#study guides

hideandstudy:

Not to brag, but if there is anything I have mastered so far in my high school career, it is the art of annotating poetry and prose for close text analysis. This guide will focus primarily on close-text analysis, but will also touch on a full annotation of a larger piece. Basically, I will be giving you a few different techniques given to me by my English teacher, as well as a few that I have learned on my own! Enjoy!

{ Some of the names are weird because my english teacher is a hilarious person! }

Coondog

• What:Basically coondog is all about “sniffing out” motifs and symbols. So for example, when reading a series of poems, if you realize there is a lot of references to the ocean, go through from the beginning with a highlighter and highlight every single reference to the ocean you can find – whether it literally mentions something like “waves” or “fish”, or is far more subtle.
  
• Why:Using coondog is extremely helpful, especially as writing about a motif is a great starting point for an essay or paragraph. If you are in the IB program, motifs are awesome for anything from an English extended essay to your unseen oral commentary. Remember, a motif can vary! Some examples of some I have seen commonly are: water, corporeal, animals, time of day, cosmic, textile, etc.
• My English Teacher came up with the name (I think it comes from one of her crazy life stories haha)
  

WWWWWH

• Who:Who are the characters? What is the point of view?
  
• What:What happened in the piece (paraphrase)?
  
• Where:What is the setting? How does the setting effect the piece?
• Why:Why did the author do _______?
• When:When was the piece written?
• How:How does the author create the feeling of ________?

Read Aloud Silently

• What:This is basically just making sure you hear the piece in your head as you read it. This is extremely important while reading poetry.
  
• Why:Reading aloud silently will you help you catch so many things you wouldn’t by just skimming through it. Things like internal rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia, tone, consonance/assonance, cacophony/euphony, etc. will all become more obvious. This also ensures that you don’t skim past a line or anything.
• Even if you hate every single other tip I have given you, just use this one and you will benefit incredibly.

TIPCASTT

• Title:Read the title before reading the piece. Is it an allusion? What does it connote? Does it reveal anything about the novel?
  
• Irony:Look for irony and humour in the piece. Both are excellent to write about, so keep your brain peeled!
• Paraphrase:After you finish reading everything, think about what literally happened in the piece. Do this before finding the ‘sub-text’.
• Connotation:Time for sub-text! What is the piece saying indirectly? As in what is it trying to reveal other than the literal happenings of the work? Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time to read underneath the lines!
• Atmosphere:Highlight anything that reveals the tone/atmosphere of the piece. Highlight any hints you find that make you think the story is shifting in one way or another.
• Shift:Find any narrative shifts. This could be anything from a shift in tone, to a shift in point of view, to a shift in the characters feelings.
• Title:Now that you have examined the piece, look back at the title and think about it’s relevance. Were you right when you looked at it the first time? Or did it reveal a hint about the ending?
• Theme:Now it’s time to put it all together! What is underneath the piece? What is the author trying to convey? Remember the theme will often be something profound and important!

BE

• Beginning & End
• Never skip your beginning and ending as I personally feel as if they are perhaps the most revealing sections. The beginning will set the tone and mood for the poem, while the end will ultimately reveal the theme. When examining the beginning and end, one way to comprehend what happened in the piece is to map out where it started, and where it finished, and fill out (with quotes) how the narrator/characters got there. This is most helpful with poetry or prose excerpts as novels would have wayyyyy to much going on in the middle.

Feeeeeeelings

• Poetry has feelings. Yup. That’s a thing.
  
• So, remember, atmosphere and tone are incredibly important. Write down how the poem makes you feel, how the poet might have felt when they were writing it, how the characters/speaker feels about the situation – any feeling word that comes to mind will be significant when you talk about the atmosphere of the overall poem! Plus it will give you a more thorough understanding of the premise :)

Handy Dandy Things to Watch For!

• Bored of talking about Simile’s and Alliteration? Here are some other things (often a little more rare) that are almost always relevant when annotating poetry (and a lot of prose as well!)
• Allusion: I promise you, there is almost always allusion in poetry. Biblical will probably be the most common allusion you see (in Western literature), and it is extremely easy and effective to talk about it. Allusion to mythology is also common, and is often used in order to show the universality (through space and time) of a specific theme.
  
• Elevated/Archaic Language: Always keep an eye out for this, it is extremely
• Parallel Structure/Anaphora: You can never go wrong with parallel structure and anaphora as they will exist often! It doesn’t have to be a perfect parallel structure, it always elevates and intensifies a piece of poetry or prose.
• Structure: In poetry especially, sentence/stanza structure is extremely significant. Look at the length of each line? Is it short-long-short-long line structure for the first few stanzas and then all of a sudden just a rhyming couplet of two short lines? Mention this! Talk about why this might be. Also keep an eye out for the actual structure of the stanzas on the page! This is not on accident, poets often put thought into the way it will look printed out. Plus, if you are unsure, you can always say “perhaps” to keep yourself save. Remember rhythm, syntax, enjambment, and general structure are your friend!

