Category: No Pain No Gain

Want to learn how to study?  Well, we can’t study 24-7.  It’s just not gonna work no matter how last minute you are or how under the gun you might be.  After a certain point in time your body and your brain or going to say “Enough”!  And they’ll stop processing, shut down and you are likely to be in a worse place for your exams, homework or projects than you are right now.

 

That’s why learning how to study and studying well is important to figure out.  Unfortunately, not the same things work foreveryone but we’ve come up with a ton of ideas and how to study tips that ought to help you figure out the ones that will assist you in reaching your academic goals.  And these tips aren’t just for homework or a test.  You can use them for just about anything you study as well as exam and studying for entrance exams like the GRE, SAT, ACTs, GMATs and so much more.

So check out the different ideas we’ve come up with, use the ones you like, try a few others and let us know which work best.  Share your successes and ideas with us here and on Facebook or Twitter as well.

 

Let’s tackle problems!! Follow these four principles to become a master at solving problems.  You got this.

By adopting a systematic approach to Problem Solving, you will have a clear, concise method for thinking your way to a response. You won’t waste time by attacking a problem in a tentative or haphazard manner. A systematic approach will ensure that you find the most efficient solution to the problem and that you make as few careless and unnecessary errors as possible.

1. Develop the ability to decipher question stems quickly.

Learn to quickly recognize exactly what you’re being asked.

2. Decide how much effort to put into each question.

Depending on where you are on the test, you might be better off guessing and saving time for other questions. Only you know what type if questions give you a particular trouble. If you’re not that good at ratios and hit a ratio question in the second half of the test, you should move through it quickly to allow time to answer other questions more completely.

3. Consider alternative methods.

If the question seems as if it will take too long to solve, look for shortcuts. There are many different ways to solve a given math question. Remember, you’re not looking for an ideal method for everybody but the fastest method for you. Time is a key element on standardized exams, so you should maximize the value of your time with shortcuts or alternative methods. The Kaplan Method is all about time management. The right method is whatever method is quickest for you.

-Picking Numbers

Picking Numbers is a powerful alternative to solving problems by brute force. Rather than trying to work with unknown variables, you pick concrete values for the variables. Any answer choice that does not work for the concrete values cannot be the correct answer.

How does Picking Numbers work?

-Pick simple numbers to stand in for the variables. The usefulness f the strategy depends in large part on your ability to pick convenient numbers.

-Try all the answer choices, ditching those that don’t agree with the question information. Remember to keep the values you’ve picked for the variables constant throughout the problem.

-Try different values when more than one answer choice works. Sometimes more than one choice will give the right answer. If that happens, pick some new numbers. The correct choice must work for all possible numbers.

When you encounter a problem that contains variables, think of Kaplan alternative approaches to Problem Solving. Very often, Picking Numbers and substituting is quicker than any mathematical calculation.

-Backsolving.

Backsolving is a strategy that allows you to use the answer choices to work backward through the question stem. You plug the answer choices into the question to see which one works. The answer choice that agrees with the information in the question stem is correct. You’ve probably used this strategy unconsciously when you ran into a multiple-choice question that you found difficult. Backsolving can save a great deal of time if you use it wisely. It is an exceptional method for solving questions when you have no idea where to begin on a problem.

4. Guess if you’re stumped.

If you simply cannot solve an equation using regular math or an alternative method, sometimes that’s the time to make an educated guess. The key to good guessing is the elimination if wrong answer choices. Many questions will have answer choices that are obviously wrong or don’t make sense. If you can eliminate some wrong choices using common sense, make a good guess and move on.

Kaplan’s 4-step method for problem solving.

Now that you’ve got a grip on the basic principles of Problem Solving, let’s look at how to attack the questions you’ll see on the test.

1. Read through the whole question.

Determine exactly what the question is asking. Is the question or situation complicated?

2. Decide how much effort to put into question.

Is this the sort of question you normally do well on? Will you be able to solve it quickly? Be aware of where you are in the test and how much time you have left.

