Study Skills
Although the college experience can be amazing, do not forget that you are there to go to school. Some of the things that you may have gotten away with in high school probably wont fly in college. Nobody is going to make you go to class or do your homework. You have to push yourself and change your techniques to survive in the college classroom. And if you need help, GET IT! Nobody is going to personally make sure you are succeeding, so seek out guidance.
- Set up a schedule for studying.
- Find a place where you can study and concentrate.
- Reward your studying. One reason why it is so difficult to be motivated to study is that the reward is often in the distant future. Possible rewards can be a snack, TV show, or time with friends.
- Have the right attitude. Start your study session with goals and a focused mind.
- Avoid studying during your sleep times
- Study directly before and after your class
The Study Environment
Although we all think that we can study in our rooms while talking on the phone and listening to music, this really is not the best study environment. Here are some things to think about when choosing a place to get things done.
· Lighting. You should be able to see the page without strain. Does the light create a glare, or are you in the habit of reading in the direct sunlight? Either extreme – too much light or too little – can cause strain and fatigue, and lower your reading efficiency.
· Ventilation. Stuffy, warm rooms put you to sleep. You should have plenty of fresh air (but not a draft) and the temperature should be fairly cool. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself going to sleep over the most exciting books.
· Reading Position. Your position should be neither too comfortable nor too uncomfortable. The first condition puts you right back to sleep again. And an uncomfortable position can create a strain, however subtle, which results in fatigue.
· Distractions. No matter what you think, tests show that you can only pay attention to one thing at a time. If you sit near a door or window, every movement will claim your attention. If you have a radio or CD player going, your concentration may continually wander from book to sound. And reading with the television going combines the worst of all possible distractions.
· Give yourself every break. If you are going to read, prepare things so you can read unhindered. If there is something more important, put the book aside. There are times to read and, just as definitely, there are times when reading must give way to other considerations.
— Attend lectures faithfully. You can’t take notes if you aren’t there.
— Consolidate notes by rewriting or retyping
— Use large notepaper, give yourself room— Record name and number of course
— Leave Blanks
— Be academically aggressive
— Discover the Lecturer pattern
— Make your notes Complete and clear
— Develop your own system (Maybe using different colored pens for different subjects works best for you? Perhaps you find your mind less distracted with blank paper versus lined?)
— Use Symbols and shorthand whenever possible
— Be alert for clues
— ALWAYS record lecturer’s examples
— Pay Close attention
— Record additional ideas of your own immediately
— Review your notes within 24hrs after the lecture
Effective Listening Tips:
— Leave your emotions behind.
— Get the main points.
— Listen for what is not said.
— Stop talking.
— Avoid hasty judgments.
— Get rid of all distractions.
— Don’t argue mentally.
— Recognize your own prejudice.
— Maintain eye contact with the instructor
— Focus on content, not delivery… which means do not count “Umms”.
— Avoid emotional involvement
— Treat listening as a challenging mental task
— Stay active by asking mental questions
— Use the gap between the rate of speech and your rate of thought
Textbook Reading
Critical Reading
o Do not skip over examples. Also, study things that the author says are not examples of concepts.
o When you read and find a few lines you do not understand, read ahead a few sentences. Then go back a few sentences before the puzzling part and re-read them. Sometimes, the material before and after a puzzling part will explain it.
o Go slowly. Critical reading is about comprehension, not speed-reading.
o Try and restate or rewrite the passage in your own words. Think it through. Relate it to things that are meaningful to you.
o Use the book’s glossary, index and/or footnotes to help you understand new words. Consider making a list of words, which are particular to your coursework.
o Go back to the beginning of each relevant section. Authors use the beginning of those passages to define basic words and to give basic information. They build their explanations step by step.
o Make notes in the margins of the book and/or highlight. Look for several types of common relationships. Read with a purpose. Try and search out passages, which show: Cause and effect, Specific Examples, General background knowledge, and Characteristics
oDraw diagrams…if it helps you understand a concept. (Mind-mapping)
o Always mark passages that will require more in-depth explanations with a “?”.
o Get an overview of each chapter. Try and understand the author’s purpose. Ask yourself the questions, “What is the ‘bottom-line’ of this chapter? What is the author trying to tell me? How does it connect to chapters before it?
Tips for Highlighting/Underlining
o Read the entire paragraph or section before underlining. Decide what the main idea is and which are the supporting details. Be selective - most students highlight too much! A rough guideline is 20%.
