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VIDEO PROFIL CAK NING SURABAYA

2009-12-18T02:52:00.000-08:00

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FILOSOFI CAK SURABAYA

2009-11-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

surabaya lambange suro
surabaya lambange boyo
awakdewe arek cak ning suroboyo
bertekad majukno pariwisata suroboyo

Cak dan Ning Surabaya adalah sosok muda Surabaya yang memiliki kemampuan yang berkualitas untuk mewakili Surabaya dalam pelestarian budaya daerah dan mampu sebagai duta wisata Surabaya.

Cak merupakan sosok pemuda pria Surabaya yang ceplas ceplos sehingga lebih suka mengatakan sesuatu secara spontan dan penuh pertimbangan. Sosok Cak Surabaya adalah sosok pelindung dan memiliki loyalitas yang tinggi. Hal ini dapat kita lihat melalui kemanapun Ning pergi, Cak selalu mendampingi.

Cak Surabaya memiliki busana kebesaran. Baju Kebesaran adalah pakaian khas Surabaya Tempo Doeloe (dulu) dan hingga kini pakaian tersebut masih digunakan dalam acara besar di kediaman walikota, balai kota dan acara - acara formal yang lain.

Setiap baju kebesaran Cak Surabaya memiliki banyak filosofi. Mulai dari Udeng Batik poteh pancot miring warna hitam tiga tingkat hingga terompah. Adapun Penjelasan dari tiap - tiap bagian baju kebesaran adalah sebagai berikut.

a. Udeng Batik poteh pancot miring warna hitam tiga tingkat

Udeng ini memiliki makna bahwa udeng ini merupakan ciri khas dari Jawa Timur, bermotif batik dan memiliki pancot.

b. Jas tutup badan ( beskap )dengan asesoris

Beskap Cak memiliki warna putih gading yang melambangkan kesucian, memiliki 5 kancing berwarna emas yang memiliki makna arek Surabaya selalu menjunjung tinggi rukun islam.

c. Kuku macan

Pada awalnya gantungan di baju Cak adalah rantai jam dengan bendel hiasan akan tetapi karena terlalu berat maka diganti dengan kuku macan. Kuku macan sendiri memiliki makna kekuatan dan ketangkasan yang tak terbatas sehingga Cak menjadi pelindung yang tangguh dan dapat dihandalkan. Kuku Macan biasanya digantungkan pada kancing kedua dari kelima kancing baju beskap

d. Sapu tangan merah

Sapu tangan merah ditempatkan di saku sebelah kiri atas beskap kebesaran. Sapu tangan ini melambangkan cak merupakan sosok yang penuh dengan loyalitas dan setia

e. Jarik

Jarik merupakan salah satu lambang dari keluwesan Jawa. Selain itu dalam bertindak arek Surabaya diharuskan untuk bisa bekerja seefektif dan seefisien mungkin tapi tetap tidak meninggalkan aturan dan norma yang ada.

f. Terompah

Terompah merupakan salah satu unsur baju kebesaran Cak Surabaya. Terompah adalah simbol kecerdasan, foundation, tempat berpijak, berpikir, termasuk kemudian simbol segala yang duniawi.

TIPS DUTA WISATA

2009-11-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

1. Jadilah dirimu sendiri, tampilkan siapa kamu sebenarnya tapi masih tetap "jaim".

2. Jangan lupa makan sebelum melaksanakan tugas duta wisata.

3. Bersikap sesuai dengan kondisi yang ada, jika kurang mengerti jangan pernah takut bertanya.

4. Senyum, Sapa dan Sikap ramah merupakan hal yang wajib dalam melaksanakan tugas.

5. Awali dan akhiri tugasmu dengan doa agar semua diberi keselamatan dari yang Maha Kuasa.

Arti Duta Wisata

2009-11-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

Tahukah and arti duta wisata? mungkin terbesit di pikiran anda pasti anak anak yang glamour dan serba cakep, atau mungkin terbesit pula di pikiran anda duta wisata hanya sebagai pemanis dan pembawa nampan.

Arti sebenarnya duta wisata adalah image sebuah kota yang diwakilinya. Duta Wisata harus memiliki kepribadian yang baik, pandai dan sebagai tambahan duta wisata harus menarik.

Mungkin hampir tiap kota memiliki kriteria yang berbeda mengenai arti seorang duta wisata. Akan tetapi intinya adalah sama, dipilih untuk menjadi perwakilan kota dan mampu membawa nama baik kota yang diwakilinya.

cara mengurangi stress

2009-11-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

Akhir akhir ini banyak sekali orang terkena stress akhirnya ya bisa di bayangin banyak banget penyakit " aneh " yang nggrogoti kita. ni ada sedikit tips buat temen temen semua ketika stress mulai menyerang anda.

1. Tetaplah fokus kepada permasalahan, fokus pada permasalahan yang akan dipecahkan dan cari solusi yang paling cepat dan efektif bukan fokus kepada perasaan yang timbul. hal ini bisa mengurangi tingkat stress yang menyerang anda.

2. Jika memang sudah terdesak, coba lah untuk beribadah agar stress yang menyerang menjadi berkurang dengan beribadah semua tekanan akan berkurang tentu saja hal ini menjadikan anda menjadi lebih fokus terhadap pekerjaan.

3. Biasakan fokus pada satu pekerjaan, jika satu pekerjaan belum selesai jangan sekali kali mengambil pekerjaan lain. Sehingga beban dan tantangan anda tidak seberapa berat. Contoh pekerjaan mengetik belum selesai kita mengambil pekerjaan mengedit data sehingga ketika waktu deadline telah datang pekerjaan belum kelar stress makin melanda

KITA PASTI BISA !!!!

2009-01-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

Teman - teman sebagai sahabat yang baik izinkanlah saya menceritakan beberapa pengalaman pribadi saya. Saya harap pengalaman saya ini mampu menjadi pelecut semangat teman - teman semua dalam mencapai semua keinginan.

Sebenarnya mulai dari sekolah menengah pertama kata kerja keras sudah menjadi senjata saya untuk memenuhi semua keinginan saya. Akan tetapi moment yang paling menyentuh hari saya adalah saat saya gagal mendaftar ulang di PENS ITS Surabaya. Semua itu berawal dari kondisi ekonomi saya yang dapat dikatakan di bawah standar hingga akhirnya berujung pada keterlambatan saya mendaftarkan diri sebagai Mahasiswa baru PENS ITS Surabaya. Alhamdulillah sejak saya duduk di kelas 2 SMP hingga lulus SMA saya tidak pernah lepas dari rangkulan beasiswa sekolah. Mulai dari beasiswa tidak mampu hingga beasiswa prestasi akademik pernah saya rasakan semua. Hati keluarga saya saat itu terasa pecah saat mendengar saya gagal meneruskan studi di PENS ITS. Mereka menyesal kenapa tidak mendapatkan uang secepat mungkin untuk bisa menyicil. Akan tetapi di hati kecil saya yakin, Allah pasti akan mengganti semua ini dengan yang lebih baik lagi.

Saya tidak ingin berlarut - larut dengan kejadian yang mengenaskan tersebut. Saya langsung membuat Lamaran kerja dan akhirnya dengan semangat yang sangat tinggi dan percaya diri yang sangat overload, saya memasuki setiap toko yang terlihat mewah dan keren. Mulai dari kios kecil hingga waralaba terbesar Mcdonald tidak lepas dari incaran saya. Setelah beberapa hari berburu lowongan dan teman tentunya, Alhamdulillah saya dipanggil oleh pihak Holland Bakery Surabaya untuk melakukan proses interview kerja. Setelah melalui proses interview maka saya pun akhirnya dipanggil oleh pihak Holland untuk kedua kalinya sebagai verifikasi status saya. Alhamdulilah banget ya Allah, saat itu saya sudah memikirkan apa jabatan yang akan saya sandang. Saya membayangkan saya akan membawa sapu, pel, dan kain lap. Saya setiap hari akan membersihkan ruangan toko roti tersebut. Karena sebagai lulusan SMA mana mungkin saya mendapatkan kedudukan yang sangat prestisius. Mereka pasti berpikir lulusan SMA tidak layak jual. Setelah tiba di kantor Holland ada 9 orang karyawan yang diterima 6 wanita dan 3 pria termasuk SAYA. Setelah menunggu beberapa menit akhirnya kedua temanku dipanggil terlebih dahulu oleh staff Holland. Mendengar itu tentu saja terbesit suudzan di pikiran saya. Saya langsung merasa curiga. Kedua teman saya pun akhirnya keluar dengan wajah cerah. " Bagian apa mas", tanyaku. " PU Dek !" PU disini sama dengan Cleaning Service. lalu giliran saya untuk menemui pihak staff. " Selamat Anda diterima di Holland Bakery sebagai Assisten Kepala Penjualan" setelah mendengar itu saya pun akhirnya merasa tertimpa bulan ( heheh terlalu lebay ) . Saya pun bertanya dengan karyawan lama di Holland Bakery, ternyata minimal untuk menjadi Keppen ( Kepala Penjualan ) dibutuhkan minimal S1 ato D3. Alhamdulillah, saat itu saya hanya ingin menangis di hadapan Allah.

Setelah melewati masa training, saya cukup familiar dengan kebiasaan para Keppen yang umumnya sangat jauh lebih tua daripada saya. Bayangkan saat itu saya masih berusia 19 tahun sedangkan teman sekkepen saya minimal 23 tahun ke atas. Bahkan ada yang sedang hamil. Tentu saja sering terjadi misscommunication dengan teman - teman kantor. Mulai dari menerima 2 telepon sekaligus sembari menulis order pesanan hingga hingga bolak - balik Sidoarjo - Surabaya telah saya jalani.

Akhirnya masa SPMB pun telah tiba (sekarang berganti nama menjadi SNMPTN). karena impian saya adalah melanjutkan pendidikan di perguruan tinggi maka saya pun nekat mengambil bimbingan 1 bulan H min 1 bulan. Masa perjuangan saya mulai terasa greget saat saya mulai melewati masa ini bayangkan setiap hari saya harus bekerja 20 jam perhari. Jadi setiap pagi saya kerja di Holland mulai pukul 5 pagi hingga pukul 5 sore. Peraturan tersebut berlaku karena ada tambahan jam pulang pergi 2 jam. jadi kerja yang normal 8 jam jadi 12 jam. Setelah pulang kerja saya lanjut les di LBB hingga pukul 9 malam lalu saya lanjutkan dengan kerja di internet hingga pukul 1 malam. Saya tidak peduli dengan hambatan yang ada. Walaupun saya harus memecah konsen saya waktu belajar untuk lulus SPMB dengan waktu pekerjaan saya. Saya harus menjadi orang pintar agar bisa menjadi orang yang lebih baik. Saya tidak peduli bagaimana beratnya medan saya untuk menempuh kuliah di tahun ini. Yang penting predikat mahasiswa baru dapat kuraih.

Pengumuman SPMB pun akhirnya tiba, dan nekatnya saya saat itu keluar dari Holland Bakery sebelum pengumuman SPMB. ALhamdulillah saya melepas Holland dengan membawa uang gaji dan hadiah dari pihak Holland Bakery karena saya telah memenangkan lomba antar cabang Holland BAkery. Saat itu saya merasa puas karena walaupun saya masih muda dan lulusan sma, saya mampu mengalahkan cabang - cabang Holland bakery di Surabaya dan Malang.

Alhamdulillah banget waktu itu saya telah diterima di ilmu komunikasi UNAIR Surabaya. tapi saya merasa kecewa karena saya saat itu memilih ITS SI sebagai pilihan saya tapi saya tidak dapat lolos. Hal itu disebabkan karena Keteledoran saya tidak mengisi kode jawaban IPA. saat itu saya ikut ujian SNMPTN jalur IPC.

Sempat terbesit jijik saat ketrima di UNAIR, saya menganggap UNAIR tidak berkompeten jika dibandingkan dengan ITS. Akan tetapi setelah mengalami masa perenungan yang cukup panjang akhirnya saya sudah mulai menemukan rahmat Allah. Saya dalam hati mulai mengubah niat. SAYA HARUS MENUNJUKAN BAHWA ANAK UNIVERSITAS AIRLANGGA SURABAYA TIDAK KALAH DENGAN ITS, UGM MAUPUN UNPAD. SAYA HARUS LEBIH UNGGUL DARIPADA MEREKA. KUALITAS INDIVIDU TIDAK DILAHIRKAN KARENA NAMA BESAR INSTANSI PENDIDIKAN TAPI BAGAIMANA PROSES KITA MENCARI ILMU DAN MENGAKTUALISASI DIRI KITA.

RENUNGAN

2009-01-26T19:45:00.000-08:00

" Sesungguhnya rasa syukur itu muncul dari kesempurnaan kita, kesempurnaan anugerah alam untuk kita dan kesempurnaan karunia Nya kepada kita "

6 Jurus Biar Bisa Tegas

2009-01-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

Bersikap tegas adalah soal kepercayaan diri yang tinggi dan kemampuan untuk membela diri,cobalah tips di bawah ini untuk meningkatkan kepribadian mu yang tangguh.

1. Nyatakan pendapatmu dengan jelas

2. Biasakan untuk berani mengajukan pertanyaan-pertanyaan di kelas pada saat pelajaran

3. Bicaralah denagan tatapan muka kedepan

4. Lihatalah mata orang jika kamu sedang berbicara dengannya

5. Bicaralah dengan jelas dan jangan berbisik

6. Tentukan sasaran dan berjuanglah untuk mencapainya

P.I.Z.Z
(^,^)v
Diposkan oleh bLiNd di 00:46
http://reza-sma.blogspot.com/2007/12/6-jurus-biar-bisa-tegas.html

RENUNGAN

2009-01-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

" Kekayaan manusia sesungguhnya terletak pada kesempurnaan panca indera dan tercapainya semua kebutuhan dasarnya "

RENUNGANKU

2009-01-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

" Orang yang sabar adalah bukan orang yang hanya diam merenungi nasib tapi orang sabar adalah orang yang tetap teguh dengan pendirianya, siap menghadapi suatu keadaan yang sangat terburuk dalam hidupnya, dan berserah diri kepada Nya "

WHO SAY IN WHICH CHANNEL TO WHOM WITH WHAT EFFECT

2009-01-24T23:57:00.000-08:00

Who say in which channel to whom with what effect ! Apa seh artine, pasti itu khan pertanyaan yang muncul di pikiran kalian ! Itulah istilah populer yang ditelurkan oleh Bapak Harold D lasswel mengenai komunikasi. Istilah tersebut menerangkan tentang proses komunikasi tidak lepas dari komponen - komponen yang menyusunnya. okey kita akan bahas satu persatu istilah yang bikin mumet tersebut.

1. WHO
Istilah tersebut membahas tentang siapa sih yang melakukan proses komunikasi atau yang lebih umum biasa disebut dengan komunikator atau encoder. Dalam hal ini komunikator bisa berhubungan dengan privasi individu atau kelompok organisasi.

2. WHICH CHANNEL
Bagaimana seh komunikasi itu dilakukan. Melalui media apa aja seh ! Kayakna pertanyaan itu lebih pas dibahas di sini. Secara general proses komunikasi dapat dibedakan menjadi 2 besar yaitu primiary procces and secondary procces. Primiary procces itu umumnya terjadi tanpa melalui perantara media elektronik maupun media cetak. Sedangkan secondary lebih banyak menggunakan kecanggihan media elektronik maupun cetak. Selain channel juga mengenal konteks. Dalam hal konteks komunikasi juga mengenal 3 konteks yaitu fisik, latar, dan waktu.

