Links -- Skills

Part 1 - Web Links

Writing Summaries
http://college.hmco.com/english/vandermey/college_writer/2e/resources/write_summary.html

Beginning the Writing Process
http://www.powa.org/discover/index.html

Forming Your Thesis Statement
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Thesis.html

Opening Your Draft
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/beginning.html

Developing the Middle
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/middle.htm

Ending Your Draft
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/ending.html

Revising Your Voice and Style
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/plainstyle.htm

Revising Collaboratively
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/PeerReviews.html

Using the Writing Center
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~riceowl/

Avoiding Imprecise, Misleading, and Biased Words
http://www.bartleby.com/62/

Also, for help with specific word-choice challenges like wordiness, take this quiz.
http://college.hmco.com/cgi-bin/SaCGI.cgi/ace1app.cgi?FNC=AcePresent__Apresent_html___eng_elibrary49

Proofreading Your Writing
http://www.lynchburg.edu/writcntr/guide/drafting/proofing.htm

Improve Your Grade

Work with these documents and activities to master chapter learning objectives. Some content requires software plugins. Visit our Plugin Help Center for help with downloading plugins.

	Step-by-Step Writing Assignments
	Several mini-assignments will walk you through the writing process

	Visual Activities
	Reinforce your critical viewing skills with visual activities.

	Game
	This game is a fun way to help you learn how to revise an essay into a unified and coherently organized whole.

	Annotated Readings
	These pop-up annotations demonstrate how essays can be read critically.

Daily Writing Tips -- Writing Basics

Links

Part 1 - Web Links

Writing Summaries
http://college.hmco.com/english/vandermey/college_writer/2e/resources/write_summary.html

Beginning the Writing Process
http://www.powa.org/discover/index.html

Forming Your Thesis Statement
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Thesis.html

Opening Your Draft
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/beginning.html

Developing the Middle
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/middle.htm

Ending Your Draft
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/ending.html

Revising Your Voice and Style
http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/plainstyle.htm

Revising Collaboratively
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/PeerReviews.html

Using the Writing Center
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~riceowl/

Avoiding Imprecise, Misleading, and Biased Words
http://www.bartleby.com/62/

Also, for help with specific word-choice challenges like wordiness, take this quiz.
http://college.hmco.com/cgi-bin/SaCGI.cgi/ace1app.cgi?FNC=AcePresent__Apresent_html___eng_elibrary49

Proofreading Your Writing
http://www.lynchburg.edu/writcntr/guide/drafting/proofing.htm

Improve Your Grade

Work with these documents and activities to master chapter learning objectives. Some content requires software plugins. Visit our Plugin Help Center for help with downloading plugins.

	Step-by-Step Writing Assignments
	Several mini-assignments will walk you through the writing process

	Visual Activities
	Reinforce your critical viewing skills with visual activities.

	Game
	This game is a fun way to help you learn how to revise an essay into a unified and coherently organized whole.

	Annotated Readings
	These pop-up annotations demonstrate how essays can be read critically.

Daily Writing Tips -- Writing Basics

Links

Links

Is of Identity Test

1. A statement is either true or false.
2. Mules are stubborn.
3. A pig is a dirty animal.
4. God is everywhere.
5. A boy who won’t fight is a coward.
6. Snake is an ugly word.
7. College graduates earn more than other people.
8. The word dog is a four footed animal.
9. A person who kills another person is a murder.
10. Women are mothers.
11. A boy who never lies is good.
12. Teachers think they’re smarter than other people.
13. Neighbors are nosey.
14. Pretty girls are stuck up.
15. Seeing is believing.
16. Adam and Eve were the first human beings.
17. It takes two to make a bargain.
18. He that believeth not shall be damned.
19. The good die young.
20. There is one basic cause for all effects.
21. The wildest colts make the best horses.
22. Humans can talk.
23. No one wants to die.
24. Barking dogs don’t bite,
25. Death is not forever.
26. Americans are not communists.
27. Dreams often foretell our lives.
28. Everything comes if only a man will wait.
29. Anything believed by most of the people must be true.
30. What goes up must come down.
31. Water flows downhill.
32. A wool skirt is warm.
33. A circle is round.
34. Iron is strong.
35. An orange is not green.
36. A leaf is green.
37. A knife is sharp.
38. A pencil is round.
39. Feathers are soft.
40. The sky is blue.
41. Needles are sharp.
42. One sits in a chair.
43. A pitcher holds water.
44. A piece of iron is heavy.
45. A house is either frame or brick.
46. A drunkard is a sinner.
47. Ministers are good men.
48. Everything that is true can be proved.
49. Big boys are bullies.
50. It is never all right to kill,
51. Children should always obey their parents.
52. Children are born bad.
53. Plants grow in soil.
54. Questions have no answers.
55. No one gets by with anything bad without getting caught.
56. Telling dirty jokes is bad.
57. A good soldier is a patriot.
58. Women movie stars are beautiful.
59. People are just naturally mean.
60. Cats hate dogs.
61. Flowers are pretty.
62. Health is Wealth.
63. Love is holy.
64. Money is evil.
65. The smartest people are the most successful
66. Select ONE of the following five statements which you feel is most characteristic of you:
a. I like almost everyone.
b. I am very careful in choosing my friends.
c. I like more people than I dislike.
d. I make no friends until they prove worthy of me.
e, I like and dislike about the same number of people.

