Chris Pirillo » study

How to Improve Reading Comprehension

Chris — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:51:25 +0000

How to Improve Reading Comprehension is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I enjoy reading the chat room that we have. I tried to record this video several times, and had trouble. I’m a perfectionist, whether it’s when I’m recording a video or read something. I enjoy reading, and love enhancing my knowledge as much as possible. To this end, I have a top five list here that was submitted by Dallas. This list is full of tips to help you improve the way you read and comprehend things!

When reading a book, you must be completely focused on the book. Quite often, people will complain that they cannot comprehend/retain what they are reading (or have already read several times). Take a look around – the television is on, the radio is playing, your computer is pulling you in and teasing you to take a peek every two minutes. There are constant distractions. You need to focus in order to properly absorb what you’re reading. To do so, you have to remove those distractions.
Take your time. Unless you’re in the middle of a test where you only have a set amount of time… slow down. What’s the rush? You need to take your time – it’s not a race!
Take a lot of breaks. Even if you love what you’re reading, taking a short break is necessary to keep your comprehension at its maximum level.
After a certain amount of pages or chapters, take some time to pause and reflect on the main points of what you just read. Let your mind digest the information you have taken in. The more you reflect on something, the more likely it is you’ll remember the things you need.
Use highlighters often. Highlight or underline something that may be useful to you, or if you have a question about it. This allows you to come back and revisit when your mind is fresh.

These are excellent tips that should help you when you’re reading, and attempting to remember what you’ve just done. These will be especially helpful to those of you in college or school! Thanks to Dallas for putting these together, and sharing them with us.

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Top Five Tips on Relieving Homework Stress

coupons — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:43:33 +0000

Top Five Tips on Relieving Homework Stress is a post from Chris Pirillo

This is Blake Mcginnis’ submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

Throughout my educational career I have witnessed many people fail classes simply because they do not do their homework. Sadly it happens all the time. This just sickens me because there are many simple ways to prevent this failure.

Are you someone who struggles with homework and needs a few helpful tips? If so, I believe you have come to the right place. Here are my top five tips on relieving homework stress:

Get organized! I would have to say this is by far the most important tip on getting homework completed, or anything else for that matter. Organization allows you to focus, relax and get more things done. If you have an unorganized working area, room or even lifestyle, it can be nearly impossible to do any type of task. I would recommend carrying some sort of planner every day. That way you will be able to keep track of your assignments and try not to fall behind on anything.
Make daily schedules. Making schedules is also a big part of relieving homework stress. A schedule will keep you organized and consistent on completing any type of task needed to be done. I would recommend making a schedule either every night or every morning, that way you have a clear picture of the events that are going to take place on that day. This will not only keep you on your toes, but it will make your day run much more smoothly. Also, make sure you get plenty of rest at night. Getting a lot of rest will dramatically affect how you feel the next day. This may take some getting used to at first, but over time you will see the benefits of having a schedule.
Pay attention. In school, I have gotten homework for many reasons. Usually it was to review what the Instructor taught us in class. If you pay close attention while the Instructor is teaching, you will be able to complete your homework with absolute ease. If you have a hard time remembering things like I do, I would advise you to take some notes. I have heard some positive things about the Pulse Smartpen by Livescribe. Who knows, maybe that is something you might be interested in, to help you exceed in school.
Study. I am sure you have been advised by your parents and teachers to study – many times – and never did. But, if you stop and think about it, you should! If you study for just a short time every day, you would be surprised by how much more things you remember from that particular subject. Then the homework, tests and pop quizzes become a lot easier because you will remember the studied topic.
Be responsible. Yeah, I know I am not your mom, but when it comes to relieving homework stress you should always be responsible. By being responsible, I mean that if you miss a day of school, you should always get the assignments completed that you missed. Just because you are sick for a day or two does not mean that you can just not do the work that was given. Usually if it’s something really serious teachers will negotiate the due date to give you more time to complete the assignment.

How do you handle your homework stress? Please leave some comments, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

How Young Were You When You Finished College?