3. Choose the fastest approach to the answer.

Choose the approach that you feel most comfortable with. Questions are often deliberately confusing and contain traps for the unwary.

4. Select an answer.

Answer every question. Eliminate answer choices whenever you can. The more unlikely answer choices you can eliminate, the better your chances of guessing correctly. And if you’re running out of time and several questions remain, make sure to answer each question by guessing something.

It’s important to learn these words so you don’t embarrass yourself when you are on your TV show.  Just kidding it was part of the script, but still learn these words so you catch all intentional mistakes in TV shows?

 

Neophyte; n. A recent convert; a novice or beginner.

Though I am merely a neophyte in this church I am eager to learn.
Neoteric; adj. Of recent emergence; beginning; modern.

The ideas were neoteric and because they were in the beginning stages of production, they weren’t of much use to us.
Postulant; n. New to a situation; a petitioner or someone who is starting out on a new endeavor.

The postulant girl was confused with her new school’s rules.
Proselyte; n. A newcomer or someone newly converted; novice or beginner.

I am a true proselyte with this new change of policies.
Raw; adj. Uncooked or untried; inexperienced; unpracticed; experimental.

I was raw in the marines and the work was killing me.
Rudimentary; adj. Elementary; being in the earliest stages if development.

My knowledge is rudimentary but I am willing to learn.
Shaver; n. Informal, somewhat colloquial expression used to describe a young boy; one without experience.

He was a young farming shaver, yet he thought he could write a book about his farm life.
Stripling; n. an adolescent male.

The stripling warrior fought valiantly.
Untried; adj. Not tried or experienced; fledgling; without skill or knowledge.

The young police force dog was untried and violent.
Antiquated; adj. Too old to be fashionable or contemporary in thinking or style; very old or aged.

The antiquated clothing sat in the attic and collected dust.
Archaic; adj. Out if date; old; out of style, fashion, or contemporary thinking.

The equipment was archaic and needed a replacement.
Dateless; adj. Having no date; so ancient that no date can be determined; having no limits in time; timeless.

The woman wore a dateless dress that left everyone in awe. She looked refreshingly classy.
Fossilized; adj. Converted to a fossil; made outmoded or inflexible with time.

The fossilized mosquito in the amber looked interesting.

Full-fledged; adj. Fully developed mature; attaining full rank, status, or experience.

The full-fledged bird flew away from the nest, never to return.

Geriatric; adj. Of or related to the aged or the aging process.

The doctor continued his study in geriatric research.

Gerontic, gerontological; adj. Of or relating to very old age; having to do with the last stage of life.

All the gerontic men were knowledgable of the old war.

Hoary; adj. White or gray, as with age; old and venerable with wisdom and age.

The old man shook his hoary head as he told me I couldn’t enter.

Obsolescence; n. Something out of use or need; a dying breed or of unnecessary or unimportant need.

The appliances’ obsolescence was the reason they were in the dump.

Outmoded; adj. Out of fashion; of no more use, need, or practicality.

Last year’s fashion may be outmoded but surely the styles will come back eventually.

Passé; adj. Out of mode or fashion.

To some people, it is passé for the man to open the door for the woman, but it isn’t for me.
Prehistoric; adj. Of or relating to prehistory; slang-old and out of touch.

That man is so old he is prehistoric and not worth listening to.
Primeval; adj. From the earliest times or ages; original or ancient.

The primeval need for man is to survive.

Primitive; adj. Primary or basic; of or relating to an earliest or original stage or state; primeval.

I still own a primitive record player.

Primordial; adj. Early in the developmental stage; basic and ancient.

Many people know the primordial feeling of loving a child.

Seasoned; adj. Characterized by experience, skill, or practice.

I am a seasoned hockey player, I’ve played for 10 years.

Superannuated; adj. Retired or outmoded; no longer in use or need.

During spring cleaning, I discarded all the superannuated things I’ve collected.

Venerable; adj. Worthy or respect or reverence; honorable.

