Campus Presentation - Reflection 09-20-08

     Campus Presentation Reflection

     On September 16th, I attended a SAC Lecture.  The presenter was Gary Tuerack; his talk was titled, Better Grades in Less Time.  Gary was an energetic speaker.  Actually, his rate of speech was so fast that I had to concentrate to understand him.  He was definitely a motivational speaker.  

   Gary opened with a simple game of "Simon Says."  Then he put on a Luther t-shirt that a student had given him following his 2000 presentation.  Of course the Luther students loved that.   His side show about the challenges that students face in college was entertaining.   I feel that Gary knew how to get his audience interested in his topic by relating to their current situation.

    Gary asked for a volunteer to demonstrate the significance of motivational strategies.  He had taped a long sheet of paper up high on the wall.  He gave the volunteer a red marker and told her to jump as high as she could and put a mark on the paper.  She did great.  Then Gary taped a ten dollar bill just above her red mark.  If she was able to jump up and mark the ten dollar bill Gary would give her a twenty dollar bill as a reward.  You guessed it, she was able to put a mark on the ten dollar bill, thus earning the twenty.  The moral is to set your sights high and to find something that motivates you.  Gary called this training your brain to push yourself to improve.

   The reason the CFL was filled with students is because we all wanted to learn how to improve our grades and do it in less time.  Gary Tuerack was the guy to teach us his methods to improving our reading speed while still comprehending the information.  He showed us a technique that uses two fingers or a pen to move quickly across the text, going along each line of print.  This keeps your body and mind physically active during the process of reading.  

Then Gary timed us for one minute.   We were to count the lines we read and multiply by ten.

The first time I read 230 words per minute.  Then he timed us again while we reread the same passage as we were pushing ourselves to go faster.  The second trial I read 300 words per minute, an increase of 70 words per minute. 

Gary explained that as we read faster we are able to see where the author is going by using contextual clues.  He told us to practice "not saying/thinking" every single word read.  Also, our brains read not our eyes.  As one reads their eyes move, then stop while processing information.  By practicing the speed reading we are widening our eye span.  Focus is the other vital aspect to improving your reading speed with comprehension.  

   Gary suggested that we practice this technique three times a day for fifteen minutes each.  Start with a mental warm-up on something that is easy to read, or go back to a previously read chapter in a text book and reread that as a warm-up.  He also explained what many top students do to get good grades.  They set a period of time for intense focus with no distractions.  If they catch themselves daydreaming, they stop themselves and use self talk to refocus.  Top students stop intermittently to stretch and get the blood moving again.  Some even power nap in between studying.  

     A few other areas that Gary stressed were food, note taking and using visual aids.  He stated that a persons memory increases 30% by taking notes and 40% by using visuals.  Gary believes that the kinds of foods and the when you eat plays a role in energy, memory and learning.

He strongly recommended no sugar and no caffeine before you study or take a test.  They both cause a quick burst of energy but then a crash that isn't supportive while studying.  Fresh fruit for breakfast and lean proteins such as beans, nuts and eggs were encouraged.  Never eat a heavy meal before a time when concentration is needed.  The blood and oxygen that your brain needs to function optimally is in your stomach digesting a heavy meal.  

     The final tips that are critical to having higher grades in less time are getting eight hours of sleep a night, reviewing notes within five hours of taking them and practice speed reading every day.  In summary I felt that this lecture was informative and beneficial for myself and the other students present.