3. WHOM
Ini lebih banyak mengupas tentang siapa sih penerima komunukasi itu atau biasa disebut dengan komunikan atau encoder. Dalam hal ini komunikan dapat terpilah menjadi 2 besar menurut kepentinganya, untuk kepentingan pribadi maupun publik. Selain itu sebelum kita menyampaikan pesan kepada komunikan kita juga wajib memprediksi atau memastikan siapa sih pendengar kita, apa latar belakang mereka, apa gender mereka n usia berapa yang akan menjadi pendengar kita.

4. WITH WHAT EFFECT

Apa seh effect setelah kita berkomunikasi? Apakah si komunikan akan mendapat pengetahuan tambahan? apakah akan merubah sikap komunikan? atau malah pesan yang kita kirimkan akan erubah tingkah laku komunikan. Itulah yang dimaksud dengan efek komunikasi.

WHAT COMMUNICATION IS

2009-01-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Okey temen - temen aku dah lama banget gak posting. lha sebagai gantine aku mau ngasih temen - temen dikit ilmu lah ! okey untuk kali ini aku bahkan ndefinisiin apa seh komunikasi itu !
Intine seh komunikasi itu suatu proses pengririman suatu sistem tanda dan lambang yang oleh komunikator yang nantinya akan diintrepretasikan oleh komunikan. Selama proses ini pengiriman sistem tanda dan lambang tersebut banyak sekali faktor - faktor yang menghalangi proses intepretasi pesan. Biasa disebut dengan noise.

Secara general sih noise mempunyai 3 ruang lingkup besar, yaitu :

1. Physical Noise
Gangguan ini umumnya disebabkan oleh lingkungan sekitar. seperti keramaian, bising, dll.

2. Psychology Noise
Gangguan ini berasal dari intern kita sendiri bisa berupa mood kita yang buruk atau segala sesuatu yang ditimbulkan oleh emosi baik emosi negatif maupun positif.

3. Semantic Noise
Ini biasanya biasanya lebih cenderung mengarah ke budaya dan ascribed status. karena umumnya nise ini ada disebabkan oleh pemaknaan variasi budaya yang ada. contoh : menurut orang indonesia mengacungkan jari tengah dengan jari - jari yang lain tertutup itu merupakan suatu hal yang biasa. akan tetapi oleh masyarakat barat bisa menjadi suatu penghinaan.

Menurut ahli komunikasi Harold D Lasswell, Komunikasi adalah

"Who say in which channel to whom with what effect "

maksudnya komunikasi tidak hanya asal menyakut komunikator dan komunikan saja akan tetapi dapat diklasifikasikan lagi menjadi beberapa hal yang krusial.

my spirit

2008-09-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

GREAT MEMORIES

2008-07-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

IMPROVE !

2008-07-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

How to... Learn a Foreign Language
Systems Needed:
Link Method
Roman Room Mnemonic
Using the Tools:

Foreign languages are the ideal subject area for the use of memory techniques. Learning vocabulary is often a matter of associating a meaningless collection of syllables with a word in your own language.

Traditionally people have associated these words by repetition - by saying the word in their own language and the foreign language time and time and time and time again. You can improve on this tedious way of learning by using three good techniques:
1. Using Mnemonics to Link Words

This is a simple extension of the link method. Here you are using images to link a word in your own language with a word in a foreign language.

For example, in learning English/French vocabulary:
English: rug/carpet - French: tapis - imagine an ornate oriental carpet with a tap as the central design woven in chrome thread
English: grumpy - French: grognon - a grumpy man groaning with irritation
English: to tease - French: taquiner - a woman teasing her husband as she takes in the washing.

This technique was formalized by Dr. Michael Gruneberg, and is known as the 'LinkWord' technique. He has produced language books (an example is German by Association) in many language pairs to help students acquire the basic vocabulary needed to get by in the language (usually about 1000 words). It is claimed that using this technique this basic vocabulary can be learned in just 10 hours.
2. The Town Language Mnemonic

This is a very elegant, effective mnemonic that fuses a sophisticated variant of the Roman Room system with the system described above.

This depends on the fact that the basic vocabulary of a language relates to everyday things: things that you can usually find in a city, town or village. To use the technique, choose a town that you are very familiar with. Use objects within that place as the cues to recall the images that link to foreign words.

Nouns in the town:
Nouns should be associated to the most relevant locations: for example, the image coding the foreign word for book could be associated with a book on a shelf in the library. You could associate the word for bread with an image of a loaf in a baker's shop. Words for vegetables could be associated with parts of a display outside a greengrocer's. Perhaps there is a farm just outside the town that allows all the animal name associations to be made.

Adjectives in the park:
Adjectives can be associated with a garden or park within the town: words such as green, smelly, bright, small, cold, etc. can be easily related to objects in a park. Perhaps there is a pond there, or a small wood, or perhaps people with different characteristics are walking around.

Verbs in the sports center:
Verbs can most easily be associated with a sports center or playing field. This allows us all the associations of lifting, running, walking, hitting, eating, swimming, driving, etc.

Remembering Genders
In a language where gender is important, a very good method of remembering this is to divide your town into two main zones. In one zone you code information on masculine gender nouns, while in the other zone you code information on feminine nouns. Where the language has a neutral gender, then use three zones. You can separate these areas with busy roads, rivers, etc. To fix the gender of a noun, simply associate its image with a place in the correct part of town. This makes remembering genders easy!

Many Languages, many towns
Another elegant spin-off of the technique comes when learning several languages: normally this can cause confusion. With the town mnemonic, all you need do is choose a different city, town or village for each language to be learned. Ideally this might be in the relevant country. Practically, however, you might just decide to use a local town with the appropriate foreign flavor.
3. The 100 Most Common Words

Tony Buzan, in his book 'Using your Memory', points out that just 100 words comprise 50% of all words used in conversation in a language. Learning this core 100 words gets you a long way towards being able to speak in that language, albeit at a basic level. The 100 basic words used in conversation are shown below:
1. A/an 2. After 3. Again 4. All 5. Almost

6. Also 7. Always 8. And 9. Because 10. Before

11. Big 12. But 13. (I) can 14. (I) come 15. Either/or

16. (I) find 17. First 18. For 19. Friend 20. From

21. (I) go 22. Good 23. Good-bye 24. Happy 25. (I) have

26. He 27. Hello 28. Here 29. How 30. I

31. (I) am 32. If 33. In 34. (I) know 35. Last

36. (I) like 37. Little 38. (I) love 39. (I) make 40. Many

41. One 42. More 43. Most 44. Much 45. My

46. New 47. No 48. Not 49. Now 50. Of

51. Often 52. On 53. One 54. Only 55. Or

56. Other 57. Our 58. Out 59. Over 60. People

61. Place 62. Please 63. Same 64. (I) see 65. She

66. So 67. Some 68. Sometimes 69. Still 70. Such

71. (I) tell 72. Thank you 73. That 74. The 75. Their

76. Them 77. Then 78. There is 79. They 80. Thing

81. (I) think 82. This 83. Time 84. To 85. Under

86. Up 87. Us 88. (I) use 89. Very 90. We

91. What 92. When 93. Where 94. Which 95. Who

96. Why 97. With 98. Yes 99. You 100. Your

(Extract reproduced from Use Your Memory by Tony Buzan with the permission of BBC Worldwide Limited, © Tony Buzan)
Summary

The three approaches to learning foreign languages shown here can be very effective. They help to:
Point out the most important words to learn
Show how to link words in your own language to words in a foreign language, and
Show how to structure recall of the language through use of the town mnemonic.

How to... Remember Information for Exams
Systems Needed:
The Number/Rhyme Technique
The Number/Shape Technique
The Alphabet Technique
The Journey Technique
Concept or Memory Maps
Using the Tools:

A very effective way of structuring information for revision is to draw up a full, cloud coded concept or memory map of a subject. This will help you to see the overall structure of the topic and show you the associations between pieces of information. A good concept map can be an effective mnemonic in its own right.

The problem with this is that you can forget the label on a line on a concept map. A more reliable method is to take your concept map, and break it down into a numbered list of important points. You can then use one of the peg techniques (see links above) to remember the items on the list. Alternatively you can use the journey technique for longer lists.

By associating items on a list with a peg system or journey, you can check that you have retrieved all items held by the mnemonic. Supporting facts can be associated into images or sub-mnemonics. These could be triggered by the pegs for the peg systems, or at landmarks if you use the journey system. Alternatively you can loosely associate this information with the facts coded.

Retrieving all the facts necessary to answer an exam essay question becomes as simple as running through the mnemonic in your mind. As you go, jot down the retrieved facts that are relevant to the question. Once you have written these down, you can apply any other mnemonics you have coded, or note any associated facts and connections that occur to you. This should ensure that you have all possible information available to you, and should help you to produce a good essay plan.

MIND IMPROVEMENT

2008-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

An Introduction to Memory Techniques

The tools in this section help you to improve your memory. They help you both to remember facts accurately and to remember the structure of information.

The tools are split into two sections. Firstly you'll learn the memory techniques themselves. Secondly we'll look at how you can use them in practice to remember peoples names, languages, exam information, and so on.

As with other mind tools, the more practice you give yourself with these techniques, the more effectively you will use them. This section contains many of the memory techniques used by stage memory performers. With enough practice and effort, you may be able to have a memory as good. Even if you do not have the time needed to develop this quality of memory, many of the techniques here are useful in everyday life.
Mnemonics

'Mnemonic' is another word for memory tool. Mnemonics are techniques for remembering information that is otherwise quite difficult to recall: A very simple example is the '30 days hath September' rhyme for remembering the number of days in each calendar month.

The idea behind using mnemonics is to encode difficult-to-remember information in a way that is much easier to remember.

Our brains evolved to code and interpret complex stimuli such as images, colors, structures, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, positions, emotions and language. We use these to make sophisticated models of the world we live in. Our memories store all of these very effectively.

Unfortunately, a lot of the information we have to remember in modern life is presented differently - as words printed on a page. While writing is a rich and sophisticated medium for conveying complex arguments, our brains do not easily encode written information, making it difficult to remember.

This section of Mind Tools shows you how to use all the memory resources available to you to remember information in a highly efficient way.
Using Your Whole Mind to Remember

The key idea is that by coding information using vivid mental images, you can reliably code both information and the structure of information. And because the images are vivid, they are easy to recall when you need them.

The techniques explained later on in this section show you how to code information vividly, using stories, strong mental images, familiar journeys, and so on.

You can do the following things to make your mnemonics more memorable:
Use positive, pleasant images. Your brain often blocks out unpleasant ones
Use vivid, colorful, sense-laden images - these are easier to remember than drab ones
Use all your senses to code information or dress up an image. Remember that your mnemonic can contain sounds, smells, tastes, touch, movements and feelings as well as pictures.
Give your image three dimensions, movement and space to make it more vivid. You can use movement either to maintain the flow of association, or to help you to remember actions.
Exaggerate the size of important parts of the image
Use humor! Funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than normal ones.
Similarly, rude rhymes are very difficult to forget!
Symbols (red traffic lights, pointing fingers, road signs, etc.) can code quite complex messages quickly and effectively
Designing Mnemonics: Imagination, Association and Location

The three fundamental principles underlying the use of mnemonics are imagination, association and location. Working together, you can use these principles to generate powerful mnemonic systems.

Imagination: is what you use to create and strengthen the associations needed to create effective mnemonics. Your imagination is what you use to create mnemonics that are potent for you. The more strongly you imagine and visualize a situation, the more effectively it will stick in your mind for later recall. The imagery you use in your mnemonics can be as violent, vivid, or sensual as you like, as long as it helps you to remember.

Association: this is the method by which you link a thing to be remembered to a way of remembering it. You can create associations by:
Placing things on top of each other
Crashing things together
Merging images together
Wrapping them around each other
Rotating them around each other or having them dancing together
Linking them using the same color, smell, shape, or feeling

As an example, you might link the number 1 with a goldfish by visualizing a 1-shaped spear being used to spear it.

Location: gives you two things: a coherent context into which you can place information so that it hangs together, and a way of separating one mnemonic from another. By setting one mnemonic in a particular town, I can separate it from a similar mnemonic set in a city. For example, by setting one in Wimbledon and another similar mnemonic with images of Manhattan, we can separate them with no danger of confusion. You can build the flavors and atmosphere of these places into your mnemonics to strengthen the feeling of location.

The Link and Story Methods
Remembering a Simple List

The Link Method is one of the easiest mnemonic techniques available. You use it by making simple associations between items in a list, linking them with a vivid image containing the items. Taking the first image, create a connection between it and the next item (perhaps in your mind smashing them together, putting one on top of the other, or suchlike.) Then move on through the list linking each item with the next.

The Story Method is very similar, linking items together with a memorable story featuring them. The flow of the story and the strength of the images give you the cues for retrieval.
How to Use the Tools:

It is quite possible to remember lists of words using association only. However it is often best to fit the associations into a story: Otherwise by forgetting just one association you can lose the whole of the rest of the list.

Given the fluid structure of this mnemonic (compared with the peg systems explained later in this section) it is important that the images stored in your mind are as vivid as possible. See the introduction to this section for further information on making images strong and memorable.

Where a word you want to remember does not trigger strong images, use a similar word that will remind you of that word.
Example:

You may want to remember this list of counties in the South of England: Avon, Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, and Surrey.

You could do this with two approaches, the Link Method and the Story Method:
Remembering with the Link Method

This would rely on a series of images coding information:
An AVON (Avon) lady knocking on a heavy oak DOoR (Dorset)
The DOoR opening to show a beautiful SuMmER landscape with a SETting sun (Somerset)
The setting sun shines down onto a field of CORN (Cornwall)
The CORN is so dry it is beginning to WILT (Wiltshire)
The WILTing stalks slowly droop onto the tail of the sleeping DEVil (Devon).
On the DEVil's horn a woman has impaled a GLOSsy (Gloucestershire) HAM (Hampshire) when she hit him over the head with it
Now the Devil feels SoRRY (Surrey) he bothered her.

Note that there need not be any reason or underlying plot to the sequence of images: only images and the links between images are important.
Remembering with the Story Method:

Alternatively you could code this information by imaging the following story vividly:

An AVON lady is walking up a path towards a strange house. She is hot and sweating slightly in the heat of high SUMMER (Somerset). Beside the path someone has planted giant CORN in a WALL (Cornwall), but it's beginning to WILT (Wiltshire) in the heat. She knocks on the DOoR (Dorset), which is opened by the DEVil (Devon).

In the background she can see a kitchen in which a servant is smearing honey on a HAM (Hampshire), making it GLOSsy (Gloucestershire) and gleam in bright sunlight streaming in through a window. Panicked by seeing the Devil, the Avon lady screams 'SoRRY' (Surrey), and dashes back down the path.
Key points:

The Link Method is probably the most basic memory technique, and is very easy to understand and use. It works by coding information to be remembered into images and then linking these images together

The story technique is very similar. It links these images together into a story. This helps to keep events in a logical order and can improve your ability to remember information if you forget the sequence of images.

Both techniques are very simple to learn. Unfortunately they are both slightly unreliable as it is easy to confuse the order of images or forget images from a sequence.

The Number/Rhyme Mnemonic
Remembering Simple Ordered Lists
A popular peg system

The Number/Rhyme technique is a very simple way of remembering lists in order.

It is an example of a peg system using – a system where information is 'pegged' to a known sequence (here the numbers one to ten) to create pegwords. By doing this you ensure that you do not forget any facts, as gaps in information are immediately obvious. It also makes remembering images easier as you always know part of the mnemonic images.

