A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN IN IL
Here are two techniques that I like for talking notes and
studying: "SQ3R" and the "Cornell Method". They are easy, effective,
and make sense. Try looking them up on the web. Read several of the
descriptions you find, because they tend to highlight slightly
different variations on different web sites. Good luck.
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A: FROM MENTOR DENISE HARBERT IN IL
Wow, Josie! It sounds like you have your hands full. Maybe too full. You've
already gotten a lot of great study tips from the other mentors who answered
your question. I agree that every person learns differently and that you
definitely need to learn how to study in a way that is most effective for YOU
to learn, but I don't think that learning how to study is going to solve your
immediate problem. When put together and looked at as a whole, some of your
phrases are pretty frightening: "no time", "in serious need of help", "I've
survived [by] sheer luck", "my luck is sliding", "[I'm] desperate". These are
the words of a drowning person. When a person is drowning, does the lifeguard
tell her how to swim? Or does the lifeguard swim to the person, carry her
back to shore, then enroll her in a swimming class so she can learn in a safe
environment? Although some people think that the best way to learn to swim is
to jump in the deep end and start paddling, I believe that's a very dangerous
and energy-draining approach. I don't think it's a good idea to try to learn
to study when you're drowning.

Maybe you've simply gotten yourself in too deep by taking on more than you can
handle. If that's the case, the only ways to handle more than you can handle
is to either give something up or find someone else to share the burden. I'd
normally suggest friends or tutors to help you learn to study by doing it with
you and showing you different techniques, but that doesn't seem like a good
suggestion right now because you said you don't have any time. Without time,
how are you going to schedule friends or tutors to help you? Perhaps you need
to seriously consider the other alternative of giving something up in order to
make more time. Then use the extra time to learn how to study. Your course
load seems heavy. Remember that AP means college level and a full college
load is usually 3-4 classes. A full high school load is usually 6-8 classes.
Are the 4 classes you mentioned the only classes you are taking? Or do you
have other, easier classes as well? I suspect that you may be taking on an
amount of work that is simply far beyond what any college student would
normally take. Plus, you're doing it at an age when you haven't had enough
time to perfect your study techniques. That is a no-win situation.
Perfecting your study techniques in high school should come BEFORE taking on a
college load of coursework. It sounds like you're trying to do things out of
order, which is only going to set you behind and make it increasingly harder
for you to catch up. Learning HOW to learn is the most important thing you
should be worried about right now. Once you do that, everything else will
seem much easier. You can always take a heavy college load next year or
(believe it or not) once you get to college. It's MUCH better to take a
lighter course load, keep your grades up, and learn to study properly than it
is to take on too heavy a load, get mediocre grades in everything, and still
not learn methods that will make heavy loads easier in the future.

Your internship will give you valuable experience, money, and a great resume,
so I recommend that you keep that and try to lighten your course load instead.
You should definitely still keep at least one very demanding class so you
will be motivated to learn and practice different study techniques to get a
good grade. But consider dropping out of the MOST demanding class you have
right now. I got the impression that Physics is your greatest problem area.
Is the class going too fast for you to understand the material? Do you feel
overwhelmed and unsure where to start whenever you open your book? Does it
seem like your teacher is speaking a foreign language that you never learned?
If so, then maybe you need to drop out of AP Physics and try taking a slower
paced Physics class instead. That's what I did when I was a Junior and I
never regretted it. I still learned Physics, but I did it at a pace I could
handle rather than the pace of an AP class. The slower pace also allowed me
to perfect the study techniques I needed to know so I could do well in a class
that I was not naturally gifted at. Learning those techniques allowed me to
go at a faster pace in those kinds of classes once I reached college. It was
well worth it to learn those things in high school, rather than trying to do
it in college when all of the paces are fast, the competition is fierce, and
the courses are expensive!