Is of Identity Test

1. A statement is either true or false.
2. Mules are stubborn.
3. A pig is a dirty animal.
4. God is everywhere.
5. A boy who won’t fight is a coward.
6. Snake is an ugly word.
7. College graduates earn more than other people.
8. The word dog is a four footed animal.
9. A person who kills another person is a murder.
10. Women are mothers.
11. A boy who never lies is good.
12. Teachers think they’re smarter than other people.
13. Neighbors are nosey.
14. Pretty girls are stuck up.
15. Seeing is believing.
16. Adam and Eve were the first human beings.
17. It takes two to make a bargain.
18. He that believeth not shall be damned.
19. The good die young.
20. There is one basic cause for all effects.
21. The wildest colts make the best horses.
22. Humans can talk.
23. No one wants to die.
24. Barking dogs don’t bite,
25. Death is not forever.
26. Americans are not communists.
27. Dreams often foretell our lives.
28. Everything comes if only a man will wait.
29. Anything believed by most of the people must be true.
30. What goes up must come down.
31. Water flows downhill.
32. A wool skirt is warm.
33. A circle is round.
34. Iron is strong.
35. An orange is not green.
36. A leaf is green.
37. A knife is sharp.
38. A pencil is round.
39. Feathers are soft.
40. The sky is blue.
41. Needles are sharp.
42. One sits in a chair.
43. A pitcher holds water.
44. A piece of iron is heavy.
45. A house is either frame or brick.
46. A drunkard is a sinner.
47. Ministers are good men.
48. Everything that is true can be proved.
49. Big boys are bullies.
50. It is never all right to kill,
51. Children should always obey their parents.
52. Children are born bad.
53. Plants grow in soil.
54. Questions have no answers.
55. No one gets by with anything bad without getting caught.
56. Telling dirty jokes is bad.
57. A good soldier is a patriot.
58. Women movie stars are beautiful.
59. People are just naturally mean.
60. Cats hate dogs.
61. Flowers are pretty.
62. Health is Wealth.
63. Love is holy.
64. Money is evil.
65. The smartest people are the most successful
66. Select ONE of the following five statements which you feel is most characteristic of you:
a. I like almost everyone.
b. I am very careful in choosing my friends.
c. I like more people than I dislike.
d. I make no friends until they prove worthy of me.
e, I like and dislike about the same number of people.

Fourteen Words Key to 100,000 Words

PREFIX	SPELLINGS	MEANING	#	KEYWORD	MEANING	ROOT	SPELLINGS	MEANING
de		down, away	1	DETAIN	delay	tam	ten, tin	to have, hold
inter		between	2	INTERMITTENT	periodic	mitt	miss, mie, mit	to send
pre		before	3	PRECEPT	principle	cept	cept,cap, ceiv, ceit, cip	to take
ob	oc,of,op	to,toward, against	4	OFFER	provide	fer	lat, lay	to bear, carry
in	il,im,ir	into, not	5	INSIST	demand	sist	stat, sta, stan	to stand, endure, persist
mono		one, alone	6	MONOGRAPH	writing	graph	gram	to write
epi		over,upon, beside	7	EPILOGUE	ending	log	ology	speech, science
ad	a, ab, ac, af, ag, al, am, an, ap, ar, as, at, a	at, to, towards	8	ASPECT	distinct feature	spect	spec, spi, spy	To look
un		not	9	UNCOMPLICATED	clear	plic	play,plex, ploy, ply	speech, science
com	co,col, car	with
non		not	10	NONEXTENDED	core	tens,tend		stretch
ex	e,ef	out
re		back, again	11	REPRODUCTION	replica	duct	duc, duit, duk	To lead, make, shape, fashiion
pro		forward, in favor
in	il, im, ir	not	12	INDISPOSED	not well	poc	pon,poat	put,place
dis	di,dif	apart from
over		above	13	OVERSUFFICIENT	over supply	fic	fac,fact, fash, feat	To make or do
sub	suc,suf, sug, sup	under
mis		wrong	14	MISTRANSCRIBE	write incorrectly	scribe	scrip,scriv	write