At a simple level you can use it to remember things such as a list of English Kings or American Presidents in their precise order. At a more advanced level it can be used, for example, to code lists of experiments to be recalled in a science exam.
How to Use the Tool:

The technique works by helping you to build up pictures in your mind, in which you represent numbers by things that rhyme with the number. You can then link these pictures to images of the things to be remembered.

The usual rhyming scheme is:
Bun
Shoe
Tree
Paw
Hive
Bricks
Heaven
Gate
Line
Hen

If you find that these images do not attract you or stick in your mind, then change them for something more meaningful.

Link these images to ones representing the things to be remembered. Often, the sillier the compound image, the more effectively you will remember it – see the introduction to this chapter to see how you can improve the image to help it stay clearly in your mind.
Example:

For example, you could remember a chronological list of ten Greek philosophers as:
Parmenides - a BUN topped with grated yellow PARMEsan cheese

Heraclitus - a SHOE worn by HERACLes (Greek Hercules) glowing with a bright LIghT

Empedocles - A TREE from which the M-shaped McDonalds arches hang hooking up a bicycle PEDal

Democritus - think of a PAW print on the voting form of a DEMOCRaTic election

Protagoras - A bee HIVE being positively punched through (GORed?) by an atomic PROTon

Socrates - BRICKS falling onto a SOCk (with a foot inside!) from a
CRATe.

Plato - A plate with angel's wings flapping around a white cloud

Aristotle - a friend called hARRY clutching a bOTtLE of wine vaulting over a gate

Zeno - A LINE of ZEN Buddhists meditating

Epicurus - a HEN's egg being mixed into an EPIleptics's CURe.

Try either visualizing these images as suggested, or if you do not like them, come up with images of your own. Once you have done this, try writing down the names of the philosophers on a piece of paper. You should be able to do this by thinking of the number, then the part of the image associated with the number, and then the whole image. Finally you can decode the image to give you the name of the philosopher.

If the mnemonic has worked, you should not only recall the names of all the philosophers in the correct order, but should also be able to spot where you have left them out of the sequence. Try it – it's easier than it sounds.

You can use a peg system like this as a basis for knowledge in an entire area. The example above could form the basis for knowledge of ancient philosophy. You could now associate images representing the projects, systems and theories of each philosopher with the images coding the philosophers' names.
Key Points:

The Number/Rhyme technique is a very effective method of remembering lists. It works by 'pegging' the things to be remembered to images rhyming with the numbers 0-9. By driving the associations with numbers you have a good starting point in reconstructing the images, you are aware if information is missing, and you can pick up and continue the sequence from anywhere within the list.

The Number/Shape Mnemonic
Remembering Simple Ordered Lists

The Number/Shape system is very similar to the Number/Rhyme system. It is a very simple and effective way of remembering a list in a specific order. It is another example of a peg system based on oegword images.
How to Use the Tool:

The technique works by helping you to build up pictures in your mind, in which the numbers are represented by images shaped like the number. You can then associate these with the things you want to remember using striking images.

One image scheme is shown below:
Candle, spear, stick
Swan (beak, curved neck, body)
Bifocal glasses, or part of a "love heart"
Sail of a yacht
A meat hook, a sea-horse facing right
A golf club
A cliff edge
An egg timer
A balloon with a string attached, flying freely
A hole

If you find that these images do not attract you or stick in your mind, then change them for something more meaningful to you.

As with the Number/Rhyme scheme, link these images to ones representing the things to be remembered.

In some cases these images may be more vivid than those in the number/rhyme scheme, and in other cases you may find the number/rhyme scheme more memorable. There is no reason why you cannot mix the most vivid images of each scheme together into your own compound scheme.
Example:

We can use a list of more modern thinkers to illustrate the number/shape system:
Spinoza - a large CANDLE wrapped around with someone's SPINe

Locke - a SWAN trying to pick a LOCK with its wing

Hume - A HUMan child with BIFOCAL glasses

Berkeley - A SAIL on top of a large hooked and spiked BURR in the LEE of a cliff

Kant - a CAN of spam hanging from a meat HOOK

Rousseau - a kangaROO SEWing with a GOLF CLUB

Hegel - a crooked trader about to be pushed over a CLIFF, HaGgLing to try to avoid being hurt

Kierkegaard - a large EGG TIMER containing captain KIRK and a GuARD from the starship enterprise, as time runs out

Darwin - a BALLOON floating upwards, being blown fAR by the WINd

Marx - a HOLE with white chalk MARks around it's edge
Key Points:

The Number/Shape technique is a very effective method of remembering lists. It works by linking things to be remembered with the images representing the numbers 0-9. By using it in conjunction with the Number/Rhyme system, you can build potent images that can make very effective mnemonics.

The Alphabet Technique
Remembering Simple Ordered Lists
A popular pegword system

The Alphabet system is a peg memory technique similar to, but more sophisticated than, the Number/Rhyme system. It is a good method for remembering longer lists of items in a specific order, in such a way that you can tell if items are missing.

It works by associating images representing letters of the alphabet with images you create for the things to be remembered.
How to Use the Tool:

When you are creating images for the letters of the alphabet, create images phonetically, so that the sound of the first syllable of the word is the name of the letter. For example, you might represent the letter 'k' with the word 'cake'.

Tony Buzan, in his book Use Your Perfect Memory, suggests using a system for creating vivid images that you can reconstruct if you forget them. He suggests taking the phonetic letter sound as the first consonant, and then, for the rest of the consonants in the word, using the first letters in alphabetical order that make a memorable word. For example for the letter 'S' (root 'Es') we would first see if any strong images presented themselves when we tried to create a word starting with 'EsA', 'EsB', 'EsC', 'EsD', 'EsE', etc.).

This approach has the advantage of producing an image that you can reconstruct if you forget it. You might, however, judge that this is an unnecessary complication of a relatively simple system. In any case it is best to select the strongest image that comes to mind and stick with it.

One image scheme is shown below:

A - Ace of spades
B - Bee
C - Sea
D - Diesel engine
E - Eel
F - Effluent
G - Jeans
H - H-Bomb, itch
I - Eye
J - Jade
K - Cake
L - Elephant
M - Empty
N - Entrance
O - Oboe
P - Pea
Q - Queue
R - Ark
S - Eskimo
T - Teapot
U - Unicycle
V - Vehicle
W - WC
X - X-Ray
Y - Wire
Z - Zulu

If you find that these images do not attract you or stick in your mind, then change them for something more meaningful to you.

Once you have firmly visualised these images and have linked them to their root letters, you can associate them with information to be remembered.

See the introduction to this chapter to see how you can improve these pictures to help them stay clearly in your mind. Once you have mastered this technique you can multiply the it using the images described in the article on Expanding Memory Systems (see 7.2).
Example:

Continuing our mnemonic example of the names of philosophers, we will use the example of remembering a list of modern thinkers:

A - Ace - Freud - a crisp ACE being pulled out of a FRying pan (FRiED)
B - Bee - Chomsky - a BEE stinging a CHiMp and flying off into the SKY
C - Sea - Genette - a GENerator being lifted in a NET out of the SEA
D - Diesel - Derrida - a DaRing RIDer surfing on top of a DIESEL train
E - Eagle - Foucault - Bruce Lee fighting off an attacking EAGLE with kung
FU
F - Effluent- Joyce - environmentalists JOYfully finding a plant by an
EFFLUENT pipe
G - Jeans - Nietzche - a holey pair of JEANS with a kNEe showing through
H - H-Bomb - Kafka - a grey civil service CAFe being blown up by an H-Bomb
etc.
Key Points:

The Alphabet Technique links the items to be remembered with images of the letters A-Z. This allows you to remember a medium length list in the correct order. By pegging the items to be remembered to letters of the alphabet you know if you have forgotten items, and know the cues to use to trigger their recall.

The Journey System
Remembering Long Lists

The journey method is a powerful, flexible and effective mnemonic based around the idea of remembering landmarks on a well-known journey. It combines the narrative flow of the Link Method and the structure and order of the Peg Systems into one very powerful system.
How to Use the Tool:

You use the Journey Method by associating information with landmarks on a journey that you know well. This could, for example, be your journey to work in the morning; the route you use to get to the front door when you get up; the route to visit your parents; or a tour around a holiday destination. Once you are familiar with the technique you may be able to create imaginary journeys that fix in your mind, and apply these.

To use this technique most effectively, it is often best to prepare the journey beforehand. In this way the landmarks are clear in your mind before you try to commit information to them. One of the ways of doing this is to write down all the landmarks that you can recall in order on a piece of paper. This allows you to fix these landmarks as the significant ones to be used in your mnemonic, separating them from others that you may notice as you get to know the route even better.

To remember a list of items, whether these are people, experiments, events or objects, all you need do is associate these things with the landmarks or stops on your journey.

This is an extremely effective method of remembering long lists of information. With a sufficiently long journey you could, for example, remember elements on the periodic table, lists of Kings and Presidents, geographical information, or the order of cards in a shuffled pack.

The system is extremely flexible: all you need do to remember many items is to remember a longer journey with more landmarks. To remember a short list, only use part of the route!

One advantage of this technique is that you can use it to work both backwards and forwards, and start anywhere within the route to retrieve information.

You can use the technique well with other mnemonics. This can be done either by building complex coding images at the stops on a journey, or by linking to other mnemonics at each stop. You could start other journeys at each landmark. Alternatively, you may use a peg system to organize lists of journeys, etc.

See the introduction to this section for information on how to enhance the images used for this technique.
Example:

You may, as a simple example, want to remember something mundane like this shopping list:

Coffee, salad, vegetables, bread, kitchen paper, fish, chicken breasts, pork chops, soup, fruit, bath tub cleaner.

You could associate this list with a journey to a supermarket. Mnemonic images could be:
Front door: spilt coffee grains on the doormat

Rose bush in front garden: growing lettuce leaves and tomatoes around the roses

Car: with potatoes, onions and cauliflower on the driver's seat

End of the road: an arch of French bread over the road

Past garage: with its sign wrapped in kitchen roll

Under railway bridge: from which haddock and cod are dangling by their tails

Traffic lights: chickens squawking and flapping on top of lights

Past church: in front of which a pig is doing karate, breaking boards

Under office block: with a soup slick underneath: my car tires send up jets of tomato soup as I drive through it

Past car park: with apples and oranges tumbling from the top level

Supermarket car park: a filthy bath tub is parked in the space next to my car!
Key points:

The journey method is a powerful, effective method of remembering lists of information, by imagining images and events at stops on a journey.

As the journeys used are distinct in location and form, one list remembered using this technique is easy to distinguish from other lists.

To use this technique you need to invest some time in preparing journeys clearly in your mind. This investment pays off many times over by the application of the technique.

The Roman Room System
Remembering Grouped Information

The Roman Room technique, also known as the Method of Loci, is an ancient and effective way of remembering information where its structure is not important. As an example, it serves as the basis of one of the powerful mnemonic systems used to learn languages.
How to Use the Tool:

To use the technique, imagine a room that you know, such as your sitting room, bedroom, office or classroom. Within the room are objects. Associate images representing the information you want to remember with the objects in the room. To recall information, simply take a tour around the room in your mind, visualizing the known objects and their associated images.

The technique can be expanded by going into more detail, and keying information to be remembered to smaller objects. Alternatively you can open doors from your room into other rooms and use the objects in them as well. As you need them, you can build extensions to your rooms in your imagination, and fill them with objects that would logically be there.

You can use other rooms to store other categories of information.

There is no need to restrict this information to rooms: you could use a landscape or a town you know well, and populate it with memory images.

The Roman Room technique is just one way of representing your cognitive map of the information in an easily accessible way.

See the introduction to this chapter for information on how to enhance the images used for this technique.
Example:

For example, I can use my sitting room as a basis for the technique. In this room I have the following objects:

Table, lamp, sofa, large bookcase, small bookcase, CD rack, telephone, television, DVD player, chair, mirror, black and white photographs, etc.

I may want to remember a list of World War I war poets:

Rupert Brooke, G.K. Chesterton, Walter de la Mare, Robert Graves, Rudyard Kipling, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, W.B. Yates

I could visualize walking through my front door. Within this image, someone has painted a picture on it showing a scene from the Battle of the Somme. In the center of the picture is a man sitting in a trench writing in a dirty exercise book.

I walk into the sitting room, and look at the table. On the top is RUPERT the Bear sitting in a small BROOK (we do not need to worry about where the water goes in our imagination!) This codes for Rupert Brooke.

Someone seems to have done some moving: a CHEST has been left on the sofa. Some jeans (Alphabet System: G=Jeans) are hanging out of one drawer, and some cake has been left on the top (K=Cake). This codes for G K Chesterton.

The lamp has a small statuette of a brick WALL over which a female horse (MARE) is jumping. This codes for Walter de la Mare.
Key points:

The Roman Room technique is similar to the Journey method. It works by pegging images coding for information to known things, in this case to objects in a room.

The Roman Room technique is most effective for storing lists of unlinked information, while the journey method is better for storing lists of ordered items.

The Major System – Remembering Very Long Numbers

The Major Memory System is one of the most powerful memory systems available. It takes a lot of time to master, but once learned is very powerful. The technique often forms the basis of some of the extraordinary, almost magical, memory feats performed by stage magicians and memory performers.

The system works by converting number sequences into nouns, nouns into images, and linking images into sequences. These sequences can be very complex and detailed.
How to Use the Tool:

The building blocks of the system are the association of the numbers below with the following consonant sounds:

0 - s, z, soft-c - remember as 'z is first letter of zero'
1 - d, t, th - remember as letters with 1 downstroke
2 - n - remember as having 2 downstrokes
3 - m - has three downstrokes
4 - r - imagine a 4 and an R glued together back-to-back
5 - L - imagine the 5 propped up against a book end (L)
6 - j, sh, soft-ch, dg, soft-g - g is 6 rotated 180 degrees.
7 - k, hard-ch, hard-c, hard-g, ng - imagine K as two 7s
rotated and glued together
8 - f, v - imagine the bottom loop of the 8 as an eFfluent
pipe discharging waste (letter image of F in
alphabet system)
9 - p, b - b as 9 rotated 180 degrees.

These associations need to be learned thoroughly before going further with the technique.
Starting to use the Major System

The system operates on a number of levels, depending on the amount of time you are prepared to devote to learning the system.

The first level, which involves coding single digit numbers into small words, functions almost as a poor relation of the number/rhyme system. It is at higher levels that you can unleash the real power of the system. You should, however, learn to use this first level before moving on.

The trick with converting numbers into words is to use only the consonants that code information within the word, while using vowels to pad the consonants out with meaning. If you do have to use other consonants to make up a word, use only those that do not code for numbers - i.e. h, q, w, x, and y.

At the first level we code each number into a short noun. This is made up of the consonant coding for the number, and vowels that turn the consonant into a word. On a sheet of paper, write the numbers 0 to 9, and apply these rules to create your own memory words. Some examples are shown below:

0 - saw
1 - toe
2 - neigh
3 - ma
4 - ray
5 - law
6 - jaw
7 - key
8 - fee
9 - pie

You can use these words in association much like the other peg technique memory words.
Moving to the second level

Similar rules apply to creating a standard word from two numbers. It is best not to try to use a single number word as a root, as this can confuse the image.

Write down the numbers 01 to 99, and apply the rules to create memory words for yourself.

A few examples are shown below:

09 - z, p - zap
17 - t, ch - tech
23 - n, m - name
36 - m, sh - mesh
41 - r,s - rose
52 - l, n - line
64 - ch, r - chair
75 - k, l - keel
89 - f, p - fop
98 - b, f - beef
Taking the Major System Further

Just using double number words may be enough to make this a sufficiently powerful mnemonic for you. Alternatively you may decide to use triple number words, using the same construction rules as double number words.