My Method (close-text, small section) ~ This is how I annotate for unseen timed commentary’s (but it is effective for all annotation!)

1. Read aloud silently.
   
2. Write down the general tone/feeling I get from the piece.
3. Read second time focusing on a possible theme.
4. Underline any poignant/interesting/beautiful imagery (as guess what, this is usually the best stuff to talk about in your paper!)
5. Write down a tentative theme and/or thesis (just off of what you get out of the poem the first time around – don’t worry, this isn’t permanent!)
6. Why did you pick that thesis/that theme to work with? Think of 2+ points that support your thesis.
7. Highlight any quotes that support these points.
8. And there you go, a body for your essay is completed.
9. Annotate with more specific notes towards each highlighted section. This is when you think of literary techniques used like simile, alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.

For a Whole Book / Set of Poems:

1. As you read the book, highlight any interesting/potentially useful quote.
2. Let’s say you finish reading for the day after an hour. At that point, open a word document (or notebook), and record every quote you have found in different categories (include page numbers!!!!!).
3. Categories could be things like: John Doe’s Character Exposition, Water Motif, Setting & Context, etc. etc.
4. There are a few perks to doing this. First of all, you have all your quotes sorted, chronologically. This means that when looking at something like character development, you have a list of interesting quotes in the order of them happening thus basically creating a skeleton of their character arc! Second of all, having quotes in a large word document makes it far easier to find them! You can use command-F (if on a Mac), and search for a specific word/quote. This way, you don’t find yourself wasting time tracking down one tiny detail for an essay. Another perk is that by recording a few chapters wort of quotes at a time, you won’t be overwhelmed by hundreds of highlight marks throughout your book after you have finished reading. This basically ensures that once you have finished reading, all you have to do is sit down and write! No more spending hours searching for that one perfect quote in a 400 page novel!

study-well:

Use different colours of flashcards to divide your topics. WHSmith sells packs of flashcards in different colours, but if you can’t buy a coloured pack, you can also mark the top of the cards with a pen (or even use washi tape) to colour code them.

Get a box. Keep your cards neat and clean by storing them in a flashcard box. These can usually be purchased for a few pounds, and they come in a range of styles from clear to patterned (see paperchase website).

Know the best technique for you. The traditional way to use the cards is to write a question on one side and the answer on the other. However, I know that if the answer is on the card, I’ll cheat, look at the answer, and then tell myself that I knew it. By not including an answer on my cards, I make sure that I’m testing myself.

Get the right size. Cards come in all kinds of sizes. If you want to carry your cards around with you a lot then I suggest getting a smaller size so that they’re easier to carry. You could also consider creating your cards online on sites like quizlet.

If you want to carry them around, buy some rings or elastic bands to keep your cards in order. If you’re using a smaller size, you might be able to buy a business card holder that will do the trick too.

Test yourself. I try to go through at least some of my flashcards every day. It’s also useful to divide your cards into piles when you go through them (e.g. know the answer, kind of know the answer, don’t know the answer) so that you can focus your revision on the cards that need the most work.

Exams can eat you alive if you don’t plan to study for them in the right way. The key to acing exams is to make a plan of attack and then to stick to it. Here are some tips to help you get the best grades possible on tests.

1) Don’t Wait to Study.

Did your professor tell you you’re having a test in two weeks? Start studying today. Just 20 or 25 minutes of studying now can cut way down on the time you have to study the night or two before the test. Review what you studied the previous day before you start studying new material. Do this every day, and you’ll have just about everything memorized and ready to apply on the test.

2) Make a Study Schedule. 

We suggests that you create a study schedule so that you know you have a specific time set aside every day to study, and only to study. Treat studying like you would your time out with your friends or your workouts. The time is to be used only for studying.

3) Don’t Procrastinate on Your Reading Assignments. 

Read your chapters and articles as they are assigned. Regularly review them before exams so that the information stays fresh in your mind. Create a summary of the important points in each article to make it fast and easy to remember what you need to for the test.

4) Go to Class Right Before the Exam. 

Another suggestions is that you go to class right up to the day of the test in case the professor gives some vital information related to the test. You don’t want to miss that!

5) Create a Study Guide. 

Throughout the semester, add important concepts (without examples, if you want to make the guide shorter) from your lectures, textbooks, articles, notes, tutorials, and any other source of exam material to the study guide. Organize the information into a few pages in a way that makes sense to you. Maybe use different colors to highlight important types of information (formulas, vocabulary, dates, names, etc.) 

6) Make Flash Cards.

Flash cards are helpful tools for studying and short-term memorization, but don’t make them your only study material. They are good for definitions, formulas, and dates, especially.·         

7) Get Rid of Distractions. 

Turn your phone off, and avoid texting or checking email while you study. Play some music if you focus better with it. Many people focus better with music without lyrics. ·         

8) Ask Yourself Questions and Paraphrase. 

