How to Study Blog » College Study Skills

How Long Should I Study For?

Brian — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:35:53 +0000

Let’s consider two typical college students. Mary feels passionate about getting an “A” on the next economics test. So for one week solid, she studies in three hour increments. She scarcely takes a break during these marathon study sessions. Yet, to her exasperation, she still only manages to get a C+.

Rodney is in the same economics class. He has spent the past four weeks studying class material, about 45 minutes a day, in 20 minute chunks, separated by a five minute break. To some people’s amazement, he gets A-Pluses regularly, and he did so on the economics test.

So what made the difference? Shouldn’t that A-Plus belong to Mary? Not at all. Because Rodney learned to master his study time better than Mary did. He learned that: a) Effective time management (studying over a long period of time instead of just a night or two before the test) is better than cramming; and b) the brain is not as effective in retaining knowledge after a certain amount of time–usually 20 to 50 minutes at a time. With all of that said, here are four time-management tips that will make you a more effective and efficient studier.

1) Start by understanding how much you should be studying each week. If you’re in junior high or high school, or studying for a high school entrance exam like the SSAT, ISEE or HSPT, there’s a good rule thumb that goes like this: Study the same number of hours per week as your current grade level. Seventh-graders study seven hours a week; 10th graders study 10 hours, and so on. Once you know this, you can divide these hours by the number of days you plan to study. If you’re a 10th grader and you only want to study five days a week, that means you should plan two hours of study each day.

2) If you’re in college, the rule of thumb is a bit different. The traditional rule says that you should study two hours for every hour that your class meets. In reality, every student has easy courses that require much less study time. Still, for the difficult classes, the two-for-one ratio is a good idea.

3) As we alluded to earlier, study in 20 to 50 minute periods. The brain has to take time to form new memories, and if you keep studying flat out, you actually hinder this memorization process. Between every 20 to 50 minute study period, take a five or 10 minute break. If possible, during this time, do something physical, in order to start the blood pumping again and make your brain more alert. You might do some jumping jacks, jog once around the house, play with your dog or cat–anything that gets you moving! Don’t wear yourself out, though, or you’re just defeating your purpose. More on How Long Should You Study.

4) Finally, don’t get so involved in extended study sessions that you neglect sleep time. It’s important for your health and for your grades that you get ample sleep time. If you don’t believe it, consider this: If you sleep just four to five hours, you’ll probably have to double your amount of study time to be as effective as if you’d slept seven to nine hours. That’s right: You’ll get better grades if you sleep more and study a little less. And if, despite your best intentions, you’re still a bit sleep deprived, try taking a snort 20 minute nap before you study. You’ll be amazed at how effective a quick “power nap” is at restoring your alertness! More on Sleep.

Remember: It’s not always how much you study, but how well you manage your study time.

3 Tips to Help Your Organize Your Thoughts While Studying

Brian — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:21:42 +0000

You’ve been studying hard all semester, but now that mid-terms are almost upon us you want to kick your study habits up to 11. While some students like to cram the night before, slam energy drinks, or listen to audio textbooks while they sleep, those methods won’t get you very far—and they’re not good for any long-term retention. But to make the most of the time you have before mid-terms, you need to organize—not just organizing your schedule so you’re on time for your exams—but to clear your head and make your mind more receptive to the information you’re about to fill it with. Here are a few tips to help you.

Clear a space

Not only do you want to clear your mind before you get studying, but you want to clear your workspace. It’s much harder to get down to work if your desk is covered with soda cans and the residue from last semester’s science project. Clear off a space around your computer or textbook and make sure that you can comfortably rest your elbows on the table without running into something. This buffer zone aids your subconscious in clearing out any other thoughts or distractions, helping you to focus. But, keep in mind, clearing your desk should only take a few minutes. If it takes more than 10 minutes, it’s called procrastinating. Clear it off fast, and get to work.

