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 study tips for auditory learners – and how to know if you are one
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. In this post – and in the video above – I share 5 study tips for auditory learners. These study techniques make sense for how the auditory brain works. If you know you’re an auditory learner, these study tips are for …
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 study for final exams: 11 steps to nailing your test
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. In the 11 steps below, I break down how to study for final exams. But you could use the 11 strategies to study for your midterms as well. Basically, if you know how to study for final exams, you can use …
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 …
5 test-taking strategies for students
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. I have personally tutored THOUSANDS of students one-on-one for standardized tests. I know that sounds insane. (It is.) I tell you this because it means I know a thing or two about test-taking strategies. And honestly, one of the most common …
Pro study tip for learning new information: Study in both directions
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. The study tip I’m going to explain here might seem obvious at first, but it’s one that I always see my own students forgetting to do. Read through to the end, and if you think it’s something you already do, I …
Study hack: A fun way to study vocabulary words for visual learners
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. I have written plenty of posts about studying vocabulary words (here’s one, and here’s another) – but that’s because vocab is central to so many subjects in school. Seriously, can you name me a subject where you wouldn’t need to learn …