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? (more…)

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. (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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In order to understand and retain information, you need to be able to concentrate on what you are studying. This is dependent on you studying in an area that is suited to your learning needs and style, which makes creating a productive study space is an essential element of studying well.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to help you create a productive study space:

Identify your needs. Some people need absolute quiet when they are studying, while others prefer to have music playing in the background. You know what you need to help you concentrate and stay focused, so set up your study area accordingly.

Set up a study place that is equipped for studying. Pens, pencils, paper, calculator, pencil sharpener and other supplies should be within easy access of your study area. If you need to get up and move elsewhere every time you need something, you will not be able to stay focused on studying.

Be consistent. Use the same study area every day, and try to study at the same time each day. This establishes a connection between the time and space and studying, and going to your study space at the same time every day will become habit. Use your study area only for studying and you will associate that place with studying. That will help you stay focused on your studies while you are there.Make sure your study area is a place where you can relax, yet stay focused. Your bedroom may seem like a great place to study, but you may doze off continuously while studying there

Set up study rules. If you study better at certain times or when you are able to take short breaks, then make that part of your study rules. Make sure others realize that’s part of your study routine.

Use study totems. Athletes have lucky socks or lucky shorts. You can have a study hat or study scarf. You can use a figurine, a toy, or any other type of object as your study totem. When it is time to study, put on your study item or set out your study totem. A study item or study totem helps you study in two ways:

Once others understand what your study item or totem means, seeing it will tell them you are studying so they will not interrupt you.

When you start having trouble concentrating, you can look at your study item or totem instead of staring into space. It helps refocus your mind on the task at hand.

Your study area should be comfortable. The temperature should not be too hot or too cold. Make sure your chair is comfortable and you have room to wiggle your toes. Being confined or uncomfortable will become a distraction during a study session.

Establishing good study habits begins with setting up a productive study space. Your space should meet your needs, and personalizing it is always a good option. When you have a space used only for studying, it is easier for you to concentrate on the materials and ignore or avoid distractions.

While there are many ways of improving your study skills, they are more effective if you know what your study habits and attitudes are like. Many students have no idea if they are having trouble with their time management, concentration or note taking skills, or if their problems are caused by a combination of problems. Use the following checklist to learn more about your study habits and attitudes.
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No matter what your learning or your study style, you may find that test taking is a stressful event in your life. You may become anxious and experience extreme stress on test days and if that happens your test taking ability will plumet. How do you control the anxiety? By creating a study plan in order to study start and learn everything you need to in the short amount of time available.
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A study group can be very helpful when you are preparing for a test or trying to learn a difficult subject. Learning with a group allows you to fill in the gaps of your learning by leveraging the knowledge of your peers. Not everyone does well when trying to study in a group but you may find it beneficial to have friends you can call upon when you need extra help.
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Do you take notes during class lectures and never seem to look at the notes again? If your filing your class notes away and not using the valuable information found in your notes, you may be missing a key study tool. Using your class lecture notes may not be as intuitive as reading the text book but once you learn how to study from your lecture notes, you’ll learn more quickly.

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While thorough notes are a vital part of making good grades, many students do not know how to take notes.  Note taking is not a skill you are born with, but one that you learn. Unfortunately, most instructors assume that previous instructors have taught students how to take good notes.  There are many ways to organize your notes, and the split-page method is one of the most popular.  For more information about learning effective study skills, try our free ebook on how to study.

The split-page method is exactly what it sounds like.  You split the page by drawing a vertical line all the way down the paper.  The line should be located 2.5 to 3 inches from the left-hand side of the paper. 

So, what do you do with the two sides?

Similar to the Cornell method, the split-page method uses the right side of the divided page for recording lecture notes.

Another Method you may want to try, is Mind Mapping.

Do not try to write down every word of the lecture when taking notes.  Doing so requires you to write at full speed, which means you will stop listening to what is being said.  Instead, focus on writing down the main ideas and key points.  Watch for cues from the instructor for important points, and be sure to note anything the professor writes on the board. 

The left-hand side of the page can have one of two uses.  Some students prefer to use the left column for writing down keywords from the notes or questions they may have about the material.  This allows them to cover the notes and use only the keywords as prompts when reciting the information.  If you use the left-hand column for cues and keywords, be sure to write them down as soon as possible after the lecture, while the information is still fresh in your mind.

The more traditional use for the left side is creating an outline of the textbook by writing down keywords and main points, also known as the Outline method of taking notes.  The trick to this method is to keep the information from the textbook and the notes together, and to separate chapters.  With this format, a student is able to study the textbook and the lecture notes side-by-side, without wasting time or losing their train of thought by flipping back and forth between notes and textbook. 

A variation of the split-page method is to divide the page into three columns.  The middle column is used for taking notes in class.  The left-hand column is used for outlining the text.  The right-hand column is used for writing down keywords, cues, and questions the student may have about the material.  This format provides the textbook and notes in one location, and has the added bonus of a cue column.  This allows students to cover the first two columns and use the cues in the third column as memory prompts when reciting the information.

Note taking is not a natural skill, although some people are naturally better at it than others are.  There is a wide variety of methods for taking good notes, and not all methods work for everyone.  The split-page method is easy to learn and easy to use, making it an excellent method for anyone trying take better notes.

College and High School Students will want to try out our free Ebook on How to Study.

Teachers will want to try our Taking Notes Lesson Plan.