|
Getting your study plan together is just as important as
paying for college, registering for classes, and buying your
books. You should immediately plan on studying about 3 hours
for every hour of classroom time. Take the time to brush up
on your time management
skills if you haven't already done so; they go hand-in-hand
with good study habits.
Primary study time and place.
- Set a place. Find a quiet place at home where you
can study without distractions. If you have to,
eliminate distractions like the telephone and TV while
you are studying. Coffeehouses are quite popular, but it
takes an extremely disciplined mind to get any quality
studying done amidst the distractions of people coming
and going. And if the location of the coffeehouse isn't
close to home or work you'll probably be wasting more
time commuting. Somewhere at home will probably work out
best, but be careful not to get so comfortable that you
fall asleep while studying.
- Using the library. Check out the library before you
make it a part of your study plan. Make a note of their
hours of operation, and pay special attention to how
many distractions you will encounter. Libraries are
always as quiet as they should be. Young children,
Internet users, and other patrons coming and going can
be distracting. However, many
libraries have
supplemental study material that can help you with your
learning. So, like we said, check it out first.
- Set a study time. Establishing your study time is
just as important as finding a location. Committing to
your study time is essential. If possible choose a study
time when you are most alert; if you are a night owl
trying to study early in the morning won't be very
productive for you.
Utilize your study aids.
- Use the tools provided. Most instructors provide a class
outline or overview that will help to keep you focused on
the learning objectives. Clear and concise notes are
essential; brush up on your note-taking skills if you
haven't been in a classroom recently. Flashcards are
extremely helpful for learning lists of terms and their
definitions, practicing foreign phrases and words, and
exercising your general recall abilities.
- Organize yourself. Choose a notebook style that you can
work with. A loose leaf notebook, divided in sections for
each class, can help you organize your notes but can become
unwieldy when it gets crammed with handouts, notes, quizzes,
and other class related papers. Regardless of what type of
notebook you choose keep everything together. Pocket folders
are also helpful - but the point here is to get organized
before you start class. Think about how you will keep your
notes, how you will use your notes, and where you will keep
everything in between classes. Be careful of the "bottomless
pit" that often befalls commuter students: the back seat of
the car. Don't wait until finals to start organizing your
notes for studying - it is too easy to misplace notes from
the beginning of the class if you didn't have a designated
place, folder, binder, etc. to keep them in. Dumpster diving
into the backseat might not yield everything you need to
prepare for final exam.
- Using commercially published supplements. Most bookstores
and some libraries have commercially published "notes" for
common reading requirements. Most educators agree that these
can be helpful for people who can't otherwise organize
themselves, create an outline, or are overwhelmed by the
text itself. However, these guides also, by necessity, leave
many details out that some instructors deem essential. Don't
rely entirely on these - use them as one of your tools, but
don't abandon the other resources you have thinking that a
shortcut will save you some time.
Reading assignments.
- Scan or survey reading assignments. Most instructors frown
on students who come to class unprepared. If you have a
reading assignment start by scanning the required chapter(s),
try to get an understanding of where the author is headed
and how the text is organized. Boldface type, "headlines,"
or other call-outs are organizational styles that many
authors use and can be quite helpful in outlining a reading
assignment.
- Dissect what you are reading. As you read take note of the
who, what, when, where, and how statements that support the
underlying theme of the text. These items should be
highlighted in your text, annotated in the margin, or
indicated in your notes. Use timelines, organizational
charts, or other outlines to enhance your learning.
Illustrations, charts, graphs, and other graphics may
explain a point better for you than straight text - pay
special attention to them. For large reading assignments set
goals - break the reading assignment down to manageable
chunks, take a break and review the previous chunk before
you move on to more reading. Don't give up until you have
reached your reading goal for this study period.
Studying for exams.
- Preparing for exams. It's a good idea to brush up on your
test-taking skills if you've been out of the classroom for
awhile. Preparing for exams should always include a review
of earlier studies, especially your notes. Many final exams
will cover a wide range of learning going back to the
beginning of class. Having high quality notes is essential
to a successful review in preparation for a final exam.
Studying for exams includes most of the techniques discussed
here, and is especially dependent upon your ability to
organize yourself and your study materials from the
beginning.
- Using a study partner. Sometimes studying with a fellow
student can be mutually beneficial. Everyone has a different
perspective and studying with a classmate sometimes uncovers
facts, perspectives, points of view, or other different
learning outcomes from the same materials. Some subjects
lend themselves to "drilling" and rote learning. Having a
partner to ask you questions and later explain how he or she
would answer the same question can be valuable. Choose you
study partners wisely. Certainly you want to study with
someone who you can get along with, but don't choose someone
who will distract you from the task at hand. The primary
purpose of having a study partner is for mutual benefit.
|
