TheOnlineReview.org

Today’s Military High Schools There Not Just For Troubled Teens Anymore

Article by LeeAnna

Military high schools today are claiming they are not the “punishment” places they used to be. Remember hearing the phrase, {or maybe you actually were told this by your parents}, “If you don’t straighten up, your going to military school.” Today, military schools in general want to change their image, and they don’t take teen’s who don’t want to be there anymore either. Many young people have graduated from military high school every year, and they want to dispel the myths that have surrounded military high schools for years. Some of these myths may sound familiar to you.

Military High Schools Are For Students With Discipline Problems. {MYTH}

Military high schools may offer a more structured and disciplinary environment for young people, but they do not accept students with server disciplinary problems. Especially if it involves drug abuse and the law.

Military High Schools Are A Harsh and Cold Environment. {MYTH}

These schools are one of the safest schools of any possible educational choices you can make for your child. The structure and personal accountability taught in the military high school environments develops confidence, plus the positive adult interaction tends to be greater than in other high schools and even within their own homes.

Military High Schools Condone Hazing and Physical Abuse. {MYTH}

Military high schools stress safety and concern for the well-being of each other above all other considerations. Military high schools must abide by the local, state, and federal laws concerning physical treatment of students.

Military High Schools Train Students for the Armed Forces. {MYTH}

Military high schools teach students how to live using the structure of the military system when it comes to responsibility, leadership, honor, discipline, and pride within the atmosphere that encourages spiritual, mental and physical growth. Military high schools are educational institutions that encourage their students to go to college-not the military service.

Military Schools do not offer a strong college prep curriculum. {MYTH}

Military high schools are prep schools, preparing young adults for college life. Military high schools tech very effective study skills in preparation for college environment. Military high schools actually boast a high level of college enrollment for their students.

Military high schools are really making a comeback, so much so that for the first time since 1965, two new military high schools are being planned. Parents are starting to realize that military high schools have the ability to provide a disciplined environment because they have complete control over who is admitted, who stays, and the type of behavior that is expected from the teens. However, this does not mean that military high school is only for the rich, they are a great low-cost alternative to other prep schools and any child may apply. Military high schools provide teens with a safe, structured, and caring environment that provides them with the leadership training, personal growth and a better foundation for higher education and life. Military high school may be a great choice for your child’s future.

About the Author

Leeanna is an expert author writing for Military High Schools

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

Personality Styles of Chronic Academic Underachievers

Article by Dr. Sander Marcus

Not all academic underachievers are alike. The problem of underachievement is a symptom – like a stomach ache – that can have many different causes, each of which requires a different solution.

Consider a random sample of, say, 100 students (from about 3rd grade through graduate school) whom we would identify as “underachievers.” If we carefully assess each one, we will find that there are many different underlying causes. These can include ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), LD (Learning Disability), various medical problems, ability issues, significant emotional or psychological problems, situational problems (such as parental illness or divorce), academic problems (such as not being prepared for certain courses, or not having effective study skills), and others. A student can also underachieve because the orientation and teaching style of the school is not consistent with student’s learning style or cognitive pattern of strengths and weaknesses.

In our random group of 100 underachievers, if we identify those having any of these typical reasons for underachievement, we are usually left with a sub-group (possibly 15%) who are consistent academic underachievers and who do not appear to have any of the above problems (at least to a significant enough degree to explain the underachievement). These “chronic” academic underachievers do not respond to any of the usual treatments or approaches for any of the above problems.

Based on over 35 years of professional experience in diagnosing, counseling, researching, consulting, and training specifically in working with this group of chronic underachievers, we have found that they typically can be subdivided further by personality style. Each of these personality styles is at the heart of the underachievement, and each requires a careful assessment and a different counseling or remedial approach in order to change the underachievement into achievement.

Each of these personality styles can be described as having a predictable pattern of behavior and characteristics, and each requires a different way of intervening. This is described in detail in the books which chronicle the work of me and my colleagues (see below). In a nutshell, the five most common styles are as follows:

1. The worried or anxious underachiever. This student is indeed typically described as anxious and insecure. Often they are over-worried about details, have a high level of self-doubt, and experience a high level of tension that interfere with their ability to concentrate and do their best work. They are often dependent on what others think about them, and need constant approval and reassurance. They really are motivated to achieve, but their own insecurities and anxieties get in the way. The most productive approach is to help them reduce their level of anxiety, focus on the tasks that are important, and provide enough support to reduce their sense of dependency and self-criticism.

