuration of an atom without remembering the order of the orbital sets. Just look at the periodic table. Have you ever wondered why it's shaped like that? Take the top right element (Helium) and shift it all the way to the left. The two left columns are the S orbitals sets. The middle 10 columns are the D orbital sets. and the right 6 columns are the P orbital sets. The two rows on the bottom are the F orbital sets. Now, all you need to do is go horizontally across the periodic table until you arrive at the atom you are calculating. So, if you were looking for scandium, you first go through the S orbital sets, which are hydrogen and helium. Write down 1s2 because you are on the first row and you passed through all of the first S orbital set without arriving at scandium. Now, go to the second row. Go through the 2S orbital, which are lithium and beryllium. Write down 2s2. Now, go through the 2P orbital set and continue through all of them until you arrive at your atom.
  
• Beware, after you go through the 6S orbital set, you go to the 4F orbital set, instead of 5D. Same thing goes for 7S (you go through 5F before going to 6D).
  
• Writing long electron configurations can be avoided by writing them in their noble gas configurations. Simply find the last symbol containing p6 (such as 3p6 or 5p6) and add up all of the numbers following the letters of every symbol before and including the p6 orbital set. Then, using the sum of the numbers, locate the element with the atomic number equal to the sum you just calculated. It should appear at the very right of the periodic table. That's called a noble gas. Now, just remove all of the symbols that you added up and put in the noble gas' symbol in brackets. So, for an antimony atom, the noble gas configuration would be [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p3. Notice that you don't add up the 5s2 and 4d10 because they are after 4p6, which you do add.
  
• You can also write an element's electron configuration by just writing the valence configuration, which is the last S and P orbital set. So, the valence configuration of an antimony atom would be 5s2 5p3.
  
• When the atom is an ion, it means that the number of protons does not equal the number of electrons. The charge of the atom will them be displayed at the top right (usually) corner of the chemical symbol. So, an antimony atom with charge +2 has an electron configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p1. Notice that the 5p3 changed into a 5p1. Be careful when the configuration of an uncharged atom ends in anything but an S and P orbital set. When you take away electrons, you can only take them away from the valence orbitals (the S and P orbitals). So, if a configuration ends in 4s2 3d7, and the atom gains a charge of +2, then the configuration would change to end with 4s0 3d7. Notice that 3d7 does not change. Instead, the S orbital electrons are lost.
  
• There are circumstances when an electron needs to be "promoted." When an orbital set is one electron away from being half occupied or completely occupied, remove one electron from the nearest S or P orbital set and move it to the orbital set that needs the electron.
  
• Every atom desires to be stable, and the most stable configurations have full S and P (s2 and p6) orbital sets. The noble gases have this configuration, which is why they are non-reactive and are on the right side of the periodic table. So, if a configuration ends in 3p4, it only needs two more electrons to become stable (losing six, including the S orbital set's electrons, takes more energy, so losing four is easier). And if a configuration ends in 4d3, it only needs to lose three electrons to reach a stable state.
  

Warnings

• Be careful when calculating the configurations of ions when promoting electrons. They can be tricky.
  

Things You'll Need

• A periodic table
  
• Memorization of the orbital set order (or you can use the periodic table method).
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Find the Number of Neutrons in an Atom
  
• How to Recognize the Name of an Atom
  
• How to Survive and Thrive in Your First Organic Chemistry Class
  
• How to Get Kids Interested in Science by Crushing a Can With Air Pressure
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write an Electron Configuration for an Atom of Any Element. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Choose a Pen

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A pen is an instrument that is mainly used for for writing or drawing in ink or a similar substance. Some pens are short, some pens are long, some pens have ball points, and others have felt tips. Read this article to find out for sure which pen best fits your needs! Pens can be found for sale at almost any store and can often be found unattended on the ground.

Steps

1. If you like cheap pens that are thin and disposable, some pens that you might like are the Bic Round Stic and the Papermate Write Bros. These are also available with grips.
   
2. If you like liquid ink, which is very smooth, you should write with ballpoint pens. Some very good ballpoint pens are the Uni-Ball Vision Elite and the Pilot Precise V5.
   
3. If you like ink that sparkles when you write, a sparkly gel ink pen, such as the Pilot G2 or Uni-Ball Signo pen is the best for you.
   
4. If comfort is of concern during writing, you should get a large, soft grip pen. The best grip pen is the Pilot Dr. Grip. The grip and the pen are perfectly balanced for the softest and best writing experience every time.
   