Examples are:
182 - d, v, n - Devon
304 - m, s, r - miser
400 - r, c, s - races
651 - j, l, d - jellied
801 - f, z, d - fazed

Even though you can construct words from first principles each time, at this level of complexity it may be worth writing them down to make them easier to remember. You can then run through them many times to strengthen the link in your mind between the numbers and the associated words. This will help you to remember the appropriate word faster.
Using Words to Remember Long Numbers

Once you have come up with words and images to link to your numbers, you can start to apply the technique to remember, for example, long numbers. A good way of doing this is to associate Major System words with stops on a journey (see 7.1.5).
Example:

The number Pi is 3.14159265359 (to 11 decimal places). Using the major system and the journey system (see example) together, I can remember this as:
Passing my Ma (3) by the front door of my house
Seeing that someone has dared (1,4,1) to sleep under the rose bush in the garden
Someone has tied a loop (5,9) of yellow ribbon onto the steering wheel of my car
I see a poster with a photo of a steaming pile of sausages and mashed potato, with the title 'glorious nosh' (2,7) at the end of the road
A lama (5,3) is grazing on grass outside the garage forecourt
Another loop (5,9) of yellow ribbon has been tied around the railway bridge. This is getting strange!
Key points:

The major memory system works by linking numbers to consonants, and then by linking these into words. By using the images these words create, and linking them together with the journey system, large amounts of information can be accurately memorized.

Memory Games
Have fun, while you improve your memory!

Have you ever looked up a phone number and repeated it over and over to yourself until you dialled it correctly? This draws on your working memory; however, just moments after dialling the telephone number, chances are you have forgotten it.

This is because the telephone number was not “committed” to your long-term memory. And, while working memory is reliable for quick recall of bits of information (like phone numbers), it can hold only a few pieces of information and only for a very short time.

To remember things for a longer amount of time, you must connect the new information with information you already have, “committing” it to your long-term memory, which stores more information and, for a longer period of time.

There are, of course, many ‘serious’ techniques for improving your memory. (And you can find many in Mind Tools memory techniques section.) But you can also have a bit of fun “working out” with memory games. This article introduces several games to workout your memory, individually or in a team.
Story Telling

One way to remember the information you need to commit to long-term memory is to make up a story that “connects” the items or facts you need to remember, thus making them easier to recall. The idea here is that it’s easier to remember more information when one fact or item connects to another.

While making up the story, create a strong mental image of what’s happening. This helps to “connect” the data to an image and better cement it in your long-term memory.

For an example, read our article on story telling technique.

It’s fun to practice using this technique in a group. Practice by laying out 20 or more objects on the table and trying to remember them. Each member of the group takes his or her turn to add to the story by including another object.

If the first three objects are an apple, a key and a mobile phone, here’s how the story might start:

Person 1: In the orchard, ripe apples were falling from the trees.

Person 2: But the gate to the orchard was locked and John had brought the wrong key.

Person 3: So he called Sue from his mobile phone to see if she could help.
….

Once all the objects have been included in the story, remove them all from the room. See who can remember the most items. Now tell the story again as a group, taking it in turns. The group will probably be able to remember the whole story and so recall all the items.
Pexeso: Matching Pairs

Pexeso involves matching pairs of like cards or tiles from a large group, when one of each group is hidden.

You play Pexeso with a set of cards or tiles that includes pairs of picture or numbers. You can play using half a pack of standard playing cards – just remove 2 of the 4 suits, so you have just 2 aces, 2 kings, 2 queens and so on.

Start by laying out 24 of the cards, making sure the 24 cards consists of 12 matched pairs. Once face down, move the cards around so that you do not know where any single card is located.

Turn one card over at a time, take a look at the number or object, and then turn it face down again. Repeat this process until you turn over a card that matches a card you turned over earlier. Now find the card’s ‘mate’ by remembering from earlier where it is located. As you find a matched pair, remove them from the group. The number of cards dwindles until all the pairs are matched.

Time yourself and see how you improve (get faster) each time you play.

As you get better, increase the number of cards you start with, moving from the original 24 to 30, then to 36, 42 and so on.
‘Blind’ Jigsaw Puzzles

Another fun and inexpensive way to give your concentration and memory a boost is the good old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle. Playing it ‘blind’ means without referring back to the picture on the box!

First, look at a picture of the completed puzzle. Give yourself a few minutes to commit it to memory.

Next, mix up the pieces to the jigsaw puzzle.

Now, work to put it back together without looking at the picture of the completed puzzle again (until you are done).
Trivia Quizzes

A great way to improve how well you recall information is to play trivia quizzes. The trivia can be about anything – movies, history, even about your specific business.

Whilst you can easily purchase trivia quiz board games and books, you can also make up your own questions when you are playing in a group.

Each person submits a list of questions (and answers!) and then to ‘quiz master’ takes questions from each person’s list in turn.

When you play with a new set of trivia questions, you rely on your recall of prior knowledge and experience to find the answers. If you play with the same questions in a few days or weeks later, you will also rely on memory of playing the game last time. Both new questions and re-runs are good for building you memory skills.

JUST FOR U WHO HATE MATH

2008-05-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

Math Study Skills
Active Study vs. Passive Study
Be actively involved in managing the learning process, the mathematics and your study time:

* Take responsibility for studying, recognizing what you do and don't know, and knowing how to get your Instructor to help you with what you don't know.
* Attend class every day and take complete notes. Instructors formulate test questions based on material and examples covered in class as well as on those in the text.
* Be an active participant in the classroom. Get ahead in the book; try to work some of the problems before they are covered in class. Anticipate what the Instructor's next step will be.
* Ask questions in class! There are usually other students wanting to know the answers to the same questions you have.
* Go to office hours and ask questions. The Instructor will be pleased to see that you are interested, and you will be actively helping yourself.
* Good study habits throughout the semester make it easier to study for tests.

Studying Math is Different from Studying Other Subjects

* Math is learned by doing problems. Do the homework. The problems help you learn the formulas and techniques you do need to know, as well as improve your problem-solving prowess.
* A word of warning: Each class builds on the previous ones, all semester long. You must keep up with the Instructor: attend class, read the text and do homework every day. Falling a day behind puts you at a disadvantage. Falling a week behind puts you in deep trouble.
* A word of encouragement: Each class builds on the previous ones, all semester long. You're always reviewing previous material as you do new material. Many of the ideas hang together. Identifying and learning the key concepts means you don't have to memorize as much.

College Math is Different from High School Math
A College math class meets less often and covers material at about twice the pace that a High School course does. You are expected to absorb new material much more quickly. Tests are probably spaced farther apart and so cover more material than before. The Instructor may not even check your homework.

* Take responsibility for keeping up with the homework. Make sure you find out how to do it.
* You probably need to spend more time studying per week - you do more of the learning outside of class than in High School.
* Tests may seem harder just because they cover more material.

Study Time
You may know a rule of thumb about math (and other) classes: at least 2 hours of study time per class hour. But this may not be enough!

* Take as much time as you need to do all the homework and to get complete understanding of the material.
* Form a study group. Meet once or twice a week (also use the phone). Go over problems you've had trouble with. Either someone else in the group will help you, or you will discover you're all stuck on the same problems. Then it's time to get help from your Instructor.
* The more challenging the material, the more time you should spend on it.

Problem Solving
Problem Solving (Homework and Tests)

* The higher the math class, the more types of problems: in earlier classes, problems often required just one step to find a solution. Increasingly, you will tackle problems which require several steps to solve them. Break these problems down into smaller pieces and solve each piece - divide and conquer!
* Problem types:
1. Problems testing memorization ("drill"),
2. Problems testing skills ("drill"),
3. Problems requiring application of skills to familiar situations ("template" problems),
4. Problems requiring application of skills to unfamiliar situations (you develop a strategy for a new problem type),
5. Problems requiring that you extend the skills or theory you know before applying them to an unfamiliar situation.
In early courses, you solved problems of types 1, 2 and 3. By College Algebra you expect to do mostly problems of types 2 and 3 and sometimes of type 4. Later courses expect you to tackle more and more problems of types 3 and 4, and (eventually) of type 5. Each problem of types 4 or 5 usually requires you to use a multi-step approach, and may involve several different math skills and techniques.
* When you work problems on homework, write out complete solutions, as if you were taking a test. Don't just scratch out a few lines and check the answer in the back of the book. If your answer is not right, rework the problem; don't just do some mental gymnastics to convince yourself that you could get the correct answer. If you can't get the answer, get help.
* The practice you get doing homework and reviewing will make test problems easier to tackle.

Tips on Problem Solving

* Apply Pólya's four-step process:
1. The first and most important step in solving a problem is to understand the problem, that is, identify exactly which quantity the problem is asking you to find or solve for (make sure you read the whole problem).
2. Next you need to devise a plan, that is, identify which skills and techniques you have learned can be applied to solve the problem at hand.
3. Carry out the plan.
4. Look back: Does the answer you found seem reasonable? Also review the problem and method of solution so that you will be able to more easily recognize and solve a similar problem.
* Some problem-solving strategies: use one or more variables, complete a table, consider a special case, look for a pattern, guess and test, draw a picture or diagram, make a list, solve a simpler related problem, use reasoning, work backward, solve an equation, look for a formula, use coordinates.

"Word" Problems are Really "Applied" Problems
The term "word problem" has only negative connotations. It's better to think of them as "applied problems". These problems should be the most interesting ones to solve. Sometimes the "applied" problems don't appear very realistic, but that's usually because the corresponding real applied problems are too hard or complicated to solve at your current level. But at least you get an idea of how the math you are learning can help solve actual real-world problems.

Solving an Applied Problem

* First convert the problem into mathematics. This step is (usually) the most challenging part of an applied problem. If possible, start by drawing a picture. Label it with all the quantities mentioned in the problem. If a quantity in the problem is not a fixed number, name it by a variable. Identify the goal of the problem. Then complete the conversion of the problem into math, i.e., find equations which describe relationships among the variables, and describe the goal of the problem mathematically.
* Solve the math problem you have generated, using whatever skills and techniques you need (refer to the four-step process above).
* As a final step, you should convert the answer of your math problem back into words, so that you have now solved the original applied problem.

For Further Reading:
George Pólya, How to Solve It,Princeton University Press, Princeton (1945)
Studying for a Math Test
Everyday Study is a Big Part of Test Preparation
Good study habits throughout the semester make it easier to study for tests.

* Do the homework when it is assigned. You cannot hope to cram 3 or 4 weeks worth of learning into a couple of days of study.
* On tests you have to solve problems; homework problems are the only way to get practice. As you do homework, make lists of formulas and techniques to use later when you study for tests.
* Ask your Instructor questions as they arise; don't wait until the day or two before a test. The questions you ask right before a test should be to clear up minor details.

Studying for a Test
# Start by going over each section, reviewing your notes and checking that you can still do the homework problems (actually work the problems again). Use the worked examples in the text and notes - cover up the solutions and work the problems yourself. Check your work against the solutions given.

# You're not ready yet! In the book each problem appears at the end of the section in which you learned how do to that problem; on a test the problems from different sections are all together.

* Step back and ask yourself what kind of problems you have learned how to solve, what techniques of solution you have learned, and how to tell which techniques go with which problems.
* Try to explain out loud, in your own words, how each solution strategy is used (e.g. how to solve a quadratic equation). If you get confused during a test, you can mentally return to your verbal "capsule instructions". Check your verbal explanations with a friend during a study session (it's more fun than talking to yourself!).
* Put yourself in a test-like situation: work problems from review sections at the end of chapters, and work old tests if you can find some. It's important to keep working problems the whole time you're studying.

# Also:

* Start studying early. Several days to a week before the test (longer for the final), begin to allot time in your schedule to reviewing for the test.
* Get lots of sleep the night before the test. Math tests are easier when you are mentally sharp.

Taking a Math Test
Test-Taking Strategy Matters
Just as it is important to think about how you spend your study time (in addition to actually doing the studying), it is important to think about what strategies you will use when you take a test (in addition to actually doing the problems on the test). Good test-taking strategy can make a big difference to your grade!

Taking a Test

* First look over the entire test. You'll get a sense of its length. Try to identify those problems you definitely know how to do right away, and those you expect to have to think about.
* Do the problems in the order that suits you! Start with the problems that you know for sure you can do. This builds confidence and means you don't miss any sure points just because you run out of time. Then try the problems you think you can figure out; then finally try the ones you are least sure about.
* Time is of the essence - work as quickly and continuously as you can while still writing legibly and showing all your work. If you get stuck on a problem, move on to another one - you can come back later.
* Work by the clock. On a 50 minute, 100 point test, you have about 5 minutes for a 10 point question. Starting with the easy questions will probably put you ahead of the clock. When you work on a harder problem, spend the allotted time (e.g., 5 minutes) on that question, and if you have not almost finished it, go on to another problem. Do not spend 20 minutes on a problem which will yield few or no points when there are other problems still to try.
* Show all your work: make it as easy as possible for the Instructor to see how much you do know. Try to write a well-reasoned solution. If your answer is incorrect, the Instructor will assign partial credit based on the work you show.
* Never waste time erasing! Just draw a line through the work you want ignored and move on. Not only does erasing waste precious time, but you may discover later that you erased something useful (and/or maybe worth partial credit if you cannot complete the problem). You are (usually) not required to fit your answer in the space provided - you can put your answer on another sheet to avoid needing to erase.
* In a multiple-step problem outline the steps before actually working the problem.
* Don't give up on a several-part problem just because you can't do the first part. Attempt the other part(s) - if the actual solution depends on the first part, at least explain how you would do it.
* Make sure you read the questions carefully, and do all parts of each problem.
* Verify your answers - does each answer make sense given the context of the problem?
* If you finish early, check every problem (that means rework everything from scratch).

Getting Assistance
When
Get help as soon as you need it. Don't wait until a test is near. The new material builds on the previous sections, so anything you don't understand now will make future material difficult to understand.

Use the Resources You Have Available

* Ask questions in class. You get help and stay actively involved in the class.
* Visit the Instructor's Office Hours. Instructors like to see students who want to help themselves.
* Ask friends, members of your study group, or anyone else who can help. The classmate who explains something to you learns just as much as you do, for he/she must think carefully about how to explain the particular concept or solution in a clear way. So don't be reluctant to ask a classmate.
* Go to the Math Help Sessions or other tutoring sessions on campus.
* Find a private tutor if you can't get enough help from other sources.
* All students need help at some point, so be sure to get the help you need.

Asking Questions
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Any question is better than no question at all (at least your Instructor/tutor will know you are confused). But a good question will allow your helper to quickly identify exactly what you don't understand.

* Not too helpful comment: "I don't understand this section." The best you can expect in reply to such a remark is a brief review of the section, and this will likely overlook the particular thing(s) which you don't understand.
* Good comment: "I don't understand why f(x + h) doesn't equal f(x) + f(h)." This is a very specific remark that will get a very specific response and hopefully clear up your difficulty.
* Good question: "How can you tell the difference between the equation of a circle and the equation of a line?"
* Okay question: "How do you do #17?"
* Better question: "Can you show me how to set up #17?" (the Instructor can let you try to finish the problem on your own), or "This is how I tried to do #17. What went wrong?" The focus of attention is on your thought process.
* Right after you get help with a problem, work another similar problem by yourself.

You Control the Help You Get
Helpers should be coaches, not crutches. They should encourage you, give you hints as you need them, and sometimes show you how to do problems. But they should not, nor be expected to, actually do the work you need to do. They are there to help you figure out how to learn math for yourself.

