By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. My favorite teacher in the whole world was my second grade teacher because she took me to the fifth grade classroom to borrow cool books. Somehow, this very same teacher was my sister’s least favorite teacher in the whole world. My …
What to do when you’re absent from class: College edition
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. This is part two of a two-part series about what to do when you’re absent from class. Part one outlined strategies for high school students, while this post is more appropriate for students in college or graduate school. As I wrote …
What to do when you’re absent from school: High school edition
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Absences happen. In most cases, an occasional absence from school is not a big deal – as long as you do the right things when you return. On the flip-side, if you don’t know what to do when you’re absent from …
How to write an email to your teacher: Tips, rules and examples
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. In most situations requiring you to communicate with your teacher, it is best to talk in person. I advise face-to-face meetings when possible because this reduces the chance of miscommunication. In-person meetings also give us the chance to communicate via body …
How to set goals and meet them using reverse engineering
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. If you’re already getting the grades you want, then you likely already know how to set goals and meet them. Good job. If you are not happy with your grades or with how you (don’t) accomplish things in general, then it’s …
How to do a Brain Dump to reduce anxiety and prioritize tasks
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. One of the most helpful mental and productivity strategies I have ever learned is how to do a Brain Dump. I did not invent this strategy, or its name, but there’s no doubt I use it more than anyone. On top …
5 common study mistakes of college freshmen
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. In this post, I feature insights from Sara Pennington of SegueToCollege.com. In this Q&A, I ask Sara three key questions about misconceptions and common study mistakes that college freshmen often fall victim to during their first year out of high school. …
Assignment notebook hack: How to keep track of homework so you don’t forget to do things
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Our brains are not meant for storing information; they are made for creating. We simply don’t have enough bandwidth (energy) to remember everything. How many times has someone introduced herself, but twenty seconds later you forget her name? Our brains have …
4 summer reading strategies: Tips for getting it done…well
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Summer reading: you either hate it or love tolerate it. Regardless, it’s one of those things that has to get done, despite our preference to fall asleep in a hammock by the lake. Below are 4 summer reading strategies that will …
How to take notes with ADHD – or if you’re just easily distracted
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Note-taking is a skill. The more you do it, the better you get. Even the most focused students get confused about note-taking. But throw ADHD or just general distractibility into the mix, and taking notes during class can seem impossible. The …