If you're taking a formal or standardized test, you can likely find practice tests for free online or at your local public library. There are also commercial test preparation services that offer practice tests, although you typically have to pay for those. If you're taking a test for a class at school, it may be harder to find practice tests you can use. However, some teachers make practice questions or copies of old tests available at the school library. Ask your teacher if this is something they do. Before you start studying for the test, take a practice test under simulated test conditions. When you grade the test, look for patterns in questions you got wrong. This will show you the areas you need to focus on when you study for the test. It's possible that you'll take the practice test and do relatively well the first time. When this happens, it can take some of the pressure off. However, don't take this as a sign that you don't have to study. There will always be areas where you can improve. When you check your answers, look at the questions you missed and figure out why you missed them. Pinpoint specifically what skill you're lacking that would have enabled you to answer that question correctly. Those are the skills you need to study the most. You may find that you have particular things that are giving you trouble. For example, you may consistently confuse the conjugation of an irregular verb. If you have a consistent error, use flashcards to correct your understanding. In your studies, don't give yourself an opportunity to write the conjugation incorrectly, as this will only reinforce the mistake. If you're studying for 3 months, try to take a practice test at least once every 2 to 3 weeks. When you go through your answers, take note of the areas where you've improved and the areas that still need more work. Then, you can adjust your study plan accordingly. If you grouped your errors into categories, you can compare the number of wrong answers in each category to track your progress. Sometimes, focusing too much on one thing will cause you to get rusty in another area. Try not to be too hard on yourself about this. Simply adjust your study plan to go back and recover the skills you've lost.

Summary: Locate practice tests for the exam you're taking. Do a practice test cold to determine your starting point. Go through your answers and study the items you got incorrect. Schedule practice tests periodically to measure your progress.

Since MS Paint works with very basic pixels, if you want to make your drawing really nice you'll need to increase the canvas size. Do this by clicking the resize button and set the dimensions somewhere above 2000 pixels. This process will be much faster if you do a real-life sketch and scan it or photograph it in order to get it on your computer. You can also sketch the picture in MS Paint, but you will need to sketch it in very light gray. If you do scan your drawing, just open the file in MS Paint in order to start turning it into a beautiful drawing, but be sure you have the original sketch saved separately somewhere else too (in case you make mistakes and need to start over). Using the curve tool, create the main lines of your drawing in black. Find a single continuous line (like the upper arch of the eye) and click on the beginning and then then end of the line. Then, use your mouse to grab the straight line that was created and pull it into the curve to match your sketch. Do this until all your drawing is recreated in black. The black is important. You can always change the color of these outline lines later, but for now do them in black. Now it's time to get rid of that sketch! Click select, right-click on the picture, and then invert the colors. Then switch the color to strict black and white by clicking File Properties. Click OK, let it make the switch, and then switch it back into color the same way. Invert the picture again and you'll have clean art. Saving a copy of just your plain black lines can be really helpful, especially if you make a mistake and need to restore them. Use the fill tool to fill in all of your base colors. Make sure that you get all of the little extra pixels that can get caught between lines that are close together or angles. Now for the fun part. Select all and copy your drawing as it is now. Then, choose an area that you want to shade (say, the hair). Select that base color and set it to color 2. Then, make color 1 your shading color. Use any of the tools to do the shading however you like. Don't worry about going over your black lines! Just do one area (with the same base color) at a time. Now to get rid of the colors that got outside of your lines! Zoom out so that you can see your whole drawing, click select, right click the picture, and paste in the base you copied earlier. Now for the magic. Go over and click the down arrow under select. Then click transparent selection. Ta-da! Keep doing this same process for each area and each shade until you are happy with your drawing!

Summary: Work in a good file size. Sketch your picture and upload it to your computer. Create your main lines. Clean up your line work. Fill in your base colors. Add highlights, shadows, and midtones. Create "layers". Continue until done.

If you don't have children in your life regularly, you're missing out on the wonders of seeing the world through new, inquisitive and creative eyes. Children are less prone to willful blindness or inability to see injustices and problems. Just by being around children more, and really listening to them and paying attention to what they do, you can start to uncurl from your crusty shell of cynicism and let yourself become more childlike, playful and creative. Children can cut through the layers of obfuscation which adults use to excuse stupid decisions, procrastination and inaction. Children also don't mind displaying a sense of awe about the world around them, constantly delighting in new discoveries and in making amazing new connections between ideas, people and the wider world. Recognize in your time spent with children that we are born as blank slates, not for causing harm or trouble to others. Having a fixed view of human beings as cruel, mean-spirited and selfishly adhering only to what's best for each person is both unhelpful and generally untrue. How often do you ask people to recall the happy memories and what makes them happy now? People love talking about what they care about, what motivates them and what makes them happy and yet it's not always an obvious topic for general conversation. It's really important to provide the space for people to open up about their happy moments it helps them to articulate in front of an audience what matters most to them (and may thereby inspire them even further) and it will help you to see the lighter, brighter and happier side of the people in your life. There is a plethora of positive, inspiring and uplifting stories about the good that people do each day. Yet, much of this positive news gets buried under the sensational, negative coverage that news media seems to prefer. All the same, it is possible to actively choose to increase your exposure to positive news. For example, you can subscribe to news feeds online that only focus on positive stories. And you can selectively follow social media network friends and fans who deliberately choose to share good news rather than bad and who are regularly sharing inspiring things. Check out such sites as the Good News Network, Happy News, The Huffington Post Good News, or Daily Good. These sorts of sites focus on positive news stories and gather together many kind, caring and warm tales about the good things that human beings do. Whether it's the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, the local zoo trying to conserve animals or a faith-based charity, informing yourself about their activities will remind you that people are actively involved in helping others, conserving the environment, restoring the land, caring for animal welfare and lobbying government to make changes that will improve lives and livelihoods. Browse your local bookstore or library shelves for amazing stories about people in the business world who are transforming society at the same time as running a business. Such businesses are changing the way we "do business" and see the world, including in such areas as sharing of information, making games that educate as well as bring enjoyment, selling fair trade or fairly sourced products, producing eco-friendly items and financial projects that help people to borrow for or invest in small projects that benefit many people in local communities. Social entrepreneurs focus heavily on ensuring that their business makes a positive difference in the world.
Summary: Spend time with children. Ask people to tell you about the happiest moments in their lives. Focus on the good news stories, the stories of great kindness and virtuous actions. Check out your favorite charities online and actually read what their staff and volunteers are doing.