2. The acting-out and manipulative underachiever. These students are typically described as impulsive and as not having any patience, especially to do the kind of quiet and persistent thinking and attention that schoolwork requires. They can seem very charming and friendly, but have a history of irresponsible behavior and getting into trouble, often by doing things that break the rules or are otherwise less than proper. Helping them to achieve typically requires an ability to confront their self-defeating and often manipulative behavior, focus on their need to learn self-control, and pinpoint the real benefits to them of achieving in school, and do all this while maintaining a supportive relationship.

3. The easygoing, “lazy and unmotivated” underachiever. This group may account for 50% of chronic academic underachievers. This is the most common style of all, but is typically a puzzle to teachers, counselors, and parents, and is a student who does not respond to the usual approaches (counseling, rewards and punishments, medication, tutoring, etc.). These students appear to have no other significant problems – they just continue to underachieve. They claim that they would like to get better grades, but they always seem to have an excuse (such as forgetting their books, studying the wrong material, or getting bored). They procrastinate, not only with schoolwork but also with household chores and other personal responsibilities. Otherwise, they are relaxed and friendly. These students are usually thought of as lacking in motivation and lazy. Our work with this style clearly indicates that they are actually highly motivated – not to achieve, but to maintain a kind of mediocre status quo and avoid the pains of growth, responsibility, and achievement. The approach that has been the most successful is a careful intervention into their excuses and their way of thinking about why they are not getting the grades they seem to want. This requires working with them on the specifics of their actual, day-to-day academic preparation, linking these problems to their professed goals, and following up. This approach is chronicled in detail in “The Psychology of Underachievement” and “Could Do Better” by Drs. Mandel and Marcus.

4. The oppositional underachiever. These students are constantly negative towards the authority figures around them. They often have a defiant and angry stance towards others. They are motivated to underachieve because the underachievement is an act of rebellion. The most productive approach to this style is to point out the self-defeating nature of the rebellion and to avoid getting to any power struggles with the student.

5. The introspective underachiever. These students are very thoughtful, confused, and independent. They are typically at a point in adolescence or early adulthood in which they are trying to figure out who they are, where they are going, and what life means. In their intense focus on these issues, achievement in school is not a primary consideration. The most effective approach with this style is supportive, empathetic, and reflective listening, with a focus on values and self-perceptions.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, counselor, or other professional, keeping these different styles in mind can help to identify the causes of underachievement in a given student and provide a path towards an effective solution.

About the Author

Sander Marcus, Ph.D., CPRW, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Professional Résumé Writer. He is the co-author of 2 books on academic underachievement and the co-author of a test of achievement motivation. He may be contacted at marcus@iit.edu or 312-567-3358. http://www.center.iit.edu

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

A Review of ADHD Treatments

Article by Morgan Hamilton

If you have a child who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, you have at your disposal a number of effective treatments that you can employ. The most common ADHD treatments usually involve as their biggest part the use of drugs like Ritalin or Dexedrine.

These drugs manipulate the balance of receptors in the brain so that the individual finds it easier to concentrate. In addition the ADHD treatments should involve the use of some counseling. Teaching effective study skills can also go a long way in combating ADHD.

The problem is that many ADHD treatments address the physiological to the detriment of the other causes of the disorder. This is a problem, because ADHD children need assistance in properly warming strategies and creating scenarios in which they can be successful in their endeavors. So as an addendum to the drugs, some counseling in study skills and habits are a necessity for treating the disorder properly. It is not enough just to medicate as an ADHD treatment, because this only will solve half of the problem.

Too many times we have seen that everyone’s answer to treatment is to just throw medication at it. This is so wrong in such a great disservice. So many kids just get ADHD treatments by being dosed with medication that there has recently been a bit of a backlash. Many other kinds of ADHD treatments have come out recently and received support instead of the drugging.

Some people believe that a well balanced diet itself can form one of the most effective ADHD treatments. According to them, eating the right foods and eliminating all junk food, sugar, and highly processed or caffeinated stuff can form the best of ADHD treatments, without the side effects of the drugs. Many ADD and ADHD kids hate the drugs that they are on, and complain that they make them feel like zombies. If drug free ADHD treatment works, why not switch?

