About the Author, Dylan McAndrew:
A lot of us at the ApaCenter work with teens. Oftentimes, adults are trying to tell teens what they should and should not do with their lives because, as adults, we always know what is best…right? Well, we feel that it is important that the views of teens be heard and carefully considered. It’s not that adults will always agree with the perceptions of teens, of course, but we should at least hear them out. After all, it is their lives, not ours. Think back to when you were a teen – didn’t it matter to you that adults at least tried to listen to you? So, in this spirit, we are starting a new blog entitled “The Teen View” written by McNeil High School student,Dylan McAndrew. Dylan is a busy young man who is very studious at a challenging high school who also competes at a elite level in soccer and cross country. He strives for to achieve that elusive balance in life, and his blog will likely reflect this. And, if we pay close attention, we can all learn a lot from trying to better understand “The Teen View.” Welcome, Dylan!
For the most recent generation of students, studying has become more of a multitask than a time to absorb, understand, and fully comprehend knowledge. I am a high school student myself, and the majority of my peers think that being on Facebook, texting their friend, and watching TV while occasionally glancing over at some test review is “studying.” Not only do these multitasks cause you to lose more of the information learned, it overall makes the task longer and less efficient. Studying is the key to being a good student, and, if done properly, can be done in a short amount of time and fit in with any busy schedule. Some tips are as listed below:
1. Turn off your phone-Having your phone on and near you only makes you more eager to communicate with friends and disrupt your thought. When you are texting someone at the same time, your brain is just as focused on your conversation with those people then the material you are studying. Plus, many phones nowadays have access to the internet, games, apps, and time consuming sites such as Facebook that distract you even more. Just turn your phone off and focus on just that one subject.
2. Take breaks-Concentration can not last forever, therefore it is essential to take short, frequent breaks. About every 15-20 minutes should be a time to take your mind off the subject for several minutes. This way, information is absorbed easily and you don’t get stressed or lose concentration.
3. Try to avoid cramming-Cramming, or last minute studying, helps you some, but is much more time consuming and tiring than short, long term studying. Instead of cramming for 2 hours one night before a test, study the information for 10 minutes every day a week leading up to the test. By doing so, you will take in the knowledge and keep it for much longer.
4. Be in a quiet environment-Not only does this mean be somewhere serene and peaceful, it is also signifies to be away from any other electronic devices ( TV, radio, computer, etc). Your mind will not be disturbed by people or any commotion around you, as well as other electronic distractions.
Studying is an easy task that is often overlooked. If done efficiently, your grades and memorization will improve. Instead of getting incomplete knowledge from multi task studying, you get solid knowledge that lasts much longer. It’s just that simple – but it isn’t always easy!
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