Fourteen Words Key to 100,000 Words

PREFIX	SPELLINGS	MEANING	#	KEYWORD	MEANING	ROOT	SPELLINGS	MEANING
de		down, away	1	DETAIN	delay	tam	ten, tin	to have, hold
inter		between	2	INTERMITTENT	periodic	mitt	miss, mie, mit	to send
pre		before	3	PRECEPT	principle	cept	cept,cap, ceiv, ceit, cip	to take
ob	oc,of,op	to,toward, against	4	OFFER	provide	fer	lat, lay	to bear, carry
in	il,im,ir	into, not	5	INSIST	demand	sist	stat, sta, stan	to stand, endure, persist
mono		one, alone	6	MONOGRAPH	writing	graph	gram	to write
epi		over,upon, beside	7	EPILOGUE	ending	log	ology	speech, science
ad	a, ab, ac, af, ag, al, am, an, ap, ar, as, at, a	at, to, towards	8	ASPECT	distinct feature	spect	spec, spi, spy	To look
un		not	9	UNCOMPLICATED	clear	plic	play,plex, ploy, ply	speech, science
com	co,col, car	with
non		not	10	NONEXTENDED	core	tens,tend		stretch
ex	e,ef	out
re		back, again	11	REPRODUCTION	replica	duct	duc, duit, duk	To lead, make, shape, fashiion
pro		forward, in favor
in	il, im, ir	not	12	INDISPOSED	not well	poc	pon,poat	put,place
dis	di,dif	apart from
over		above	13	OVERSUFFICIENT	over supply	fic	fac,fact, fash, feat	To make or do
sub	suc,suf, sug, sup	under
mis		wrong	14	MISTRANSCRIBE	write incorrectly	scribe	scrip,scriv	write

Prefixes for Size and Number

Prefixes for Size and Number

Spell-Checkers

The Trouble with Spell-Checkers

Pome

1
I have a spelling checker -
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

2
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.

3
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.

4
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud.
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.

5
And now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.

6
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed to bee a joule
The checker poured o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

7
That's why aye brake in two averse
By righting wants too pleas.
Sow now ewe sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear for pea seas!

Spell-Checkers

The Trouble with Spell-Checkers

Pome

1
I have a spelling checker -
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

2
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.

3
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.

4
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud.
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.

5
And now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.

6
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed to bee a joule
The checker poured o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

7
That's why aye brake in two averse
By righting wants too pleas.
Sow now ewe sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear for pea seas!

TFY Chapter Four -- Inferences: What Follows

Glossary
Chapter 4
Description versus Interpretation	Pure description provides factual details that convey an accurate objective depiction of a subject. Interpretation makes inferences and judgments about the subject.
Evidence	Evidence is a sign or proof that something is true or that it has or had existence.
Generalization	A generalization is a statement derived from the study of a number of cases that summarizes something characteristic about these cases.
Infer	To use imagination and reasoning to fill in missing facts. To connect the dots.
Justify	To justify a claim means to defend and support a claim.
Obvious	The obvious is something that is unconcealed and easy to see. Yet we may neglect to pay close attention to the obvious because it is so familiar.
Principal claim and reasons	These are the two parts of an argument. The principal claim is the thesis or conclusion. The reasons support this claim through evidence or other claims. A claim is an assertion about something.
Thinking	Purposeful mental activity such as reasoning, deciding, judging, believing, supposing, expecting, intending, recalling, remembering, visualizing, imagining, devising, inventing, concentrating, conceiving, considering.