I hope you find the solution to your problem that works best for you! Good
luck!
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A: FROM MENTOR JACQUELINE ADAMS IN IL
Hi Josie,
I completely understand what you're going through with the time
constraints. I also worked during high school along with participating
in sports and student government, so I didn't have much time either.
There are all sorts of ways to study for your subjects but I'll tell you
which way I found worked best for me. I learned throughout school that
every teacher has their own way of teaching as well as testing. You
first have to look back at your previous exams and determine what they
focus on most (dates, formulas, comprehension, memorization). I have
always been a flashcard lover myself. I know it may sound very
childish, but I found that I retained a lot more information if I used
flashcards for cues. Probably because you have to write the information
in your notes and then again on the flashcard giving you one more time
to process the information. It's just like going over your notes again,
only now, before the test, you have a whole pile of important facts that
you can review. For your history class, you can write dates or years on
one side with the events to follow on the other. For physics and
precal, I found that if I was able to answer all of the problems and
questions in the review sessions of the book I did well on the exam.
It's a MUST that for math you go over every individual problem in the
section or chapter. There are different ways to solve problems, some
long and some shortcuts, and teachers focus on both to make sure that
you can get the same answer both ways. The only way to know that you
understand your notes completely is to work out some problems that you
didn't do in class and see if you can get those right. As for language,
you'll have to look at previous exams. Did your teacher focus more on
symbolism in your essays, or more on context and indivudual opinion
supported by reasoning? Also, you may want to form study groups to
discuss how everyone else interpreted what you have read so that you get
some different perspectives. I know it's a long answer and the
flashcards take a little bit more time to make, but if you keep up with
them on a daily basis instead of waiting until just before the exam, it
shouldn't take that much time out of your already busy schedule. Hope
this helps...Good Luck!!
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A: FROM MENTOR NORRIE ROBBINS IN CA
Learning how to stick information into your own brain can take a really long time. The faster you learn it, the easier it is to study. The overarching issue goes back to how your brain takes in information—verbally or visual (written). I’m a verbal-visual. My brain only stores information that has been presented this way: listening in class and writing down what was said. Then I make 4 sheets of paper: definitions, dates, people, and long questions with long answers. Then I fold the papers in half the long way. On the left side of the fold I write the word that needs defining or question that needs answering; on the right side of the fold will go the definition or the answer. I read through the class notes and distribute the information onto my 4 pieces of paper. Then I read the book assignment and distribute the information onto the 4 pieces of paper. Then I study those papers every night before I go to sleep; at the beginning, I fold the papers over and start on the right side (for example, I read the definition and try to guess what word is being defined). Soon after I test myself from both sides. For equations and languages, I make flash cards; I flip those cards 3-4 times a day. I start on the easier side first, and as I learn the information, then I flip them from both sides. Just before the exam, I read my class notes over just in case I missed something. This is the process that got me a BS, MS, and PhD, and continues to get me A’s whenever I take courses.
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A: FROM MENTOR KHANH VU IN TX
In high school and college I was the type who would cram the last minute. I would advise against that. With that method, I would do well on the exams but I didn't retain the material as well, which I definitely regret. It'll make your future studies easier if you actually take the time to understand the why and how behind concepts, esp the sciences, rather than memorizing (some things you're just going to have to memorize).

Since college, I learned to prioritize my time. If it was still more than 3 weeks away from my exams, I would make a mental (you can write one out if you prefer) daily schedule for myself of what I planned to accomplish each day. As it came closer to exam time, I would write out a weekly schedule in which I would block off ca 1 hr (or however much time needed) for each subject that I wanted to review for the day. You need to make sure that you give yourself enough time to review the entire subject matter over the timeframe alloted. Also, be realistic and make sure you set aside time for meals and breaks. Regarding how I study now for exams: first, I skim through the entire material, underlining or highlighting important points; then, I read more thoroughly through the material again and make notes for myself in the text or on a separate piece of paper; lastly I'll read the material and m! y notes very carefully for one last time before the exam. I intially skim through the material bc I personally need to know that I've read the material once (but I don't want to get bogged down with details yet). When I make my notes, I make tables or lists of what I think is important from the text. For me, it's easier to review my own notes than read massive amounts of text.

Everyone has their own style of studying, you just have to find what works best for you. Also, remember that the subjects that you like most will come easier to you, so you won't have to dedicate as much time to those subjects. Best wishes in your furture endeavors.
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A: FROM MENTOR AIMEE WILLOZ IN MN
One thing to think about is *how* you learn (what makes things stick in
your memory?). There are three main learning styles: visual (learn by
seeing), auditory (learn by hearing), and kinesthetic (learn by
doing/activity). If you can figure out what your learning style is, you
can use that to help you make the most effective use of your study time and
your in-class time.
For example, I'm a kinesthetic learner. When I attend classes and study I
take copious notes (messy, too!). For me, the learning happens when I
write the notes (I'm using arrows to connect things, writing thoughts in
the margins, etc.), so I don't use my notes much later. As a refresher
before an exam I'd reread my notes once or twice, and perhaps make a
summary sheet of the major points. I find that I do the same thing today
-- when I attend meetings, I take very messy notes, but I'm absorbing the
information while I do it. Other people learn in different ways -- for
example, I'm amazed at how neat my friend's notes are. I realized after a
while that when he writes down notes at meetings, he's recording the
summary points of what he's learned (the learning happened earlier, either
through hearing or seeing).
This isn't exactly what you asked for, but I hope it's helpful. Be sure to
try different things, and I'm sure you'll figure out what works for you.
Good luck, Josie!
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A: FROM MENTOR BRENDA WOLFE IN CO
I do not understand why counselors allow you to load up with AP classes - to the point where you do not have time for anything else. Being a well-rounded individual goes a lot further with college selection - than all A's in AP classes.
Having said that, I must confess that there is no good way to study for Physics .... the best way is to just review all the homework problems - do them again and any other samples in your book. Physics without Calculus is really a pain.
My only other suggestion is to use all your time at school and in class. Don't wait to try and do everything at home in the evening.
Good luck -