I even know of some adults that takes the drug is to help them concentrate better in everyday life. They can actually become addicted to these drugs in and of stealing them from the person that they were prescribed to. And usually that’s their children, how sad is that?

Other people recommend meditation techniques as ADHD treatments. They say that the best way to treat ADHD is to take advantage of the mind’s natural flexibility and to tap into its natural powers of relaxation and healing. These new age practitioners believe that daily meditation, focus, relaxation, and an end to the anxiety that plagues ADHD kids can be achieved, these experts claim. I don’t have a problem with trying this as long as it’s not to the detriment of the patient.

I don’t think that there is one right way to go in there for everything else is wrong. That to me is rather narrowminded. Although meditation may not be one of the most popular of ADHD treatments, it should be considered. Meditation is good for so many things – concentration, calm, an end to anxiety, that there is no reason to believe that it couldn’t help with ADHD treatments as well.

About the Author

Morgan Hamilton offers his findings and insights regarding the world of health. You can get interesting information here at ADHD Treatments

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

Why Should We Teach Study Skills?

“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist,
Using technologies that haven’t been invented,
In order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.”

- Karl Fisch, “Did You Know”

When we grew up, the employment rate was fairly stable and our greatest concern was being able to perform just a bit better than a few other “local” job applicants in order to get a “good” job.

Today’s children, however, are facing new challenges. For one, they will no longer be competing with people in our hometowns for jobs; they will be competing with people all over the globe!  Secondly, companies are down-sizing.  For better or worse, technology is allowing companies to do more with less.

In order to give our children a competitive advantage in this Information Age and global economy, we must teach them how to learning strategically.  In other words, “study skills.” Learning study skills will allow them to organize themselves, process new information efficiently, make critical decisions about that information, and access it at a later time.

Study skills are often grouped with “soft skills;” skills that go well beyond technical knowledge, but navigate students through problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication with others. Most schools do not teach these skills, because the national and state standards that drive their funding are focused almost entirely on content.  Very little focus falls on learning or processing skills.

However, a study done by the Stanford Research Institute and Carnegie Melon Foundation found that75 percent of long-term career success depends on soft skills and only 25 percent on technical knowledge.

Take a moment to do an internet search on “soft skills.”  You will find that the majority of the information comes from countries outside of the U.S.  Other nations are educating their students in the most significant skills far better than we are!

The only way to ensure your child has every advantage to compete in our global economy is to provide access to these “soft skills.” A great place to start is with the time-efficient and effective study skills.

In April, 2009, Ohio State University published a study confirming the dramatic impact study skills can have on college graduation rates. According to the study:

45% = the increased likelihood that struggling high school students will graduate from college if they take a study skills class.

600% = the increased likelihood that average high school students will graduate from college if they take a study skills class.

Imagine the impact study skills could have on students…if they could only learn themearlier than college?

Study skills are the skills:

required to be an independent learner.
that build confidence.
that develop efficiency.
that enable students to be proactive,make good decisions, and think critically.
that improve performance to prepare ourstudents for high-stakes tests and the

globally competitive job market of the future.

Not only can we give children a competitive advantage for the future, they can have more peaceful homework evenings, earn better grades (in less time), and develop confidence.  Imagine how much money can be saved in college expenses when students are able to pass classes on the first attempt!

Study skills can give our students countless advantages!  These are skills that will truly serve them for life!

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

Time to Change Old Study Skill Strategies

In the present scenario time is money and every bit of it counts and so the students too want to make the best use of their time. Studies constitute their maximum time but they want to use it apart from studies, in the things they like doing and thus require time management which allows them to do so. Enhancing their study skills can be of one the effective ways of doing so. Change in study techniques is done on frequent basis by schools, colleges as well as students, who always make an effort to develop study techniques which help them study in a way that could reduce their stress levels, improve their grades and along with all this give them time for the things they wish to do apart from their studies. Students are offered a plenty of activities along with their studies today as most of them like doing a bunch of activities at a time. They want to do it all and know it all as it is an era of multitasking so no one likes to restrain themselves in one field. Few of the study skill strategies which may prove out to be useful for you can be like the ones mentioned further. You can try studying in groups and discuss your queries with your friends, also make studies interesting by studying online. When you feel stress or get stuck at any point of time then you can try using your favorite stress bursting exercises. Read fast with concentration as anything read with concentration finishes half of your job of learning. Syllabus materials consist of many things which many times appear repetitive and you might need to remember them after your examinations so don’t stuff your mind with them and throw them out after the job’s done. You can try out mugging up or doing revisions when your exams are about to approach, this way you will have a fresh memory and the possibilities of forgetting anything is minimized. Try to Stick to your course books and avoid any extra piece of information which is not required and may create confusions, also use your own words in your answers rather then sticking to the book language; this will surely ease down the writing process. So people try out few of these effective study skill strategies to make your studies fun rather than a burden.

