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Developing Study Skills

The information presented in this section is designed to help you to sharpen your study skills, establish good work habits, and maximize your educational experience.

 

Why Should I Study?

Through study you discover new and important information. You also learn how new knowledge adds to what you already know.

  • Studying helps you remember. For most of us, our memory needs constant review to retain what's there. On average 50% of what we learn is forgotten within 20 minutes. The next 25% is forgotten within 24 hours. The next 13% is forgotten within one week. And most of what little remains is forgotten within a month.
  • Effective study has many benefits:
    • You can improve your memory, your knowledge, and your grades.
    • You can spend your time more productively and efficiently.
    • You can increase your success in school and future endeavors.
    • You can feel positive about yourself and your abilities.
    • You can improve your attitude towards school and life.

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How Should I Read?

  • Examine the book.
    Develop a "feel" for the book before studying it. Read through the table of contents, the preface, introduction and/or forward. Glance through the index, bibliography, glossary, and any illustrations and diagrams the book may contain.
  • Ask questions.
    Frame questions about the text to help yourself better understand the subject. Consider the questions given either at the beginning or the end of the chapter before reading the chapter.
  • Be an active reader.
    1. Highlight important or key phrases and words.
    2. Use margins for writing questions or comments.
    3. Make notes on major concepts or points.
  • Read it aloud.
    When you've finished reading the chapter, go back once more and read out loud the material you highlighted, along with the notes you made in the margins and the notes made on major concepts.
  • Review.
    Give the highlighted material and your notes one final read.

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Where and When Should I Study?

  • Pick a place that has:
    • good light, temperature, and ventilation
    • few interruptions and distractions
    • a desk and firm chair.
  • Organize your time by:
    • making a realistic weekly schedule
    • re-assessing your schedule at week's end and sticking to it
    • adjusting your schedule for times missed and deadlines
    • avoiding day-dreaming and procrastination
    • taking short and regular breaks away from the study area
  • Develop a plan by:
    • setting and remembering your long-term goals
    • making sure you understand each assignment before leaving class
    • working ahead when possible to increase your understanding
    • doing normal chores and asking friends to phone before, or after, your regularly scheduled homework time.

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How Much Time is Enough?

  • Expect to spend 2-4 hours of outside study for every classroom hour.
  • Spend your time wisely. Distribute your studying over a period of time.
  • Don't try to do all of your studying in one session. Your ability to learn and understand is greater in short sessions than in long ones.
  • Take a ten minute break for each hour of study time.

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Are There Any Special Secrets To Studying?

Sorry! There's no magic and there are no secrets that will suddenly give you good study skills. Like all skills, study skills are perfected over time through consistent effort. There are, however, some common tips that will help you to develop good study habits.

  • Turn breaks and snacks into a reward system for studying well.
  • Join a study group: divide up work, share ideas and test each other.
  • Use flash cards: use 3" by 5" cards to put questions or equations on. Put a question on one side and the answer or data on the other. Go through the stack discarding the cards you know, until you know the material on every card. Carry the cards with you as a portable "notebook" and review them in spare moments.
  • Use lists, charts, and diagrams: after reading your notes or textbook, see if you can rewrite the information in a new way; now reproduce these ideas without looking at your notes.
  • Listening to music seems to help some students; however, studies show that slow, soothing instrumental music works best. Save more intense types of music for a reward.

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Previewing Class Material

Good study skills start before class begins!

Before attending class:

  • Preview the material to be covered in that session.
  • Look at major headings and try to get a feel for what each section is about.
  • Go back and carefully read the material in each section.
  • Use place markers ("Post-its" work great) to mark concepts you don't understand or need help with. During class the markers will remind you to pay special attention when that topic is covered, or to ask the instructor for help if needed.

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Doing Exercises

After reviewing the appropriate material, you are ready to begin to do exercises assigned by your instructor. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of these exercises.

  • Accuracy should be your primary goal.
  • When working problems involving new concepts, you should take your time and concentrate on the concept or process being demonstrated.
  • Don't be concerned with speed! It takes time and practice to become proficient.
  • Remember that learning the reason for doing a particular process is often more important than learning the process itself.

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Comparing and Contrasting

Many times what you are learning is similar to a topic or concept that you are already familiar with. Other times you may be learning something totally new and will find it difficult to relate to any previous experience. It is important that you learn to make decisions based on comparing and contrasting concepts. You must learn to identify concepts that look almost identical but are not. When comparing concepts, learn to ask:

  • Is this the same as other concepts or topics you have studied?
  • Is this similar to other topics or concepts you are familiar with?
  • Is it different?
  • How is it different?

By asking yourself these questions you can avoid making careless errors and eleminate needless confusion.

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Reviewing Material

In many areas of study each new concept or skill is dependent on those previously learned. If a certain skill has not been learned well enough, it will most likely affect your ability to learn the next concept or skill. Remember:

  • Simply passing an exam or making it through a topic is no cause for celebration! Success comes when the knowledge and skills presented have been mastered.
  • Constant review and practice of previous topics will pay big dividends in understanding new topics.
  • A skill is truly mastered only when it becomes consistent and automatic.

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Reflecting

After working a problem or completing a new section, it is always a good idea to take a few moments and consider what you have just done. Think carefully about how the problems or examples relate to what you have previously learned. How are they the same or different from those already studied? What new ideas or procedures were introduced? Are you comfortable with your level of understanding? Do you need to go back and review before moving to the next topic?

An honest self evaluation of your skills and understanding may be the single most important step you can take to ensure your continued success.

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