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Writer's pictureRaja Saadiq-Saoud

Study Tips with the Raj

A WEEKLY COLUMN OF THE MEDIEVAL TIMES Introduction

Hello and welcome to my column! For those who are new to the column (everyone in this case), allow me to explain how Study Tips with The Raj works. Every week, I feature 3 different classes (e.g. English 10, AP Bio, Sports Medicine) and an upcoming assignment that is due in each class, and give tips as to how to complete the assignment, as well as general tips on how to succeed in the class. However, for this inaugural edition, I will showcase only one class to demonstrate the format.

Example: AP Psychology


For instance, in the AP Psychology course, taught by Ms. Coffing, a major assignment done every unit is notecards. These notecards are essential to the class, as knowing the vocabulary means the difference between passing or not passing the exam. Luckily, the notecards are digital and done through Google Slides, but the work is still quite lengthy. For this current unit, Unit 2, one has to make notecards for 124 words, though given 5 weeks to complete. Seeing this assignment, students may find the task daunting, so next I will give tips on how to complete the assignment effectively.

Assignment Name: Unit 2 Notecards Date Assigned: August 29, 2023 Due Date: October 4, 2023
  • Communicate with your partner: In Ms. Coffing’s AP psychology class, she has assigned everyone a partner with whom to work both inside and outside the classroom. One should make use of having a partner and take the opportunity to split up the notecard work evenly so as to not overwhelm either one of you with over a hundred notecards. Try asking your partner for their social media tag or phone number so that you can agree on when and how much work to do for the notecards.


131 slides - 7 explanation slides = 124 vocab terms

  • Try doing the vocabulary words that relate to the lecture given that day: Every day in psych, Ms. Coffing gives a lecture in which she uses the vocabulary terms that are mentioned in the notecard assignment. Although it’s not required, it is good practice to write down the definitions and examples of any word used in the lecture in the Google Slide while it’s still fresh in your memory.


After every daily lecture, you can quickly fill out a short definition, example, and picture, saving you time in the long run

  • Don’t leave the notecards until the night before the unit test: Though it may seem tempting to believe that you can do 100+ notecards, even with the help of your partner, you’re simply doing yourself a disservice. Not only are the notecards an assignment you do for points, it is also a helpful study tool that summarizes all the information that Ms. Coffing has given in the unit. Thus, by finishing early, not only do you not have to worry about staying up the night before the unit test rushing to finish the assignment, but your hard work pays off in the form of having something to study with.


General Tips for AP Psych:

Good knowledge to remember for all AP Psych assignments, not just unit notecards, is that psychology is a vast field, incorporating elements of biology, history, and even statistics. Given that, you should be open to dabbling in any of those fields as well. In addition, throughout the year in AP Psych, you’re bound to learn something that changes the way that you see yourself and others, so keep an open mind and know that psychologists have spent their careers debunking beliefs that even they considered fact. Lastly, Ms. Coffing often comes to school early and in her classroom both before and after school, so you can ask her any questions that you may have regarding the lectures or assignments.

Closing

So that concludes the inaugural edition of Study Tips with The Raj. I hope that AP Psych students and anyone interested in psychology can use these tips and complete the assignment. Next week I’ll be back with a trio of featured classes where I’ll explain how to get their assignments done. If you have any comments or want to suggest a class to be featured, you can message me on my Instagram at the_raj_man. But with that, thank you for reading, and this is the Raj signing off. 


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