As a student, your time is already limited. Maybe you already have a full class schedule, and in addition, you have to spend several hours a day to study for each course. So who’s got time to add something else into the mix? Yet there’s one thing that you need to add, which will actually improve the effectiveness of your study time, and help you get better grades: Studying about studying. That’s right: You need to devote some time and energy to studying some techniques and strategies that make for better students, and that lead to better grades. Here are five good reasons that you should try to master some proven study techniques:

1) The tricks you once learned for studying are not as effective as you might think. For instance, although the SQ3R method does give you a better grasp of the course material, this is only true for the person who is a good reader. Those with not-so-great reading skills won’t find SQ3R (“survey, question, read, review, re-read”) to be as helpful as good readers will. Similarly, although we tend to think that a study group is always a helpful thing, it’s not. In some cases, a study group can actually hurt your study time–since many times, unrelated chit-chat will get in the way of real study.

2) When you learn good study techniques, you actually wind up with more free time. And what school or college student couldn’t use that! The person who doesn’t know how to study finds himself trying to remember all of the material in his notes or textbook, but usually to no avail. He’ll spend hours cramming, and seemingly making little progress. On the other hand, the person who knows exactly how to study can master his notes and text in half the time–and have more time to spend with friends.

3) Proper studying strategies increase your confidence and reduce your stress level. When you have some techniques that you know will work, you can approach any test knowing that you know the material. This will mean less stress throughout your week, and especially right before the test.

4) Here’s maybe the most obvious point, but one that needs to be said: If you learn and use proper study techniques, you’ll get better grades and marks in your course. It’s a proven fact that those who know how to study get better grades.

5) You’ll be studying for the rest of your life. Good study skills aren’t just something that you’ll use while you’re in school. There are numerous other opportunities for you to study throughout your adult life. When you’re taking a driver’s test, attending a career-related workshop or seminar, studying your religion’s holy book, teaching a Sunday school class, and much more, you’ll need to know the best way to study.

So what’s included in the process of studying the best study skills? You’ll want to learn how to take notes, how to read textbooks, how to listen proactively in class, how to use other people, how to use technology such as computers, how to use the library, and more. It’s also helpful to learn test-taking strategies, to help you get every point correct that you possibly can on your next exam.  For Teachers, see our Effective Study Skills Lesson Plan.

Here is a great page with more tips and details, Study Strategies for Success.

Bottom line: Learn to learn; study your studying. Get better with your study habits and you’ll reap rewards for years to come.

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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

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Taking notes is not a skill that comes naturally to many students, but it is also not a skill that is taught in many classrooms. Note Taking is one of the most important study skills for High School Students and College Students. Because note taking is so important to educational success, it is important that students learn proper methods for taking thorough notes. The outline method of note taking is one that will look familiar to many students.

The outline method of note taking starts on the left-hand side of the paper. The most important points are placed at the left edge of the paper. Less important points, which are typically ideas that support the main points, are indented to the right. Each set of less important points is indented more to the right. It is easy to see, at a glance, the level of importance of the different ideas because of the distance between them and the major points.

An alternate form, which requires a little more thought, is to start with minor points to the left and indenting as points get more important. The alternate outline form is best used in lectures where minor ideas are used to build up to the most important ideas.

With either form, indentation is enough to show the importance of the ideas and the relationship between them. If you would like something more concrete, however, you can opt for using dashes, bullets or a Roman numeral and letter combination for further emphasis. For the sake of speed and being able to focus on the lecture, you may want to consider adding the marks after class when you review your notes.

As the name suggests, the Outline method is a outline of the material, divided into Main topics, SubTopics, and details. Outline notes look something like this:

I. First main topic

A. Subtopic

1. Detail
2. Detail

B. Subtopic

The outline method of note taking has several advantages. The outline method not only shows the content and main points of the lecture, but also shows the relationship between points. With an outline, it is easy to identify the main points of the information, and reviewing can be as simple as turning main points into questions. In addition, the outline is set up so simply that it takes very little, if any, editing for notes to be easily understood.

A major benefit of the outline method is the ability to focus on the lecture. Outlining does not require speed or great detail in the writing, both of which take away from your ability to listen to what is said. Outlining does require that you pay enough attention to the lecture to be able to outline the key ideas, which can help you retain more of the information.