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

Vital Study Skills Lesson Plans For Every Level

Article by Greg

The number of vital skills that children develop during their schooling are virtually unlimited. However, although having to choose one as the most vital is difficult, many would say that developing good study skills from the beginning stands out here. Suffice to say that whatever one’s opinion on this, there can be no doubting that for anyone within the teaching profession creating effective study skills lesson plans should be way up on their list of priorities.

Because the fact remains that any lessons a child learns at a young age will probably remain with them, certainly throughout their academic careers. The chances of achieving any future successes, whether they are in a college, university or future profession, will be significantly increased if good habits are developed at a young age.

Ensuring that the students get the most from these kinds of lessons will be the first factor to consider when preparing to create such programs. In order that they have the greatest possible effect it would pay to make sure the lessons are enjoyable and that they not only arouse the interest of the pupils but that they maintain this level of interest. The programs, of course, will have be adaptable to a variety of age groups.

Besides being fun and interesting, the programs should be designed in such a way that makes their obvious benefit fairly self evident. In other words if the students understand from an early age that developing good study skills now will mean, however difficult their studies may become, things will be a little easier to grasp and retain in the future.

Besides adaptation to different age groups the lessons should be created in such a way that they can be adapted to suit all levels of ability. Students naturally have widely differing levels of ability, however, they also all tend to respond in diverse ways to any one particular style of learning.

The unfortunate reality is that some students who perhaps take longer to grasp certain things academically are often unfairly regarded as being stupid. How untrue this generally turns out to be, is usually highlighted when such students are offered different techniques to help them grasp things easier. These techniques can include introducing, for example, a greater emphasis on visual learning techniques. Equally effective can be the introduction of class interaction within the lessons.

More research on this subject will no doubt reaffirm the importance of creating effective study skills lesson plans. Hopefully it will also give anyone in the profession more ideas on how to go about creating them in a way that will benefit the students the most.

Get exclusive inside information on the importance of creating effective study skills lesson plans now in our complete overview of the best study skills activities .

About the Author

Get your FREE Report on the “5 Deadly Study Habits” and study skills tips here .

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

How To Develop Effective High School Study Skills

Article by Jeffery Dodd

Effective study skills determine a student’s success in his school life. If he knows how to balance his time for studies, extracurricular activities, personal life and play, he will not have difficulty in passing the school stage, especially the stressful high school life. However, most high school students, like most teenagers or young adults, are still less focused and study skills are yet to be cultivated in them. With help from parents and teachers, they can develop effective high school study skills that they can use not only during their high school or college years, but after school when the time comes for them to value time and organization in life. Below are some effective high school study skills that a student can practice and develop over time.

In order for a student to have a good high school study skills, he needs to focus first. You can do this by making a timetable of the things that you need to study on a day to day basis. Get a pen and paper, list down all the topics that needs to be covered. Put a time frame for each subject. Remember to put more time on topics that you are having hardship while in school. Make a rundown of the topics that were discussed in the classroom. Find out how they are related to other topics. Develop an interest to each subject, although a favorite can not be eliminated.

While studying, it will be helpful to develop some techniques. For example, if you are doing memorization, you can build on some acronyms. If your high school study skills can include using some acronyms in memorization portion, you will not have any difficulty at all. Learning to do acronyms will cut down memorization time for almost a quarter or more. But how do you do this? It is easy. It is just like playing a game. For example, pick out the first letter of each item that you need to memorize. Then try to form a funny word out of it. Try to make an association in your mind of those letters and where you took them. During exams or recitations, all you need to do is remember the acronym and you will automatically recall the thing that it stands for.

High school study skills can be enhanced with practice. The students just have to do it repeatedly and it will become a habit that will be hard to erase from their system. The students can develop other techniques which they will feel comfortable in using. Different people will naturally develop different skills. Work on a study skill and this will help you in the future, not only in school but in the workplace as well.

