When someone says she's studying, what does she mean? I've often wondered. I have students who claim to study, but when I ask what they do to study, I receive vague responses:
"Oh, I reviewed my notes and looked over the handouts, the night before."
"I read all the chapters I was supposed to read over the past couple months."
"Well, I meant to study, but I sat in front of the t.v. with my book open."
So, what is studying? I mean, what should it look like? Real studying, the kind of studying that contributes to life-long learning and understanding is a habit, something that you develop over a period of time. Real studying is not the last minute cram you do before that big biology test on frog parts.
Real studying is:
*taking responsibility for yourself. In order to be successful, you will have to make some important decisions about your priorities and your time. Time is a finite resource.
*deciding what is a priority and acting accordingly. Do not let others or other interests compromise your values and your goals. Real friends will help you achieve your goals, not compromise them. Real friends agree with and support your values.
*discovering places and times in which you can be at your most productive. Most people figure out right away whether they are morning larks, night owls, or someone in between. Find spaces that are quiet and distraction-free. You may have to leave your house and go to the library for this.
*looking for ways to constantly challenge yourself and further your knowledge independently.
*taking good notes. Very few high school students arrive in college with good note-taking habits. Look at the College of DuPage's website for study skills and
note-taking tips. Take good notes now and you will have greater success in your classes.
*understanding the material. If you don't understand something, don't simply re-read the material. Look for new ways to comprehend it. Is there a video or lecture on-line that diagrams or explains the material in a different way? Is there a teacher you can consult for extra help? Is there a tutoring center? Can the teacher of the course spend some time with you before or after school to help you out?
*utilizing multiple ways of accessing the material. Don't just read. Use class discussions, group work, and even conversation as ways to comprehend material.
*keeping and organizing a central location for all notes, both in your notebook and on your computer, if you have one. It does no good to have pieces of paper all over the place or multiple notebooks with notes from a lecture here and there. Keep everything in one spot from the beginning. Be consistent.
*devoting a short time at the end of each week to review assignments and notes. Evaluate your progress. Keep a learning log even if your teacher does not require you to do so.
*reviewing and organizing your notes each day, especially for your more challenging classes. Devote thirty minutes each day to this, even and especially when you don't have homework. Research has shown that reviewing new material within 24 hours of hearing it increases your retention of that material by about 60%. This means that you will be 60% ahead of the game the next time you walk into class. If you want to significantly reduce the time necessary to prepare for exams, this is the way to do it.
*translating and transferring what you have learned into your own words and examples. Simply rewriting the teacher's definition does no good if you don't understand it. Paraphrase and rewrite examples. Make the material your own.
*marking what you do not understand in your notes and then seeking help from the teacher, a fellow student, the book, and/or a website.
*celebrating your new understandings and successes.
As a budding poet, you may ponder the question, to rhyme or not to rhyme. If you choose to rhyme in your poem, you don't have to stick with straight end-line rhymes. There are other options. Sometimes a poem's subject is too serious for the sing-song effect of a regular end-rhyme.
Simon Kewin advises us on the variety of rhymes available to the poet:
End Rhymes
Rhyming of the final words of lines in a poem. The following, for example, is from Seamus Heaney’s “Digging” :
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground
Internal Rhymes
Rhyming of two words within the same line of poetry. The following, for example, is from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” :
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
Slant Rhymes (sometimes called imperfect, partial, near, oblique, off, etc.)
Rhyme in which two words share just a vowel sound (assonance – e.g. “heart” and “star”) or in which they share just a consonant sound (consonance – e.g. “milk” and “walk”). Slant rhyme is a technique perhaps more in tune with the uncertainties of the modern age than strong rhyme. The following example is also from Seamus Heaney’s “Digging” :
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun
Rich Rhymes
Rhyme using two different words that happen to sound the same (i.e. homonyms) – for example “raise” and “raze”. The following example – a triple rich rhyme – is from Thomas Hood’s “A First Attempt in Rhyme” :
Partake the fire divine that burns,
In Milton, Pope, and Scottish Burns,
Who sang his native braes and burns.
Eye Rhymes
Rhyme on words that look the same but which are actually pronounced differently – for example “bough” and “rough”. The opening four lines of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, for example, go :
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Here, “temperate” and “date” look as though they rhyme, but few readers would pronounce “temperate” so that they did. Beware that pronunciations can drift over time and that rhymes can end up as eye rhymes when they were originally full (and vice versa).
Identical Rhymes
Simply using the same word twice. An example is in (some versions of) Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could not Stop for Death” :
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground—
The Roof was scarcely visible—
The Cornice—in the Ground—
It’s clear there is often a certain amount of overlap between rhyme and other poetical devices such as assonance – subjects to be covered in future poetry writing tips.
Posted by
Ms. Bailey
8:12 PM
Journal-writing can be supplemented with photographs, drawings, or collages. Illustrating your journal entries is not only fun, it can heighten your descriptive and analytical skills and suggest narrative angles you might not otherwise have considered.
Try this: Create a collage journal entry consisting of text, drawings, or cutouts from magazines or newspapers. Give it a thematic focus - examples: "The Horrors of War," " Architectural Marvels," "Memories of My Trip to Italy," etc.
Posted by
Ms. Bailey
2:57 PM
Definition:
Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."
Words and Phrases
With the -ing form (gerund) of words:
Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.
With infinitive phrases:
Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.
OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.
(Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.)
Do not mix forms.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
Example 2
Not Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner.
Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.
Example 3
Not Parallel:
The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.
Parallel:
The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lacked motivation.
Clauses
A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.
— or —
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game.
Example 2
Not Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers. (passive)
Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him questions.
Lists After a Colon
Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.
Parallel:
The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular verbs.
Proofreading Strategies to Try:
Skim your paper, pausing at the words "and" and "or." Check on each side of these words to see whether the items joined are parallel. If not, make them parallel.
If you have several items in a list, put them in a column to see if they are parallel.
Listen to the sound of the items in a list or the items being compared. Do you hear the same kinds of sounds? For example, is there a series of "-ing" words beginning each item? Or do your hear a rhythm being repeated? If something is breaking that rhythm or repetition of sound, check to see if it needs to be made parallel.
For responses to freewrites, quotations, and other random ramblings, go here.
Posted by
Ms. Bailey
6:06 PM
Last week I was sent away from school to attend a professional development seminar (essentially "school for teachers"). One positive thing I walked away with was a short reflection that shares the title of this blog post. I've reposted my free-write reflection below.
The important thing about writing is the journey.
It's not a destination or a product the writer creates and casts aside. It's about a journey of self-discovery, of figuring out what you think and why. It's about learning the best way to express those discoveries to others. It's about sharing with others and taking them on a journey of discovery of their own. It's about launching others into their own voyage with an uncertain outcome. It's about creating the book you always wanted to read but could not find. It's about blind faith, leaping into pitch-black darkness and believing the net will appear to catch you before you plunge into the abyss.
The important thing about writing is the journey.
360 English Class
Posts
