How to Study Blog » Uncategorized http://www.study-skills.ca/blog Tips and advice on how to study Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:46:23 +0000 en hourly 1 Pros and Cons of Studying with a Computer http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2011/02/08/pros-and-cons-of-studying-with-a-computer/ http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2011/02/08/pros-and-cons-of-studying-with-a-computer/#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:58:41 +0000 Brian http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/?p=324

The question of whether a computer can help students in high school or college was settled long ago. It’s nearly impossible to find a student who doesn’t use a PC to help him type papers or look up things in encyclopedias. But what about major study sessions? The traditional form of studying has consisted mostly of pulling out your textbook and class notes and sitting at your desk or on your bed and trying to memorize as much as possible.

The dawn of the computer age, though, changes things up a bit. Now there are increasingly more ways to enhance your study sessions with the computer and especially with the Internet. But do computers help or hinder your study time? The answer might be: a little of both. Here are some ways that computers might be a boost to your grade–and a few ways that they might actually detract from your study time.
How Computers Boost Your Study Time
Honestly, there are more ways that computers can assist you with study than ways that they detract from it. For starters:

• Computers help you stay organized. In the old days, college students kept papers in their desk, in folders, in shoeboxes, and anything else they could find. Pencils and pens were lying everywhere, and five, six or a dozen books were laying all over the place. The modern student, thanks to computers, can be far more organized. Creating a separate file for each of your classes is as simple as creating a desktop icon. All of your research can be copied and pasted into that folder. Most printers now also scan, so you can even scan your class notes into the computer and place them into the appropriate folder. Want to be even more organized? Consider going to www.zoho.com, where you can create a notebook for each of your classes, and also have an online word processor to help with your assignments. All of that, plus there’s an online “to do list,” to help you be even more organized.

• Some students start taking their notes directly on their computers rather than on a regular paper notebook. This makes keeping notes much faster, especially if you type fast enough. Plus it keeps your notes together with all of your Internet research on the subject. Suggestion: If you want to use a computer to take notes, consider getting a netbook. They’re far more portable and easier to carry with you from class to class. Or if you can afford it, you might buy a tablet PC (either an iPad or other). These allow you to type on a virtual keyboard, thus eliminating almost all typing noise.

• Increasingly, there are advanced programs that enhance your study experience. For instance, there are programs specifically designed to create flow charts, and others that create easy-to-follow outlines. Some programs help you make diagrams and charts. Best of all: Many of these programs can be downloaded for free. Just go to www.download.com and type in the appropriate keywords.

How Computers Might Detract From Your Study Time

There are a few precautions you should consider when using a computer for your study sessions. For instance:

• Typing your notes in class could prove disastrous if you’re a slow typist. You’ll find yourself panicking, trying to keep up, and probably missing out on a lot. Not to mention that if you have a noisy keyboard, you risk irritating your fellow students and the instructor. Suggestion: Only type in class if you type fast and if you know your keyboard is fairly quiet.

• One of the biggest drawbacks is that there are a multitude of distractions on the computer. When studying at the PC, you’re risking being interrupted by countless instant messages, Facebook notifications, e-mails, etc.

Bottom line: Computers make great study aids, if you’re disciplined enough to ignore the distractions and if you’re skilled enough to operate it as required.

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]]> http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2011/02/08/pros-and-cons-of-studying-with-a-computer/feed/ 1 Time Management for Students http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2009/08/17/time-management-for-students/ http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2009/08/17/time-management-for-students/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:09:56 +0000 Brian http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/?p=160

One of the hardest lessons a student will ever need to learn is time management. Millions of dollars are spent on books, software programs, and equipment designed to help students manage their time. However, most times the students start to become overwhelmed with projects, assignments, and the administrative of their time management system. Time management styles are as complex and individual as the person. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another. Student’s can not use the same time management strategies that are used in the corporate world so how do you teach time management for  students?

Stop trying to teach your students to be controlled by a calendar and time schedule in a similar manner that is followed by most corporate executives. While, Students do need to be at certain places at certain times it is unproductive to lay out a calendar that schedules “school” every day. Any corporate executive will tell you that it is easy to fall behind in their schedules and they often feel overwhelmed, why train students to be the same way? Instead students should map out their assignments and study time into a to-do list. More in the Effective Study Skills Lesson Plan.

Many times students are seen as having poor time management because they simply have no idea where to start with their assignments and day. A to-do list can help students manage their workload on a day-by-day basis. Instead of being confronted with an entire text book to read and feeling overwhelmed by the assignment, the to-do list can break the project down into manageable sections that need to be completed each day. Large projects can be overwhelming for many people but once you start to break down the project and plan what you need to work on each day, your students will soon begin to progress through their assignments and complete everything on time. See our post on Getting Organized.

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]]> http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2009/08/17/time-management-for-students/feed/ 13 Creating a Strategy For Textbook Studies http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2009/08/10/creating-a-strategy-for-textbook-studies/ http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2009/08/10/creating-a-strategy-for-textbook-studies/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:06:37 +0000 Brian http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/?p=156

The reading of textbooks is an integral part of your college education. Although in the classroom a teacher may cover much of the content of the subject matter, many of the details of the topic will be fleshed out from your textbook. Unfortunately much of the material can be dry and staying focused is essential to your success in the class.

In order to glean the essential information needed from your textbook it is important to follow a systematic process. This will help you retain more of what you read and make it easier to study for the next test.

Begin by reviewing the title and headers of the chapter you are reading. This is called Surveying. Surveying gives you an overview of what you are about to delve into. Surveying allows you to prepare an outline or flow of the materials you are about to cover in your reading. It allows your mind to organize and prepare for the subject matter.

In the next step of the process you will convert the chapter headings into questions. Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why or how. Write these questions down. This allows you to focus in on what you are reading and gives you purpose. When you find the answers during you reading, write them next to the questions on your paper and highlight them in the textbook.

As you are reading, make sure to note any additional subheadings on your paper along with the question these subheadings present. After you’ve finished reading the chapter, go back to your paper and make sure all of your written questions have been answered in a complete manner. Make sure there are no other questions that come to mind that need answering.

Finally, review the summary of the chapter and complete the questions at the end of the chapter. Use your notes to complete the answers and write down any questions you didn’t find in your own notes. Then you back through the chapter under the proper heading to locate these unanswered questions and write them on your paper along with the question.

Keeping a written question and answer format of your textbook reading will help you when you are involved in classroom discussion. It will allow you to probe your teacher for any answers that weren’t clear to you during you reading and will make studying for your test much easier.

Don’t forget to pay attention to any tables, charts, and photographs that are mentioned in the textbook. There is often additional information set aside in boxes on the pages that add to what is written in the body of the text. Take care to note or highlight this information as well.

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