This is not a blog post about the proper structure of an essay. It is also not a post about how to write a thesis statement. (Want that? Here you go.) Instead, I am giving you three tips for how to start an essay when …
8 back-to-school tips every student needs – seriously
The internet is full of back-to-school tips — some of them good, and some of them straight up weird. (One list I saw suggested that students add “hot glue gun” to their school supplies list. Even the crafter in me is thinking whyyyyy!?) Most of …
Productivity hacks for students: Does multitasking work?
I’m all about sharing productivity hacks for students. When I find something that works, I shout it to the rooftops. (Eh, I actually just write about it.) But I am also constantly on the lookout for productivity hacks that don’t work for students — or …
Study hack: How to know if you’re ready for an exam
You study for a test, you think you know your stuff, you take the test, and then you fail the test. Does this situation sound familiar? Do you ever think to yourself Ugh, what the heck … I swore I knew this stuff! Reality check: …
How to not zone out while reading: 6 strategies that good readers use
I teach all things English, so of course I know how to not zone out while reading. But I still do it anyways. Even I, a reading “expert” will sometimes get to the end of a page and have no idea what I just read. I …
8 time management tips for students
I know, I know. You have no time. Neither do I. Neither does anyone. So below are eight time-management tips for you. And for every student ever. Time management tips for students: 1. Don’t study, do homework, or work on school stuff for more than …
How to avoid distractions while studying: 7 tips for better focus
It’s funny how we can watch Netflix for 3 hours straight without blinking. But when we sit down to do something “hard,” like study, we are suddenly distracted by every little teeny tiny thing. Many of my clients and students come to me complaining that …
Study skills: 3 things you must do BEFORE you study
I talk (and write) all the time about different study skills and the importance of using study methods that a) match you as a learner, and b) match the material you’re studying. But this post isn’t about how to use those study techniques. Instead, it’s …
The study hack that top students know
I love hacks. Who doesn’t!? As a student myself, I especially love study hacks, and as a teacher too, I especially love sharing a good study hack with others. (Obviously that’s why I started the SchoolHabits blog and YouTube channel.) In general, we should vary …
4 backpack organization tips to tame the chaos
Our poor backpacks get treated like garbage disposals: we throw everything in there from granola bar wrappers to dried out pens, old papers to dead calculator batteries. I’ve even seen things as odd as a bungee cord and a camping canteen. (Yes, the student was …