TFY Chapter Four -- Inferences: What Follows

Glossary
Chapter 4
Description versus Interpretation	Pure description provides factual details that convey an accurate objective depiction of a subject. Interpretation makes inferences and judgments about the subject.
Evidence	Evidence is a sign or proof that something is true or that it has or had existence.
Generalization	A generalization is a statement derived from the study of a number of cases that summarizes something characteristic about these cases.
Infer	To use imagination and reasoning to fill in missing facts. To connect the dots.
Justify	To justify a claim means to defend and support a claim.
Obvious	The obvious is something that is unconcealed and easy to see. Yet we may neglect to pay close attention to the obvious because it is so familiar.
Principal claim and reasons	These are the two parts of an argument. The principal claim is the thesis or conclusion. The reasons support this claim through evidence or other claims. A claim is an assertion about something.
Thinking	Purposeful mental activity such as reasoning, deciding, judging, believing, supposing, expecting, intending, recalling, remembering, visualizing, imagining, devising, inventing, concentrating, conceiving, considering.

Workaholic Questions

Twenty Questions: How Do I Know If I'm A Workaholic?

1. Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else?
2. Are there times when you can charge through your work and other times when you can't?
3. Do you take work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
4. Is work the activity you like to do best and talk about most?
5. Do you work more than 40 hours a week?
6. Do you turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
7. Do you take complete responsibility for the outcome of your work efforts?
8. Have your family or friends given up expecting you on time?
9. Do you take on extra work because you are concerned that it won't otherwise get done?
10. Do you underestimate how long a project will take and then rush to complete it?
11. Do you believe that it is okay to work long hours if you love what you are doing?
12. Do you get impatient with people who have other priorities besides work?
13. Are you afraid that if you don't work hard you will lose your job or be a failure?
14. Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going very well?
15. Do you do things energetically and competitively including play?
16. Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop doing your work in order to do something else?
17. Have your long hours hurt your family or other relationships?
18. Do you think about your work while driving, falling asleep or when others are talking?
19. Do you work or read during meals?
20. Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?

If you answer "yes" to three or more of these questions you may be a workaholic. Relax. You are not alone. Many have found recovery through the tools of this fellowship.

Appears as pages 4-5 in the W.A. Book of Recovery.This literature is also available as a downloadable file (in PDF)

Workaholic Questions

Twenty Questions: How Do I Know If I'm A Workaholic?

1. Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else?
2. Are there times when you can charge through your work and other times when you can't?
3. Do you take work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
4. Is work the activity you like to do best and talk about most?
5. Do you work more than 40 hours a week?
6. Do you turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
7. Do you take complete responsibility for the outcome of your work efforts?
8. Have your family or friends given up expecting you on time?
9. Do you take on extra work because you are concerned that it won't otherwise get done?
10. Do you underestimate how long a project will take and then rush to complete it?
11. Do you believe that it is okay to work long hours if you love what you are doing?
12. Do you get impatient with people who have other priorities besides work?
13. Are you afraid that if you don't work hard you will lose your job or be a failure?
14. Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going very well?
15. Do you do things energetically and competitively including play?
16. Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop doing your work in order to do something else?
17. Have your long hours hurt your family or other relationships?
18. Do you think about your work while driving, falling asleep or when others are talking?
19. Do you work or read during meals?
20. Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?

If you answer "yes" to three or more of these questions you may be a workaholic. Relax. You are not alone. Many have found recovery through the tools of this fellowship.

Appears as pages 4-5 in the W.A. Book of Recovery.This literature is also available as a downloadable file (in PDF)

How to Manage Time and Set Priorities

How to Manage Time and Set Priorities
Key Point
Good time management means defining priorities and scheduling activities.

What Are the 3 Rules for Effective Time Management?

   1. Don't create impossible situations.
   2. Define priorities.
   3. Avoid distractions and lack of focus.

Don't Create Impossible Situations.

Don't get trapped into doing too much. Don't try to work full time and take a full load. Don't take too many lab classes. Use time to create success, not failure. Be realistic about school. For most classes, plan to study 2 hours for every 1 hour of class.

Make time your friend
not your enemy.

Identify your first priority classes and do whatever it takes to succeed. Drop second priority classes or reduce work hours if necessary.

Define Your Priorities Using the 3-List Method.

Plan your work,
then work your plan
All time management begins with planning. Use lists to set priorities, plan activities and measure progress. One approach is the 3-list method.

List #1 - The weekly calendar.
Create a weekly calendar. Make it your basic time budgeting guide. List your courses, work, study time, recreation, meals, TV, relaxation, etc.

Plan to study first priority classes when you work best. Be flexible, adapt your schedule to changing needs. Keep your schedule handy and refer to it often. If it doesn't work, change it.

