Help me graduate high school in 4 days?

[Smartass]

Ok where do I begin... Next Monday, Wednesday and Thursday I will be doing my exams..

The results of these will determain whether the last 7 years of my education were in vain. All through high school (or should I say, through secondary school? Living in Holland and all...) people saw me as the "reasonably intelligent but extremely lazy kid"

Anyways, my question to you: have you got any usefull tips on taking in lots of info in little time?

On Monday I'll be having Maths, Wednestday will be Economics, Thursday all about Geography.. Because off my attitude towards school, my marks thus far are JUST good enough. For you Americans that would be C's I think...

Pardon me for my bad English, for I have not paid attention during the classes

Thanks!

[dinc]

I've done lots of things like this before, from cramming for the GED in a week to trying to learn a language in 10 days.

There really is no secret to learning in a hurry, but there sure is a lot of work involved. I'd ask each of your teachers to suggest a really good textbook for your own study (1 per subject), and then just buckle down, go through them page by page, and pull some eight hour study sessions.

One thing you do NOT want to do is start pulling all nighters and staying up late. Maybe for the last day, if you desperately need to, but otherwise all of that information will just flow through your brain like it's a sieve. Eat well, and do not overdose on caffeine.

[ChaosKiwi]

See if you can get access to past exam papers and model answers. If you can do this (I was able to) ask if there have been any major revisions to the curriculum since that time. Revising these is probably the most effective way to pass an exam with a short amount of time.

Alternatively, when I was in secondary school (New Zealand) we use to be able to buy these revision posters that had the basic stuff required to pass the subject. Maybe you can get those.

Finally bluff your way through any question you don't know, relating it to something in that classes curriculum. You'll be amazed at how many marks I have gained doing this.

[Elfwing]

If you find yourself not paying attention, don't even try to force yourself - you won't learn.

[ginkgo]

Where would Steve Pavlina be if he had done bad on finals? The same place that he is now. Bill Gates never took his college finals. He dropped out of Harvard. There is the favorite story about Albert Einstein. His math professor (Minkowski) called him a "lazy dog." He then went on to say that all physicists are wrong and that when something moves faster, time slows down and distances shrink.

You can be relaxed throughout your life or be stressed out whenever something comes up. Keep this in mind everyday. Someday you will die. How you do on your finals has nothing to do with that-- dying. Although lack of sleep can cause you to fall asleep while driving and you have a car accident and become crippled.

Someday see the movie, Trial of Billy Jack. He says during his trial, "he is my constant companion." The judge says "who is your constant companion?" He says "death is my constant companion." I never take anything too seriously since if I die tomorrow, how important is this? So if you die the day after taking the finals, does it matter what you got? Then he said that he does not live his life as a joke either since if today is your last day, what would you want to be doing. So relax and do your best.

Jesus decided to be the savior of mankind after flunking his finals. On it he said that the earth was flat and the sun orbited around the earth.

[dinc]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

Jesus decided to be the savior of mankind after flunking his finals. On it he said that the earth was flat and the sun orbited around the earth.

Pfft... Those silly Mexicans.

[newsbone]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

Jesus decided to be the savior of mankind after flunking his finals. On it he said that the earth was flat and the sun orbited around the earth.

Where is that quoted?

We did 12 subjects in high school, Boy you are lucky! you dont even need to read just go do it!

[dinc]

Originally Posted by newsbone

Where is that quoted?

My question exactly... I really didn't want to hijack the thread all on my own, so I waited a bit for somebody else to say something. Nothing makes me sad like mindless Christian bashing... *Is sad*.

BTW, how's the studying going? I hope you're not procrastinating...

[MagicalRealist]

The mental trick I used to use was to create a "cheat sheet."

Imagine that your teacher has given you half a sheet of paper, or a 5 x 7" index card, and on that piece of paper you can write all the notes you want--notes that you can consult during the test in order to help you pass.