My grandmother is a venerable person full of wisdom.

Veteran; n. A person who is long experienced or practices in an activity or capacity; often associated with past military personnel.

My grandfather is a veteran who served in World War II.

Do you feel tranquil today?  How about boisterous, sluggish, blatant, or fractious?  Let someone know!

 

Sluggish; adj. Displaying little growth or movement; not making progress; seeming to be bottle necked or clogged to prevent advancement.

The traffic was so sluggish because of the accident that I was late for work.
Tranquility; n. Harmony; silence; quiet serenity; Undisturbed and peaceful.

I find such tranquility at the lake that I go there all the time.
Blatant; adj. Unpleasantly loud; irritatingly showy or obvious.

I blatantly disobeyed my mother and yelled at the mean man.
Boisterous; adj. Rowdy, rambunctious, and possibly out of control.

After having so much cake, the toddlers were boisterous.
Brattle; n. A rattling and crashing sound.

The brattle of metal clashing with metal is all I heard during the fight.
Brawl; v, n.

Verb: To have a loud and boisterous disagreement, possibly even a fight, but more likely just upsetting the calm and quiet.

I was suspended after I brawled on the playground when I was a child.

Noun: A loud, boisterous disagreement.

A brawl erupted at the bar, people fighting over a girl.

Adjective: brawling or brawly

The brawling crowd disturbed everyone trying to attend the ball.
Din; n. Disorder and noise; tumult and confusion.

The din at the even was so loud I couldn’t hear my friends talk.
Discordant; adj. Clashing in ideas or sound or philosophies; harsh with conflict.

The beautiful sound coming from the piano made the man scream in agony.
Fractious; adj. Unruly and noisy.

The fractious toddlers needed someone to guide them to be quiet.

Cranky or peevish.

I turn fractious if I don’t get a good nights sleep.
Hubbub; n. An upset or vehement protest or discontent; sometimes a loud, sustained noise.

The soccer victory created such a hubbub that the police were called.
Obstreperous; adj. Noisy and boisterous; sometimes even aggressive of defiant.

Her behavior became obstreperous when her boyfriend disappointed her.
Ostentatious; adj. Showy; characterized by a need to be noticed, not always favorably.

I admit I am ostentatious sometimes, wanting the press to notice me at the red carpets I am invited to.
Strident; adj. Loud and harsh; often grating and discordant; hard on the ears.

The strident hurricane alarm alerted everyone of impending danger.
Truculent; adj. Tending to argue and disagree, often vehemently and with great noise and commotion.

I become truculent when it comes to selling my stuffed animals at a good price.
Turbulent; adj. Violently upset or disturbed.

After the tornado the creek was turbulent and swept tree limbs away.

Having a restless or even revolutionary character.

The government climate was turbulent and so people were often afraid to leave the city.
Vociferous; adj. Offensively loud and often given to demonstration of agitated emotions or agitated outcry.

The lawyer vociferously spoke for the accused and everyone was nervous.

 

Budding; adj. Having to do with new or developing circumstances or abilities.

I am a budding trapeze artist and I am excited for my first circus performance.
Burgeoning; adj. Growing or developing; blossoming or flourishing.

My burgeoning clothing business is very special to me.
Embryonic; adj. Of or belonging to an embryo; early beginning; not yet formed or matured; rudimentary.

The bird died in its embryonic stage while still in the egg.
Fledgling; adj. New or immature; not yet out of the nest; not experienced; rudimentary.

The fledging baby bird longed to fly away.
Incipient; adj. Beginning to exist or appear; early in developmental stage.

My building plans are still in their incipient stage.
Initiate; n, v. Noun: One who is being or has been initiated; one who has been introduced to or has attained knowledge in a particular field.

Verb: To begin or start a process; to get things going.

The initiate met the visitors at the door, ready to initiate them into the world of art.
Innovation; n. The act of introducing something or someone; something newly introduced.