List #2 - The daily "Things to Do".
Write down all the things that you want to do today. Note homework due or tests or subjects you want to emphasize. Include shopping and personal calls, etc.

This list is a reminder. Use it to set daily priorities and to reduce decision-making and worry. If time is tight, move items to your long-term list.

Rewrite this list each morning. Use visualization to help you focus on what to do. This list is also a measure of your day-to-day success. Check off items as you finish them and praise yourself for each accomplishment.

List #3 - Goals and other things.
This can be one or two lists, a monthly list and or a long-term list. Put down your goals and things you have to do. What do you want to accomplish over the next month or year? What do you need to buy?

Use this list to keep track of all your commitments. If you're worried about something, put it on this list. The purpose of this list is to develop long-term goals and to free your mind to concentrate on today.

Avoid Distractions and Lack of Focus.

Time is precious. Yet many people waste time by getting stuck in one or more of the following habits.

Procrastination - putting off important jobs.

Crises management - being overwhelmed by the current crisis. No time for routine matters.

Switching and floundering - lack of concentration and focus on one job.

Television, telephones and friends - these are all ways of avoiding work.

Emotional blocks - boredom, daydreaming, stress, guilt, anger and frustration reduce concentration.

Sickness - getting sick and blowing your schedule.

In all of these cases, the first step is to recognize the problem and resolve to improve. Use priority lists to focus attention. Try positive self-talk. To avoid distractions, find a quiet place to study, the library or a study hall. Get an answering machine.

from http://www.marin.edu/~don/study/5time.html

How to Manage Time and Set Priorities

How to Manage Time and Set Priorities
Key Point
Good time management means defining priorities and scheduling activities.

What Are the 3 Rules for Effective Time Management?

   1. Don't create impossible situations.
   2. Define priorities.
   3. Avoid distractions and lack of focus.

Don't Create Impossible Situations.

Don't get trapped into doing too much. Don't try to work full time and take a full load. Don't take too many lab classes. Use time to create success, not failure. Be realistic about school. For most classes, plan to study 2 hours for every 1 hour of class.

Make time your friend
not your enemy.

Identify your first priority classes and do whatever it takes to succeed. Drop second priority classes or reduce work hours if necessary.

Define Your Priorities Using the 3-List Method.

Plan your work,
then work your plan
All time management begins with planning. Use lists to set priorities, plan activities and measure progress. One approach is the 3-list method.

List #1 - The weekly calendar.
Create a weekly calendar. Make it your basic time budgeting guide. List your courses, work, study time, recreation, meals, TV, relaxation, etc.

Plan to study first priority classes when you work best. Be flexible, adapt your schedule to changing needs. Keep your schedule handy and refer to it often. If it doesn't work, change it.

List #2 - The daily "Things to Do".
Write down all the things that you want to do today. Note homework due or tests or subjects you want to emphasize. Include shopping and personal calls, etc.

This list is a reminder. Use it to set daily priorities and to reduce decision-making and worry. If time is tight, move items to your long-term list.

Rewrite this list each morning. Use visualization to help you focus on what to do. This list is also a measure of your day-to-day success. Check off items as you finish them and praise yourself for each accomplishment.

List #3 - Goals and other things.
This can be one or two lists, a monthly list and or a long-term list. Put down your goals and things you have to do. What do you want to accomplish over the next month or year? What do you need to buy?

Use this list to keep track of all your commitments. If you're worried about something, put it on this list. The purpose of this list is to develop long-term goals and to free your mind to concentrate on today.

Avoid Distractions and Lack of Focus.

Time is precious. Yet many people waste time by getting stuck in one or more of the following habits.

Procrastination - putting off important jobs.

Crises management - being overwhelmed by the current crisis. No time for routine matters.

Switching and floundering - lack of concentration and focus on one job.

Television, telephones and friends - these are all ways of avoiding work.

Emotional blocks - boredom, daydreaming, stress, guilt, anger and frustration reduce concentration.

Sickness - getting sick and blowing your schedule.

In all of these cases, the first step is to recognize the problem and resolve to improve. Use priority lists to focus attention. Try positive self-talk. To avoid distractions, find a quiet place to study, the library or a study hall. Get an answering machine.

from http://www.marin.edu/~don/study/5time.html

How to Improve Reading Comprehension

How to Improve Reading Comprehension
Key Point
Good reading means building frameworks for connecting words to thoughts.