* When you go to office hours, your study group or a tutor, have a specific list of questions prepared in advance. You should run the session as much as possible.
* Do not allow yourself to become dependent on a tutor. The tutor cannot take the exams for you. You must take care to be the one in control of tutoring sessions.
* You must recognize that sometimes you do need some coaching to help you through, and it is up to you to seek out that coaching.

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY

June 1993

SHOW UR SMOOTHNESS

2008-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

10 tips ini adalah tips-tips yang terbilang mudah untuk dilatih dan
diimplementasikan. Seingat Saya, semuanya powerful dan sangat membantu untuk
kepentingan stabilitas emosi di tengah cuaca dan musim yang gak karuan
seperti sekarang.

*MULAILAH DENGAN CERDAS LITERASI*

Maxudnya, perkayalah vocabulary emosi Anda dengan berbagai kata-kata yang
erat hubungannya dengan perasaan. Menurut sejumlah sumber, daftar "perasaan"
itu ada sekitar 200-an kosa kata. Kemudian, biasakanlah mengatakannya secara
eksplisit atau implisit, dalam cara yang "gue banget".

Berilah label pada perasaan Anda dan bukan pada orang atau situasinya.
Gunakanlah kata-kata perasaan se-spesifik mungkin.

*"Aku ngerasa udah nggak sabar nih."*

bukan

*"Ini udah keterlaluan. " *

*"Ndengerin kamu, aku kok merasa sakit hati ya."*

bukan

*"Kamu emang nggak sensitif deh."*

*"Heehh... gua jadi ngeri nih!"*

bukan

*"Elu nyupir udah kayak oran gila!"*

*"Saya kok merasa tidak enak hati ya,"* bukan seperti kalimat pertama Saya
di atas.

Dengan cerdas emosi secara literasi, Anda akan menjadi lebih mudah memahami,
menyelami, dan mengontrol emosi Anda pribadi.

*BEDAKAN PIKIRAN DARI PERASAAN*

Pikiran:

*"Saya merasa seperti..."
"Saya merasa seolah-olah. .."
"Saya merasa bahwa..."*

Perasaan:

*"Saya merasa..."*

Gunakan secara langsung kata-kata perasaan yang terkait dengan perasaan
Anda. Hilangkan kata penghubungnya.

Dengan lebih mampu membedakan pikiran dari perasaan, Anda akan menjadi lebih
yakin dengan berbagai jawaban, inspirasi, keputusan dan tindakan Anda
sendiri.

*BERTANGGUNGJAWABLA H UNTUK PERASAAN ANDA*

*"Aku merasa cemburu."*

bukan

*"Engkau membuatku cemburu."*

Yang cemburu adalah diri Anda sendiri. Yang menciptakan perasaan cemburu
adalah emosi Anda sendiri. Bukan orang lain, bukan situasi atau keadaan.

*"Saya merasa marah karena perbuatan kamu!"*

bukan

*"Perbuatan kamu membuat Saya marah!"*

Yang marah adalah diri Anda sendiri. Yang menciptakan kemarahan adalah emosi
Anda sendiri. Bukan orang lain, bukan situasi atau kejadian.

Dengan bisa bertanggungjawab untuk emosi Anda, Anda akan lebih independen,
lebih mandiri, dan lebih percaya diri.

*GUNAKAN PERASAAN UNTUK MENGAMBIL KEPUTUSAN*

Tips yang satu ini bisa cukup berbahaya. So untuk latihan awal, sebaiknya
Anda TIDAK KELUAR dari kerangka berikut ini.

*"Apa yang akan Saya rasakan jika Saya melakukan ini?"
"Apa yang akan Saya rasakan jika Saya tidak melakukannya? "*

Dengan terlatih jernih dalam melibatkan perasaan di dalam mengambil
keputusan, Anda akan terlatih lebih baik untuk mengambil keputusan dalam
cara yang lebih presisi. Intuisi Anda akan bisa diandalkan dan tidak akan
menyesatkan.

Tips keputusan berbasis
intuisiini
bisa membantu Anda.

*DEMONSTRASIKAN PENGHARGAAN TERHADAP PERASAAN ORANG *

Bukan hanya menghargai, tapi lebih dari itu demonstrasikanlah penghargaan
Anda terhadap perasaan orang lain.

*"Apa perasaan kamu kalo aku pilih yang ini?"
"Apa perasaan Anda jika Saya tidak melakukannya? " *

Dengan menghargai emosi orang lain, orang lain juga akan menghargai emosi
Anda. Dengan mendemosntrasikanny a kepada orang lain, orang lain juga akan
mendemonstrasikanny a untuk Anda.

*FEEL THE ENERGY NOT THE ANGRY *

Manfaatkanlah apa yang disebut orang dengan "marah", sebagai alat bantu dan
motivasi untuk bertindak produktif.

Belajarlah untuk mahir memisahkan "sebab kemarahan" dari "energi kemarahan".
Saat Anda berhasil, Anda bisa melupakan sebabnya dan memanfaatkan energinya.

Cara yang mudah adalah dengan menjadikan apa yang pasti pernah Anda katakan
ini menjadi sebuah skill. Sadarilah saat Anda mengatakannya. Latihlah
mengatakannya dalam konteks positif.

*"Awas ya..."
"Liat nanti..."
"Pada suatu saat..."
"Liat gue dua tahun lagi..."*

Tempatkanlah ungkapan di atas dalam kerangka positive thinking, supaya
energinya juga positif.

Dengan mampu mengelola energi emosi, Anda akan mendapatkan "turbo charge"
untuk perjalanan Anda menuju sukses. Emosi Anda tidak lagi destruktif, ia
telah menjadi bahan bakar.

Tips ini emosimungkin
bisa mengingatkan Anda kembali.

*VALIDASI PERASAAN ORANG*

Bukan hanya penghargaan, tapi juga tunjukkan bahwa perasaan orang lain itu
memang "ada".

Tunjukkan empati, simpati, pengertian, dan PENERIMAAN akan keberadaan
perasaan orang lain.

Latihlah kemampuan ber-empati dan ber-simpati Anda.

Jika Anda bisa menemukan bahwa emosi orang lain memang ada, maka mereka juga
akan menemukan bahwa emosi Anda pun ada.

*AMBIL NILAI POSITIF DARI BERBAGAI EMOSI*

Latihlah paket-paket pertanyaan ini.

*"Bagaimana rasanya?"* dan *"Apa yang bisa membuat Saya merasa lebih baik?"*

*"Bagaimana perasaan Anda?"* dan *"Apa yang bisa membuat Anda merasa lebih
baik?"*

Dengan terbiasa mengambil nilai positif, Anda akan makin pandai
"menyamankan" perasaan Anda. Dengan perasaan yang nyaman, Anda akan bisa
berjalan dengan melenggang.

*BELAJARLAH MENDENGAR*

DENGARLAH dengan EMPATI tanpa PENGHAKIMAN.

Mendengar, adalah keahlian yang paling sulit untuk dikuasai.

Dengan kemampuan mendengar yang lebih baik, orang lain akan lebih
mendengarkan Anda.

Tips mendengarini
bisa membantu Anda.

*HINDARI MEREKA DAN APA YANG MENYIKSA PERASAAN ANDA*

Tentu saja, ini tidak bisa selalu Anda lakukan, tapi setidaknya, kurangilah
kebersamaan Anda bersama mereka. Atau, cobalah berbagai cara agar Anda tidak
berada di bawah kekuasaan psikologis mereka.

Cara yang paling tokcer, adalah "balas kejahatan dengan kebaikan." Dan dalam
banyak hal, Anda pasti lebih mudah melakukannya. Dengan pilihan ini, Anda
malah tidak menghindar tapi menghadapi dengan tenang. Alias, bersabar.

Menerima kiriman spam? Ya tinggal dihapus saja, nggak perlu marah.
Diejek orang? Senyum aja, walaupun kecut.

*KESIMPULAN*

Saya merasa senang karena sekarang, Anda pasti makin paham tentang semua
ini. Semoga bermanfaat.

Saya Ingin Anda Sukses,
Saya Harus Membuat Anda Sukses

FUNNY KIDS 3

2008-04-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

FUNNY KIDS 2

2008-04-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

FUNNY KIDS

2008-04-28T04:40:00.001-07:00

IMPORTANT FRIENDSHIP

2008-04-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

STUDYING V

2008-03-30T23:11:00.002-07:00

Power Studying Tips for College Students

The following tips have proven to be extremely powerful guides for organizing, thinking, studying, and learning in college. They represent the best advice of successful college students. The can also work for high school students.

Study Space

Tip: Your study space should be as quiet and comfortable as possible. Avoid studying in noisy places such as cafeterias, recreation rooms, or lounges.

Tip: When studying, keep a waste basket handy.

Tip: Have a consistent place for everything, and above all, keep it there!

Tip: Have everything needed for study handy beforehand. Don't waste valuable time looking for books, notes, of other information. After you have assembled the items you need, put them where you can reach them easily.

Study Habits

Tip: Begin study no less than 30-90 minutes after a meal.

Tip: Never study within 30 minutes of going to sleep.

Tip: Prioritize! Make a list of what you intend to study, prioritize the list, and stick to it!

Tip: If possible, study no more than 30-40 minutes at a stretch. Many students retain more by studying for short periods with breaks in between. It all depends on what you're trying to study, but generally, after a period of study, take a break.

Tip: Take study breaks away from your desk or wherever you are studying. Let the break be a time to think about other things. Use some break time to reflect, not constantly review what you have just studied.

The Classroom

Tip: Distractions in the classroom are deadly. To help avoid distractions, sit near the front of the class. You're less likely to miss something important, and there are far less distractions at the front than any other location.

Tip: Think! Thinking is one of the most important things you can do in class. If you just sit there passively, and not think, class can be deadly. Think about what the teacher is saying BEFORE writing down anything. Writing down each word is a WASTE OF TIME. Reorganize in your mind what the teacher says, and then write it down. This way you will be connecting the teacher's words with HOW you think. If you do this, your notes will make a lot more sense later on.

Tip: Pay attention to the course outline or syllabus. Generally, important points and materials are referenced here and repeated. Don't be afraid to ask the teacher if there is something you don't understand. Most teachers will be glad to clarify for you.

Preparing for Class

Tip: Efficient students do not underline! Underlining is not a productive way to emphasize textbook material. It's best to use a highlighter.

Tip: Read the table of contents of your texts carefully. If the textbooks have chapter summaries, read them first! If you don't understand the material from the summaries, go back and highlight. Take notes on what you have highlighted and review your notes. Tip: Break study material into short segments of length dependent on its difficulty. Remember, concise notes are more powerful than copious notes. Think about the material! Then take notes on what you don't know or are not sure of.

Test Taking

Tip: For essay examinations, try the "memory dump" technique. If permitted, write down everything you've memorized - facts, names, dates, ideas, events, and so on BEFORE you do anything else. Sometimes reading through the essay questions can distract you from what you've studied. The "memory dump" technique requires that you write down everything possible BEFORE you begin writing essay answers. This way, you are less likely to forget something important.

A Final Word

The study skills presented here depend on one thing, and that is your willingness to WANT to improve and do well in school. If you really don't want to make the effort and sacrifice, no amount of suggestions, ideas, or outlines can help much. You are the one who is responsible for your education, and effective study skills can help you. To that end, one last word of advice -- work smart, not hard.

STUDYING IV

2008-03-30T23:11:00.001-07:00

Taking Examinations

Objective Examinations

Surveying

Survey any objective examination to find out what types of questions are being asked. Surveying helps you to know what to expect.

Knowing the Ground Rules

Always read directions! Indicate your answers exactly the way the directions state. Make sure your answers are clear. Determine what the scoring rules for the test are and follow them to your advantage. For example, if wrong answers are penalized, don't guess unless you can reduce the choices to two.

Answering Easy Questions First

Answering easy (to you) questions first is the best strategy. If you stumble over difficult questions for too long a time, you may not be able to complete the exam.

Picking out Key Words

Objective examination questions usually contain one or more key words. A key word or group of words are those on which the truth or falsity of a statement hinges. Learn to spot the key words in the statement that define the meaning. If a statement contains two clauses, one of which is false, the whole statement is false. Usually, two-statement true-false questions are either both true or both false.

Reading Multiple-Choice Questions

Multiple choice questions are essentially true-false questions arranged in groups. Usually, only one alternative is correct. Your job is to pick the alternative that is more nearly true than the others. Read multiple-choice questions the same way as for true-false. Eliminate obvious false choices.

Reading Other Types of Questions

The methods used to answer true-false and multiple choice questions apply to matching questions as well. Always scan the entire list of alternatives before matching any. As in the other types of questions, try to identify key words in each list and test them. Completion questions require you to provide a word or phrase. When you encounter completion questions, choose your words carefully. If you don't know the answer, give it your best guess, as often times such responses get at least partial credit.

Essay Examinations

Planning your time in answering essay questions is more important than in objective type tests. The general rule is not to get carried away on one or two questions to the extent that you cannot answer that other questions in the time allowed. Read through the entire examination first. Get a feel for the questions you are expected to answer. If the exam allows you to choose from a number of questions, be sure to number your answers exactly to match the questions.

When you follow directions for an essay exam, pay attention to the key words the instructor has included. Such words as "list," "describe," "compare and contrast," and "outline" have special meaning. Don't "write around" the question but answer it directly. If a question asks you to list something, don't write a narrative about it. Answering essay questions directly is always the best policy.

After scanning the list of questions to be answered, choose the ones you know most about. A good idea is to prepare an outline of your answers. The outline will help you remember important ideas and facts to be included in your response. Another technique is to do a "memory-dump." This technique is discussed in the last section of this guide, "Power Study Tips."

Good handwriting is an absolute essential. If your cursive writing is very hard to read, try printing instead. Most instructors value clear handwriting. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling also count. Well-written grammatically correct answers almost always receive higher grades than poorly written grammatically incorrect answers, even though the answers themselves are the same.

STUDYING III

2008-03-30T23:10:00.001-07:00

Strategies

Thinking skills

Everybody has thinking skills, but few use them effectively. Effective thinking skills cannot be studied, but must be built up over a period of time. Good thinkers see possibilities where others see only dead-ends. If you're not a good thinker, start now by developing habits that make you ask yourself questions as you read. Talk to other students who you feel are good thinkers. Ask them what it is they do when they think critically or creatively. Often times, you can pick up valuable insights to help you become a better thinker.

The SQ3R method

The SQ3R method has been a proven way to sharpen study skills. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. Take a moment now and write SQ3R down. It is a good slogan to commit to memory to carry out an effective study strategy.

Survey - get the best overall picture of what you're going to study BEFORE you study it an any detail. It's like looking at a road map before going on a trip. If you don't know the territory, studying a map is the best way to begin.

Question - ask questions for learning. The important things to learn are usually answers to questions. Questions should lead to emphasis on the what, why, how, when, who and where of study content. Ask yourself questions as you read or study. As you answer them, you will help to make sense of the material and remember it more easily because the process will make an impression on you. Those things that make impressions are more meaningful, and therefore more easily remembered. Don't be afraid to write your questions in the margins of textbooks, on lecture notes, or wherever it makes sense.

Read - Reading is NOT running your eyes over a textbook. When you read, read actively. Read to answer questions you have asked yourself or questions the instructor or author has asked. Always be alert to bold or italicized print. The authors intend that this material receive special emphasis. Also, when you read, be sure to read everything, including tables, graphs and illustrations. Often times tables, graphs and illustrations can convey an idea more powerfully than written text.

Recite - When you recite, you stop reading periodically to recall what you have read. Try to recall main headings, important ideas of concepts presented in bold or italicized type, and what graphs charts or illustrations indicate. Try to develop an overall concept of what you have read in your own words and thoughts. Try to connect things you have just read to things you already know. When you do this periodically, the chances are you will remember much more and be able to recall material for papers, essays and objective tests.

