1. Twenty-first Century Scholars
Freshman and Sophomore Intensive Information
For the complete packet, please visit www.21scholars.com. It can be found under “Scholar News.”
Learn More Career Exploration:
www.learnmoreindiana.org/careers/exploring/Pages/Home.aspx
Financial Aid Information:
www.finaid.org
Virtual College Tours:
www.ecampustours.com
Time Management Strategies:
www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/time.html
Test Taking Strategies:
www.testtakingtips.com
South Central Regional Office Contact Information
1900 East Tenth Street Phone: 800-880-5213
Eigenmann Hall, Room 614 812-856-1576
Bloomington, IN 47406 Fax: 812-856-0445
www.21scholars.com
Regional Coordinator: Jennifer Poe, jeapoe@indiana.edu
Assistant Coordinator: Bob Pryor, rdpryor@indiana.edu
Student Coordinator: Carrie Shaver, shaverc@indiana.edu
Parent Coordinator: Mary Jane Duncan, mjduncan@indiana.edu
Student Intern: Jenna Eisenberg, eisenbej@indiana.edu

2. Twenty-first Century Scholars
Freshman and Sophomore Intensive Checklist
Scholar Name: Birth date:
High School:
Twenty-first Century Scholarship overview
LearnMore Career Exploration
www.finaid.org
Virtual College Visit
Time management strategies
Test taking strategies
Scholar Signature: Date:
Scholar Staff Signature: Date:
Address:
City: Zip: Year of graduation:

3. Twenty-first Century Scholars Program
South Central Region Directory
Host agency: Indiana University Bloomington
Host director: Philip Seabrook
1900 East Tenth Street Phone: 800-880-5213
Eigenmann Hall, Room 614 812-856-1576
Bloomington, IN 47406 Fax: 812-856-0445
www.21scholars.com
Regional Coordinator: Jennifer Poe, jeapoe@indiana.edu
Assistant Coordinator: Bob Pryor, rdpryor@indiana.edu
Student Coordinator: Carrie Shaver, shaverc@indiana.edu
Parent Coordinator: Mary Jane Duncan, mjduncan@indiana.edu
Student Intern: Jenna Eisenberg, eisenbej@indiana.edu
The South Central Region support site serves seven counties: Bartholomew, Brown, Lawrence,
Monroe, Morgan, Orange and Owen. If you have concerns or need additional information,
contact anyone listed above.
Twenty-first Century Scholars Program Sate Offices are located at:
402 W. Washington St. Phone: 888-528-4719
Rm W462 317-233-2100
Indianapolis, IN 46209-6368 www.scholars.in.gov
The Twenty-first Century Scholars Program must have current information about its students. If a
Scholar moves or transfer to another school at any time throughout high school, please contact us
with that information. If a Scholar moves out of state or the country, but moves back to Indiana to
finish high school, please call, email, write the regional office or ask your school’s guidance
counselor to get your information updated.

4. How Well Do You Plan?
DIRECTIONS: FOR EACH QUESTION, CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT BEST DESCRIBES
YOU.
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always
How often do you plan in
an effort to keep life from
running out of control?
1 2 3 4 5
Do you put daily plans on
paper?
1 2 3 4 5
Do you allow flexibility in
your plans?
1 2 3 4 5
How often do you
accomplish all you plan
for a given day?
1 2 3 4 5
How often do you plan
time for what matters
most to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How often is your daily
plan destroyed by urgent
interruptions?
5 4 3 2 1
SEE OTHER SIDE FOR SCORING AND INTERPRETATION
Academic Skills Center, Dartmouth College 2001
SCORING: Add the numbers next to your answers.

5. INTERPRETATION:
6-10: Terrible Planner.
You should consider using new tools and processes to help you plan effectively. A
great first step would be to read a time management book or website.
11-15: Below average planner.
You may already have a planning system, but using it more effectively will help to
reduce the stress and lack of control you feel in your life.
16-20: Average planner.
Your planning system is working, but you can do better. You may need help focusing
on priorities, dealing with urgent interruptions or writing your daily plan.
21-25: Above-average planner.
Your planning system is working well. Keep up the good work, with periodic reviews
to be sure you’re planning around what matters most in your life.
26-30: Excellent planner--or candidate for burnout?
You have mastered planning and should experience the serenity that comes from
taking charge of your life. But make sure you’re in control of your planning rather
than letting it control you.
Quiz written for USA WEEKEND by time management expert Hyrum Smith, chairman of the
Franklin Covey Co., whose Franklin Planners, agendas and planning software are used by 15 million
Americans.
Five Steps to Successful Time Management
1. Set specific academic and personal goals.
2. Create a term calendar, recording major events.
3. Create a weekly schedule of your classes, labs, drill, meetings, etc.
4. Decide on specific times to work on each course.
5. Make a to-do list for each day the night before or during breakfast.
Academic Skills Center, Dartmouth College 2001

