7 Scientifically Effective Techniques for More Productive Study Sessions

Learning can prove to be both a rewarding and testing journey as students must delve into diverse courses and meet performance standards regularly. While learning is expected and studying has been widely accepted as the best way to go about this journey, learning how to effectively learn has been a topic that is not as clear.Some students fall victim to late night cram sessions, while others space out their studying across multiple days. Regardless of the amount of time spent studying, many students may still find that their mind is adrift and may even encounter anxiety or lack of self-confidence in difficult areas. Fortunately, research has found a number of ways to successfully learn new material, leading to not only high grades, but an enduring knowledge base. 1. Space study sessions out and study before bed. While cramming is a popular occurrence throughout the nation, it is definitely not the most effective or recommended way to study! It drains energy and doesn’t lead to lasting learning outcomes. It has been shown that spreading small chunks of learning material out over the course of several days can lead to greater retention of the information. Studying a little bit right before bed has also been shown to be helpful. Research shows that the mind strengthens memories while sleeping, improving recall ability the next day. 2. Take breaks while studying and move around. It has been researched that taking short study sessions of 30 minutes to an hour are more effective than studying for hours on end without breaks. Getting up to move around can be helpful with blood flow and act as a means of recharging, helping with energy and concentration. 3. Use Mnemonic devices Whether it is by using lists, songs, short poems, or memorable phrases, mnemonic devices help you to memorize information by associating it with other easily understood ideas. This can come in handy for learning terms and concepts. Take some time to find creative phrases or ideas; though they may be a bit bizarre or foreign to others, they will greatly improve recall. 4. Highlighting, re-reading, writing and summarizing. Writing out important notes has been shown to be more effective than typing them because it is more of an active process. Research also shows that summarizing notes and sections that you have read helps to solidify the information. Truly contemplate and elaborate how and why what you have read is important. Also, determine how new information relates to old concepts. 5. Visualization. Studying can be an opportunity to use your creative an artistic side. As you are studying the material, visualize the concepts or specific areas. Come up with scenes or scenarios in your mind that directly relate to the material. For example, if you are studying historical events, visualize what the environment and people of the time would have looked and acted like as well as the actions and activities of key figures. 6. Physical and environmental control. Make sure that you eat throughout the day. Healthy diets consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole, grains, healthy fats (nuts, fish, olive oil), lean protein, and non-starchy carbohydrates like sweet potatoes aid in energy levels and overall brain health. Consuming plenty of water and even the appropriate levels of caffeine found in coffee and tea can also improve focus. Research also shows that temperature control should be considered. Make sure the room isn’t too warm but also isn’t unbearably cold either. 7. Practice Testing Test yourself after each study session. You may do this by developing questions over the material or simply quizzing yourself using practice exams in the book or online. Asking a friend to test you is also helpful. You can also teach or tutor the material to a friend in order to truly deepen and validate your understanding. Written by Alecia Hyatt, an InternChoosing where to go to college is an incredibly important decision. Make an informed choice by talking to current students on ourmentorship platform. Access 60,000+ successfulcollege application filesuploaded by college students (they get paid when you view them). is a community of students helping students. Our goal is to bring much-needed transparency to higher education.

Smoke Bomb Safety Information

Smoke Bomb Safety Information Its easy to make a smoke bomb and actually pretty safe, but when you read about projects online its hard to tell which ones are safe as in you probably wont die or poison yourself and which fall into the category of Id let me own kids do this. Generally, its safe for teens to make smoke bombs with adult oversight, while younger explorers need direct adult supervision. Key Takeaways: Smoke Bombs Homemade smoke bombs are made using potassium nitrate and sugar, which are both found in food. While not intended to be eaten, they are largely non-toxic.Some smoke bomb recipes call for cooking the ingredients, which presents the risk of fire or smoke. Smoke bombs do not explode.Adult supervision is recommended. What are some safety considerations of the project? This reader email covers the important questions: My 13-yr old son wants to make a homemade smoke bomb (with adult supervision). Before conducting this home chemistry experiment, I want to be sure this can be done safely. What are the risks/potential dangers associated with this procedure? Is there any risk of the smoke bomb exploding, or igniting rapidly? Under what circumstances? What should should we watch out for? Also, where is the best place to buy a small quantity of potassium nitrate? Is it still available at most garden stores? Some stump removers use other chemicals; and some don’t list ingredients at all. Any advice most appreciated! Smoke bombs are made by reacting potassium nitrate (saltpeter) with sugar over low burner heat. The project wont harm your cookware, plus the ingredients are safe enough that you can use the dishes you would use for eating, as long as you clean them. The MSDS for potassium nitrate provides handling and safety details, but Ill summarize the relevant points. Though potassium nitrate is found in some foods, you dont want to eat the pure powder. Its reactive, so it will cause itching and/or burning if you inhale any or get it on your skin. Potassium nitrate should be stored away from heat or flame. The chemical isnt flammable, but its extremely reactive. Heat promotes reactions, which you dont want occurring on a shelf in your garage, for example. Follow the safety instructions on the container. If you get it on your skin, immediately rinse it off with water. If you spill potassium nitrate on the counter while making the smoke bomb, wipe it off with water. You want good ventilation while heating the ingredients, as from a vented fan. An outdoor stove would be a good option. The big thing to watch for is spilling the mixture on the burner because it will catch on fire and smoke. If that happens, youll get a lot of smoke and probably set off your smoke alarm. The smoke itself is no more or less dangerous than wood smoke, which means you dont want to take deep breaths of it. Ignite the smoke bomb outdoors. I cant envision a scenario where it would be possible to cause the smoke bomb to explode. How much flame you get depends on the potassium nitrate to sugar ratio. You can go from a smoky blob that will barely burn to a fast-burning fiery smoke bomb. If you set the smoke bomb on a combustible surface (like dried leaves), it could start a fire. If you need to put out the smoke bomb, you can douse it with water. The hardest part about making a smoke bomb is finding the potassium nitrate. In some places, it may be sold next to Epsom salts in the pharmacy section of a store. It is found in some garden supply centers as a fertilizer. It is sold as a food preservative for making salted meats. If youre highly motivated and have some time, you could even prepare it yourself. However, its probably easiest to buy a small quantity online (e.g., Sargent-Welch). Supposedly some Indian food stores sell it as an ingredient named Kala Nimak. If youre in the UK, search online for a list of places that offer potassium nitrate. Its harder to find than in the past, not so much because it can be used to make gunpowder as because better products are available for most applications.