The Purpose of Reading.

The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know. If you don't know anything about a subject, then pouring words of text into your mind is like pouring water into your hand. You don't retain much. For example, try reading these numbers:

7516324 This is hard to read and remember.
751-6324 This is easier because of chunking.
123-4567 This is easy to read because of prior knowledge and structure.

Similarly, if you like sports, then reading the sports page is easy. You have a framework in your mind for reading, understanding and storing information.

Improving Comprehension.

Reading comprehension requires motivation, mental frameworks for holding ideas, concentration and good study techniques. Here are some suggestions.


Develop a broad background.
Broaden your background knowledge by reading newspapers, magazines and books. Become interested in world events.

Know the structure of paragraphs.
Good writers construct paragraphs that have a beginning, middle and end. Often, the first sentence will give an overview that helps provide a framework for adding details. Also, look for transitional words, phrases or paragraphs that change the topic.

Identify the type of reasoning.
Does the author use cause and effect reasoning, hypothesis, model building, induction or deduction, systems thinking?  

Anticipate and predict.
Really smart readers try to anticipate the author and predict future ideas and questions. If you're right, this reinforces your understanding. If you're wrong, you make adjustments quicker.

Look for the method of organization.
Is the material organized chronologically, serially, logically, functionally, spatially or hierarchical? See section 10 for more examples on organization.

Create motivation and interest.
Preview material, ask questions, discuss ideas with classmates. The stronger your interest, the greater your comprehension.

Pay attention to supporting cues.
Study pictures, graphs and headings. Read the first and last paragraph in a chapter, or the first sentence in each section.

Highlight, summarize and review.
Just reading a book once is not enough. To develop a deeper understanding, you have to highlight, summarize and review important ideas.

Build a good vocabulary.
For most educated people, this is a lifetime project. The best way to improve your vocabulary is to use a dictionary regularly. You might carry around a pocket dictionary and use it to look up new words. Or, you can keep a list of words to look up at the end of the day. Concentrate on roots, prefixes and endings.

Use a systematic reading technique like SQR3.
Develop a systematic reading style, like the SQR3 method and make adjustments to it, depending on priorities and purpose. The SQR3 steps include Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review.  

Monitor effectiveness.
Good readers monitor their attention, concentration and effectiveness. They quickly recognize if they've missed an idea and backup to reread it.

Should You Vocalize Words?

Yes, although it is faster to form words in your mind rather than on your lips or throat. Eye motion is also important. Frequent backtracking slows you down considerably.
 

from http://www.marin.edu/~don/study/7read.html

How to Improve Reading Comprehension

How to Improve Reading Comprehension
Key Point
Good reading means building frameworks for connecting words to thoughts.

The Purpose of Reading.

The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know. If you don't know anything about a subject, then pouring words of text into your mind is like pouring water into your hand. You don't retain much. For example, try reading these numbers:

7516324 This is hard to read and remember.
751-6324 This is easier because of chunking.
123-4567 This is easy to read because of prior knowledge and structure.

Similarly, if you like sports, then reading the sports page is easy. You have a framework in your mind for reading, understanding and storing information.

Improving Comprehension.

Reading comprehension requires motivation, mental frameworks for holding ideas, concentration and good study techniques. Here are some suggestions.


Develop a broad background.
Broaden your background knowledge by reading newspapers, magazines and books. Become interested in world events.

Know the structure of paragraphs.
Good writers construct paragraphs that have a beginning, middle and end. Often, the first sentence will give an overview that helps provide a framework for adding details. Also, look for transitional words, phrases or paragraphs that change the topic.

Identify the type of reasoning.
Does the author use cause and effect reasoning, hypothesis, model building, induction or deduction, systems thinking?  

Anticipate and predict.
Really smart readers try to anticipate the author and predict future ideas and questions. If you're right, this reinforces your understanding. If you're wrong, you make adjustments quicker.

Look for the method of organization.
Is the material organized chronologically, serially, logically, functionally, spatially or hierarchical? See section 10 for more examples on organization.

Create motivation and interest.
Preview material, ask questions, discuss ideas with classmates. The stronger your interest, the greater your comprehension.

Pay attention to supporting cues.
Study pictures, graphs and headings. Read the first and last paragraph in a chapter, or the first sentence in each section.

Highlight, summarize and review.
Just reading a book once is not enough. To develop a deeper understanding, you have to highlight, summarize and review important ideas.

