High School Study Skills

Motivation
Get Motivated
Stay Motivated

Monitoring Input
Listening
Note Taking
Reading
Class Participation

Managing Process
Self Management
Time Management
Concentration
Managing Your Learning
Managing Your Memory
Class Participation
Test Preparation

Mastering Output
Test Taking
Dealing with Test Anxiety
Learning from Tests
Preparing Written Reports
Preparing Oral Reports
Class Participation

Class Participation

Classrooms are where you gain the input (information, skills, attitudes, and values) the school expects you to learn.  Good students are wise consumers who take advantage of the classroom experience; they use the tax dollars (or tuition) paid by their parents by demanding in mind and action that their classroom time is worth their tuition or tax dollars.  

The first consideration for good class participation is one of intention.  In order to learn, you must intend to learn.  You should also come with the intention to cooperate.  Cooperate with your other class members and your teacher to make the most of the time you will spend together.  Cooperation with your teacher and classmates opens up numerous possibilities for learning.

Secondly, go to class with an attitude of aggressiveness about learning.  Expect to understand everything you hear.  Allow no one, including yourself, to rob you of your chance at learning.

Preparing for Class Participation

Before going to class:

1. Look over the part of the textbook that will be discussed during class time.

2. While looking over the text, identify and familiarize yourself with any new vocabulary.  The most important input you need to receive from class is an understanding to the content.  If you are not familiar with the vocabulary, it will be extremely hard to understand what the instructor is covering.

3. Develop questions about the material to be covered in class.  Learning is much more likely to occur if you go to class with questions you want answered than if you have no idea what you wish to know.  A student who poses questions in her mind about an upcoming class is better prepared than one who has read the entire chapter.

4. A final way to prepare for class attendance is to think about the subject matter for a short time prior to class.  Consider what you already know about the subject or related subjects.  Ask yourself the five w and one h questions: Who, what, when, were, why, and how.  These questions help guide your thought processes and prepare you to participate effectively in class.