Chris — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:21:07 +0000

How Young Were You When You Finished College? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I was a college student once, but I don’t think I would want to repeat the experience now as an adult. I’m learning so much at this point on a daily basis, I don’t think I’d learn as much in a classroom. But if a college degree is important to you, it doesn’t matter what age you are. You should go for it. Chat member TuxedoJericho recently did. He started back to college at the age of 31, and sent these tips to share with all of you.

Do not be afraid to ask questions – If you don’t understand, don’t feel embarrassed to ask a question. The younger people in there, think that if no one ask questions, they can get out of class early. They love it when someone else ask the questions about things they don’t know, but they don’t want to do it themselves.
Do not fall into the trap of the computer labs or rec rooms – Those two things can derail a youngster, fresh out of high school, quicker than a train. Just imagine if it were to happen to you.
Professors love to help, when they can – If you know your professor is not teaching a class, go to them and ask for their help. They love to help, and love it more when students come to them. It shows you want to learn, and trust them enough to let them help you, even when you have free time.
Don’t fret if you are the oldest person in your class – In high school, that was a mark of dishonor, but in college, the younger students admire their older counterparts for saying, “I’m doing it! I’m doing to get my degree!” They know it’s harder for the older folk to grab ideas, but when you show that you know the info, they admire you, and might even ask you for assistance at times.
Don’t feel bad when an instructor is younger than you are – Just like students, they admire you for trying college, and trying to make a better life for yourself. If you show that you are attentive in class, they are going to be ready to help you if they know you need it.
Bonus Tip! If you are in a computer class, and you have the excessive need to ask the people who are next to you for help, just don’t be annoying about it. If they are busy, don’t keep asking them. if you are polite and unannoying, they are more apt to help you. Also, if you are taking a Windows Server class, and you don’t know the fist thing about how to hook up a USB hard drive, you may be taking the wrong class.

So there you have it… some tips on how to help you settle into college as an older adult student. If you have the desire, you WILL succeed.

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When Students Become Teachers: Learning Lessons

Chris — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:56:09 +0000

When Students Become Teachers: Learning Lessons is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Kyle_VDK is a community member in the 8th grade. He used to have a lot of trouble in school, and has made many changes of late. Now that he’s successful, he wanted to pass along the tips that worked for him.

Organization Organization is a big key to doing well in school. Even though you think you will make the same mistakes, such as forgetting homework, being organized actually helps that, even though you may think it will not. Of course it will not work if you think it won’t. If you put that tiny bit of effort into staying organized, it can make a difference from turning in a research paper, to not, which results as a 0 as a test grade. Organization will go a long way, even in the future. Once you are in college, you will not have your parents, or teachers reminding you to do everything, or helping you. You will be independent.
Doing a bit more When taking an essay test where you have a small space to write your answer, consider asking for a separate sheet or use the back of the test. Going that extra mile, rather than only filling what’s required, can garner you an A… while your classmates may have a B.
Procrastinating Many of us procrastinate. Even now, I tend to procrastinate. So you missed a few days of school, and you need to do some make-up homework. The first night after you go back, you have no homework. Why not do it then instead of procrastinating until you have to have it done? You are only going to be stressed, and do less quality homework. It is always good to get something over and done with, instead of letting it pressure you.
Study habits Most students, by high school, have figured out their study habits. You may like to study in different ways. Some people like to read things out loud to themselves, some people want other people to read to them, and some people even re-write things on paper to get it into their head. Currently, I have actually not figured out my study habit. It is still a mystery to me. Deciding which way you study the best can result in better test results. Studying ten minutes a night, even if you do not have an upcoming test/quiz can help you a lot in your grades. Nobody likes to finish a day of school, and have to do hours and hours of studying for a test the next day, but many people actually do it. Studying in segments every day can help relieve the stress of an upcoming test, and you will have more time doing things that you like, such as sports, or computers.
Rewards Why, do you ask, should you work hard and get the best grades you can? Getting good grades might reward you with more permissions in your high school. iI you get good grades, you can sign yourself out of study hall. Your parents may even pay you a certain sum of money for every A you get. When I get not-so- good grades, I get less time on my computer. When I get better grades, I get more time.

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

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