That half-sheet of paper isn't much space. You can't fit everything on it. So you have to prioritize the information--what is absolutely essential? What equations, formulas, rules, laws, dates, etc. do you absolutely have to know--not only for their own sake, but also so you can use them to figure out the answers to other questions?

Once you've prioritized the information, you then have to organize it so you can easily find it on your "cheat sheet" during the exam. It will do you no good if the clock is ticking and you can never seem to find the information you want right away (especially true if you've resorted to minuscule writing to fill the card--you won't be able to see it at a glance). So you have to find a way of clustering that information that is logical for you.

I learned to do this from the handful of university professors I had who allowed their students to use such "cheat sheets" during exams. And each time I created such a cheat sheet, I ended up not having to consult it at all during the test--or maybe no more than once or twice--because in the process of creating it I ended up memorizing all of the most crucial information.

And the professors who allowed them? They knew this. That's why they always grinned like the cat who stole the cream as they told their students that they were allowed to make such a cheat sheet in the first place. The process of making a truly useful cheat sheet ensures that you won't have to use it at all.

[Smartass]

Thank you for your tips they really worked for today's exam. Math went ok.. I probably have around a 7 out of 10.. and I only needed the 5.3 mark

@Dinc: there isn't really time to ask for a textbook, since there are no classes, only tests.. Also we already have a textbook we have to learn out of. I like your other advise though, because I used to study late at night with those caffeine packed energy drinks.. and then I would only sleep little more than 4 hours... But I doubt it would be physically possible for me to study 8 hours in a row effectively, not to mention mentally

@ChaosKiwi: That is definitely good advise for studying last minute.. I've been doing it these last weeks as well, so I already knew. But I have no doubt you helped others with this.. And I must say that when it comes to bluffing an answer to questions you don't actually know, I am the King

@Ginkgo: I think "relaxing + doing my best" don't really go together very well in this particular situation..

Upcoming Wednesday will be Economics, but I think it's better for me to start studying for Geography instead, since that's my real weakness...
So far so good... I will keep you posted,

Smartass

[Smartass]

Originally Posted by MagicalRealist

The mental trick I used to use was to create a "cheat sheet."

Imagine that your teacher has given you half a sheet of paper, or a 5 x 7" index card, and on that piece of paper you can write all the notes you want--notes that you can consult during the test in order to help you pass.

That half-sheet of paper isn't much space. You can't fit everything on it. So you have to prioritize the information--what is absolutely essential? What equations, formulas, rules, laws, dates, etc. do you absolutely have to know--not only for their own sake, but also so you can use them to figure out the answers to other questions?

Once you've prioritized the information, you then have to organize it so you can easily find it on your "cheat sheet" during the exam. It will do you no good if the clock is ticking and you can never seem to find the information you want right away (especially true if you've resorted to minuscule writing to fill the card--you won't be able to see it at a glance). So you have to find a way of clustering that information that is logical for you.

I learned to do this from the handful of university professors I had who allowed their students to use such "cheat sheets" during exams. And each time I created such a cheat sheet, I ended up not having to consult it at all during the test--or maybe no more than once or twice--because in the process of creating it I ended up memorizing all of the most crucial information.

And the professors who allowed them? They knew this. That's why they always grinned like the cat who stole the cream as they told their students that they were allowed to make such a cheat sheet in the first place. The process of making a truly useful cheat sheet ensures that you won't have to use it at all.

I think this could be very usefull, I will try this! Thank you!!

PS: How can I quote specific sentences of a post without quoting the whole message?

[MagicalRealist]

Originally Posted by Smartass

I think this could be very usefull, I will try this! Thank you!!

Good luck!

PS: How can I quote specific sentences of a post without quoting the whole message?

Just highlight the stuff you don't want to include and hit delete.

[ginkgo]

Originally Posted by newsbone

Where is that quoted?