Build a good vocabulary.
For most educated people, this is a lifetime project. The best way to improve your vocabulary is to use a dictionary regularly. You might carry around a pocket dictionary and use it to look up new words. Or, you can keep a list of words to look up at the end of the day. Concentrate on roots, prefixes and endings.

Use a systematic reading technique like SQR3.
Develop a systematic reading style, like the SQR3 method and make adjustments to it, depending on priorities and purpose. The SQR3 steps include Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review.  

Monitor effectiveness.
Good readers monitor their attention, concentration and effectiveness. They quickly recognize if they've missed an idea and backup to reread it.

Should You Vocalize Words?

Yes, although it is faster to form words in your mind rather than on your lips or throat. Eye motion is also important. Frequent backtracking slows you down considerably.
 

from http://www.marin.edu/~don/study/7read.html

Job Quotes

Job Quotes and Sayings

1. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
2. The person who knows how……. will always have a job, but the person who knows why….. will be the boss.
3. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
4. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.
5. Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.
6. Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.
7. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.
8. The secret of success is doing well the job close at hand.
9. It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t.
10. Do your job and demand your compensation….but in that order.
11. Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.
12. One important key to success is self confidence. An important key to self confidence is preparation.
13. The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.
14. Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
15. Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.
16. A job done well stays well done forever.
17. The only job where you start at the top, is digging a hole.
18. Many people quit looking for work when they find a job.
19. If you have a job without any aggravations, you don’t have a job.
20. No one can help you in holding a good job except Old Man You.
21. We’re supposed to be perfect our first day on the job and then show constant improvement.
22. Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.
23. There is no indispensable man.
24. A judge is a student who marks his own exam paper.
25. You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.
26. We pretend to work because they pretend to pay us.
27. Garden: A thing of beauty and a job forever
28. Sometimes the fool who rushes in gets the job done.
29. My job is never work….the only time it seems like work is when I’d rather be doing something else.
30. You hate your job ? Why didn’t you say so ? There’s a support group for that. It’s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.
31. I have never liked working. To me a job is an invasion of privacy.
32. There’s no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.

from CoolNSmart.com

Job Quotes

Job Quotes and Sayings

1. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
2. The person who knows how……. will always have a job, but the person who knows why….. will be the boss.
3. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
4. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.
5. Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.
6. Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.
7. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.
8. The secret of success is doing well the job close at hand.
9. It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t.
10. Do your job and demand your compensation….but in that order.
11. Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.
12. One important key to success is self confidence. An important key to self confidence is preparation.
13. The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.
14. Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
15. Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.
16. A job done well stays well done forever.
17. The only job where you start at the top, is digging a hole.
18. Many people quit looking for work when they find a job.
19. If you have a job without any aggravations, you don’t have a job.
20. No one can help you in holding a good job except Old Man You.
21. We’re supposed to be perfect our first day on the job and then show constant improvement.
22. Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.
23. There is no indispensable man.
24. A judge is a student who marks his own exam paper.
25. You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.
26. We pretend to work because they pretend to pay us.
27. Garden: A thing of beauty and a job forever
28. Sometimes the fool who rushes in gets the job done.
29. My job is never work….the only time it seems like work is when I’d rather be doing something else.
30. You hate your job ? Why didn’t you say so ? There’s a support group for that. It’s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.
31. I have never liked working. To me a job is an invasion of privacy.
32. There’s no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.

from CoolNSmart.com

Technical Numeric Prefixes

Standard Metric (SI) Prefixes, Values and Common Usage
There are many different size prefixes that are used to denote large and small numbers. The standard prefixes, from one trillion to one trillionth, are denoted below, along with some of the common places in the computer world where you will see them used:

Name	Abbr.	Decimal Power	Factor	Common Usage
tera	T	10^12	1,000,000,000,000	large data warehouses (TB)
giga	G	10^9	1,000,000,000	mass storage (GB), CPU speed (GHz)
mega	M	10^6	1,000,000	storage (MB), memory (MB), CPU speed (MHz), others
kilo	K	10^3	1,000	memory (KB), communication speed (KB/sec), others
milli	m	10^-3	0.001	drive access speed (ms)
micro	µ (Greek "mu")	10^-6	0.000001	various circuit speeds (us)
nano	n	10^-9	0.000000001	memory speed (ns), CPU cycle length (ns), capacitors (nF)
pico	p	10^-12	0.000000000001	capacitors (pF)