About the Author

Jeff Dodd is an expert on School Organizational Skills. Visit us at http://www.schools-skills.com

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

How to Obtain an Valuable Study Skills

Article by Miles Jones

All students, may it be in the high school or college level need to develop their study skills because whether you like it or not, studying is the only instrument that you could have for you to get good scores and grades.

Come to think of it, going to school is a very serious topic especially if you are already in the college level wherein studies should not be taken for granted as it will make happen all of your desires and what you want to attain in the future and for you to be able to get good grades you should develop the study tips.

Even if you are not familiar with the this, it’s about time to use up time with them and for you to apply them in your daily high school or college life.

Study skills means your aptitude to study your lessons effectively by applying certain strategies and approaches that would make it easy for you to understand your lessons, acquire superior grades and even add to your collection of learning throughout one’s life, therefore, developing study skills is important for a student like you to increase your ability to learn and improve your performance in school.

Mostly, students turn out to be bored in studying most especially in situations when they feel that they are not learning anything, well, this is because the student is not applying an effective skills at all, you should take not that an effective skills not only let you learn how to study but also motivates you to study and when a student is motivated to study, then it will be possible that he will not get bored anymore.

Below are the tips that are chief for you to apply when you are studying:

• Managing your Time. Means that you have to know to have a time for study not only for leisure time and you should make sure that in your fixed time for studying will only be consumed for studying and not for anything else.

• Reading your lessons carefully. When you are reading, you should read between the lines for you to have an effectual reading time.

• Learn how to use the library. The library is built in all schools and universities so students can learn so use it.

However no matter how you follow the above common tips if you don’t have the skills they are still useless so what is important now is to learn how you can get tips to develop effective study skills.

To acquire the best tips, visit a site that gives study skills tips like http://studyskillstraining.com/10/effective-study-skills-tips/ which specializes in aiding students get good grades by developing study skills through effective study skills tips.

In this site it will help you to learn things like concentration, organization and other things which are very much important in the development of your study skills and it will also tell you that learning is not measured to how many hours you used up in studying, because when you progress an effective skills, even an hour could be enough.

By visiting the site, http://studyskillstraining.com/10/effective-study-skills-tips/ it can help you out to excel in your studies and have a good future and advance by following the study skills tips.

About the Author

Come to think of it, going to school is a very serious topic especially if you are already in the college level wherein studies should not be taken for granted as it will make happen all of your desires and what you want to attain in the future and for you to be able to get good grades you should develop the study skills tips.

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.

Make the most of your time with effective study skills

In present scenario studies demand much more from students than just good grades as in this competitive world just to know something is not important but its execution is what matters. As the level of studies is rising high, students whether in schools or colleges are making frequent efforts to cater to their vast syllabus.

They try and develop new study methods which help them to manage their busy schedules along with completing syllabus in the best possible manner. These study methods are basically new techniques and tools developed by the students to help them in studies and complete their syllabus on time as per their convenience.

Different minds work at different pace and so some students learn faster than another. Also individuals have different concentration level and daily routines which provide them their studying time. So if a student is not able to get high grades need not necessarily be ignorant and careless.

Also many students may be good at studies but show interest in some other field which adversely affects their studies. For such students who need to get grades just to get the degree and already excel in something else can bring into use some effective study skills .

Altering their way or method of studying can really prove helpful in improving grades without compromising on their field of interest. Study methods can be adopted in the form they prove suitable to the amount of syllabus and time left to complete it.

Few study skills that can help in time management during exams include fast reading, focused studying, sub-vocalizing and chunking which basically comprise the reading part of studies. You can also try ways to improve memory either through some natural ways of sharpening mind or by adopting memory skills method.

Bringing out changes in eating, sleeping and studying habits also helps in a large way. The amount of syllabus in colleges is comparatively vaster and students have to understand and prepare many lessons and text within very less time.

This difference in level of studies calls for a change in the study methods too as the studies in colleges require a much serious approach and plays a vital role in molding up carriers.

College study skills include cutting down unimportant piece of information to concentrate on more exam oriented part of the course. In such studies it is essential to focus on getting the grip of the text to identify its main idea and molding it in an easy to understand form.

Take the stress out of study with Get The Best Grades With the Least Amount of Effort Here ---> Get Better Grades Now.