There are some disadvantages to the outlining method. The outline method can be difficult to use in science and mathematical courses because those courses need more of an ability to show sequential relationships than outlining offers. Courses with fast-paced lectures may also be difficult to outline, partially because outlining requires the note-taker to think about organization.

For teachers, you may wish to familiarize students with different styles of note taking in addition to Outlining, such as charting and mapping. There is plenty of information online or you can use a Lesson plan for taking notes.

The outline method is somewhat familiar to most students, and can be easily used for many classes. Although it does require the student to think about how to organize the notes, the outline method is simple in design and allows students to focus on the lecture. The outline method of note taking is an excellent way to ensure your educational success.

For more information on taking notes, try our free ebook on how to study

See our other posts on taking notes
Cornell Method
Split Page Method
Mind Mapping
How to Study from your Notes
Taking Power Notes
Mind Maps

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Teachers, especially at the higher grade levels, often assume their students learned effective study skills in prior school years. As a result, students often make it to the college and university level with few study skills and poor study habits, leaving them unprepared for the more rigorous coursework. There are simple, effective techniques, however, that teachers can use at any grade level to teach their students to study.

Two Major Areas

There are two major areas necessary for students to learn, but that are often overlooked in teaching. The first is reading for information, which is essential not only for studying but also for reading portions of standardized exams. The second area is effective note taking skills, which are essential throughout a student’s educational career.

An excellent way of teaching both skills to students is to use the following set of activities, which build on each other:

• Activity 1: Reading for Information. Teaching students how to read for information, as well as improve their reading comprehension, requires short articles and highlighters. Give each student a short informative article, which should be suited to the grade level. It may make it easier for the teacher if all of the students have the same article. Tell the students to highlight the important information in the article. Remind them that important information can include vocabulary words/key words and definitions, numbers that tell sizes or dates, and important people and places.
  • Check their work after they are finished highlighting. If students are having trouble highlighting important information, help them recognize what the important ideas are. Discuss what makes certain information important and worth highlighting.
  • This exercise helps students learn to look for the important information in a reading passage. It also helps the student learn how to study key information without reading the entire article again.
  • See also - Better Textbook Reading Skills and Strategies for Textbook Studies
    
• Activity 2: Taking Notes. This activity requires the highlighted articles from Activity 1 and lined index cards.
  • Students should write the title and author of the article on the first card. Instruct them to put a number on this card, and explain that the number will be put on every other card that goes with the article. The number is a method of keeping the note cards organized by grouping key points together under one master index card.
  • Instruct students to write the highlighted information from their article on the index cards, putting one fact on each card.
  • Teachers can check to make sure students are writing down the main points without copying every word. Discuss writing only key points as a way of remembering the entire statement.
  • Ask students to tell you what they learned from the article, using only their note cards.
  • Explain that students can do this for every class. Note cards can be used to review for tests, and reviewing can include flash cards, card games, or basic shuffling. Encourage students to keep index cards with them in other classes.
  • More information on taking notes – Cornell Method, Split Page Method and Tips for taking better notes
• Activity 3: Outlining Notes. Outlining notes, or taking notes in outline form, is a step up from taking notes on index cards. Once students have had time to practice and become comfortable with the index cards, begin teaching outlining.
  • Provide students with an outline and discuss it with them. Make sure they understand headings and subheadings.
  • Going back to the highlighted article, or using a new, longer article, instruct students to outline the key points of the article. Check to make sure they are following outline format.
    • Another option is to outline an article together, as a class, then assign a second article to be outlined by each student.
  • Pace your lectures so students will be able to practice making outlines. Encourage them to use the outlines in other classes.
  • More on Outlining Note Taking

Knowing how to read for information and take effective notes are necessary skills at every level of education. Reading comprehension is necessary not only for standardized assessments, but also for general reading and studying. With a few simple activities, teachers can help ensure their students have those skills.

More:
Teaching for Retention
Teaching study skills – what to teach
Teaching effective Study Skills

How Parents can teach study skills

Effective Study Skills Lesson Plan
Complete Lesson Plan for teachers includes, Study Environment, Getting Organized, Time Management,

Concentration.

Learn More >>>

Complete Taking Notes Lesson Plan
Comprehensive for teaching students grade 6 – 8 how to take notes, includes, introduction and practice with 3 different styles of note taking (Outline, Charting and Mapping). 3 sample lectures with recommended notes taking answers, crossword puzzle, handouts and complete instructions.

Learn More >>>

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