6. Test Preparation Tips
Preparation for your first test should begin after the first day of class; this includes studying, completing homework
assignments and reviewing study materials on a regular basis.
Budget your time, make sure you have sufficient time to study so that you are well prepared for the test.
Ask the instructor to specify the areas that will be emphasized on the test.
Make sure you go to the class right before the test; it's another prime time for the instructor to give out more hints
or the format of the test.
Go over any material from practice tests, HW's, sample problems, review material, the textbook, class notes...
Eat a healthy snack beforehand. Having food in your stomach will give you energy and help you focus but avoid
heavy foods which can make you groggy.
Don't try to pull an all nighter. Get at least 6 hours of sleep.
Put the main ideas/information/formulas onto a sheet that can be quickly reviewed many times, this makes it easier
to retain the key concepts that will be on the test.
Don’t be tardy!
Go to the bathroom before walking into the exam room. You don't want to waste any time worrying about your
bodily needs during the test.
General Test Taking Tips
Bring at least two pens/pencils with good erasers, a calculator with enough batteries and anything else you’ll need.
Bring a watch to the test with you so that you can better pace yourself.
Keep a positive attitude throughout the whole test and try to stay relaxed. If you start to feel nervous take a few
deep breaths to relax.
Keep your eyes on your own paper; you don't want to appear to be cheating.
When you first receive your test, do a quick survey of the entire test so that you know how to efficiently budget
your time.
Do the easiest problems first. Don't stay on a problem that you are stuck on especially when time is a factor.
Do the problems that have the greatest point values first.
Don't rush but pace yourself. Read the entire question and look for keywords.
Ask the instructor for clarification if you don't understand what they are asking for on the test.
Write legibly. If the grader can't read what you wrote, they'll most likely mark it wrong.
Adapted from www.testtakingtips.com

7. Always read the whole question carefully. Don't make assumptions about what the question might be.
If you don't know an answer, skip it. Go on with the rest of the test and come back to it later. Other parts of the
test may have some information that will help you out with that question.
Don't worry if others finish before you. Focus on the test in front of you.
If you have time left when you are finished, look over your test. Make sure that you have answered all the questions,
only change an answer if you misread or misinterpreted the question because the first answer that you put is usually
the correct one. Watch out for careless mistakes and proofread your essay and/or short answer questions.
True-False Test Tips
Usually there are more true answers than false on most tests.
If there is no guessing penalty, then guess. You have a 50% chance of getting the right answer.
Read through each statement carefully, and pay attention to the qualifiers and keywords. Qualifiers like "never,
always, and every mean that the statement must be true all of the time. Usually these type of qualifiers lead to a false
answer.
Qualifiers like "usually, sometimes, and generally" mean that if the statement can be considered true or false
depending on the circumstances. Usually these type of qualifiers lead to an answer of true.
If any part of the question is false, then the entire statement is false but just because part of a statement is true
doesn't necessarily make the entire statement true.
Multiple Choice Test Taking Tips
Read the question twice before you look at the answer and then put the question into your own words.
Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible answers, this way the choices given on the test
won't throw you off or trick you.
Read all the choices before choosing your answer.
Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
If there is no guessing penalty, always take an educated guess and select an answer.
In "All of the above" and "None of the above" choices, if you are certain one of the statements is true don't choose
"None of the above" or one of the statements are false don't choose "All of the above".
In a question with an "All of the above" choice, if you see that at least two correct statements, then "All of the
above" is probably the answer.
A positive choice is more likely to be true than a negative one.
Usually the correct answer is the choice with the most information.
Adapted from www.testtakingtips.com