My innovation is so creative I cannot wait to show my team at work.
Nascent; adj. Coming into existence, emerging.

I have several nascent ideas that might work in the future of my business.

Words can be super fun.  What strange words do you love?  Even if they’re not very strange many of these SAT/ACT words aren’t used in normal, everyday language.  We dare you to use one of these words in one of your conversations today!  Example:  “You look serene today Julie.”   Do it for the vine?

 

Statuesque; adj. Unusually large or outstanding in carriage and/or demeanor.

The statuesque soap opera cast made headlines.
Surfeit; n, v.

Noun: overindulgence, as in food or drink.

An excessive amount.

The rich town was seen as having a surfeit of material goods.

Verb: to feed or supply to excess, even to the point of disgust.

She was able to surfeit canned goods to me in my time of need and now I have too many canned goods, I don’t know what to do with them.
Titanic; adj. Of or relating to something awesome or great in size or scope.

The rain hit us in titanic proportions and our basement flooded.

Acumen; n. Keenness of mind; good insight; quickness; accuracy.

Her scientific acumen is so sharp that she was chosen to work in the labs months before the rest of her class.
Acute; adj. Clever; sharp of mind; incisive.

My hearing is so acute that no whispers sneak past me.
Astute; adj. Clever and insightful; having an innate ability to understand or perceive.

My mother has an astute mind and so I always go to her for advice.
Canny; adj. Careful; shrewd; clever; wily; full of guile.

She is so canny that she gets away with everything.
Discernment; n. Keenness of insight and judgement.

I try hard to discern between what’s right and wrong.
Judicious; adj. Having sound and prudent judgement.

My father is a judicious person who leads out family with rules to keep us safe.
Keenness; n. Smartly cutting or marked by remarkable mental quickness or understanding.

I have a keen mind and so I understand people well.
Perceptive; adj. Having a keen sense of understanding and discernment.

Because I am perceptive, I understand when my friends are having a hard day.

Assuage; v. To lessen; to take the edge off; to tone down.
To assuage his hunger I gave him two granola bars until we arrived at the destination.
Appease; v. To pacify or make tranquil; to calm down or settle something or someone.

To appease the argument I separated the two.
Composed; adj. Serene and self-possessed; calm and not easily agitated.

I composed myself and then walked in the door of my new classroom, ready to take on the class.
Détente; n. A relaxing or easing of tensions between rivals, often but not always, in a political sense.

It will take years to détente my relationship with my grandparents.
Dormant; adj. Lying asleep or in a calm state, but having the suggestion of life or activity that is temporarily quiet.

When I go to sleep after my three day shift I lie dormant for the next few days.
Imperturbable; adj. Not easily shaken; calm, cool, and easygoing; slow to become excited.

I had to learn to become imperturbable when I got my new boss that is hard to deal with.
Levelheaded; adj. Usually composed and in control; not easily rattled or swayed by differing opinions.

My teacher remains levelheaded unless Jason messes around in class.
Mitigate; v. To moderate in force or intensity; to calm or cool down; to lessen in intensity.

It’s hard to mitigate some peoples anger but a thing to try is to explain the circumstances of why you let them down.
Placate; v. To appease, pacify, soothe, or make amends.

I was able to placate the baby by giving him his bottle.
Placid; adj. Undisturbed, unflappable, calm, serene, and satisfied.

I sat by the placid lake in the early morning and watched the sun rise.
Quiescent; adj. Quiet; still; at rest; serene and calm.

I am a very quiescent girl who loves to read and sit by the lake.
Repose; n, v. Noun: Quiet tranquility; the state of being at rest or asleep.

My grandma’s repose was obvious when we heard her sigh as she watched the sunset.
Serene; adj. Quiet and unperturbed; unaffected by disturbance; at peace within oneself.

The serene scene of the pasture made my anger dissolve.

Use some of the words below to describe amounts: “There are SO MANY ants in our yard!”  Sounds much smarter when you say, “There’s a plethora of ants in our yard!”  Say that and you’ll get all the ladies, boys.

