June

How To Study: Part 2

Posted June 10, 2005

Here is part two of How To Study — tips to help get you started, how to study more effectively and efficiently:

Homework

Carry a homework planner with you at all times – that means to every class. Enter homework, projects, tests and assignments as soon as you are given them. Do not trust your memory – write it down as soon as the teacher assigns it!
Choose a comfortable place. Sorry, lying on the floor, listening to loud music or having the TV on in the background will not cut it!
Check your homework planner and begin by asking yourself the following questions: What am I supposed to do? When is the assignment due? Where can I get the necessary information? How do I do the assignment?

Studying for Tests

Make a plan. Set goals for each session. Divide your material into units and assign one unit per day. Give yourself a three-day break before the test and make sure that you have learned all the units by then.
Study in short bursts. Fifteen minutes at a time is excellent. After 15 minutes, take a five-minute breather. Do some exercise. Stick your head out the door. Get refocused.
Use the SQRCRC method: Survey the headings, introductions and summaries in order to get the main idea. Question yourself. “What do I hope to learn by reading this note?” Read carefully for detail. Cover the work. Recite what you have just read, trying for main ideas and details. Check to see how well you have done.

Be Prepared

The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams!

Every day counts. Do a little review and studying each day. Schedule time for your homework and study. Have a plan and work your plan. No homework? Work on assignments; review and correct mistakes from class or tests; plan your study schedule for next week; memorize the “tough” stuff. Here are some tips to get you started:

Listen and Hear

Start every class by deciding to pay close attention. Whisper a reminder to yourself that you will understand everything that the teacher says.
Every five minutes or so, quietly summarize the lesson to yourself.
Jot notes of the main ideas as you listen. Underline or highlight key words.
When you don’t understand something, make a note and ask someone to explain it to you later.
Notice what distracts you in the classroom. Take steps to make sure that it does not happen again. If you find that you are daydreaming, bring yourself back to task and try to fill in the parts you have missed.

Remember What You Hear

Everyone has a good memory if it is used properly.
Take your main idea class notes home every evening and expand them into a study note. Include subordinate and sub-details. At first you may have to use a text or your classroom notes. Eventually, with practice, you will be able to remember these details.
Review these notes to make sure that you understand them within two days and once more before you begin to study for a test.