Review - A review is a survey of what you have covered. It is a review of what you are supposed to accomplish, not what you are going to do. Rereading is an important part of the review process. Reread with the idea that you are measuring what you have gained from the process. During review, it's a good time to go over notes you have taken to help clarify points you may have missed or don't understand. The best time to review is when you have just finished studying something. Don't wait until just before an examination to begin the review process. Before an examination, do a final review. If you manage your time, the final review can be thought of as a "fine-tuning" of your knowledge of the material. Thousands of high school and college students have followed the SQ3R steps to achieve higher grades with less stress.

Reading

A primary means by which you acquire information is through reading. In college you're expected to do much more reading than in high school. Don't assume just because you've "read" the assignments that is the end of it. You must learn to read with a purpose. In studying, you may read the same assignment three or four times, each time with a different purpose. You must know before you begin reading what your purpose is, and read accordingly.

Getting the Main Idea

Getting the main idea in reading is central to effective studying. You must learn what the author's central idea is, and understand it in your own way. Every paragraph contains a main idea. Main ideas are perfect for outlining textbooks. Make it a habit to find the main idea in each paragraph you read.

Extracting Important Details

Extracting important details means that you locate in your reading the basis for main ideas. There is usually one important detail associated with every main idea. The more important details you can identify, the easier it will be to review for examinations because you have made a link between an idea and information that supports it. The more links you can make between details and ideas, as well as ideas themselves, the more powerful will be the efforts of your study.

Don't Read Aloud to Yourself

Generally, reading aloud to yourself does not help you study more effectively. If you move your lips while you read, you're not reading efficiently. If you read aloud or move your lips while you're reading, you are reading slowly, so stop moving your lips. Try putting a finger over your lips. Your finger will remind you not to move your lips. Make an effort to read faster and retain more - after a while, you'll be surprised how little effort it will take.

Taking Notes

Like reading, note-taking is a skill which must be learned and refined. Almost invariably, note taking, or the lack of it, is a constant deficiency in the study methods of many high school and college students. Learning the ingredients of good note taking is rather easy; applying them to your own situation depends on how serious you are in becoming a successful student.

Where to Keep Notes

You must learn to keep notes logically and legibly. Remember, if you can't read your own writing a few days after taking notes, they are of little use. By all accounts, the best place to keep notes is in a loose-leaf notebook. Use dividers to separate the different classes you take. Make it a habit of using your notebook to record ALL your notes. If you're caught without your notebook and need to take notes, always have a supply of loose-leaf paper with you. Insert your note papers into the notebook as soon as you can. Be sure to buy a good notebook, as it will get a lot of wear and tear.

Outlining Textbooks

First of all, don't underline. Use a highlighter. Experience has shown that text passages highlighted are more easily remembered than the same passages underlined. In outlining a text, don't just read along and highlight what seem to important words. That technique rarely works. The act of outlining works much better.

Taking Lecture Notes

Surveying, Questioning, Listening

Taking accurate and concise lecture notes is essential. Develop the habit of taking notes using appropriate methods described earlier in the SQ3R technique. For example, when you listen to a lecture, formulate questions as you listen. Your main job in taking lecture notes is to be a good listener. To be a good listener, you must learn to focus and concentrate on the main points of the lecture. Get them down, and then later reorganize them in your own words. Once you have done this, you have set the stage for successful reviewing and revising.

Reviewing and Revising

As you prepare for examinations, tests, or other assessments, you should spend time reviewing and revising your lecture notes. Begin the process by reviewing your notes right after a lecture. If you wait too long, you may discover that the notes just don't make sense. Don't hesitate to revise your notes based on the review process.

Research Notes

Any form of note-taking that requires compilation of information by categories, rather than in narrative form is best done using index cards. You can sort, edit and arrange index cards to suit your particular study needs. The most important point in using cards is to indicate the correct reference or topic at the top of the card. Use the cards for study, review, to help organize information for papers, reports, or projects. An even better idea, if you have a personal computer, is to organize your categorical information in a database. Once you set it up, finding, updating and adding new information is quite easy. If you have a printer, you can print out your notes in a variety of ways.

STUDYING II

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The Process of Study

How to use your time

Time is the most valuable resource a student has. It is also one of the most wasted of resources. The schedule you develop should guide you in how to allocate the available time in the most productive manner. Sticking to your schedule can be tough. Don't dribble away valuable time. Avoiding study is the easiest thing in the world. It's up to you to follow the schedule you prepared. A good deal of your success in high school or college depends on this simple truth.

Where to study

You can study anywhere. Obviously, some places are better than others. Libraries, study lounges or private rooms are best. Above all, the place you choose to study should not be distracting. Distractions can build up, and the first thing you know, you're out of time and out of luck. Make choosing a good physical environment a part of your study habits.

STUDYING I

2008-03-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Effective Study skills are about more than understanding

Effective study skills must be practiced in order for you to improve. It is not enough to simply "think about" studying; you have to actually do it, and in the process use information from what you do to get better. This is the central idea of this page. All that follows depends on this single concept. There is a saying that goes like this: "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect." If you want to be an achiever, take this saying to heart.

The value of a schedule

Before you even begin to think about the process of studying, you must develop a schedule. If you don't have a schedule or plan for studying, then you will not have any way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected comes up. A good, well thought out schedule can be a lifesaver. It's up to you to learn how develop a schedule that meets your needs, revise it if necessary, and most important, follow it.

A schedule saves time

All schedules should be made with the idea that they can be revised. A good schedule keeps you from wandering off course. A good schedule, if properly managed, assigns time where time is needed, but you've got to want to do it!

Making every hour count

A schedule should take into account every class, laboratory, lecture, social event, and other work in which you engage. There are givens such as classes and so on that have to be incorporated. You must focus on the other "free time" available and how you will use it. Make a weekly schedule and block off the 24 hour day in one hour increments. Indicate times for classes, labs, lectures, social, and work time. Also block off a period for sleeping each day. With what is left over, plan time for study. This gives you a rough road map of the time available. Of course, you can revise your schedule as circumstances warrant.

When to study

The problem of when to study is critical. A good rule of thumb is that studying should be carried out only when you are rested, alert, and have planned for it. Last minute studying just before a class is usually a waste of time.

Studying for lecture courses

If your study period is before the lecture class, be sure you have read all the assignments and made notes on what you don't understand. If the study period is after the lecture class, review the notes you took during class while the information is still fresh.

Studying for recitation courses

For classes that require recitation, such as foreign language, be sure to schedule a study period just before the class. Use the time to practice. Sometimes, practice with others can help sharpen your skills in a before-class study period.

Making and revising a schedule

Don't be afraid to revise your schedule. Schedules are really plans for how you intend to use your time. If your schedule doesn't work, revise it. You must understand that your schedule is to help you develop good study habits. Once you have developed them, schedule building becomes easier.

Succeeding in ColleGE

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Just as in elementary school through high school, your success in college requires high motivation and effort, strong study skills, effective time management, and good test-taking strategies. These areas are covered in other screens here at www.how-to-study.com. But college success requires much more. Once you move from high school to college, you will generally find that students are more motivated and competent than in high school; teachers are more demanding; the work is more difficult; and students are expected to be independent. Further, if you are living away from home for the first time, you will have many new experiences.

Here are some ideas that will help you succeed in college:

Have Clear Goals

College success requires commitment and a lot of hard work. You must be very certain about the importance of a college education.
Be clear about why you are going to college.
Establish specific goals you wish to accomplish.
Know what it will take to reach these goals.
Be certain your goals are consistent with your interests and abilities.
Be flexible – change your goals if needed based on your experience as you progress through college.

Get Financial Aid if Needed

College is expensive. Even if you attend a public college or university and live at home, you still must pay for tuition, fees, and books. There are many sources of financial aid that can help you meet the high costs of college. Become aware of and pursue these sources.
Consider all possible sources of financial aid in addition to your college’s financial aid office.
Meet all deadlines for submitting applications and documentation.
Respond quickly and completely to all requests for additional information.
Be persistent in following up your application.
If you do receive financial aid, meet all requirements to keep and continue your aid.

Manage Your Money

There are many ways to spend money in the college setting for other than education purposes. Take steps to ensure that you do not waste the money set aside for your college education.
Set a budget and keep to it.
Be careful about your use of credit cards. Don’t overspend. Pay balances promptly to avoid high interest costs.
Open a checking account and carefully monitor your balance.
Keep your cell phone under control. Those minutes and fees can really add up.

Stay Physically and Emotionally Healthy

You will need to be at your best to succeed in college. This means taking care of your body and maintaining a good frame of mind.
Get enough sleep.
Don’t rely on coffee and drinks that contain high doses of caffeine to provide you with energy. Foods such as pasta, peanut butter, non-sugar cereals, and fresh fruit are healthy alternatives to provide the energy you need.
Avoid junk foods. Fast food is convenient but usually not good for you.
Use the services of the student health office. These services typically include emergency treatment, low cost examinations, and low cost or free medication.
Use the services of the counseling office. The professionals there can help you overcome feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

Choose a Professor Carefully

In college you get to select your schedule of classes. Most classes offer more than one section so that you can choose not just the day and time, but the professor who is teaching that section. Often you will find student ratings of professors on the Internet. You can get even more feedback by talking to other students. Try to choose a professor who demonstrates the following characteristics.
Maintains adequate office hours.
Provides constructive feedback.
Adapts to different styles of learning.
Grades fairly.
Is highly competent in the subject being taught.
Establishes clear and reasonable requirements.
Provides a positive learning environment.

Work With Your Advisor

As a student you will be assigned a faculty advisor to help you with both academic and career issues. It is up to you to get the most out of this guidance.
Know your advisor’s office location, schedule of office hours, and contact information.
Schedule an appointment with your advisor at any time you have problems that affect your academic performance.
Consider your advisor’s ideas when selecting your major or at any time you are considering changing your major or career goals.
Have specific questions in mind whenever meeting with your advisor.

Make Good Use of the Library

You are going to spend a lot of your time in college at the library. Take full advantage of this major resource.
Get to know the resources of the library as soon as you get to college.
Learn to use its computer resources and card catalogs.
Make good use of its equipment such as copy machines, microfiche readers, production facilities, etc.
Check out its quiet study areas. Sign up for their use if required.

Get Involved in Campus Life

There is a lot more to college than just classes. A college campus is an exciting, dynamic environment that can provide you with many opportunities for enhancing your college experience.
Join a student organization that is consistent with your interests. You will find many organizations from which to choose.
Join a club in your major. This cannot only help you in your studies but can provide contacts that may be very useful in your future career.
Join an intramural team. This is a great way to keep yourself in good physical shape and make new friends.
Attend social events. Your college experience should not be all work and no play.

Yes – success in college takes effort. But this effort will provide benefits to you throughout your life. The ideas presented above can help you to make your college experience a successful one.

Preparing to Study: A Good Study Place

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You need a good study place to be prepared to study. You should be able to answer YES to all of the following questions:

1. Is my Study Place available to me whenever I need it?

Your Study Place does you little good if you cannot use it when you need it. If you are using a Study Place that you must share with others for any reason, work out a schedule so that you know when you can use it.

2. Is my Study Place free from interruptions?

It is important to have uninterrupted study time. You may have to hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door or take the phone off the hook.

3. Is my Study Place free from distractions?

Research shows that most students study best in a quiet environment. If you find that playing a stereo or TV improves your mood, keep the volume low.

4. Does my Study Place contain all the study materials I need?

Be sure your Study Place includes reference sources and supplies such as pens and pencils, paper, ruler, calculator, and whatever else you might need. If you use a computer for your schoolwork, it should be in your Study Place .
5. Does my Study Space contain a large enough desk or table?

While working on an assignment or studying for a test, use a desk or table that is large enough to hold everything you need. Allow enough room for writing and try to avoid clutter.

6. Does my Study Place have enough storage space?

You need enough room to store your study materials. Be sure you have enough storage space to allow you to keep your desktop or other work surface clear of unnecessary materials that can get in the way.

7. Does my Study Place have a comfortable chair?

A chair that is not comfortable can cause discomfort or pain that will interfere with your studying. A chair that is too comfortable might make you sleepy. Select a chair in which you can sit for long periods while maintaining your attention.

8. Does my Study Place have enough light?

The amount of light you need depends on what you are doing. The important thing is that you can clearly see what you need to see without any strain or discomfort.

9. Does my Study Place have a comfortable temperature?

If your Study Place is too warm, you might become sleepy. If it is too cold, your thinking may slow down and become unclear. Select a temperature at which your mind and body function best.
Having a good Study Place is important for good studying.

FOR IMPROVING UR PREPARATION

2008-03-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

20 TOEFL Tips

Familiarize yourself with the three TOEFL formats

Most countries now offer the Internet based TOEFL (iBT). Make sure you find out which test you will be taking before you start studying for the TOEFL. If your country uses the CBT you have to take this test. You cannot choose to take the paper based test. Most of the types of questions are similar, although there are a few new questions that can only be answered on a computer. The iBT and CBT use visual stimuli and have a written portion.

Research TOEFL score requirements

The TOEFL is required for any non-native English student who wants to go to a post secondary school in the United States. Most people take the TOEFL in order to apply to a specific school or program. Before you begin studying, find out what the requirements are for the schools you are interested in going to. Remember that the scores for the paper based test are different than the scores for the CBT and iBT. The average minimum score required is approximately 550 (paper test) or 215 (CBT) or 70 (iBT). A prestigious university such as Harvard has much higher expectations. Some schools will look at your scores from different sections. Each iBT section is scored out of 30. Many universities expect you to achieve higher writing skills than speaking skills. TOEFL scores are only valid for two years.

Learn academic English

TOEFL is used for a different purpose than other ESL tests. The TOEFL measures your ability to succeed in an American university or college. You don't have to know about the business world as you do in the TOEIC test. Instead, you should concentrate on studying language that you would hear on campus and terms that you would hear in the classroom. You should read textbooks, encyclopaedias, journals and research articles rather than advertisements and resumes. You won't need to know any background information about certain subjects, but it will help you to become familiar with this type of material. If you have a friend who goes to an English university, go to class with him as often as you can. Borrow his books and hang out with his friends.

Use practice tests

The best way to prepare for the TOEFL is to practice doing the tests. If you are taking a TOEFL class, your teacher will provide you with plenty of material. If you are studying for the TOEFL on your own, you will have to purchase a few key resources. Find a textbook that has exercises, vocabulary, practice tests, CDs, and explanatory answers. You might not want to work through a book from front to back. Work on the sections that you find most challenging. Don't just rely on one book. You might have a book that is much easier than the official TOEFL. Look for free samples on the Internet to supplement your textbook.

Find a mentor

A reliable native English teacher who knows a lot about the TOEFL is one of the best resources a student can have. You will have many questions that your textbook can't answer for you. Frustrated students often give up. It is important that you have someone who will answer your questions and encourage you when you feel down. If you cannot afford a teacher or a tutor, find a student who has studied for the test before. Sometimes other students can give you excellent hints and help you with grammar questions. You might be able to help them with questions too. Teaching another person is a great way to learn.

Build up your stamina

The TOEFL test takes a long time to write. If you are taking the paper based test it will take you about 2.5 hours. The iBT and CBT are much longer. You can expect to be at the computer for 4 hours. Many students have an attention span of about two hours. This is the maximum length of most classes. After this amount of time performance starts to weaken. If you keep your study sessions to one or two hours, your brain will not be prepared to work for four. Start off with short study sessions, and work up to longer ones. Remind yourself that it is a long test a few days before test day. It is absolutely necessary that you get a good night's sleep before this test. You cannot afford to be tired.

