Top Five Student Tips

1. Note-Taking - Are your notes useful?
   • Notes are meant to help you complete homework problems and study for quizzes and tests. They should be neat and organized so you can read them a day later, a week later, or prior to the midterm and final.
   • Don’t just copy what the teacher is writing, THINK about what the teacher is writing and add your own notes to clarify concepts.
   • If you believe there are gaps in your notes, fill them in later using the online teacher notes.
   • Use colored pencils, highlighters, or pen/pencils to help distinguish parts and categories of your notes....headings, questions, insights, etc.
   • Review notes prior to doing homework problems.
   • After reviewing, close your notebook and try to recall the key points.

Note-Taking: Advice from Previous Students

“I wish that I knew to take detailed notes of everything in class. This is because when finals and midterms roll around you need to know everything since the beginning of the year.”--Previous Student

“The biggest adjustment is staying focused the whole class, to be able to learn without doing as much at home.”--Previous Student.

2) Are you making the most of each class?

• Engage in active listening even when the teacher is answering someone else’s question.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions....if you’re thinking it, chances are nearly everyone else is. If you are stuck on a problem, please ask a question.
• Make smart decisions in who you sit with. If a peer is a good friend but a distraction, ask the teacher if it is okay to move seats.

3) What do you do when you are absent?

• Copy notes from Google classroom into your notebook. Do your best to understand the concepts and do the class examples while copying the notes. Even if you don’t feel confident because you missed the lesson, try the homework.
• Contact a friend from class to help you keep up.
• Seek extra help - if needed.

4) Are you studying harder or smarter?

• Don’t cram when studying for tests. This may help some people perform well on a single test, but it does not help for long term retention....and after all math is cumulative!
• Actually DO problems, don’t just review notes. Redo in-class problems, warm-ups, and homework problems.
• Study with a friend(s), as long as, you do not get distracted.
• Make-up your own test questions. A true depth of understanding is evident when you can create your own problems.

Studying: Student advice

“Studying is a big thing because I didn't study in middle school and got good grades but this year I had to STUDY!!!!!!”--Previous Student

“A good way to study for upcoming tests is to write out problems that you've already done and redo them. I used to think that there was no way to study for math tests and quizzes but I've found that this strategy is very useful for me.”--Previous Student

5) Where do I get extra help?

There are many extra help resources at Barlow for students to access and utilize.

Student Advice:

“If you are struggling DO NOT be afraid to ask for help from teachers because they will find a good time for you to meet with them and get a better understanding.”--Previous Student

“I realized that extra help is pivotal to understanding and getting better grades. Also that checking over tests and quizzes for larger assessments are a great study habit.”--Previous Student

With the Teacher

Math teachers offer extra help to students after school. Check with the teacher for specific after school availability (days/times). Students should come to extra help early/during a unit when he/she is having difficulty, not just the day or two before a test.

Extra help is not intended to be a 1-to-1 teacher re-teach of content of the course. Come prepared with specific questions.

Student-athletes can always get a pass from the teacher to arrive late to athletic practices after extra help sessions.

National Honor Society (NHS) Tutors

NHS upperclassmen volunteer their time during study halls to meet with students one-on-one to provide free tutoring by subject area. Students should ask their counselor on how to schedule a meeting with an NHS tutor.

Math Center (Room A102)

New to Barlow for the 2019-2020 school year! Schedule and details of the Math Center are being developed in this inaugural year. It is a math specific extra help room where students can work on identified areas of need, practice for PSAT and SAT and seek help for their math class during the day in a more focused environment than that of the LLC with supports.

Request a Math Center Schedule from your teacher.

Library/Learning Commons (LLC)

The Library is open all day, every day from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. It is different than the stereotype of a library--it is an open learning environment. There is a dedicated area of student cubicles to facilitate concentrated, independent student work in one area and desks with multiple seating for group work in another. Many desktop computers line the room for student use.

Teachers are assigned to the LLC throughout the day--generally one humanities teacher and one STEM--that are available for students to get help in their subjects. Your child may not have these teachers, but they are encouraged to use them as an extra help resource.

Khan Academy

Students can use Khan Academy for help videos and extra practice for the topics we cover in the course. Links to specific resources may be provided by the teacher, but students can always search directly on the website for any topic.