Ask yourself questions about the material you’re learning. This can help you anticipate exam questions. Also, paraphrase what you read to be sure that you understand it. Do this out loud if you’re an auditory learner, or try writing it out if you’re a kinesthetic or visual learner. ·         

9) Make Visuals. Create charts, graphs, flow charts, and other visual material to help you understand complex processes and ideas. Breaking concepts down in this way will give you another way to comprehend the lessons. ·         

10) Create Your Own Tests. 

Write questions you think would be on the test. Then take your own test. Look for old tests from your professor. Ask people who took the class before for their old tests. Some of the questions may be the same. Your textbook probably has some online quizzes or practice tests in the book. ·         

11) Take Breaks. 

Some people say you should study 25 minutes with a 5 minute break. Others, say study 50, and take a break for 10. This gives your mind time to relax and reset. ·         

12) Write Down Questions. 

If you don’t understand something, write down the questions so that you can ask your professor or talk about them with a friend. ·         

13) Study with a Friend or Group. 

The more people talk about and review an idea, the better chance you’ll all have of learning from each other. Maybe someone in the group says something about a particular concept that you will remember because he said it in a novel way that helped you understand it better. 

Once you have your diploma in-hand, it’s time to start thinking about your financial future and planning for it, if you haven’t already begun to do so. Once you get a full-time job (again, if you haven’t had one already), you’ll have a steady income to start saving, investing, and spending. Here are some tips from Forbes.com to help you get started making smart financial decisions.

1.) Budget

It will take a few months, but keep track of what you’re spending on utilities, rent, gas, insurance, groceries, entertainment, clothes, etc. This will help you figure out how much money you can safely spend each month without running into financial troubles from spending more than you earn. Write down how much money you’re bringing in from work each month as well. Then start to flesh out your budget and stick to it. Remember to create a budget category for emergencies like a new set of tires for your car or a trip to the emergency room. Also, keep your expenses down while you establish yourself financially.

2.) Look for Student Discounts

College students should become masters at exploring the ways their educational status can save them money. Vendors, local venues, restaurants, and services near college campuses often offer student discounts that could save your freshman big money during the first year. What’s more, by looking for discounts, students learn the value of hunting down great deals.

3.) Stay Out of Debt.

If you don’t have debt payments, you can have more choices when it comes to your career. If you don’t have to meet a ridiculously high salary level every year to ensure you pay on your debt each month, you can apply for jobs that have lower salaries, but which you might like much more than one that pays six figures annually. Also, potential employers do credit checks on applicants, and you might not get a job offer at all if your credit report comes back with a high debt to income ratio.

Debt is incredibly hard to avoid, though. Forbes.com reports that a Fidelity Investments study found that 70 percent of the 2013 graduating class had an average debt of $35,200.

4.) Get Rid of Your Debt Fast.

Paying down and eliminating your debt should be your top financial priorities after graduation. If you have student loans, your payment on them is not just a monthly obligation you have to pay: it is an evil if your life that you must annihilate quickly. You may have to work more hours, get another job, start freelancing, or spending less money on eating out or buying clothes, but you will thank yourself in the long-run. When that debt is gone, you have more monthly income to spend as you want, and you can start thinking about bigger purchases, such as a house or new car.

Even if you can only save another $20 per month,  that can help reduce the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan. You may also be able to save some money by having the payment automatically deducted from your bank account each month. This can reduce the interest rate in some cases.

5.) Set Up an Emergency Fund.

You never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball or dump everything it has on you at once. Set up an emergency fund with at least three to six months’ of living expenses. Shoot for a year, but this can take a significant time to accumulate. If you’re suddenly laid off or have medical expenses, these savings can keep you afloat financially. Stash your money in a money market mutual fund or a bank savings account.

6.) Move in with your parents

 Anything ! To keep housing costs down. This presumes they’re cool with the idea and won’t charge you rent. You’ll then be able to devote the money you save on housing to cutting your debt and increasing your savings.

7.) Start Investing Now.

You’ve got time on your side, and this gives your money more time to multiply. Buy stocks or mutual funds. Check out the National Endowment for Financial Education or SmartAboutMoney.org for free information that explain the fundamentals of investing. You can also learn about investing through a community college class or through a workshop from a group like the American Association of Individual Investors that does not sell anything financially-related.

8.) Put Money in your Retirement Account.

If you’re under the age of 50, you can put in up to $17,500 into 401(k) or other similar retirement plans. The money is taken out of your paycheck automatically, and it’s tax deductible. The money is tax-deferred until you take it out. If you can afford it, put as much money into your account as your company will match. Many employers will contribute a certain amount to your account if you do so yourself each month, so take advantage of it. It’s free retirement money. Employers typically require employees to save four to six percent to receive the highest match. You might be wary about tying up your money, but it’s worth it to have that money down the line.