Smart Tips

Elementary School/Reading

1. Expand your vocabulary in the best way possible—READ!
2. Stuck on a new word? Read on! Try to uncover the meaning out through the context—the word’s relationship to the rest of the passage.
3. Suffering from a case of writer’s block? Try drawing some pictures first, then writing about what you see.
4. Stumped for story ideas? Write a letter to your favorite hero to get your creative juices flowing.

Elementary School/Math

1. In math, being neat is being smart—following the path you took to solving a problem is easier if you can read your work.
2. Drawing pictures can really help with adding and subtracting numbers. Use your pictures to help you count!
3. Friends you can “count” on: Finger counting can help you understand arithmetic by visualizing the stuff you’re adding and subtracting.
4. Stuck on fractions? Visualize! 3/8 is like three equal slices of an eight-slice pizza. Then you’ll start to “get the picture!”

SATs/Test-Taking

1. Don't just know the answer, know HOW you got the answer. Knowing how you arrived at solutions will help you with similar problems.
2. Little mistakes are SAT math score killers. At the end of any problem, make sure you’ve answered the question being asked.
3. Smarter guessing: For problems you’re stuck on, improve your chances by eliminating answer choices you know are wrong.
4. Smart reading involves active reading. Stay focused on the topic to avoid daydreaming and distraction.
5. Know your word parts and derivations. Being familiar with bits and pieces of unknown words will help you figure out their full meaning.
6. Be smart about eliminating blatantly wrong answer choices. If an answer choice is politically incorrect, you can safely rule it out.
7. Bad grammar is easier to spot when you hear it. Read smarter by reading to yourself out loud.
8. Smart essays work around solid arguments. Build around a strong first opinion—don't force your argument to fit your examples.
9. Smarter essays focus on smartly-structured argments. Worrying about grammar and spelling is secondary and gives you no score advantage.
10. Write smarter by not writing. Spend some time outlining your argument and examples. Essays flow faster and are easier to write with a plan in place.

College/Career Planning

1. Think of college as your second home for the next four years. Choose the one that fits who YOU are!
2. Wondering whether a certain career path is for you? Interview someone in that field and learn about it from the inside.