Learn how your ad can appear here! Get Your Vision Board Iphone/Ipod App and start moving toward your dreams today! Books by this Author Learn How to Achieve College Success…In 20 Hours or Less Here is professional guidance to help you: 1) Identify and accomplish your goals; 2) Identify your type of intelligence; 3) Discover and use your best learning style; 4) Make the best use of your time; 5) Learn how to study and succeed in school; 6) Develop test taking and memory strategies for greater success; 7) Identify your skills and matching careers; 8) Get fit and maintain your health; 9) Create the life you want and make a positive difference. "This book captures Raymond's energy, insights and experience from a lifetime of guiding people to success in school, careers and life and makes them available to students in high schools and colleges everywhere." --Tobin Quereau, Professor of Human Development and Assistant Department Chair for Behavioral Sciences, Austin Community College.   Create the Life You Want " This little book illustrates the author's personal experience that its never too late to find the love of your life or the career of your dreams. A great read for those looking for either." Marnie L. Pehrson, author of Angel and the Enemy   The Greatest Opportunity: How to Make the Most of Yourself and Your Life Discover treasures within yourself. This is a non-fiction book which contains inspirational ideas for inner growth and personal transformation. The purpose of the book is to provide you with motivational and practical ideas for making the best use of your life.   The Story of a Journey of Transforming Dreams into Reality This is an inspirational novel which reflects our journey to overcome obstacles to our potential. It will be easy for you to identify with the main character in this uplifting novel as he endeavors to transform his dreams into reality. You will gain motivation and ideas for fulfilling your own hopes and dreams.   Feature Articles: Social Studies Teachers Get the Best of Both ... - Naturopathic Medicine Schools... Click here for more >>

How can you remedy this problem, get the most from reading, and learn faster, easier, and better? The answer is to become an active reader, not a passive one. A passive learner just reads words without focused attention and without thinking about what he is reading. If you are an active reader you will ask questions and take notes when you read. You will use strategies that make sense out of what you read.

Here are two powerful strategies that you can combine to get the most out of your textbooks.

1. Read a section and ask questions and then;
2. Annotate - write and summarize key ideas in your own words.

Let's look at the reason for asking questions. We think in questions and answers. When you read a section in your book certain implied questions are answered. Ask questions that were answered by what you read. This practice will engage you with your reading. You will become an active reader and it will help you to stay focused and to understand what you read. And it makes reviewing for your test easier.

The other strategy of using annotation is also powerful, especially when combined with asking questions. Write some brief comments in your own words as if you were explaining the key ideas you just read to a child. Make it simple, understandable, and easy to remember.

Now when you prepare for your test, review your questions on one side and your answers written in your own words on the other side. You can also use these strategies when reading your class notes.

Let's look at an example where I used this strategy for an article I wrote about taking small steps to your goals.

Questions How can I make the journey to my goals manageable?   How can I over-come fear of big goals and remain self-confident?   What is an ex-ample of using small steps to reach a big goal?   How can I make my dreams and goals come true?

Lao Tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step." The Japanese word "Kaizen" means small steps for continued improvement. Any large goal or project can be broken into small steps which leads us to the achievement of the goal. According to Robert Maurer, author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life, taking small steps helps us to bypass fears that often arise when we are facing big changes. An overwhelming task does not seem daunting when we break it down into small steps. Fear and anxiety restrict our ability to think clearly and to be creative. When we take small steps to large goals we remain relaxed, confident, and think more clearly. I started weight lifting when I was 18 years old. I could only bench press 75 pounds. Two of my weights were a quarter of a pound each. I would often tell myself that I should be able to lift a half pound more weight and I would add these small weights to the barbell. In a few years I was able to bench press 300 pounds at a body weight of 145 pounds. This is an example of using small incremental steps to accomplish a big goal. I kept increasing the weight by a small amount, consolidated my gains, and in a few years was lifting 225 pounds more than when I began weightlifting. It is amazing what can be accomplished with small incremental steps. You can decide what you want in life, whether it is a great relationship, career, or any other goal. Then begin taking small steps toward your goal until you achieve it. Now you have a combination of two simple, but powerful strategies to increase your understanding and memory of what you read. Try combining questions with annotation and you will learn faster, easier, and better. Copyright 2009. Raymond Gerson

Annotations   Break down large goals into manageable chunks.   Overcome fear of big goals and stay confi-dent by taking small steps.   Weight lifting is an example of taking small steps to a big goal.  Keep adding small weights to make big gains in strength.   No matter what your goals are, you can achieve them by going one step at a time.