Prioritize

Now that you’ve organized your space, organize your time. Make a list of the things you have to study or the projects you have to complete and gauge how difficult or how long each task will be. When you prioritize your tasks, rank them according to due date and difficulty, and start with the most difficult assignment that is due the earliest. When you set your tasks down on paper and make a plan of attack, you free your mind up to concentrate on the task at hand. Instead of worrying about all the work you have to do, you’ll be able to finish the job in front of you before moving on to something else.

Maximize your mind through music

A lot of students think that music can be a distraction when studying, which is true if you’re listening to the latest Lady Gaga or rocking out to classic Led Zepplin. However, using the right music can actually help you concentrate while blocking out distracting noises from roommates or friends. Light classical music, like Mozart, is soothing and maintains an even tempo without many dramatic climaxes, helping your mind to focus. In fact any type of instrumental music that maintains an even, moderate tempo is good. Some people even find that listening white noise is a good way to block distractions without causing distractions. Avoid overly dramatic music like Wagner or just about anything with a pumping beat and lyrics.

Once you’ve organized your space, your tasks, and your mind, you’re ready to jump in and get studying. Good luck!
Gunter Jameson writes about several topics including travel, minimalism and online classes.

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Sleep your way to higher grades

Brian — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:50:01 +0000

College is on its way or already here and with it comes: sleep deprivation.

Sure, it makes sense that the more you sleep the better your grades might be, but has anyone actually looked at this from a research perspective? You bet!

Back in 2001 a group of researchers looked at the GPAs of college students who were: short sleepers (less than six hours); average sleepers (six to eight hours); and long sleepers (eight-plus hours) and … the long sleepers had the highest GPAs.

Full Article Here

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Equipped for Studying: What You Must Have

Brian — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:36:35 +0000

It’s 6 p.m. and you’re behind in your studies. Tests and papers are coming up, so that means it’s not to hit the books and study, study, study. But then you hit a few roadblocks. You look around the house and can’t find a pen. Then you need some scratch paper, and can’t find it. Fifteen minutes later you find some and sit down to begin. Now where’s that calculator? Is it in the other room? Did your roommate or brother take it? After you find it, you notice that the batteries are dead. Now it’s time to find extra batteries. And on and on it goes.

You can waste a good hour just looking for all the supplies you need to study and do your homework. The good student, though, doesn’t take this chance. He’s prepared by always making sure that he has everything he needs for his study sessions. Especially when studying for High School tests, or College Exams. This means having a good place for study and a “kit” full of all of the things he’ll need. Here’s what the successful student should make sure he has:

1) A good place to study. This is important because obviously, this is where you’re going to keep all of your other supplies. That means it needs to be a place where you can conveniently store all of your study supplies. I should also have a comfortable chair and good lighting. Preferably, it is turned away from things that will distract you, like windows or open doorways. More on Creating a Productive Study Space.

2) Computer and printer. We don’t need to say much about this, except that many of the school-related tasks that once required a trip to the library can now be accomplished on the Internet. Also, many assignments must be typed. That’s why you also will need a printer.

3) Get a box or holder to store other supplies in. You could use a drawer in the desk, a storage tote, or even an old shoe box. The most important consideration is that it needs to be easy to access. You should keep all of your study-related items in there, ready to go. This storage container should never move from your desk area. Make sure that family members or roommates know that these supplies are important and that they should not be used without your permission. They’re to be used only in that area. You might even place a label on them to avoid any confusion.

4) Inside this box should be kept the following items (Some variation is allowed, depending on what classes you’re taking): pencils, pens, erasers, calculator with appropriate batteries, markers (Make sure lids are tightly attached), highlighters. You’ll also need printer paper, but it will be kept at your printer. Your books will stay with you in your backpack. Everything else can go in this “study kit.”

Now, with your handy kit, you should be prepared the next time you’re ready to study–and you won’t be stymied by not being able to find the right supplies.

More about a good study environment

30 Days to Better Study Skills

Brian — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:00:07 +0000

The study “strategy” for most students is the same: Wait until the night before an assignment is due or before a test to hit the books and study. Unfortunately, for most of us, that strategy eventually catches up and hits our grades—hard.