• Paucity; n. Smallness of number.
• Those in charge of the election were disappointed when they saw the paucity of voters that came.

• Scarcity of amount.
• There was a paucity of clean water which caused some panic.

• Petty; adj. Trivial; of little importance.
• I am in charge of many things an I must leave the petty details to be taken care of by others.

• Narrow-minded; shortsighted.
• Don’t be petty and miss the big picture while being trivial over small details.

• Mean and grudging.
• She’s so petty that she’s still mad at me for the wrong I did to her ten years ago.

• Pittance; n. A very small amount, often referring to an unusually meager amount of money.
• I only earn a pittance at my current job and that is why I’m looking for new employment.

• Scant; adj., v. Adjective: Barely sufficient; falling short of a necessary amount; inadequately supplied.
• Because of the weather, only a scant amount of fans came to the baseball game.

• Verb: To shortchange or deal with something inadequately or neglectfully.
• Because of my demanding job, I scant on time with family.

• Mammoth; n, adj.
• noun: a great, hairy, prehistoric, elephant-like creature.
• I have seen a replica of the remains of a prehistoric mammoth.

• Anything if unusual size.
• Did you see the mammoth mosquito?

 

• Adjective: enormous; of great or unusual size or proportions.
• Driving the enormous truck was a fun experience for me.

 

• Monumental; adj. Resembling a monument.
• The monumental gathering for the opening or the store was really fun.

 

• Exceptionally large, sturdy, or enduring.
• It may seem like a monumental undertaking but I know it will be worth it to write a book.

 

• Plethora; n. An excessive amount; a surplus.
• We had a plethora of jelly beans left over from Easter.

 

• Prodigious; adj. Excessively great in size, force, or content.
• The tornado caused such prodigious wind that many trees snapped in half.

 

• Exceptionally talented.
• She is a prodigious student in her school. She especially excels in theater.

Have you ever read a book in which the vocabulary was so elevated you could barely understand what was going on?  I have and I wanted to quit on the second page.  Learn these words and that is less likely to happen.

• Dearth; n. A scarcity or lack of supply.
• During the war, there was a dearth of food storage.

 

• Diminutive; adj. Very small; tiny. (Diminutive is occasionally used as a noun. It refers to anything that is small or the name given to suffixes on words that indicate smallness. For example, the suffix let is a diminutive. When it is added to a noun, it indicates a smaller version of that noun, such as a booklet or starlet.)
• She is a diminutive baby, weighing only 4 pounds.

 

• Infinitesimal; adj. Immeasurably or incalculably small.
• I never thought we’d be able to study the infinitesimal nucleus of an atom, but with new technology, we can.

 

• Insignificant; adj. Of little importance or power.
• My problems seem insignificant when compared to others.

• Small and not important.
• The scratch on the paint was insignificant and the owner of the house didn’t make us repaint it.

 

• Lilliputian; n, adj. Noun: A very tiny person or thing.
• Compared to the tall basketball player, the children were Lilliputians.

• Adjective: Small or trivial in size.
• The Lilliputian house was perfect for the small family.

• Not important; petty.
• The discussion was Lilliputian in the midst of the emergency.

 

• Meager; adj. Scarce in quantity or extent; in short supply.
• After camping for two weeks, we had a meager supply of food.

• Deficient in richness or fertility.
• The soil was meager and so the crops barely grew.

 

• Minuscule; adj, n. Adjective: Extremely tiny; very small.
• She used a minuscule amount of frosting on the cake so as to not overpower the people who ate it.

• Noun: Small, ancient, cursive script.
• The minuscule writing was hard for me to read.

• Lowercase letters.
• A term for lowercase letters is minuscule.

 

• Minute; adj. Exceptionally small or insignificant.
• The way he looked at me seemed minute but my friends told me it was significant.

• Characterized by precise and close scrutiny.
• I did a minute inspection to make sure they had cleaned properly.