We did 12 subjects in high school, Boy you are lucky! you dont even need to read just go do it!

It was a joke, totally. But come to think of it, the bible is written by people who do not quote a source that can be checked. What I said could be true since the bible ignores the life of Jesus before he did that fast.

Jesus was not a carpenter. The word that was translated as carpenter was later learned to originally mean architect. So what is wrong with Jesus being an architect? IF that bugged you, then this will bug you also. They were about to stone a woman and Jesus said "He who is without sin, can throw the first stone." Then a lady threw a stone! Jesus said "Mom, stop showing off."

Jesus and Moses were playing golf. Jesus made a shot and it went into the water. Moses parted the water and got the ball. Then he was going to try the same shot again. Moses said "You cannot make that shot, what are you doing?" Jesus said that He saw Tiger Woods make this same shot. So Moses said that he will not get it if it goes into the water again.

So it goes in the water again and Jesus walks on top of the water and gets the ball. A guy walking by says to Moses, "Does that guy think that He is Jesus Christ?" Moses says "No, He thinks that he is Tiger Woods!"

The advice for the exams and my point is 1. Do not sweat the small stuff. 2. It is all small stuff!

[Smartass]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

The advice for the exams and my point is 1. Do not sweat the small stuff. 2. It is all small stuff!

I get it, your saying that I shouldn't worry to much because it really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things. Life won't end by me failing for the exams. Thanks for your 2 cents

That doesn't change that this is important for me. It is possible to work hard for something, feel the pressure without being subject to stress. Pressure can be good at times. Sometimes it's better to feel pressure than to be relaxed and not care that much. It helps motivate me in doing my best. Besides I rarely stress at all and I feel that a little more of it can help me in this..

I'm still a little confused about what Jesus had to do with this, but perhaps he had his Father to thank for his mysterious ways

Anyways I didn't study today. I spend the afternoon celebrating nothing in particular with 2 school buddies, drank some beers and the thought of studying slipped my mind(so much for the stress). However I have nothing planned for tomorrow but studying.

lol this is starting to feel like a 4 day trial or something. Whatever it is I hope it works..

[dinc]

@ginkgo
*sniff* Do I smell bitterness and venom in the air? Along with a great deal of non sequiturs...

@smartass
Let us know how your studying goes tomorrow. Maybe even give specifics and stuff if you have time. I find this kind of thing very interesting.

[Smartass]

Holidays!! Ah I really needed it. Not that I did study that hard. At least not according to normal standards. With about studying 2 hours a day those last few, I broke all my records. Yes I'm that lazy. Or should I say not disciplined? Or that uninterested..? It doesn't matter. With help from my school buddies we created the "Graduation Principle". I translated that freely. Anyway, according to the Principle and its Formulas the percentage of me graduating high school is about 79%.

So when will we know if you graduated and haven't let down everyone that knows you?

I will be called by the feared English teacher of our class on the 18th of June, if I remember correct. Good or bad news, I will let you know, for I know you care so very much

So what have you been up to Smartass?

With all the free time in the world I quit smoking now, which you can read about in my other thread. I hope that it will inspire others to quit smoking as well.

Thank you for the kind words and support,

Smartass

[Smartass]

Ok guys I did it. I graduated high school in 4 days. Thank you for the support. I will be going to college, psychology.
Cya

[MagicalRealist]

Excellent! Congratulations!

[CJAnyasor]

Sweet! Which college are you attending in the fall?

[Lena Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Smartass

Ok guys I did it. I graduated high school in 4 days. Thank you for the support. I will be going to college, psychology.
Cya

Congratulations! Wow, psychology, that's perfect. You can teach other people how to study quickly and efficiently.

[Smartass]

Thx It's Maastricht University, located in the Netherlands of course.

[Eddy Arroyo]

Originally Posted by dinc

Pfft... Those silly Mexicans.

woah, woah woah,.....HEY! how dare you?! are you calling me fat?!