Good news: There’s a better way! Here’s a systematic approach that in 30 days can turn you into a master student. We’ll start with week 1.

DAYS 1-7: Take some learning assessments. It’s a fact that professional educators have known for generations: Everybody learns differently. Fortunately, there are tests available now (Many on the Internet) that tell you what kind of learner you are. Once you know how you learn, you can base your study strategy on these facts rather than on speculation about what might help you. Do a google search on “learning style” or “learning assessment.”

DAYS 8-15: Meet with a career counselor. Often the career counselor can give you the assessment we discussed above. Even if you take the assessment online, though, it’s still helpful to meet with her. There are career counselors at high schools, colleges, and even employment centers. Ask the counselor for information on learning strategies based on your own particular needs. Alternatively, you can again do a Google search on “study strategies.” There are scores of good articles available. Print them all out and compile them in a notebook and spend several days doing nothing but reading through these strategies.

DAYS 16-20: Begin implementing at least one of the strategies in your notebook that you believe meshes with your learning style. Usually you should implement only one strategy at a time so that you can determine which one works for you and which one you can discard. Having said that, it’s possible that different classes will be helped by different strategies, so don’t forever limit yourself to just one strategy. And again, remember: All strategies that you try should match with what you have determined is your learning style. For instance, maybe you’ve decided that you’re a visual learning. Then use the strategy that is heavy on visual aids.

DAYS 21 -30: Spend time assessing your progress. It’s pointless to stick with a strategy if it’s not improving your study time and your grades. During these 10 days, therefor, you examine your current strategy and see how well it’s been working for you. If it’s going well, keep it up. If not, move on to another strategy on your list.

These last two steps are key. Any time you determine that a strategy has not helped you in real, detectable ways (Your grades improve and you’re able to learn the material better and faster), no matter how much you like that strategy, discard it. There should be plenty more ideas on your list, so find something else and try it for a week or 10 days. Then assess again. Eventually you’ll latch onto something that works, and your grades will eventually start reflecting your new, better study habits.

Creating Your Personal Study Space

Robert — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:59:02 +0000

The last thing that you probably need when you’re at college is another place to “hang out.” Most students have plenty of those. What you need, instead, is a good place to study. Let’s look at how you can take the small area you have in your dorm and turn it into an effective study zone.

Your first step in creating the ideal study spot is to identify its location. If you’re in a dorm room, this choice is probably somewhat limited. If you stay in an apartment, you have more flexibility. Make sure it’s a place that works no matter what time of year it is or what time of day (So for instance, there should be adequate light for night study as well as day). Also think about where it is in relation to the apartment traffic. If people are constantly walking by and brushing against your chair, maybe you should reconsider it.

In fact make sure your study zone is away from as many distractions as you can manage. If you do lots of studying in the daytime, this means to avoid locations where you’ll be tempted to gaze out the window and daydream. Some people go so far as to create a sign that says something like “STUDYING: DO NOT DISTURB.” If you have a fairly private room, you can put the sign on the door. If not, putting it on your desk will at least alert visitors to the fact that you need to be left alone.

Consider the idea of music in your study area. Some people must have total silence when they study. This means you should avoid having the temptation of music near you. Others, though, actually prefer to have something playing softly. You have to know which type you are and set up or eliminate the music accordingly.

Also, set up your study space at the perfect comfort level. What is perfect? Comfortable enough that you don’t mind sitting there for a few hours as you study–yet not so comfortable that you’re likely to doze off.

Are you the type who makes several trips to the kitchen when you’re studying for a snack? Then either put your study area near the kitchen, or even better, bring the kitchen to you. Keep snacks on a shelf near your study space, and if possible, either a mini-refrigerator or at least a cooler.

And finally, keep your study space organized. A cluttered study zone makes it more likely that you’ll lose important notes, or worse, that you’ll spill something onto that paper you had looking so crisp and clean.

How to Create a Productive Study Space (5)

SQ3R: Still a Classic Study Method

Robert — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:55:54 +0000

The SQ3R study method is a technique that goes back decades, and possibly more than a century. Still, there always seem to be those who have never heard of this classic way of studying your textbooks. So for that group of people, let’s talk about it.

SQ3R is a study method which can be applied to any textbook for any of your college (or high school) classes. It can also be applied when studying for an Entrance exam like the AFQT. And yes, each letter and number has an important meaning.

THE “S” stands for SURVEY. The first thing you should do is survey the material in the book, the chapter or the section you’re reading. This means you scan the material in its entirety. As you do so, pay attention to how the information is organized and formatted. Take a look at the table of contents and the various chapter titles and topic headings. Look at any outlines and bulleted points. And as you survey, take some brief notes.

The “Q’ stands for asking QUESTIONS following your survey. These are questions that you don’t yet know the answers for, but which you expect the text to answer. In short, this is material that expect to learn.

3R means simply that there are three important words to remember that start with the letter “R.” The first one is READ. After you’ve surveyed and come up with some questions, read the material thoroughly. As you do so, think about your questions and see if you can find the answers to these questions. Again jot down some notes about the important points you encounter in your reading. Once you complete the reading, think about whether all of your questions were answered. If so, write down those answers now.

The next “R” is for REVIEW. You need to focus on your text notes and markings and review those points in your mind. Really concentrate on mastering these points.

And finally, the third “R” stands for RECITE. This means you need to be able to vocally enunciate all that you’ve learned from this book or section. If you cannot recall something well enough to put it into words, you might not know it well enough for the test when it’s given. So recite the major points again and again until they are engraved on your brain. As you complete your SQ3R process, you’ll be impressed what you recall–and you’ll know why so many generations of students have used it.

Better Textbook Reading Skills

Robert — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 09:52:14 +0000

Reading a textbook is not like reading a novel. A whole different kind of reading has to be employed to really understand the material. To study your books effectively and be ready for your class exams, try the following suggestions.

- Don’t just read it; re-read it. You’ll find that the material often gets easier to understand the second time around. Many people complain that they get confused by textbooks when they read it the first time. Don’t stress out if you don’t think you’ve grasped it all that first time. Just take a short rest and then go back to read it again. And if you still don’t get it, read it a third time.

- Take several breaks for mini-reviews. Rather than reading the whole chapter all at once, break it up into logical parts, then break to summarize what you’ve just read. See our post on How Long Should I study for?

- As you read, keep your eyes open for essential words. Mentally try to skip over the excess adjectives and adverbs. Concentrate on the essential words that give the paragraph its basic meaning. These are normally the simple nouns and verbs.

- Ask for input from your instructor. Even in large lecture classes, professors and teachers normally welcome their students to talk with them. So admit to your instructor your problem and ask for his or her assistance with the part that’s confusing you.

- Read it out loud. Yeah, I know that you’re elementary school teachers told you to learn to read silently, but when you’re studying difficult textbooks, reading out loud helps you to think about the material. And as you read it, each time use a different inflection emphasizing a different part of each sentence and paragraph.

- Don’t be afraid to change your position as you’re reading. This helps your body to fight fatigue and to keep your mind refreshed. See more on Creating your Personal Study Space.

- If you feel overwhelmed by your course material, hire a tutor. Many schools keep a list of tutors. Speak with the office to find someone who is skilled with the material that’s giving you problems. Or purchase one of the commercial study guides available.

These are just a few suggestions that should help you master those difficult textbooks that otherwise might keep you from getting the “A” in your classes. Even practicing just a few of these suggestions could dramatically improve your results in your class. What’s more, they’ll help you with reading other difficult material throughout the rest of your life.

Learn more from the Study Skills Handbook, and Effective Study Skills Lesson Plan

Study Strategies for Reading Novels (3)

Taking Power Notes

Robert — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:49:13 +0000

Maybe you’re one of those who takes notes in class just because it’s what you’re supposed to do–but then you never look at them after the class. Or maybe if you do look at them, you find yourself regularly trying to understand what it is you wrote. Or you wrote it. If so, you need to overhaul your note-taking skills. Taking notes should be a learning experience, and the facts you learn should stick with you. Here are some suggestions for the power note-taker:

1) The first thing you should ask when you begin taking notes is, “What is the instructor’s purpose, and what is the textbook-writer’s purpose?” This will give you a clue about where the class is going.

2) Make sure you attend all classes. Nothing ruins the flow and value of your notes like a big gap in a critical place.

3) Try to sit up front in the class. This will allow you to see and hear better, and will also decrease the number of distractions.

4) Format your notes so that they will be helpful research aids in the future. This means you should record the place and date of the class, the title, and the instructor. You should also number your pages (This way, you can make notes for yourself that so-and-so topic is on page 14).

5) Do your best to write neatly. If you can’t read what you’ve written, then you’ve just wasted all of that note-taking effort. This might mean that you’ll have to adopt some kind of shorthand method to make up for lost time, but it will increase immensely the value of your notes.

6) If you do as we just said–adopting a shorthand method–include a key at the top of the page at the start of the section, telling what each abbreviation means. For instance, if your class is in biology and you don’t want to keep writing out photosynthesis, note in your key that ph= photosynthesis.

7) Highlight key concepts with asterisks or by drawing boxes or circles around them. Also, mark important terms, ideas and concepts with different colors. Indicate uncertainty by circling a question mark by the item–then go back and research it later.

Always leave wide margins for your notes. This will allow you to come back in the future to insert other important, related information.

These 8 simple steps will set your notes apart from the rest and make it easier for you to master the material for future exams.

Mind Maps Maximize Study Effectiveness

Robert — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:45:53 +0000

As a student, you have to take notes for many, if not all, of your classes. You then use these to study for tests and semester exams. But there are problems with this method. For instance, many of us have incomplete notes, and many more take those notes and never again look at them.

Fortunately, there’s a better way. And it’s called mind mapping.

One of the main problems with traditional note taking is that it’s essentially a passive process. As a result, your brain doesn’t really interact much with the material. Conversely, the more your brain is involved in organized the material, the better it will recall it as you get closer to test time.

This is where mind mapping comes in. This process is especially good for visual learners. To do a good mind map, you’ll need paper (the bigger, the better) and one or more pens (More colors helps with the visual impact).

As you do your mind map, keep in mind that they tend to grow quite big, so write small. That probably means you should use pens with a fine point.

Decide what the central theme of the class session was or what the main concept of the chapter in the textbook is. Write down this main topic in the middle of your paper and draw a circle around it. You could also highlight this main topic.

Now keep listening or reading until you come to what you consider the first major sub-topic. Jot down a key phrase that summarizes this sub topic. Now draw a line connecting it to the main topic, indicating a relationship between the main topic and the sub-topic.

Every time you come to a new sub-topic, repeat this process. Soon it will start looking like a bicycle wheel with spokes, with many sub-topics surrounding one major topic.

As we hinted earlier, you might find it helpful to use different colors of pen…perhaps one color pertaining to each sub-topic or maybe you can change up colors per chapter or day.

As you continue through the book or class, you’ll come to a point that will support a sub0topic. When this happens, draw a smaller circle with a few key words in it, and connect it to the sub-topic. Now when you’re studying your mind map and you see the topic or a sub-topic, it will be easier to recall the points related to each.

How to Study Blog » College Study Skills

How Long Should I Study For?

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3 Tips to Help Your Organize Your Thoughts While Studying

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Sleep your way to higher grades

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Equipped for Studying: What You Must Have

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30 Days to Better Study Skills

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Creating Your Personal Study Space

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SQ3R: Still a Classic Study Method

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Better Textbook Reading Skills

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Taking Power Notes

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Mind Maps Maximize Study Effectiveness

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