 

• Mite; n. A very small sum of money.
• To a widow, a mite may seem like unto a large sum of money to others who have more.

• A very small creature or object.
• The small child was a mite compared to the big football players.

 

• Negligible; adj. Not considered important enough to be worth bothering about; insignificant.
• The problem was negligible to me, but to the woman next to me it seemed to be important enough for her to cry about.

 

• Scintilla; n. A minute amount; barely a suggestion; just an inkling or a spark.
• For a moment I had a scintilla of hope that he loved me, but then I came back to reality.

 

• Trifling; adj. Of trivial or nonsensical importance; not important and easily dismissed.
• His trifling plan was impossible to make a reality.

 

• Trivial; adj. Of little significance or importance; concerned with trivia or inconsequential information; commonplace.
• I know many trivial facts but I blank on the important ones.

 

• Ample; adj. Of a large or great size; fully significant, even more than enough.
• There is an ample amount of love for you here.

 

• Behemoth; n. Something that is enormous in size and/or power.
• The giant was a behemoth that terrorized all the towns nearby.

 

• Colossal; adj. So enormous or gigantic that it seems to defy belief.
• The colossal monument blew me away.

 

• Copious; adj. Containing or yielding plenty; bountiful in amount or manner.
• I have a copious amount of corn from the harvest.

 

• Gargantuan; adj. Of enormous size, quantity, or volume or capacity.
• I thought I’d never climb the gargantuan cliff leading to the path.

 

• Humongous; adj. Gigantic or extremely oversized.
• I was so hungry I ate the humongous pizza.

 

• Immeasurable; adj. So vast or limitless in size that measurement is not possible.
• My love for him is immeasurable.

 

• Incalculable; adj. Impossible or too great to be calculated or resolved.
• Incalculable damage came after the hurricane.

 

• Infinite; adj. immeasurably great or large; having no limits or boundaries.
• The teacher displayed infinite patience even though the students were rude and restless.

Virago; n. A woman who is noisy, bold, or domineering.
The man’s wife was a virago. She yelled at him all the time.

A strong, often large, courageous, and brave woman.
She is a virago who is strong in her belief of education. Because of her belief she has opened up her own school.

Brash; adj. Hasty, unthinking, and impetuous; quick to act without considering the consequences.
I made the brash decision to not call on her birthday and now she won’t talk to me.

Capricious; adj. impulsive, whimsical.
My decision to move away from home was capricious but in the end it worked out for the better.

Daring; adj. Willing to take risks; bold and venturesome, sometimes without much sense.
It was daring of me to cliff jump into the ocean.

Derring-do; n. A reckless, daring, or careless action.
My action to skip school was a derring-do.

Plucky; adj. Having or displaying courage, tenacity, and resourcefulness under difficult or trying circumstances.

I will demonstrate my plucky approach to life by laughing all the time throughout my trial of infertility.
Resolute; adj. Firm, determined, and unwavering.
I am resolute in my determination to finish reading this book. I will do it.

Stalwart; adj. Strong, bold, daring, firm, and resolute; having determination and a stick-to-it attitude.
I will stand stalwart in my decision to work from home.

Steadfast; adj. Steady and reliable; dependable even during trying or dangerous times.
She stood steadfast in her value of not doing illegal things. She left the party quickly.

Tenacious; adj. Holding tight; not letting go or yielding to the opposition.
I will not believe he doesn’t love me. I am tenacious in my belief that he still cares.

Valiant; adj. Brave; full of valor and courage.
The valiant soldier did not run but stayed to fight.

 

Audacious; adj. Fearlessly bold; possibly even foolhardy and daring.

Her audacious behavior was helpful when she needed to stand up for her value.

Unrestrained by convention or propriety; insolent.
Her audacious outburst embarrassed me at dinner.

Spirited and original.
She is audacious in her bohemian style.
Bravado; n. A tendency toward showy defiance or false expressions of courage.
At the haunted house, I displayed bravado even though I was terrified.