Arrive prepared

If you arrive at the test centre with all of the things you need, you will feel calm and ready. When you are nervous, your memory does not work as well. Make sure you know exactly how to get to the test centre and where you can park. Bring the correct amount of money for parking. If you are writing the paper based test you should have a number of pencils, a pencil sharpener, and a few erasers that don't smudge. You will also need a pen to write the essay on the CBT if you choose not to type it. It is also important that your identification looks valid. If you have had problems with your ID before, make sure to bring a backup photo. Don't forget any paper work that ETS sends you to prove that you have registered.

Pace yourself

Wear a watch. This is especially important if you are taking the paper based test. Some exam rooms do not have clocks. The CBT has a clock on the screen, however, you should still wear a watch to make sure that you arrive on time! Watch your time very closely. Many students do poorly on the TOEFL because they spend too much time on difficult questions. You should never spend longer than a minute on one question. You will only have 30 minutes to write the essay at the end of the CBT. Spend at least 5 minutes planning your essay. Save at least 5 minutes to check your work.

Use the tutorials

On the CBT there are tutorials to help you understand how to answer the questions properly. Don't skip the tutorials. You get extra time to use them. They will help you to feel comfortable. You will also become familiar with the keyboard and mouse. They might feel slightly different to your own computer or the ones at your school.

Learn about the CAT (computer adaptive testing)

The first two sections of the CBT are computer adaptive. That means that you will be given a few questions that are of medium difficulty. After you answer those questions, the computer will determine which questions to give you next. The first 10-15 questions in each part are extremely important. If you answer these correctly, your score will be much higher. The questions that come later are important, but do not count as much towards your score. Don't guess wrong in order to get easier questions!
Answer every question

Never leave a question blank. Eliminate all of the answers you know are wrong and then make an educated guess. On the CBT, you cannot skip a question and go back to it. You have to answer a question and confirm that you are happy with your answer. You cannot change your answers, so double check to be sure. The reading section is not computer adaptive. You can skip or change questions, but only if you have extra time. You can always go back and change questions on the paper test, but students rarely have time to do this.

Secrets for the Listening section

Don't look back at a listening question after you have decided on an answer. You should always try to read ahead. If you know the questions before you hear the passage you will have a head start. In the TOEFL iBT you are allowed to take notes. This in not permitted for the paper and computer based TOEFL. When you are practising for the listening sections, don't play the tape or CD more than once. On the real test you will only hear everything once. You have to train your ears to listen right the first time.

Secrets for the Structure section

This section has been eliminated for the TOEFL iBT. You do not need to study for this section unless you are taking an old version of the TOEFL. Many students say that this is the most difficult part of the TOEFL test. Don't get distracted by the difficult words. Many native speakers do not know the scientific terms in these sentences. The important thing is that you can identify the parts of the sentence. Simplify a sentence that has many terms you don't understand by using simple words of the same form. Your job is to make a sentence correct. Always make sure that every sentence has a subject and a verb. Look at the punctuation in the sentence. You should be able to recognize the structure (for example, prepositional phrase or noun clause) even if you don't understand what the sentence means. Don't choose the first letter that looks wrong until you try every choice. You might find two that look wrong. Then you have to make an educated guess.

Secrets for the Reading section

Just like in the structure section, it is not important that you know every word in the reading section. Concentrate on the areas that the questions pertain to. Skim through the passage, read the questions, then read for more detail. The questions usually come in the order they appear in the passage. Anticipate the type of questions you will be asked in this section. At least 60 percent of the readings will have a main idea question. You will be asked at least two vocabulary questions from each reading. You will also be asked some detailed questions and some inference questions. You will not have time to reread a whole passage.

Secrets for the Writing section

You will have 30 minutes to write the essay on the CBT. The paper based tests is sometimes accompanied by the TWE (Test of Written English). You will not have access to a spell check function on the CBT. The most important thing is to keep your writing simple and clear. Don't use vocabulary and punctuation that you are unsure of. You will not impress the reader. When you practice for this section, find a format that you are comfortable with. Use this format every time. For example, your thesis might always be in the third sentence of your introduction. You might always end your conclusion with a question. Make sure to use lots of examples to support your essay. Transitional words and phrases will make your essay read smoothly. Memorize a list of these and practice using them. Always leave time to review what you have written. Read your essay silently in your head.

Make your corrections clear

If you are taking the paper test, remember that a machine will be marking your test. Only one circle must be filled in. Fill it in all the way using a sharp dark pencil. Do not use pen! If you erase something, make sure it is completely erased. Many students lose points for being sloppy with their pencils and erasers.

Dress in comfortable clothing

Dress in comfortable layers on test day. You never know whether or not the test room will be cold or warm. Wear your favourite shirt. When you feel comfortable you perform better! Don't wear tight clothing. You have to sit in one place for a long time.

Make sure to eat before the test

Four hours is a long time to go without a snack. You will not be allowed to bring any food or drinks into the test room with you. Eat a sensible meal before you take the test. Avoid too much caffeine as it will give you the shakes. Don't consume large amounts of sugar right before the test. You will get tired very quickly. Make sure that you have had plenty of water (but not too much as you will not want to waste time in the washroom).

Refer to the official TOEFL website

The official TOEFL website ( www.toefl.com) has a number of helpful things that you can download for free. They will supply you with a list of writing topics for the essay. You can also find important information about test centres and test updates. Many of your questions can be answered here. You will also get hints about which resources are worth buying.

Scores

Scores for the iBT are available online 15 days after you take the test. For paper based and computer based TOEFL contact the test centre and ask for a Score Report Request Form. You can choose four institutions where you want your score to be sent to free of charge. You should bring this information with you on test day. If you are taking the CBT you will know your Listening and Reading score. You won't find out your Structure/Writing score until you get this information in the mail. If you wait until after test day, you will be charged approximately 12 US dollars for each institution that you wish to receive your score.

JUST FOR INDONESIAN PEOPLE

2008-03-30T22:19:00.001-07:00

KEDELAI HITAM ATAU KEDELAI KUNING

Mungkin anda bingung ya???? Apa maksud dari tulisan di atas. Apa sih
hubungannya antara jenis keledai eh maaf salah kedelai dengan
kehidupan kita. Apa manfaatnya membandingkan kedua jenis kedelai di
atas

Gini lho maksudnya, semua orang pasti tahu bahkan yakin banget kalau
kedelai tuh ngandung banyak banget protein bahkan mengalahkan
banyaknya jumlah protein dalam telur atau daging sapi.

Tapi gak semua kedelai ngandung jumlah protein yang sama bahkan beda
jenis pun juga turut menentukan kadar protein yang dikandungnya.
Contoh antara kedelai hitam dengan kedelai kuning menurut hasil
penelitian yang aku lakuin kemarin ternyata kedelai hitam memiliki
kandungan protein lebih tinggi daripada kedelai kuning. lho koq bisaa
ya !!!! gimana percobaanya

Gini lho saat aku kemarin neliti kadar protein aku cuma mbandingin
kadar baunya aja koq gak ada yang lain, aku kasih tuh kedua kedelai
dengan biuret tapi yang pasti dalam keadan yang amat halus banget,
terus aku bandingin kedua baunya. Alllaaaammmmaaaakkk k baunya si
kedelai hitam lebih "mak nyussss" ketimbang kedelai kuning jadinya
aku simpulin kalo si kedelai hitam punya protein lebih tinggi karena
bau "mak nyusss"nya yang lebih memabukan.

Tapi jangan salah lho protein juga bisa mbikin otak kita lebih smart
karena kedelai tuh ngandung sejenis zat riblobavin yang bisa mbikin
otak kita lebih "GREEEENK

JUST FOR UR BRAIN

2008-03-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

22 Ways to Overclock Your Brain

“I just found out that the brain is like a computer. If that’s true, then there really aren’t any stupid people. Just people running DOS.”

- Anonymous
The brain is a three-pound supercomputer. It is the command and control center running your life. It is involved in absolutely everything you do. Your brain determines how you think, how you feel, how you act, and how well you get along with other people. Your brain even determines the kind of person you are. It determines how thoughtful you are; how polite or how rude you are. It determines how well you think on your feet, and it is involved with how well you do at work and with your family. Your brain also influences your emotional well being and how well you do with the opposite sex.
Brain PowerYour brain is more complicated than any computer we can imagine. Did you know that you have one hundred billion nerve cells in your brain, and every nerve cell has many connections to other nerve cells? In fact, your brain has more connections in it than there are stars in the universe! Optimizing your brain’s function is essential to being the best you can be, whether at work, in leisure, or in your relationships.
It’s simple, your brain is at the center of everything you do, all you feel and think, and every nuance of how you relate to people. It’s both the supercomputer that runs your complex life and the tender organ that houses your soul. And while you may run, lift weights, or do yoga to keep your body in good condition, chances are you ignore your brain and trust it to do its job.
No matter what your age, mental exercise has a global, positive effect on the brain. So, here are 22 ways to boost your brain power:
1. Run up your brain cells.

Research suggests that people who get plenty of physical exercise can wind up with better brains. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., found that adult mice who ran on an exercise wheel whenever they felt like it gained twice as many new cells in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in learning and memory, than mice who sat around all day discussing Lord of the Rings in Internet chat rooms. The researchers weren’t sure why the more active rodents’ brains reacted the way they did, but it’s possible that the voluntary nature of the exercise made it less stressful and therefore more beneficial. Which could mean that finding ways to enjoy exercise, rather than just forcing yourself to do it, may make you smarter - and happier, too.
So, play a sport, train for an event such as a marathon, triathlon or “fun run,” or work out with a buddy to help keep things interesting.

2. Exercise your mind.

It isn’t just physical exercise that gets those brain cells jumping. Just like those head-pumped cabbies and piano jockeys, you can build up various areas of your brain by putting them to work. Duke University neurobiology professor Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., co-author of Keep Your Brain Alive, says that finding simple ways to use aspects of your brain that may be lagging could help maintain both nerve cells and dendrites, branches on the cells that receive and process information. Just as a new weightlifting exercise builds up underused muscles, Katz says that novel ways of thinking and viewing the world can improve the functioning of inactive sections of the brain.
Experience new tastes and smells; try to do things with your nondominant hand; find new ways to drive to work; travel to new places; create art; read that Dostoyevsky novel; write a buddy comedy for Ted Kennedy and Rush Limbaugh - basically, do anything you can to force yourself out of your mental ruts.

3. Ask why.

Our brains are wired to be curious. As we grow up and “mature” many of us stifle or deny our natural curiosity. Let yourself be curious! Wonder to yourself about why things are happening. Ask someone in the know. The best way to exercise our curiosity is by asking “Why?” Make it a new habit to ask “why?” at least 10 times a day. Your brain will be happier and you will be amazed at how many opportunities and solutions will show up in your life and work.

4. Laugh.

Scientists tell us that laughter is good for our health; that it releases endorphins and other positively powerful chemicals into our system. We don’t really need scientists to tell us that it feels good to laugh. Laughing helps us reduce stress and break old patterns too. So laughter can be like a “quick-charge” for our brain’s batteries. Laugh more, and laugh harder.

5. Be a fish head.

Omega-3 oils, found in walnuts, flaxseed and especially fish, have long been touted as being healthy for the heart. But recent research suggests they’re a brain booster as well, and not just because they help the circulation system that pumps oxygen to your head. They also seem to improve the function of the membranes that surround brain cells, which may be why people who consume a lot of fish are less likely to suffer depression, dementia, even attention-deficit disorder. Scientists have noted that essential fatty acids are necessary for proper brain development in children, and they’re now being added to baby formulas. It’s possible that your own mental state, and even your intelligence, can be enhanced by consuming enough of these oils.
Eating at least three servings a week of fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna is a good start.

6. Remember.

Get out an old photo album or high school yearbook. Your brain is a memory machine, so give it a chance to work! Spend time with your memories. Let your mind reflect on them and your mind will repay you in positive emotions and new connections from the memories to help you with your current tasks and challenges.

7. Cut the fat.

Can “bad” fats make you dumb? When researchers at the University of Toronto put rats on a 40-percent-fat diet, the rats lost ground in several areas of mental function, including memory, spatial awareness and rule learning. The problems became worse with a diet high in saturated fats, the kind that’s abundant in meat and dairy products. While you may never be called upon to navigate a little maze in search of a cheddar cube, these results could hold true for you as well, for two reasons: Fat can reduce the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your brain, and it may also slow down the metabolism of glucose, the form of sugar the brain utilizes as food.
You can still get up to 30 percent of your daily calories in the form of fat, but most of it should come from the aforementioned fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Whatever you do, stay away from trans fats, the hardened oils that are abundant in crackers and snack foods.

8. Do a puzzle.

Some of us like jigsaw puzzles, some crossword puzzles, some logic puzzles - it really doesn’t matter kind you choose to do. Doing puzzles in your free time is a great way to activate your brain and keep it in good working condition. Do the puzzle for fun, but do it knowing you are exercising your brain.

9. The “Mozart Effect.”

A decade ago Frances Rauscher, a psychologist now at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, and her colleagues made waves with the discovery that listening to Mozart improved people’s mathematical and spatial reasoning. Even rats ran mazes faster and more accurately after hearing Mozart than after white noise or music by the minimalist composer Philip Glass. Last year, Rauscher reported that, for rats at least, a Mozart piano sonata seems to stimulate activity in three genes involved in nerve-cell signalling in the brain.
This sounds like the most harmonious way to tune up your mental faculties. But before you grab the CDs, hear this note of caution. Not everyone who has looked for the Mozart effect has found it. What’s more, even its proponents tend to think that music boosts brain power simply because it makes listeners feel better - relaxed and stimulated at the same time - and that a comparable stimulus might do just as well. In fact, one study found that listening to a story gave a similar performance boost.

10. Improve your skill at things you already do.

Some repetitive mental stimulation is ok as long as you look to expand your skills and knowledge base. Common activities such as gardening, sewing, playing bridge, reading, painting, and doing crossword puzzles have value, but push yourself to do different gardening techniques, more complex sewing patterns, play bridge against more talented players to increase your skill, read new authors on varied subjects, learn a new painting technique, and work harder crossword puzzles. Pushing your brain to new heights help to keep it healthy.

11. Be a thinker, not a drinker.

The idea that alcohol kills brain cells is an old one, but the reality is a bit more complicated. In fact, a study of 3,500 Japanese men found that those who drank moderately (in this case, about one drink per day) had better cognitive functioning when they got older than those who didn’t drink at all. Unfortunately, as soon as you get beyond that “moderate” amount, your memory, reaction time is all likely to decline. In the same study, men who had four or more drinks a day fared worst of all.
Just as bad is the now common practice of “binge drinking,” otherwise known as getting hammered on the weekend. Research on rats found that those who consumed large amounts of alcohol had fewer new cells in their brains’ hippocampus region immediately after the binge, and virtually none a month later. This suggests that the alcohol not only damaged the rats’ brains, but kept them from repairing themselves later on - in human terms, that means you shouldn’t expect to pass the Mensa entrance exam any time soon.

12. Play.

Take time to play. Make time to play. Play cards. Play video games. Play board games. Play Ring Around the Rosie. Play tug of war. It doesn’t matter what you play. Just play! It is good for your spirit and good for your brain. It gives your brain a chance to think strategically, and keeps it working.

13. Sleep on it.

Previewing key information and then sleeping on it increases retention 20 to 30 percent. You can leave that information next to the bed for easy access, if it is something that won’t keep you awake. If you are kept awake by your thoughts, writing everything down sometimes gets it “out of your mind,” allowing you to sleep (so keep a pen and paper nearby).

