The
most important lesson available is to review coursework regularly and
study ahead. In other words, avoid all- nighters at all costs. Below are
other, important suggestions:
1. Study Habits
2. Preparing for Exams
3. Ten Traps of Studying
4. More Tips
Study Habits
- Decide what to study by setting a reasonable task, and establish
how long or how many chapters, pages, problems, etc. you wish to complete.
Set and stick to deadlines.
- Do difficult tasks first. If you are a procrastinator, start off
with an easy, interesting aspect of the project.
- Have special places to study. Take into consideration lighting,
temperature, and availability of materials.
- Study 50 minutes, and then take a 10-minute break. Stretch, relax,
and eat something small.
- Allow longer, "massed" time periods for organizing relationships
and concepts, outlining, and writing papers. Use shorter, "spaced" time
intervals for rote memorization, review, and self-testing. Use odd
moments for recall/review.
- If you get tired or bored, switch task/activity, subject, or
environment. Stop studying when you are no longer being productive.
- Do rote memory tasks and review, especially details, just before
you fall asleep.
- Study with a friend. Quiz each other, compare notes and predict
test questions.
Preparing for Exams
- When the exam is announced, find out what the exam will or won't
cover. Find out what kind of exam it will be: objective, short essay,
long essay, or a combination.
- For exams, prepare summary sheets for large amounts of lecture and
textbook notes. Spend several nights before an exam making a final review
of the notes. Stress the following areas in your review: Points
emphasized in class or in the text; areas the professor has advised for
study, questions in study guides, past quizzes, and reviews at the end of
textbook chapters.
Study Tips
- Work Every Day
Avoid all-night cram sessions in which you (unsuccessfully) try to
understand and retain large amounts of information. Spend time on your
studies each day, and you can stay on top of your courses and still have
time for friends or other activities. Use small blocks of time - you'll
be amazed what you can get done between classes if you are focused.
- Help Exists! Seek It Out and Improve Your Grades
Whether you're an "A" student or a "D" student, you can strengthen your
learning skills always. Learning how to learn is a lifelong process.
Take advantage of the help centers on campus (i.e. the Writing Place).
- Write It Down
Remember important dates by writing them down in an academic planner.
- Take care of yourself
Eat, exercise, and sleep well. You will feel better, and do better, as
stress and fatigue affect comprehension and memory. This is because when
you're hungry, tense, or tired your brain can't function at its full
potential. Take a Yoga Class or other fitness class if your having
trouble taking the time to take care of yourself.
- Go to Class Prepared and Take Good Notes
While you may think some lectures are boring, it may be because you are
not making the important connections. If you prepare before class -
oftentimes simply by doing the assigned reading - you will realize that
lectures are generally structured to help make information easily
understood. By rehearsing or running through material several times, by
exam time the material will already be in your head.
- Get the BIG Picture
It is generally an unsuccessful strategy to only memorize material.
University learning requires understanding how pieces of information fit
together to form a BIG picture. Use course outlines, tables of content,
headings and subheadings to organize the information. A little time on
organization will add meaning to every detail.
- Prove to yourself that you understand
Teaching, in many ways, is the best way of learning. Explain things to
your friends or study partners that you learned in class. Only when you
can teach something effectively can you be sure that you understand it.
More Tips
- Become familiar with the Syllabus
Read the syllabus at the beginning of the semester thoroughly, and refer
to it constantly. Professors usually adhere to the syllabus, and learning
is much easier when you know what to expect.
- Read Actively
Don't let yourself daydream while you read. If you do not understand
anything, you must change something about the way you are reading. Get
actively involved with the text as you read. Ask yourself, "What is the
text trying to teach?" Take notes by paraphrasing what you read. Discuss
the material with classmates, friends, or your Professor.
- Understand the material
Elaborate on course material. Give it some relation to your life because
things are best remembered when they are meaningful to us. Try
elaborating upon new information with your own examples. Make connections
with material that you already know. You will be able to remember new
material better if you can link it to something that's already understood.
Some techniques include:
- Chunking: An effective way to simplify and make information more
meaningful. For example, to remember the colors in the visible spectrum
(Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet); you would have to
memorize seven "chunks" of information in order. But if you take the first
letter of each color, you can spell the name "Roy G. Biv", and reduce the
information the three "chunks".
- Mnemonics: Any memory-assisting technique that helps us to associate
new
information with something familiar. They can be as ridiculous as you
want, as long as they help you remember. For example, to remember that UB
was founded in 1846, think that most people begin college at 18 and take 4
to 6 years to finish. Silly, but it works.
- State of mind
That is psychological research that shows that you do best when the
atmosphere (including state of mind) that you study in resembles the
testing atmosphere. So lying in bed is probably a bad idea, unless your
taking a course on massage therapy. The best idea is to study in a quite
room while sitting at a desk while you are alert.
- Cramming doesn't work
Some people claim that cramming works, but that isn't what the research
shows. There are always exceptions to rules, but your best bet is to
begin studying seriously for a test about one week before. If you do this
in moderation, studying won't be so difficult.
- Avoid Mental Exhaustion
Take short breaks often when studying. Stand up and walk around the room,
or just be sure to look away from the material. Allow yourself little
snacks or rewards, but don't let them take too much time. For example,
don't call a friend and get stuck on the phone for a long conversation.
Also, before a test, have a rested mind
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