Do you realize that a successful test day starts as soon as you wake up in the morning? That's when you should start getting ready for the test--within the first few minutes of your day.

Deciding when to get up, what to wear, what to eat, what to pack--these decisions can all impact your test performance.

For example, on most days it's not all that important to remember to wear a wristwatch. It's merely a convenience on the ordinary day. But on test day a watch can be a life saver! When you're able keep an eye on the minute hand you can avoid spending too much time on one section and avoiding another. This makes a huge difference on your total grade.

Are you preparing for a big test? Find more tips here:

• Test Day Tips
• Study For an Essay Test
• Memorizing a List

Photo © istockphoto/Andrzej Burek

Instructors like to get creative in the classroom sometimes to avoid falling into the doldrums and getting stuck into a routine. Like anybody else, students need some variety in order to stay alert. This is why you see a mix of assignments and projects.

Once in a while you might be asked to watch a feature film or a documentary in class and then write a film review. The structure of this type of assignment should be a little different from ordinary essay assignments, since you'll need to comment on artistic components as well as explaining how the material is relevant to the subject you're studying.

I've put together a list of tips for writing a film review. Now, maybe you can suggest a good film for your history class!

Did you know that scanning a book can be a good thing?

Don't get me wrong: you should always read your school books carefully and thoroughly. As a matter of fact, you should read every book at least twice. To read effectively, you should scan first, and read a second time for deeper meaning.

I know it seems that this process would eat up a lot more of your study time, to scan a book before reading it - but that's not really true. When you scan a book first, you tend to read more quickly the second time through, because you don't get hung up on new words and concepts.

So how do you scan for best results? You should make note of any headings and subheadings, and get a clear understanding of how the information is organized. You should also write down any new words or new concepts that you encounter, especially if any words are italicized or in bold face.

It's also important to identify the thesis of a book and the nature of the evidence that is presented.

Highlighters can be effective learning tools, or they can be ineffective tools. The trick to making the the most of highlighters is developing a color-coded strategy.

When reading a difficult book or article, you should highlight sparingly. Use one color to highlight main points or important terms.

Use a different highlighter to mark new words that you need to learn. This way, you can easily flip through your book or article and find the new vocabulary words and create flashcards for them.