14. Concentration.

Concentration can increase brainpower. Obvious, perhaps, but the thieves of concentration are not always so obvious. Learn to notice when you are distracted. Often the cause is just below consciousness. If there is a phone call you need to make, for example, it might bother you all morning, sapping your ability to think clearly, even while you are unaware of what is bothering you.
Get in the habit of stopping to ask “What is on my mind right now”. Identify it and deal with it. In the example given, you could make the phone call, or put it on tomorrow’s list, so your mind is comfortable letting it go for now. This leaves you in a more relaxed state where you can think more clearly. Use this technique to increase your brainpower now.

15. Make love for your brain.

In a series of studies by Winnifred B. Cutler, PhD and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and later at Stanford University it was found that regular sexual contact had an important impact on physical and emotional well being of women. Sexual contact with a partner at least once a week led to more fertile, regular menstrual cycles, shorter menses, delayed menopause, increased estrogen levels, and delayed aging. Brain imaging studies at UCLA have shown that decreased estrogen levels are associated with overall decreased brain activity and poor memory. Enhancing estrogen levels for women through regular sexual activity enhances overall brain activity and improves memory.
In Dr. Cutler’s study the occurrence of orgasm was not as important as the fact that sex was with another person. Intimacy and emotional bonding may be the most influential factors in the positive aspects of sex. As a psychiatrist I have seen many people withhold sex as a way to show hurt, anger, or disappointment. Dr. Cutler’s research suggests that this is self-defeating behavior. The more you withhold the worse it may be for you. Appropriate sex is one of the keys to the brain’s fountain of youth.

16. Play with passion!

You can’t do great work without personal fulfillment. When people are growing through learning and creativity, they are much more fulfilled and give 127% more to their work. Delight yourself and you delight the world. Remember what you loved to do as a child and bring the essence of that activity into your work. This is a clue to your genius; to your natural gifts and talents. da Vinci, Edison, Einstein and Picasso all loved to play and they loved to explore.

17. Cycles of consciousness.

Your consciousness waxes and wanes throughout the day . For most it seems to go through 90 minute cycles, with 30 minutes of lower consciousness. Watch yourself to recognize this cycle. If you learn to recognize and track your mental state, you can concentrate on important mental tasks when your mind is most “awake”. For creative insight into a problem, do the opposite. Work on it when you are in a drowsy state, when your conscious mind has slowed down.

18. Learn something new.

This one might seem obvious. Yes, we capitalize on our brain’s great potential when we put it to work learning new things. You may have a specific topic for work or leisure that you want to learn more about. That’s great.
Go learn it. If you don’t have a subject in mind right now, try learning a new word each day. There is a strong correlation between working vocabulary and intelligence. When we have new words in our vocabulary, our minds can think in new ways with greater nuances between ideas. Put your mind to work learning. It is one of the best ways to re-energize your brain.

19. Write to be read.

I am a big proponent of writing in a journal to capture ideas and thoughts. There is certainly great value in writing for yourself. I continue to find that my brain is greatly stimulated by writing to be read. The greatest benefit of writing is what it does to expand your brain’s capacity. Find ways to write to be read – by writing things for your friends to read, by capturing the stories of your childhood, starting your own blog or whatever – just write to be read.

20. Try aroma therapy to activate your brain.

One day, as I was falling asleep, while listening to endless speeches at a conference, my brain suddenly perked up when I caught a whiff of lemon from someone’s cologne. I immediately felt alert and found it much easier to pay attention to the presenter. I discovered aroma therapy really is useful and I have used it ever since revitalize or to relax.
Energizers include peppermint, cypress and lemon. Relaxants: ylang ylang, geranium and rose. A few drops of essential oils in your bath or in a diffuser will do the trick. You can also put a drop or two in a cotton ball or hanky and inhale. One caveat for the workplace; make sure no-one is allergic to the oils before you use them.

21. Drugs to increase brainpower.

Coffee and other drinks containing caffeine help students consistently score higher on tests. Since caffeine restricts blood vessels in the brain, it isn’t clear what the longer-term effects may be when it comes to your brainpower. So instead of coffee breaks try gingko biloba and gotu kola herbal teas. Ginkgo biloba has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, and improve concentration.

22. Build a brain trust.

Surround yourself with inspiring people from a wide variety of fields who encourage you and stimulate your creativity. Read magazines from a wide variety of fields. Make connections between people, places and things, to discover new opportunities, and to find solutions to your problems.

Remember that no matter what your age or your occupation; your brain needs to be constantly challenged to be at its peak in terms of performance. Whether it’s doing logic puzzles, memorizing lines from Shakespeare, or learning a new skill, keep your brain busy, if you don’t want it to rust away like a car in a junkyard.
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ENRICH UR CURICULLUM VITAE WRITTING

2008-03-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

How to write a Curriculum Vitae

The CV (resume, in American English) is meant to introduce you and your background to somebody who does not know you and barely has time to get to know you. It should present you in the best possible light, in a concise and well-structured manner. There are plenty of resume-writing guides out there, that can teach you to the smallest details how to write one. Their regular problem is that they do not agree with each other when it comes to details. This is why we have put here together a number of generally agreed guide-lines, plus some specific details that could help EE students. A regular CV for business purposes should definitely not go over one A4 page. If you intend to use it for academic purposes and not for a job, the CV can pass that limit, on the condition that you use the extra space to describe academic activities, like conferences, publications list, etc. A well-written CV shows first what is most important, but contains all relevant information. To this goal, we advise you to adapt it to your target (specific type of job or scholarship). Cut information from your CV only as a solution of last resort, but pay attention to the order in which you present it in your CV.

Print the CV on plain-white A4 paper, save some of the same type for the cover letter - did we say that you should never, but never! send a CV without a cover letter - and find matching A4 envelopes. If the announcement does not say anything about a cover letter, you still should send one. It introduces your CV to the reader, attracts attention to certain parts of it that you want to bring to light, or mentions aspects that for some reason could not be listed in your CV.

To make it look neat, we suggest you use one of the Word pre-made formats, unless you are a computer-savvy and feel confident that you can produce an even better-structured and easier-to-read format. You will be able to introduce you own headers in that format; below we have a word of advice for those most-often met in a CV.

Personal details - here you should include your birth date, contact address, email, telephone number and nationality. In case you have both a permanent and study address, include both, with the dates when you can be contacted at each of them. Personal details can be written with smaller fonts than the rest of your CV, if you want to save space. They do not have to jump in the reader痴 attention - you will never convince somebody to hire you because you have a nice email alias! If your CV managed to awaken the reader's interest, he or she will look after contact details - it is important that they be there, but not that they are the first thing somebody reads in your CV. You should write your name with a bigger font than the rest of the text, so that the reader knows easily whose CV is he or she reading. If you need to save space, you can delete the Curriculum Vitae line on the top of your CV. After all, if you have done a good job writing it, it should be obvious that that piece of paper is a CV, no need to spell it out loud.

Objective - this is a concise statement of what you actually want to do. It's not bad if it matches the thing you are applying for. Don't restrict it too much "to get this scholarship", but rather "to develop a career in... " the thing that you're going to study if you get the scholarship. If you apply for a job, you can be even more specific - " to obtain a position in... , where I can use my skills in・. You can use a few lines to describes that specifically, but keep in mind that you should show what you can do for the company more than what the company can do for you. Writing a good objective can be tough; take some time to think about what exactly are you going to write there.

If you, the visitor of our site, are who we think we are - a young student, or a person who has just graduated, you should start your CV with your education. Very probably, at this age it is your most important asset. We suggest you use the reverse chronological order, since it is more important what master痴 degree you have rather than that, very probably, you went to high school in your native town. No matter for which order you decide - chronological or reverse - you should keep it the same throughout the rest of your CV. Try to give an exact account of your accomplishments in school: grades (do not forget to write the scale if it may differ from the one the reader of your CV is used to), standing in class (in percent), title of your dissertation, expected graduation date if you think this is an important aspect. There is no need to write all of the above, but only those that put you in the best light. Are you not in the best 20% of your class? Better not to mention ranking then, maybe you still have good grades, or your school is a renowned one. In any case, do not make your results better than in reality - you cannot know how this information may be checked and the whole application will lose credibility. Cheating is a very serious offense in Western schools.

Awards received - you should introduce this header right after the education, in order to outline all the scholarly or otherwise distinctions you have received. Another solution is to include these awards in the education section, but this might make the lecture difficult - the reader wants to get from that section an impression about the schools you went to and the overall results, not about every distinction you were awarded. Still, these are important! Therefore, here is the place to mention them - scholarships, stages abroad you had to compete for, prizes in contests, any kind of distinction. Here, same as everywhere in your CV, write a detailed account of what happened: do not just mention the year and "Prize in Physics", but rather give the exact date (month), place, name and organiser of the competition. For a scholarship abroad, write the time frame, name of the University, Department, the subject of classes there - e.g. managerial economics - name of the award-giving institution, if different from that of the host-university.

Practical experience - here you should include internships as well. Don't feel ashamed with what you did, don't try to diminish your accomplishments! Nobody really expects you to have started a million dollar business if you're still a student - even better if you did, though! Accountability is an important criterion for what you write in this section. The account should show what you improved, where, by how much, what your responsibilities were. The idea is that when you apply for a job you have to show growth-potential. That is, that you proved some kind of progress from one job to another and that especially at the last one you were so good, you could obviously do something that involves more responsibility - like the job you are applying for now. The overall result should portray you as a leader, a person with initiative and creativity - don't forget you have to convince the reader of your CV that you are the best pick for that job.

Extracurricular activities - if you're writing a professional, and not an academic CV, this is the place to mention conferences or any other activities outside the school that for some reason did not fit in the CV so far. A good section here can help a lot towards that goal of portraying you as a leader, a person with initiative, not just a nerd with good grades.

Languages - list here all the languages you speak, with a one-word description of your knowledge of that language. We suggest the following scale: conversational, intermediate, advanced, and fluent. List any certificates and/or results like TOEFL scores, with date.

Computer skills - write everything you know, including Internet browsers and text editing skills. There is no absolute need to know C++ unless you wanna be a programmer or something. List certificates and specialty studies as well.

Hobbies - list them if space is left on the page. They look fine in a CV, showing you are not a no-life workaholic, but a normal person. There is no need to have a 20,000 pieces stamp collection, you can mention reading or mountain tracking as well.

You can introduce other headers that suit your needs. Some CV's, for example, have a summary heading, that brings in front what the author considers to be the most important stuff in his/her CV. A references section, where you can list with contact details persons ready to recommend you can be added as well. If it misses, the recruiters will assume they are available on request.

TAKE UR SCHOOLARSHIP I

2008-03-30T22:10:00.001-07:00

10 Tips for the TOEFL Essay

1) Read the statement carefully and make sure you understand it. Always decide on what you are going to write before you start. Make a list of your main points.

2) It should be easy to identify the introduction, development and conclusion. Each section should have at least one separate paragraph.

3) Type or write in a clear, large script.

4) Address the entire question or statement, not just part of it.

5) Learn the rules of English punctuation and use them. Each sentence should start with a capital letter and end with a period, question mark or exclamation point.

6) Write short, simple complete sentences. This style sounds strong in English
.
7) Do not begin sentences with the conjunctions and, or, but or with because.

8) Make sure that each sentence has a clearly identifiable main subject and main verb and that they agree in number and tense.

9) Use a variety of sentence structures; at least one question, passive voice sentence, conditional sentence, complex sentence, etc.

10) Use specific examples or reasons to support your ideas. Stories or examples from your personal life are best. Remember, no one is checking up to see if these stories are true.

TAKE UR SCHOOLARSHIP II

2008-03-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

TOEFL Writing Topics

The following are TOEFL style essay examples:

1) If you could change one important thing about your country, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

2) What are some important qualities of a good school teacher? Use specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important.

3)Many people say that the internet is the most important invention ever. Do you agree or disagree with this and if not, what do you believe to be more important? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

4) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People pay too much attention to the less important things in life and fail to see the larger issues. Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.

5) Which do you feel is more important in your life: security or freedom and independence? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.

6) A job should mean a job for life. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

7) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? With the help of technology, life is easier today than in the past. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

8) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A problem shared is a problem solved. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

9) Some music is very inspirational. Other music seems boring and meaningless. Which type of music do you listen to and why do you think some music forms are much more popular than others? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

10) If you could travel back in time or into the future, which would you choose and what exact period of time would you like to experience? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

ENGLISH LEARNING

2008-03-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

First of all, don't worry about not having a native-English accent. It's important to be able to speak clearly, so that people can understand you. However, it's almost impossible to sound exactly like a native English speaker if you are learning English as an adult in a non-English speaking country.

However, there are many things that you can do to improve your pronunciation and your speaking skills.

1. Listen to spoken English as often as possible.

Listen to how speakers pronounce various words and phrases and "model" your pronunciation on what you hear.

2. Learn the phonetic alphabet.

Use the phonetic alphabet page (at the beginning of most good dictionaries) as a guide to pronouncing new words.

3. Don't forget to learn the word stress of a new word.

Every English word has its own stress, or intonation. For example, the word "believe" has two syllables (be and lieve), but only the second syllable is stressed. We say be'lieve and not 'be lieve. Your dictionary will show the syllable stress by an apostrophe (') before the syllable to be stressed.

Word stress is important. In fact, it is more likely that someone misunderstands you because of wrong word stress than because of the wrong pronunciation of a sound.

4. Work out which sounds cause you most problems in English.

Depending on what your first language is, you may have problems with certain sounds. For example, French speakers have difficulties with "th"; speakers of Mandarin have difficulties with "r" or "l", and Arabic speakers have difficulties with "p" and "b".

5. Practise the sounds you find difficult.

A useful exercise is a "minimal pair" exercise. For example, if you have difficulty distinguishing between "p" and "b", try practising pairs of words which are the same except for the sound "p" and "b":

For example, "pair" and "bear"; "pond" and "bond"; "pie" and "buy" etc.

6. Be aware of intonation and sentence stress.

Not all words in a sentence have equal stress, and generally only the "information" words (nouns and verbs) are stressed.

'Where's the 'pen I 'gave you?

'Where's the 'red 'pen I 'gave you?

Where's the 'red and 'blue 'pen I 'gave you 'yesterday?

The unstressed words (such as "the", "I", "you" and "and") don't carry as much "weight" as the stressed words. They become much smaller in length, and are almost abbreviated. For example, "and" becomes "un".

Changing stress

Sentence stress isn't "fixed" like word stress. In fact, you can stress words that are normally unstressed in order to highlight different meanings.

For example:

I 'love you. (Love, rather than just like.)
'I love you. (With the stress on I to highlight that it's me rather than another person who loves you.)
I love 'you. (And nobody else.)

Intonation

There are a couple of easy to remember rules about intonation. Usually our voices go up at the end of the sentence to show a question, and down at the end to show a statement.

Intonation is also important in "tag questions":

You know him, don't you? (With rising intonation on "don't you?" to show it's a question)
You know him, don't you. (With falling intonation on "don't you" to show it's a statement you expect the other person to agree with.)

7. Learn to recognise spelling patterns.

For example, "tion" on the end of a word is pronounced "shun", while "sion" can be pronounced "zhun". There are often many ways to pronounce a particular spelling pattern, but it certainly helps to know what the variations are. For example, the pattern "ough" can be pronounced "uff" as in "enough" and "tough", or "or" as in "ought" and "bought" or "oh" as in "although" and "dough".

8. Don't rush.

If you speak too fast, the danger is that you could skip over some words, fail to pronounce them completely, or mix them up. If you speak too slowly, you might end up sounding unnatural. But it's better to speak slowly and clearly than too quickly.