College Prep Services: Get Expert Guidance for FAFSA, Student Loans, Scholarships, and More

2. ICAN Advising Services • CSS Profile • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) • FAFSA/Award Letter Review • Understanding Student Loans • Alternative Funding Options for College • Career Exploration and Assessment • College Exploration • Paying for College • College Visits • College Selection & Applications • Scholarship Process To Schedule an Appointment: Call (877) 272-4692 www.ICANsucceed.org/apt

3. East Central Iowa Success Center • Linn County Regional Center • 1770 Boyson Rd, Hiawatha • Appointments required! • Call (877) 272-4692 • www.ICANsucceed.org/apt

4. Pre-Test

5. More Rigorous Courses! Studying will probably become more necessary and important than it was before……

6. It’s All In Your Head • Many students say they “can’t take tests” or they “don’t test well,” but…… • Taking tests is all about being in the right frame of mind. • Attitude and the right study skills and test prep can go a long way to helping you find success.

7. Time Management • Why is time management important as a high school student? • Do you manage your time well? • What strategies, materials, or devices do you use to manage your time? • (Discuss with an elbow partner)

8. What is a G.P.A.?

9. What is a G.P.A.?

10. GPA How would each of these students probably look to a college as potential students?

11. Building a Strong GPA • Ask teachers for help when you need it • Create a schedule/set aside time to study • Complete homework on time/turn it in • Study for your tests ahead of time • Take challenging courses – regular, honors, AP, college (as long as they are challenging) • Show up for class – attendance matters! • Use a student planner

12. Class Activity! • Take a few minutes and write a paragraph on why you think having a strong GPA is important for your personal success.

13. Recap • Was it hard to concentrate on your writing when there was distracting noises? • What did you learn about yourself? Do you need a quiet space when studying, or do you study better around noise? • How will this activity effect your study skills?

15. A Few Quick Study Tips… • Keep distractions to a minimum. • Silence your cell phone • Review your notes from yesterday before class • Take notes in class. Add illustrations, charts, or graphs to your notes to help you remember important concepts! • Study your most difficult subjects first • Schedule study times, and take short breaks while studying • Review your notes for 10 minutes each day

16. Study Tip #1: Pace Yourself • Make sure you stay focused and don’t burn yourself out. • Start early, create a study schedule, and take breaks! • Split the material into smaller chunks

17. Tip #2: Create Your Own Study Guide • While many teachers provide a study guide, creating your own can help you understand the material better. Outlining the important information you need to learn can be helpful both in creation and to refer to during your studies.

18. Study Tip #2: Creating a Study Guide Example

19. Tip #3: Stay Well-Rested • A good night of sleep = better focus, more energy

20. Study By Your Learning Style • If you’re a visual learner, it can help to create mind maps or diagrams to visualize how the concepts you’re learning relate to one another. • If you’re an auditory learner, it might be helpful to talk and study with others – discussion may help you. • If you’re a reading/writing learner – rewrite notes and reread them – aloud or to yourself.

21. Ask Questions • Your teachers are there to help! Ask them questions regarding the material and the exam so that you’re prepared when the exam arrives. • Remember there are NO stupid questions!

22. How Can YOU Make StudyingFun?? • Talk with a partner to come up with ideas of how to make studying more fun.

23. Studying in Groups • What are the benefits/drawbacks of studying in groups? • Challenge each other! Make a game of it! • Use flashcards to memorize concepts and vocab words • Teach concepts to your friends! Teaching something to another person helps reinforce the concepts to yourself.

24. ACTIVITY!! • “Memorization Challenge”

26. Study All Semester Long • Don’t be tempted to only study at the last minute. • Take time throughout the semester to review all of your notes and re-read important passages in your text book.  • It might seem tedious, but you’ll remember more on test day. Contrary to popular belief, “cramming” is not a successful, proven study method!

27. Test Time • Make sure to read the directions • Scan through the test quickly before starting. • Answer easy questions first – go back to difficult questions after answering easy ones • Multiple Choice – use process of elimination • Make sure all answers are readable (or bubbles filled correctly)

28. All Done? Not Quite! • When you finish the test, remember that you're not done yet. • Review your answers, making sure that you didn't make any careless mistakes. • Spend the last remaining minutes going over the hardest problems before you turn in your test. • Don’t second guess yourself; only change an answer if you have remembered/discovered new information that warrants the change.

29. Post-Test

31. Tip of the Week Video • Senior Year Alerts • Career & College Corner Blog • Social Media

32. What’s Your Learning Style? • This website allows you to take a quiz that will tell you what your learning style is. • http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml