How to Study Blog » College Study Skills

Sleep your way to higher grades

brian7 — 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

brian7 — 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. 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.

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

brian7 — 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.

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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. 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.

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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.

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.

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.

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

Study Strategies for Reading Novels (2)

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.

Advice for the Memory Intensive Course

Robert — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:42:42 +0000

Not every course is as tough as the next. Some require little more than faithful attendance to pass. This is especially true of many general education courses taken during your freshman year. But there are others that are killer courses. These are usually the ones that make you memorize a ton of material from lectures, textbooks and your notes.

But memory-intensive courses don’t have to bring down your GPA. You can improve your memory of exam items through what is called the Memory Cloud.

Here’s how it works. As you study for your exam, make sure that you read the material two or more ties to ensure that you understand and have totally absorbed the material. From your reading, create a list that outlines the most important points in the material. The second time you read the material, your brain will naturally more easily absorb this important information.

Now expand the list by adding more points. Read again and your brain will more easily absorb these new points….and then you look for new points to add to your growing cloud.

After you’re sure you’ve finished reading and taking notes, create labels for all significant points. Rewrite the list in an ascend / descend order, with the most important items at or near the top. Number these items, because as you do so, your brain will associate each item with a number, giving you an improved chance of remembering that information.

Finish your cloud by drawing in a physical cloud. Try to give it a distinctive shape that will be easy to remember. The cloud will serve as an additional aid to bring the points back to your remembrance. The cloud works on several levels. First, the act of taking notes and then re-reading solidifies information in your brain. The numbering adds another memory tag, and the visual element of the distinctive cloud gives you something to try to recall as you take the exam.

There are some memory techniques that work well with groups. The Cloud is not one of them. That’s because it relies on you taking notes on what YOU considered important. Plus it relies on you creating a cloud image that is memorable to you. This takes some practice, but once you get the hang of the memory cloud, you’ll find yourself coming back to the memory cloud over and over again.

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Better Memory Equals More Effective Study

Robert — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:38:25 +0000

In many ways, study skills are synonymous with memory skills. Your study will only get you better test grades if it leads to your memorizing the material for which you’ll be quizzed. So let’s take a look at some tips that are sure to improve your memory and make your study time more effective.

TIP #1: Over-learn the material rather than learning it just well enough to pass the test. If you’re like most students, you’re probably tempted to study material until you get a single error-free recitation of it. But to really memorize it well enough to ensure that you know it for the test, you need many error-free repetitions.

TIP #2: Use the word-substitution method. This is good for memorizing information which is difficult to visualize. For instance, the word thermodynamics could be turned into the two words, Thermos and dynamite. Now you can create a visual image of a piece of dynamite carrying its Thermos to work–to remind you that thermodynamics is the conversion of energy and heat to do work.

TIP #3: Create your own handouts. Did you ever wonder why your instructors give you handouts with maps, outlines, diagrams, etc.? It’s because visual aids help solidify information in your memory. So even if they don’t give you the necessary handouts, you can create the same effect by making your own handouts.

TIP #4: Desecrate your textbooks. Your class books are not collector’s items; they’re made to be used and abused. So underline, highlight and jot down important key words as you read through the chapters. Just don’t go overboard with it. Remember: emphasizing everything emphasizes nothing.

TIP #5: Create practice tests and take them before the real thing. This does more than to check if you’re ready for the real exam. It’s a known fact that your memory is enhanced when you engage in retrieval practice (recalling data from your long-term memory). And taking a test is an excellent retrieval practice.

TIP #6: Teach the material to somebody else. Set an appointment with a friend, preferably from the same class, when you will teach him some challenging material from the unit and when he will teach you something else challenging. Knowing that you have to teach it to someone else makes the information more important to you. And it’s a known fact that we remember the things we consider important.

There are other things you can do to improve your memory, but these six should do a lot to make sure that your study time is effective time.

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How to Study Blog » College Study Skills

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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Advice for the Memory Intensive Course

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Better Memory Equals More Effective Study

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