5. Go to your nearest office supply store and buy the pen of your choice.
   
6. If you want a pen to last a lifetime, buy a fountain pen
   

Tips

• Of the different types of disposable pens, ballpoint pens tend to last the longest.
  
• Ask for recommendations, especially if you haven't bought a pen in a while.
  
• Ask friends if you can take their pens for a short test drive. Note the brands and models of any that you find you like.
  
• Try to find a stationery store with bins full of loose pens that you can try. That way, you can go down the row testing for the pens that work best for you.
  

Warnings

• Don't lose the spring of an RT pen.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Choose a Red Pen
  
• How to Choose a Pencil
  
• How to Make a Pen Last Longer
  
• How to Start a Fountain Pen Collection
  
• How to Make a Pen Last Longer
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose a Pen. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Make Your Teacher Happy

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

When you do your work, you’re doing it to make your teacher happy. Here are a few more steps to keep your teacher happy and your mark high.

Steps

1. Get all your work handed in long before the due date. This will definitely get you bonus points somewhere during the year.
   
2. Ask the teacher for extra work. You may also ask for anything you can do when you’re finished your original work.
   
3. Stand right up and go help your teacher when they need it.
   
4. Come to class early. Don’t make any pit stops.
   
5. Show a huge interest in the topic that you are doing in class.
   

Tips

• Make sure you get the rest of your work done for the rest of your classes.
  
• Make sure that you don't get in trouble with a different teacher by only being respectful to one.
  
• Don’t speak out in class. Always raise your hand.
  

Warnings

• If you suck up too much, other students will call you a teachers pet. You don’t want that!
  
• Don’t suck up too much. You might begin to creep your teacher out!
  

Things You'll Need

• All your books for class
  
• A Smile
  
• Teacher
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Get a Teacher to Like You
  
• How to Be a Violin Teacher
  
• How to Avoid Student Teacher Relationships
  
• How to Impress Your History Teacher
  
• How to Impress Your History Teacher
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Your Teacher Happy. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Student who has not availed leave for the past 15 years!

Ms S.Saranya, an engineering college student in Erode, Tamil Nadu, has not availed a single day’s leave from Standard I to her present engineering degree course. Naturally, she has been one of the best students throughout..

Our hearty congrats to her!

Courtesy: ‘Dinamalar’, Tamil daily, June 23, 2008
Grateful thanks to Dinamalar.

How to Improve Your Writing Skills

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Thinking about becoming the next Ernest Hemingway? Or Stephen King? It takes a great deal of practice, planning, experience of the world and talent.

Steps

1. Write down ideas for your writing, subtitles, or even topic. (It's best to do all of this unless you're given a topic!)
   
2. Narrow down your list to important facts and details so you have your set planned.
   
3. Write an outline.
   
4. By now you should have basically your whole story planned. If not: make an additional outline, edit your work, add some brainstorm ideas, or make an idea web.
   
5. You're now ready to start your "sloppy copy," otherwise known as your first draft! Begin by writing down an essay-looking model from which to work.
   
6. Revise your work with another color.
   
7. Edit! Look in the dictionary to check your spelling and look in the thesaurus to vary your word choices and make your written voice more interesting.
   
8. Read your new draft aloud to anyone and accept any feedback. Doing this aloud will just let you know whether it needs some work. If you got ahead of yourself and forgot letters or punctuation, you will immediately realize it. Add any changes in a third color.
   
9. Do your second draft. Do not skip lines. Write in "essay form."
   
10. If you are happy with the essay now, you can turn it in for credit/publishing, after editing for spelling and grammar. If you're not, do steps 6, 7, and 8 again.
    

Tips

• Make a mnemonic device to help you remember things you often forget.
  
• Similes and metaphors are fun to use!
  
• Read books, newspapers, and magazines to help you find interesting facts you could use in your writing.
  
• The info sources are for finding info about a "knowledge essay".
  
• Teachers admire people who work hard instead of racing to finish the essay at the last minute.
  
• If you are going to use a computer, write out your story or essay by hand first, then type it on a computer. Writing by hand prepares you for essay tests. It also encourages very different ways of thinking; computers can tend to make work look more "finished" or "official" than it really is.
  
• Use complete words and sentences. An essay or story is not a chatroom.
  
• Good writers read a lot. Read all the time: magazines, novels, the paper, anything. Reading a wide range of material increases your vocabulary and gives you a sense of what you're trying to achieve.
  
• Just have fun while writing. Writing shouldn't be torture, it is a skill.
  