Dauntless; adj. Not easily intimidated; courageous and brave.
I wish to be more dauntless and ask him out on a date.
Defiance; n. Bold resistance; brave opposition.
He withstood the bullying defiantly.

Arrogant attitude, often rude and dismissive.
He acted in complete defiance as he left and broke the rule.

Fortitude; n. Showing great strength and bravery under adverse conditions such as pain and torture.
I admired how she pressed forward with such fortitude during her trials.

Gallant; adj. Bold and dashing.
The gallant prince carried me over the mud puddle.

Bravely daring; selflessly courageous.
They made a gallant attempt to save the girl but with no success.

Stately; majestic; seemingly regal in demeanor.
That gallant china doll was very expensive.
Intrepid; adj. Courageous; acting with much determination and little fear.
She was an intrepid person to be one of the first to settle in Nevada.

Here are some useful words you need to know.  Now LEARN them!

Culpable; adj. At fault; deserving blame.

We knew he was culpable for robbing the bank because of the expensive things he bought the day after.

Decry; v. To openly condemn.
“Don’t decry her. She can make her own choices!” Mom yelled at me as I started to berate my sister for her poor choice.

Denounce; v. To condemn, criticize, or accuse.
I denounce him as a cheater from all I’ve heard of him from broken-hearted girls.

Deplore; v. To express strong dislike or disapproval; to condemn.
I deplore my younger sisters actions but I try to support her when she tries to change her life.

Deprecate; v. To belittle; express disapproval; deplore.
The teacher’s deprecating tone hurt my feelings.

Despise; v. To look down on with contempt or scorn.
I despise her because of the big argument we had last year.

Disparage; v. To speak in a disrespectful way; to belittle; to reduce in esteem.
I hope you don’t disparage them just because you have conflicting views.

Excoriate; v. To censure severely; to denounce; to scold; to rebuke sharply.
Be careful that after you excoriate those around you they start to despise you.

Objurgate; v. To scold sharply; to berate.
The lab technician was quick to objurgate the intern for messing up the equipment.

Reprehensible; adj. Deserving rebuke, scolding, or censure.
Her reprehensible behavior at dinner made it easy for her father to ground her.

Reproachful; adj. Deserving reproach or blame.
He looked at me reproachfully and I knew then that he thought I had committed the crime.

Reprove; v. To voice reproof or disapproval; to find fault with.
I reproved her for bullying the new kid in school.

Foolhardy; adj. Recklessly careless; unwisely daring.
His foolhardy action of slamming on his brakes periodically almost caused an accident.

Hotheaded; adj. Quick to anger, quick to act, often without regard to the consequences.
He is so hotheaded that everyone tiptoes around him as to not make him mad.

Impetuous; adj. Impulsive and passionate, sometimes marked by violent force.
Sometimes my impetuous actions prove to harm my future.

Impulsive; adj. Inclined to act on impulse rather than on thought; acting without thinking things through.
Impulsive behavior is the cause of a lot of hurt in others lives.

Insolent; adj. Bold; arrogant; rude; rash and disrespectful.
The insolent brat mocks me and imitates me in front of her friends!

Madcap; adj. Behaving impulsively, madly, or rashly, with little thought or consideration of consequences.
My madcap adventure left me stranded on the highway with an empty gas tank.

Offhanded; adj. Performed extemporaneously, without forethought or planning.
His offhand speech was rushed but from the heart. He was surprised he came up with the speech that earned a standing ovation.

Perilous; adj. Full of or involving peril or great danger.
My perilous journey trekking across the Midwest ended with much welcome.

Rash; adj. Characterized by or resulting from ill-considered haste or boldness; reckless.
Instead of making a rash decision, I think long and hard before coming to a final decision.

Reckless; adj. Indifferent to or disregarding of consequences; careless.
I am reckless when I make decisions involving love. I decide before I think.

Temerity; n. Reckless disregard for danger or one’s own safety; recklessness.
My temerity in encouraging her on the stage resulted in us both tripping on the stairs.