Welcome to Homework Help.  This page has lots of tips to help you be a better student.  I hope you take advantage of the advice offered in this section.  A couple new pages have been added.  One called Homework Tips and the other is a schedule on which you can write your homework assignments each day.

• Learning Styles

•   Writing Tips 

• Sites to help with homework

Memorization Help

• chunking

• mnemonic devices

• visual cues

• Sites to help with homework

1. Start by chunking. According to psychologists, it's especially hard to make your brain recall long lists of separate pieces of information. To make it easier to remember a long list of almost anything, break the list into small and manageable groups, or "chunks."

2. Use mnemonic devices. These are memory improvement techniques, and are sometimes quite elaborate. One common device uses words or abbreviations to compress lists of information into shorter bits that are easier to remember. Here are some common examples:

3. Link information to visual cues. Often it's easier to remember a place or an image and its characteristics, than it is to recall a set of unfamiliar pieces of information. To memorize the information, you can try taking an item from the list and associating it in your mind with a picture or place that you know well. For example, let's say you need to memorize the presidents of the United States since World War II. You could associate each of the presidents with a place you know well, such as your front porch:Eisenhower Sitting on the stepsKennedy Knocking at the front doorJohnson Swinging on a porch swingNixonStanding at the mailboxFordRinging the doorbellCarterSitting in a wicker chairReaganStanding under the porch lightBush (1st)Standing on the rightClintonSitting at a tableBush (2nd)Standing on the leftTo reinforce this, you could draw a sketch of your porch, and note on it the location of each president. This technique is so powerful that you might find yourself thinking of the presidents the next time you go to your porch.

4. Read with a purpose. Many psychologists think that the best way to remember what you read is to follow the PQ4R method. PQ4R is a mnemonic device for Preview, Question, and four R's: Read, Reflect, Recite, Review. If you are reading a chapter in your biology book, for example, you should start by skimming the whole chapter for an overview. Then create some questions to concentrate on while you study, such as "How does photosynthesis work?" Then read the chapter. After you've finished, reflect--think about how the chapter has answered your questions. Recite the answers back to yourself, explaining the information in your own words. Finally, go back through the book, skimming again for the main points. Sound like a lot of work? It may take longer than a quick skim, but it's also a great way to make sure you retain what you are reading, rather than just sitting in front of the book and turning pages.

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Learn the rules. Mastering the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation is a bit like learning to ride a bike. The process might be painful but the results are worth it. The more you learn about the basic foundations of good writing, the easier, smoother, and more fun the writing process will be.

Stick to the main idea. Before you start writing, identify and write down a sentence or two that identifies exactly what you're trying to tell about or say. This writing "blueprint" is called a thesis statement. Everything you include in your paper, essay, or other writing should support your thesis statement. A clear thesis statement will help you stay on topic and reduce clutter in your writing.

Keep it simple. Use plain, clear language whenever possible. You may think fancy words make you sound smart, but it's more important to make sure readers understand your meaning than it is to impress them with your vocabulary.

Review and revise. Every piece of writing can benefit from some tweaking and polishing. Read your finished draft with a critical eye, marking changes to make later. If possible, ask a friend to read it and make comments too. This feedback will help you avoid embarrassing mistakes and will also help improve your writing.

Use reference tools. Keep a dictionary and a thesaurus handy--whether hard-copy books or electronic versions--to look up words and check spelling. Make a habit of looking up words you don't know. There are lots of good writing resources on the Internet, too. Find your favorites and use them often. "

People learn differently, knowing how you learn will help you be more successful in your education pursuits. Click on the link below to see what learning style you fit under. What is your learning style?

Many students are frustrated by teachers who don’t do anything but lecture and make you take notes. I really don’t know why teachers do this but I can’t imagine 6-7 hours of doing the same lecture over and over. You might ask your teacher if they can be more attentive to the needs of their students but most likely this will only get you in trouble. Just take the notes and learn them in any way you choose. Nothing is stopping you from perhaps placing the notes to the tune of a song. Or ..rewriting the notes in your own words or whatever works for you.

Last revised: Date Aug 12, 2001

Sites to help with homework

The above links are part of the All study guide collection of websites located at http://www.allstudyguides.com. Like the titles say, each site covers all of that particular author. This site offers some stuff free, like text of the literature, plot summary and analysis. If you want more you have to purchase the guide for the particular work or purchase a complete pass which allows you access to all the additional resources for that author's writing.