To be honest, even if you’re a good study-er, you’ve probably not really taken time to think about what it is that makes your study skills so much better than your friends’.  It’s just one of those things where some students seem to naturally grasp what’s needed to study effectively, without even thinking about what they’re doing differently.  However, when an outsider looks at the person with excellent study skills and compares him or her to others, there are certain common elements.  Here is a look at the traits that can change you from being a good study-er to being a great one. (more…)

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. (more…)

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. (more…)

If you’re struggling in one of your classes, or even many of them, that’s no reflection on your intelligence level.  It doesn’t even mean that you’re not working hard and trying to study for your classes. It might just mean that you’re learning style is different from how the instructor teaches. (more…)

No matter how easy or hard the class, no matter the topic of the course, you can’t get away from them: Lists are everywhere.  Whether you’re required to memorize the Elements, the systems in the human body, or the capitals of the fifty United States, any time you take tests, you can expect to have to memorize long lists.

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Most of us know how to study for a science or language or social studies / civics course. You simply learn the historical or scientific facts, and you should be good  to go.  But how do you study for a calculus or trigonometry course?  Is it even possible to study for a math exam?

It is–if you know what you’re doing. Here are the rules to keep in mind. (more…)

There’s a big test coming up, and you’re trying to decide what the best course of action will be to get your studying done effectively before the test date rears its ugly head. Many people revert to the solo method; locking themselves in a room with energy drinks and reading their notes and study materials over and over again until they ultimately go a bit crazy from the monotony of it. (more…)

Reading novels teaches us about different worlds, eras and people. For this reason, they are an integral part of getting educated. It’s important not to be intimidated by the language and issues in novels; instead, practice strategies that help you navigate the text. (more…)

To be a student is to study. Sounds simple right? But studying is a learned skill. It requires commitment, an understanding of the course expectations, time and materials. Most of al, successful learning takes practice, that means showing up everyday and viewing the act of studying as an integral part of student life.

Education is an investment in your self. A healthy approach to any academic endeavor is to first realize that anything worth your time is worth doing to the best of your ability. Your academic success is directly proportional to the effort you put into your work. Nobody can do it for you. Like any large-scale project, it is important to have clear goals and a plan.

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Students are under enormous pressure, and they experience a great deal of stress. Keeping up with studies and making good grades is difficult in itself, but there are also the added pressures of work and relationships. When everything starts to seem overwhelming, the use of stress management techniques can make life easier. (more…)