Warnings

• Be careful to stay on topic. If you are writing about something important, you may find that your main message becomes buried under trivial stuff. This makes editing particularly important. Depending on your topic and form of writing, you may find it helpful to include subtitles. Subtitles may keep you focused and may help readers skip material that they do not necessarily need to read. If you have a habit of going off topic, look at each paragraph. Does the paragraph contain just one main idea? You may have information that is irrelevant or belongs somewhere else in the paper. Also be sure to use transition words. Adverbs such as “however,” “therefore,” and “finally” can make your writing easier to follow and more pleasing to the ear.
  
• Be sure that your writing is well organized! Poorly organized writing may not read well and may even confuse your readers. As you go from paragraph to paragraph, check for cohesion. Try to put your paragraphs into some kind of logical order. Oftentimes, you will do well to save the best for last. In a persuasive essay, try to save your best argument for last. In a feature article, save the most interesting information for the end (or the beginning).
  
• Writing takes patience.
  
• Use synonyms with care. There is no quicker way to sound ignorant than to use a word as the wrong part of speech or in the wrong context. Always look up words in the dictionary and make sure you understand their meaning before using them. Also consider connotations of words and know the importance of good word choice.
  
• Do not plagiarize! Realize that your references are very important in essays. They even lend credibility to your research. If you are writing something for a writing class, you may want to ask your teacher how to cite your references because there are many different styles. Be careful how you use words and phrases from the original text. You may need to use quotation marks around certain words that you borrow from the original, depending on how common the words are.
  

Things You'll Need

• A dictionary
  
• A thesaurus
  
• Lots of paper - legal pads (long-sized & yellow color) work well
  
• Pens (in various colors)
  
• An encyclopedia
  
• Info sources
  
• A writer's guide (optional)
  
• A writing workbook for practice (optional)
  
• A computer (for the final draft)
  
• Reading material (optional)
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Avoid Colloquial (Informal) Writing
  
• How to Use English Punctuation Correctly
  
• How to Write a Report on Paul Revere
  
• How to Write a Report
  
• How to Write a Resume
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Improve Your Writing Skills. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Improve Your Reading Skills

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Many people have trouble with reading. Reading is a process of the brain where you look at symbols on a page, and your mind sees the patterns of characters and understands the meaning in them. Here are a few steps and tips to get started.

Steps

1. Find some easy reading material. Find a children's book or a newspaper article.
   
2. Sound out each letter as best you can and you will notice they form some sort of word. Some letters fit together. For example, "th" is not pronounced as t + h, but rather as one unit. This is called a 'phoneme'.
   
3. Find a place to read where you can concentrate. This may be someplace secret where no one will bother you, or simply your home at a time when it is quiet.
   
4. Begin your reading by looking at the pictures, or listening to the music to get a feel for what you are going to be reading about.
   
5. Start with titles, names, or other large print items that you may know.
   
6. Read as much as you are able. When you start getting bored or need a break, take one. Reading should be fun and enjoyable, don't force it. After your break, return to where you were, and continue.
   
7. Reread the material. It is okay to reread something if you do not understand it fully the first time.
   

Tips

• Standing works better for some people. Some read while walking on a treadmill or a track, exercising both the body and mind!
  
• While most people disagree with this, most things you need to know are in books. Therefore it is wise when you are comfortable reading general material to increase your reading speed as soon as possible. A good guide to this is Wade E. Cutler's Triple Your Reading Speed.
  
• Use a spreadsheet creatively. ( spreadsheets and not word processors) Engage in a lively dialog, spend time making sure that you get the gist, make it entertaining.
  
• Remember that you should read at your own pace.
  

Warnings

• Sitting in one position for a long time can make you sleepy or even injured. Make sure you stretch before and during reading to keep awake and comfortable.
  
• Reading in the dark can be potentially damaging to one's eyesight, so ensure that you have sufficient lighting before reading.
  

Things You'll Need

• Reading material: book, magazine, song lyrics, newspaper, etc. Try to pick something interesting, otherwise you will most likely be using your reading material for a pillow.
  
• Table or other place to put your reading material. This could also be your lap.
  
• Comfortable place to sit. Find a quiet place without distraction.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Understand the Book You Are Reading
  
• How to Build Literacy Skills Through Games
  
• How to Become an Advanced English Speaker
  
• How to Use Children's Books to Encourage Kids to Read
  
• How to Fall Asleep With Audio Books
  

Sources and Citations

• http://www.uk-student.net/modules/wfsection/viewarticles.php?category=10
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Improve Your Reading Skills. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.