8. Short Answer Test Tips
Use flashcards, writing the key terms, dates and concepts on the front and the definition, event, and explanations on
the back.
Try to anticipate questions that will be asked on the test and prepare for them. Usually what your instructor
emphasizes in class will be on the test.
Try not to leave an answer blank. Show your work/write down your thoughts, even if you don't get the exact
answer, partial credit is usually awarded.
If you don't know the answer, come back to it after you finish the rest of the test and make an educated guess.
Other parts of the test may give you clues to what the answer may be.
If you can think up of more than one answer for a question, ask the instructor what to do.
Read the question carefully and make sure that you answer everything that it asks for. Some short answer questions
have multiple parts.
Essay Test Tips
Read the directions carefully. Pay close attention to whether you are supposed to answer all the essays or only a
specified amount (i.e. "Answer 2 out of the 3 questions). Know how long the essay is supposed to be.
Make sure that you understand what the question is asking you. If you're not, ask your instructor.
Underline key verbs in the question. Essay questions usually focus on one or more key verbs. Here are some key
words that often appear on essay exams:
compare: examine similarities and differences
summarize: briefly give the major points
discuss: examine or analyze in detail
relate: emphasize connections and associations
Concentrate on these key verbs; they will give you clues to the type of information that your teacher wants to see in
your essay.
Budget your time, don't spend the entire test time on one essay. If you have an hour to write 3 essays, spend no
more than 20 minutes on each essay, then if you have time left over at the end go back and finish any incomplete
essays.
When writing your essay, try to be as neat as possible, neater papers usually receive higher marks.
Make an outline before writing your essay. This way your essay will be more organized and fluid. If you happen to
run out of time, most instructors will give you partial credit for the ideas that you have outlined.
Don't write long introductions and conclusions, the bulk of your time should be spent on answering the question(s)
asked.
Focus on one main idea per a paragraph.
If you have time left at the end, proofread your work and correct any errors.
Adapted from www.testtakingtips.com

9. Quantitative-Math Test Taking Tips
Repetition is important in math you learn how to solve problems by doing them so keep on practice problems but
don't do it blindly. Make sure you learn how to recognize when/why you should use a specific method to solve a
problem.
Work on practice problems for each topic ranging in levels of difficulty.
When practicing, try to solve the problem on your own first then look at the answer or seek help if you are having
trouble.
Mix up the order of the questions from various topics when you are reviewing so you'll learn when to use a specific
method/formula.
Make up a sheet with all the formulas you need to know and memorize all the formulas on the sheet.
When you get your exam, write down all the key formulas on the margin of your paper so if you forget them when
you're in the middle of the test you can look back at the formula.
Read the directions carefully and don't forget to answer all parts of the question.
Make estimates for your answers... i.e. if you are asked to answer 48 x 12 = ?, you could expect a number around
500, but if you end up with an answer around 5000, you'll know you did something wrong.
Show all your work (especially when partial credit is awarded) and write as legibly as possible.
Even if you know the final answer is wrong, don't erase your entire work because you may get partial credit for
using the correct procedure.
Check over your test after you are done with it. If you have time redo the problem on a separate piece of paper and
see if you come up with the same answer the second time around. Look for careless mistakes such as making sure
the decimal is in the right place, that you read the directions correctly, that you copied the numbers correctly, that
you put a negative sign if it is needed, that your arithmetic is correct and so on.
Adapted from www.testtakingtips.com

10. Time Management Tips for High School Students
It's 10 p.m.—Do You Know Where Your Homework Is?
Does it seem like there's never enough time in the day to get everything done? Feel like you're always running late?
Here are some tips for taking control of your time and organizing your life.
1. Make a "To Do" List Every Day.
Put things that are most important at the top and do them first. If it's easier, use a planner to track all of your tasks.
2. Use Spare Minutes Wisely.
Get some reading done on the bus ride home from school, for example, and you'll kill two birds with one stone.
3. It’s Okay to Say "No."
If your boss asks you to work on a Thursday night and you have a final exam the next morning, realize that it's okay
to say no. Keep your short- and long-term priorities in mind.
4. Find the Right Time.
You'll work more efficiently if you figure out when you do your best work.
5. Review Your Notes Every Day.
You'll reinforce what you've learned, so you need less time to study. You'll also be ready for a pop quiz.
6. Get a Good Night's Sleep.
Running on empty makes the day seem longer and your tasks seem more difficult.
7. Communicate Your Schedule to Others.
If your social life is a distraction, tell your friends your homework schedule. It may sound silly, but it helps.
8. Become a Taskmaster.
Figure out how much free time you have each week. Give yourself a time budget and plan your activities.
9. Don't Waste Time Agonizing.
Have you ever wasted an entire evening by worrying? Was it worth it? Instead of procrastinating, just do it.
10. Keep Things in Perspective.
Setting goals that are unrealistic sets you up for failure. While it's good to set high goals, be sure not to overdo it. Set
goals that are difficult yet reachable.
Adapted from www.collegeboard.com/student